Chapter 113

At the start of the fourth quarter, the Pistons sent out their starting lineup. Before half-time even passed, the ball was already in McGrady’s hands. As the season progressed, however, McGrady gradually integrated into the team, with an average of 20.1 points per game serving as the best proof of this. He had become the team’s second-leading scorer, and with him on the team, Greg Monroe could focus more on defense inside. The pick-and-roll plays between him and Zhou Yi became increasingly effective. McGrady’s performance began to draw increasing attention, and Detroit’s media optimistically predicted that if he could maintain this level, he might make it to the All-Star game this season. Watching Zhou Yi quickly move to the right wing baseline, LeBron James hesitated for a moment before quickly following him. He knew full well that Zhou Yi was the Pistons’ most threatening outside shooter, with a shooting percentage of nearly 60% and over half of his shots from beyond the three-point line. Although he took fewer than 15 shots per game, he managed to score 23.3 points, and his shots usually came when the team was in a deadlock or when they needed to seal the game. In the game against the Magic a few days earlier, it was Zhou Yi’s last-minute three-pointer that helped the Pistons widen the score and secure the victory. For a moment, there was space in front of McGrady. The Heat players didn’t expect LeBron James to chase after Zhou Yi; it was too late to switch defenses. McGrady hesitated only briefly before quickly shooting. “Swish”—he maintained his usual consistency. His most accurate shots were from the top of the key, where he rarely missed shots when unguarded. However, the top of the key was a key defensive area, as many breakthrough attempts started there, and it was also where the team’s defense was strongest. So such opportunities were rare in games. LeBron James drove with the ball and, facing Andre Iguodala’s tough defense, managed to score with a quick stop-and-shoot. His rapidly rising and falling chest showed how much energy he had expended in the first three quarters. Iguodala’s defense made it difficult for James, both offensively and defensively, especially defensively, as he also had to help guard Zhou Yi.

Madie’s baseline pass allowed Zhou Yi to quickly take the ball across half-court, slowing down the pace near the midcourt. As the Pistons’ players surged into the Heat’s defense, the Heat were not a team strong in half-court offense. Their weak interior play meant their attacks relied more on outside shots.

Against the Heat, the Pistons excelled in set plays, just as John Kuester said before the game: “We don’t like playing half-court offense, but if we have to, we’re not worried.”

Zhou Yi easily lofted the ball into the interior before quickly moving to the outside, trying to disrupt the Heat’s defense and prevent them from double-teaming Greg Monroe. Holding the ball in one hand with his back slightly bent, he tested Joel Anthony behind him. The opponent’s defense was average—especially since it relied solely on enthusiasm rather than strategy, with only passable blocking skills. Its biggest flaw was a lack of physical strength.

Greg Monroe used his strong frame to push Joel Anthony toward the basket step by step. Despite the Heat’s aggressive defense, they watched as their territory gradually disappeared.

With a sudden turn, Greg Monroe pushed Joel Anthony out of the way. This wasn’t Greg Monroe’s usual playing style, but he still managed to dunk with both hands.

Seeing Joel Anthony easily pushed toward the basket, Eric Spoelstra frowned slightly.

The Heat’s interior was extremely weak. In today’s league, there’s no shortage of talented outside players, but solid and reliable interior players are rare. The Heat have been searching for such players since last season, yet so far without success.

LeBron James’s hasty shot missed the rim, returning possession to the Pistons.

Zhou Yi’s jump shot missed, and Joel Anthony grabbed the defensive rebound, passing it to Mario Chalmers. After catching the ball, he dodged Zhou Yi’s attempt to steal it and moved toward the Pistons’ half-court.

Mario Chalmers stopped at the top of the key, holding the ball ready to pass. At that moment, Joel Anthony blocked Spencer Hawes and reached for the ball from Chalmers. Seeing this, Chalmers lofted the ball into the interior. Joel Anthony caught it, drove a few times at the low post, then turned and threw up a hook shot—*swish*—the ball went through the net!

