Chapter 120

At the start of the fourth quarter, Greg Monroe had to deal with intense double-teaming from the Bobcats. However, with the help of his teammates Tracy McGrady and Andre Iguodala, Monroe’s burden gradually lessened, and the Pistons’ offensive power in the paint grew stronger. Just in the first four minutes, Monroe hit two of his three shots and made both of his free throws, scoring 6 points in quick succession. The Bobcats also performed well, with DJ Augustin leading his team to consecutive successful shots, preventing the Pistons from taking the lead. At 6:11 remaining in the fourth quarter, Will Bynum hit another three-pointer, allowing the Pistons to tie the score at 79–79. It was the first time the Pistons had tied the score since the game began. The Pistons’ players were highly motivated, knowing their efforts hadn’t been in vain—they had finally tied the game. Since they had tied it, they could surely take the lead and secure the victory. Bobcats head coach Paul Silas realized this was a critical moment, so he called a long timeout to stabilize his team and strategize. As Monroe and the other Pistons players returned to the bench, they were greeted by warm welcomes and high-fives from head coach John Kuester and Zhou Yi. Kuester knew the situation had turned in favor of the Pistons, and the decisive moment would come after the timeout. The Bobcats would likely bring in their two stars, Gerald Wallace and Stephen Jackson, to lead a desperate comeback. In previous situations, Kuester would have sent Andre Iguodala or James Posey to guard Gerald Wallace, and they would have been able to contain him. But now, Kuester didn’t have any ace up his sleeve to stop Wallace. So, if they couldn’t stop him, they might as well fight back. The Bobcats attacked, and so did the Pistons. It would come down to which team’s offense was more aggressive, more consistent, and had a higher shooting percentage. That’s why Kuester sent Zhou Yi back in. In the rest of the game, the score between the Pistons and Bobcats remained close.

One moment earlier, the Pistons led the Bobcats by 2 points; the next moment, the Bobcats took the lead by 1 point. Soon after, the Pistons regained their advantage.

Jared Wallace and Zhou Yi each served as their teams’ primary offensive players for the rest of the game, with both the Pistons and Bobcats revolving around these two key players. Although they couldn’t be in the same position, the game essentially became a one-on-one battle between them—a mismatched duel.

However, in terms of their teammates’ abilities, the Bobcats were clearly inferior to the Pistons, which became the main reason for their loss today.

Eight seconds before the end, Zhou Yi hit another three-pointer, bringing the score to 88:86 in favor of the Pistons. Jared Wallace knew this was the critical moment—there could be no mistakes; even the slightest error could determine the outcome of the game. So, after guarding the ball across half-court, he immediately broke through and, after drawing double-team defense from the Pistons, passed the ball to DJ Augustin, whom he trusted and who was unguarded.

DJ Augustin caught the ball and immediately jumped to shoot a three-pointer. Jared Wallace trusted his teammate and handed over this crucial shot. But perhaps due to the pressure, DJ Augustin missed the shot, and the rebound fell into Zhou Yi’s hands.

With this critical miss, the entire Bobcats team panicked. Jared Wallace immediately used a foul on Zhou Yi, but this move only pushed the Bobcats deeper into trouble. After all, Zhou Yi’s 94.8% free-throw success rate would deter any player who tried to foul him.

In the final moments, Zhou Yi went to the free-throw line due to Jared Wallace’s foul. His free throws undoubtedly decided the game’s outcome, with only 2.3 seconds left in the match.

Making both free throws, Zhou Yi changed the score to 90:86.

With 2.3 seconds left, the Bobcats gave up hope. Even though the game wasn’t over, the players started shaking hands.

In the end, the Pistons defeated the Bobcats 90:86, extending their winning streak to seven games.

The moment the final whistle blew, all the Pistons players rushed onto the court, surrounding Zhou Yi in the center and expressing their feelings toward him in the simplest way possible. After all, Zhou Yi was the main contributor to their victory in this game.

Chapter 309: The Nets Arrive

Having defeated the Charlotte Bobcats, the Pistons had a day off. A day later, they faced the New Jersey Nets, led by “Pluto” Devin Harris, at home. Compared to last year when they were at the bottom of the league, the Nets were far better this year. They no longer had to bear the burden of being the worst team; that role had fallen to the Cavaliers without LeBron James. Yet, the Nets could only manage this level of performance—making it almost impossible for them to qualify for the playoffs.

Their record was now 13 wins and 36 losses. Before facing the Pistons, they had just ended a six-game losing streak, thanks to the Cavaliers. The Pistons, on the other hand, were on a seven-game winning streak with a total record of 44 wins and 5 losses. They would likely secure a playoff spot in just a few more games.

The match between the Pistons and Nets began at 7:30 p.m. local time on February 4th.

Pistons’ core players: center Ben Wallace, power forward Greg Monroe, small forward Andre Iguodala, shooting guard Tracy McGrady, and point guard Zhou Yi.