Zhou Yi took the baseline serve from Tyler Hansbrough and slowly moved toward the Heat’s half-court. After crossing half-court, Zhou Yi made a clever pass, assisting Jody Meeks to drive to the basket and score. Mario Chalmers controlled the ball, moved past half-court, and passed it to James Jones. After receiving the ball, James Jones took a tentative step forward before suddenly accelerating and breaking toward Jody Meeks’ left side. Jody Meeks stayed close to James Jones, blocking his path. James Jones pushed hard against Jody Meeks, then suddenly stepped back and took a jump shot—the ball went in. Zhou Yi controlled the ball, steadily moved forward, and then passed it to the big man Tyler Hansbrough. Tyler Hansbrough and Jwan Howard faced each other; Hansbrough leaned against Howard, pushing hard backward, then suddenly turned and pretended to take a backjump shot. But just as Howard closed in, he flipped his wrist and passed the ball. Zhou Yi caught the ball and cut toward the basket from the middle. Compared to the Pistons’ smooth offense, the Heat’s offense was clearly messy. By the 5:11 mark of the fourth quarter, the Pistons had widened the score to 110:84. Although the Heat’s starters were still playing, John Kuester decided to take them off the court. Essentially, the remaining time was garbage time. Eric Spoelstra didn’t even have the energy to scold them; the Heat’s locker room was dead silent. LeBron James hung his head, constantly drinking water. Seeing his pale face, Spoelstra didn’t say much—LeBron’s performance was actually good, but the Pistons as a whole were outstanding, and his teammates’ poor form prevented him from delivering a great game. With a thud, LeBron James slammed his drink bottle on the floor, snatched a white towel from a staff member, and wrapped it around his head. Such a sudden action made the atmosphere in the Heat’s locker room even more tense. Compared to the earlier lethargy, there was now a sense of severity in the air. Spoelstra shook his head silently—things were going even worse; defeat was imminent.

The events in the Heat’s locker room were clearly shown in every corner of the arena via the large central screen. John Kuester understood Eric Spoelstra’s feelings well. As a head coach, he knew such situations were inevitable and would occur frequently.
The game resumed after the timeout.
However, Zhou Yi and the others remained on the bench. With such a large lead, John Kuester intentionally took the key players off the court to rest.
With LeBron James’ leadership, the Heat scored a 11-4 run against the Pistons in just three and a half minutes, narrowing the score gap to under twenty points. During this offensive surge, LeBron James overcame his earlier slump and kept shooting from beyond the three-point line.
John Kuester wasn’t too concerned about the situation on the court. Zhou Yi’s absence affected the Pistons’ offense, but the Heat’s offense didn’t improve either. LeBron James’ two three-pointers were both very difficult to make, shot under duress, and such shots couldn’t pose a threat to the Pistons.
Perhaps fans enjoy seeing thrilling goals in games, but as a head coach, what they prefer is a reliable offense. The simpler and more effective the offense, the better. While a spectacular goal can boost team morale, it can’t influence the course of the game. This is also why he valued Zhou Yi so much—unless the game demanded it, Zhou Yi would always choose the safest offensive approach to make scoring simpler and more practical.
The Pistons called a short timeout and sent Zhou Yi back onto the court.
By now, McGrady had already been substituted out, and Ben Gordon played alongside Zhou Yi.
LeBron James’ expression grew increasingly serious. With Zhou Yi back on the court, the Pistons’ offensive quality would surely improve, and his defense also posed a constant challenge to him. In the previous few minutes, McGrady’s defense hadn’t posed much of a threat, allowing him to smoothly plan the team’s offense. Perhaps affected by the first half, the Heat players struggled to find their rhythm offensively. If not for LeBron James’ two difficult shots from afar, the Heat would have missed their best chance to close the gap.

The Heat took the first shot. LeBron James quickly drove the ball across half-court, but instead of making a decisive breakthrough, James Posey stood tall at the three-point line—without any unnecessary movements, yet posing a clear threat. Using Eddie House’s screen, LeBron seized the moment and rushed to the free-throw line for a quick stop-and-shoot. With a “thud,” Miami’s basket rejected its star player once again as Tyler Hansbrough easily grabbed the rebound. After landing, Greg Monroe quickly threw the ball high into the front court. Unfortunately, just as the ball reached the free-throw line, a dark figure flashed by, and Zhou Yi watched helplessly as the ball disappeared into thin air. After stealing the ball, LeBron James didn’t hesitate at all—he immediately accelerated, using his astonishing explosive power to lift himself into the air. With his body slightly bent backward, he raised the ball high in his right hand. The fans at AmericanAirlines Arena stood up together, eager for the exciting moment to come. As LeBron James’s role within the Heat grew more established, those once breathtaking dunks became increasingly rare. With a “thud,” LeBron James scored with a two-handed dunk. Zhou Yi drove with the ball and passed it skillfully to James Posey, but the latter’s shot from outside the three-point line missed, allowing the Heat to secure the defensive rebound. The Heat’s offense failed under the Pistons’ full defense. Under Zhou Yi’s control, the pace of the game’s offense and defense became extremely fast. LeBron James watched helplessly as James Posey changed his defensive tactics—instead of competing physically with him, he focused on cutting off LeBron’s connection with his teammates, moving around extensively to make it difficult for LeBron to receive passes, effectively isolating him from the team’s offensive system. With a “swish,” Zhou Yi hit a three-point shot, helping the Pistons widen the lead to 20 points once again. With only one of the “Big Three” performing at a normal level, the Heat, led by LeBron James, were clearly no match for the Pistons. In the final minutes of the fourth quarter, the Pistons firmly controlled the game and secured the victory in advance. Ultimately, the Pistons defeated their opponents 119–94 away from home, extending their winning streak to five games. Chapter 301: The Last Game Before Chinese New Year

On January 30th, local time in the United States, the night before Chinese New Year, the Pistons, with a five-game winning streak, traveled to Madison Square Garden in New York to face the Knicks, who were also on a four-game winning streak and in high spirits. After analyzing the Pistons’ recent games, Knicks head coach Mike D’Antoni was well aware that much of the Pistons’ recent success was due to the performance of rookie Zhou Yi. Under his leadership, the usually dull Pistons suddenly became full of energy, performing well on both offense and defense. Zhou Yi’s playmaking skills were on par with those ofassist king Steve Nash. With him on the team, the Pistons could often deliver strong performances. Mike D’Antoni glanced at the information about Zhou Yi in his hands and smirked disdainfully, “Not bad, indeed an outstanding player. But your rise as a Pistons coach ends here, because we Knicks have Amare. Not only has our offense improved greatly, but our defense has also strengthened significantly.” That night, Madison Square Garden saw its highest attendance of the season. After Amare Stoudemire led the Knicks to a big victory over the Spurs in their last game, Knicks fans were completely obsessed with their team. How could they miss this match against the league’s top team? “Good morning, everyone. I’m host Yu Jia, and sitting next to me is coach Zhang Weiping. We’re about to broadcast live the game between the Detroit Pistons and the New York Knicks. As you know, the Pistons are now on a five-game winning streak, having recently defeated LeBron James’ Miami Heat, which boosted their morale even further. But today they face the Knicks, who are also on a four-game winning streak. Can they win this game? Let’s find out.” As soon as Yu Jia finished speaking, the camera in front of the TV immediately switched to the Knicks’ home arena, moving over the fans in the stadium before stopping on a fan wearing a black suit—Tracy McGrady, one of the Pistons’ key players.

Madie will be unable to play in this game due to the flu. As one of the team’s key players, he couldn’t just sit idle even if he couldn’t take the court, so he came to the venue in person to encourage his teammates and hope the Pistons could continue their winning streak.

Twenty minutes before the game started, players from both the Pistons and Knicks were doing warm-up exercises on the court. Time passed by, and the start of the game drew nearer. Finally, with two minutes left before kickoff, John Kuest gathered the players together and said, “I don’t want to say any unnecessary words. In this game, I expect you all to give it your all. Whether we win or lose in the end, I want you to play in your own style and with your full strength. Only then do you have a chance to win. Do you understand?”

“Yes,” replied all the Pistons players in unison, their expressions serious with fierce determination in their eyes.

Zhou Yi took a deep breath, clenched his fists, and tried to stay calm. The Knicks players stepped onto the court, greeted by enthusiastic and loud cheers and applause from the fans. Amare Stoudemire’s fans waved his jersey continuously, while a small number of Zhou Yi’s fans cheered his name.

“Ding~~~” The game officially began with the start whistle.

Detroit Pistons starting lineup:
Center: Ben Ronny Turiaf; Power forward: Greg Monroe; Small forward: Andre Iguodala; Shooting guard: Ben Gordon; Point guard: Zhou Yi.

Knicks lineup:
Center: Ronny Turiaf; Power forward: Amare Stoudemire; Small forward: Danilo Gallinari; Shooting guard: Landry Fields; Point guard: Raymond Felton.

As the game started, the referee threw the ball in the middle of the court. Greg Monroe and Amare Stoudemire immediately jumped to compete for it in the air. In the end, Amare Stoudemire, known as the “Spring Man,” edged out Greg Monroe, securing the first possession for the Knicks.

Raymond Felton took the ball and organized the offense, with Zhou Yi providing close defense. With Danilo Gallinari setting a screen, Raymond Felton broke through Zhou Yi’s defense and attempted a quick stop-and-shoot, but missed. Greg Monroe grabbed the defensive rebound.

Zhou Yi drove the ball to start an attack. Once Ben Wallace and Greg Monroe entered the paint, they began competing fiercely with the Knicks’ interior duo, Amare Stoudemire and Ronny Turiaf, for position, while the Pistons’ other players also kept moving around in search of shooting opportunities.

Zhou Yi himself had a tough time under Raymond Felton’s defense. Although Felton couldn’t compare to players like Chauncey Billups, who were top-tier defenders in their positions, his defense was still solid. Though Felton wasn’t as fast as Zhou Yi, he managed to contain him tightly. Every time Zhou Yi tried to break through, Felton would always get in his way first, preventing him from finding any openings to drive or shoot. Zhou Yi had encountered this situation before, against players like Chauncey Billups and Chris Paul.

Zhou Yi slowly dribbled outside the three-point line, every nerve in his body tense, not daring to be careless. When he reached just outside the line facing the basket, he stopped and casually pushed the ball over Raymond Felton’s head toward the basket.

A alley-oop? That thought crossed everyone’s mind. But when they saw Ben Wallace and Greg Monroe still trapped by Turiaf and Stoudemire, unable to move freely, another idea came to mind: Oh no, was that a missed shot?

Yet, something unexpected happened. A figure in a blue jersey suddenly rushed from the right wing baseline into the paint and leaped into the air in the paint just as the ball was about to hit the backboard. With his right arm, he caught the ball and threw it toward the basket.

“Swish.” The ball went through the net.

Everyone could now see who had completed the alley-oop—it was Andre Iguodala, wearing the Pistons’ number 9 jersey.

“Great pass, Zhou,” said Iguodala, excitedly rushing up to Zhou Yi right after the play and clapping him on the shoulder.

Zhou Yi smiled at Iguodala and ran with him toward the backcourt.

The perfect coordination between Iguodala and Zhou Yi was indeed astonishing. But the experienced Knicks weren’t going to get flustered by such a small setback. After adjusting their mindset slightly, they rushed toward the Pistons’ half-court, ready to launch their own attack.

Pass, pass, pass again…
After several steady passes, the ball reached Landry Fields, who immediately adjusted his stance and shot a three-pointer from the zero-degree angle just outside the left-wing three-point line.
However, he didn’t seem to be in good form that night, so the shot missed. The ball hit the rim and bounced out.
“Damn it…” Landry Fields cursed inwardly, but he wasn’t worried about the rebound, as the Pistons’ big men, Ben Wallace and Greg Monroe, were held back by their own interior force, Amare Stoudemire and Ronny Turiaf, preventing them from getting into position to compete for the rebound.
The ball slowly fell, and Amare Stoudemire bent down to try to grab it, making it seem like the rebound would go to the Knicks.
But nothing is certain on the court.
That truth seemed especially applicable to this rebound.
Just as the ball was about to fall into Amare Stoudemire’s hands, a player in the Pistons’ No. 9 jersey suddenly rushed into the paint from the side and snatched the rebound from among the big men.
Andrea Iguodala.
Everyone stared at Andrea Iguodala in disbelief, unable to believe that such a short player could snatch the rebound from among those towering figures.
“Zhou Yi…” Andrea Iguodala shouted loudly, using all his strength to pass the ball long to Zhou Yi, who had already reached the Knicks’ half-court.
“Great pass!” Zhou Yi caught the ball passed by Andrea Iguodala from outside the three-point line. Without hesitation, facing an unguarded Knicks interior player, he immediately rushed into the Knicks’ paint at top speed.
Zhou Yi took three big steps, leaped with all his might, and drove the ball into the basket with a powerful right-handed dunk.
“Thud”—a perfect axe-handle dunk, completed…
A loud roar echoed in everyone’s hearts, shaking their souls.
4:0, the Pistons led temporarily.
From the start of the game, the Pistons launched a relentless offensive wave. After Greg Monroe grabbed a defensive rebound, he scored a layup with help from Zhou Yi.
The Knicks finally scored when Jrue Holiday received a pass from Raymond Felton and scored through a strong interior drive.

Raymond Felton’s speed was no match for Zhou Yi, who broke free from him and scored a three-pointer from an open position. After the Pistons scored a 12-4 run, the Knicks called a timeout decisively. Once the timeout ended, the Knicks increased their mid-range shooting, with Amare Stoudemire shooting steadily. Facing Greg Monroe’s defense, he made two consecutive mid-range shots, helping to stabilize the team’s morale. Raymond Felton defended cautiously inside the three-point line; earlier, he had been outpaced by Zhou Yi several times. Although the coach didn’t criticize him, he still felt bad, knowing he was largely responsible for the Pistons’ scoring surge. Using Andre Iguodala’s screen, Zhou Yi got past Raymond Felton’s defense and passed the ball to the interior. With Ronnie Turiaf’s slow movement, Greg Monroe had enough time to drive the ball to the basket. Raymond Felton quickly brought the ball across half-court, with Zhou Yi already waiting at the three-point line. Without clinging to the ball, he handed it to Danilo Gallinari just after crossing half-court. Gallinari caught the ball, rose up, and shot—a beautiful arc followed as the ball swished through the net. Zhou Yi drove with the ball, using several feints that didn’t fool Raymond Felton. Despite several failed attempts, he showed no frustration, instead revealing a faint smirk. As Raymond Felton tried to read his expression, Zhou Yi suddenly shrugged his right shoulder backward, turning 180 degrees while shifting his center of gravity slightly backward, pressing his body tightly against Raymond Felton’s. Raymond Felton reacted quickly, realizing Zhou Yi’s intent, but his response was still a fraction too slow. By the time he tried to pull away, Zhou Yi had already moved to his right, using his right hand holding the ball to push backward slightly, his elbow hitting Raymond Felton’s waist to block his movement. It was so fast that not only did the referee fail to notice the move, but even Raymond Felton doubted it was intentional. It seemed complicated, but it happened in an instant. The Knicks players didn’t have time to react and watched helplessly as Zhou Yi scored a jump shot.

Being broken through like this by Zhou Yi naturally made Raymond Felton feel uncomfortable, but it didn’t affect his judgment of the game. After half-time, he quickly passed the ball to Danilo Gallinari on the right wing. The Pistons player closest to Gallinari was Andre Iguodala, but instead of taking a jump shot, Gallinari drove full speed, quickly passing by Iguodala and charging toward the Pistons’ interior players. After drawing Greg Monroe’s defense, Gallinari passed the ball to the open Amare Stoudemire, who easily scored a dunk. Zhou Yi drove with the ball and made a clever pass to Iguodala, who cut to the basket. Using momentum, Iguodala quickly rose upward, ignoring Ronny Turiaf underneath. Turiaf’s eyes shone brightly as he shifted his weight slightly, focusing entirely on Iguodala. Since the opponent was ignoring his defense so much, he decided to give him a proper challenge. In the direct physical confrontation, Iguodala was at a disadvantage—Turiaf, who was ready underneath, was physically stronger. Just as the two were about to collide, Iguodala suddenly twisted his body, turning his back to Turiaf. His move was so sudden that Turiaf was unprepared. It wasn’t surprising, though—turning in mid-air under such circumstances wasn’t something an ordinary player could do. Turiaf’s right hand slammed into Iguodala’s left shoulder, causing him to tremble violently. But before he was pushed to the floor by Turiaf, Iguodala quickly shot the ball. “Swish”—the ball went in, and Iguodala got a free throw. He made the free throw as well. Mike D’Antoni could only shake his head in frustration. In that shot, Turiaf’s defense had been excellent, but Iguodala’s bizarre scoring move rendered all of Turiaf’s efforts useless. Among the Pistons, Iguodala’s performance wasn’t very consistent. Yet, in critical moments, he could always score incredible goals. His unconventional playing style always gave his defenders a hard time.

The Knicks attack; Amare Stoudemire passes inside, and Raymond Felton hits a three-pointer. Ben Gordon attempts a mid-range jump shot, but it misses; Ronnie Turiaf grabs the rebound. Amare Stoudemire drives hard inside, forcing Greg Monroe into a foul. Jrue Holiday takes free throws and makes both. Greg Monroe delivers a powerful dunk; his forceful slam even pushes Amare Stoudemire out of the three-second area. Landry Fields takes advantage of an opponent’s screen and hits a jump shot at the baseline. Zhou Yi drives to the baseline, receives a pass from inside, and hits a three-pointer. Danilo Gallinari’s layup forces Ben Wallace into a foul; he makes one of two free throws. “Thud” – Zhou Yi’s layup misses, but it results in a foul on Amare Stoudemire. “Swish, swish” – Zhou Yi’s free throws remain consistent.