Nets: center Brook Lopez, power forward Derrick Favors, small forward Stephen Graham, shooting guard Anthony Morrow, and point guard Devin Harris.

As the jump ball starters began the jump ball, the game officially started! Greg Monroe won the jump ball against Brook Lopez, giving the Pistons their first chance to attack.

After getting the ball, Zhou Yi immediately drove across half-court, carefully guarding the ball while waiting for his teammates to gather around him. Devin Harris stood right in front of him. Faced with “Pluto” Devin Harris, Zhou Yi couldn’t afford to be careless. The opponent was known for his speed, having set a Guinness World Record for running around the court once. His speed ranked among the top five among active players, probably just slightly behind Allen Iverson at his peak.

Once all the players were in position, Zhou Yi dribbled forward beyond the three-point line and looked around for an opportunity to attack. But the moment his gaze shifted away from Devin Harris, the “King of Darkness” suddenly made a steal, catching Zhou Yi off guard and knocking the ball out of his hands.
“Damn it, I was careless…”
Zhou Yi realized he had underestimated Devin Harris, the “King of Darkness,” which had led to this mistake. Yet instead of letting Harris take the ball, he immediately turned, leaped, and rushed toward the basketball.
With a thud, Zhou Yi fell to the ground, but he managed to save the ball that had fallen and quickly passed it to McGrady, who was nearby. McGrady then passed it to Greg Monroe in the paint.
Catch, turn, jump, and shoot from behind.
Greg Monroe didn’t waste this scoring opportunity, easily scoring the Pistons’ first two points of the game against the Nets’ center, Brook Lopez.
Zhou Yi stood up, high-fived McGrady, and then returned to the Pistons’ half court with his teammates. However, there was no trace of joy on his face—because he knew that if he had delayed his leap to save the ball by even half a second, Harris would likely have taken it.
The “King of Darkness” truly lived up to his name, possessing such terrifying speed and explosive power.
“It seems I really need to be more careful. After all, he has far more experience than me,” Zhou Yi muttered to himself.
Devin Harris dribbled toward the Pistons’ half court. Once he reached near the three-point line, the other Nets players moved strategically to clear a path for him.
Everyone who saw this understood one thing: Devin Harris wanted to have a one-on-one duel with Zhou Yi.
Zhou Yi, a super rookie who showed off his speed right in his debut game.
Devin Harris, an All-Star player whose speed was arguably second only to “The Answer” Allen Iverson throughout his career.
With both players renowned for their speed, who was faster? That was the question on every fan’s mind.
Devin Harris stared at Zhou Yi, who was fixated on him, observed Zhou Yi’s defense, and then made up his mind.
A cold smirk appeared on Devin Harris’s face. He suddenly moved, feinted with a dribble, as if about to shoot abruptly.

Seeing this, Zhou Yi instinctively leaned forward a bit and raised his hands slightly. But just as his center of gravity rose slightly, Devin Harris suddenly moved, lowering his center of gravity drastically and darting under Zhou Yi’s right arm like a drill, using his speed to slice into the Pistons’ penalty area like a sharp knife.
“Damn it…”
Zhou Yi regretted his carelessness, but it was too late to regret now. All he could do was turn around immediately to chase after Devin Harris.
At that moment, aside from Greg Monroe, all the other Pistons players were held back by the 76ers. So, Devin Harris was likely to force a foul on Greg Monroe.
Faced with Devin Harris charging at him, Greg Monroe knew that any slight movement would surely result in a foul, so he had no choice but to stand still near the penalty area, raising his hands high to block Devin Harris’s path. Only in this way could he avoid being fouled.
Seeing that Greg Monroe was defending in this way, Devin Harris ignored Zhou Yi behind him and stepped directly into the penalty area, then jumped. If Greg Monroe had moved, Devin Harris would have rushed at him. But since Greg Monroe stayed still, Devin Harris had to use another method.
In mid-air, Devin Harris dodged Greg Monroe and, as he fell, seemingly randomly threw his hands backward, shooting the ball toward the basket behind him.
Swish—the ball smoothly went through the net.
2:2, a tie.
Devin Harris casually shook his wrist and then shot Zhou Yi a arrogant look, as if saying, “Well? Can you handle it?”
Seeing Devin Harris’s arrogant gaze, Zhou Yi wasn’t angered; instead, his expression remained calm. Yet his blood boiled with fighting spirit, filling his entire body.
Zhou Yi dribbled past the half-court line, with the other Pistons players actively moving around. He started moving, attempting to break through from the right, then suddenly brought the ball behind his right hand and switched it to his left hand. Devin Harris also paused involuntarily due to this sudden change in direction. Though it was only a brief moment, it was enough for Zhou Yi to gain an advantage over Devin Harris.

Zhou Yi seized the opportunity that Devin Harris wasn’t following him, unleashed his greatest burst of strength, took the first step, broke through Harris’s defense from the left, and charged like an unstoppable spear into the Nets’ paint. As soon as he entered the paint, Zhou Yi seemed to ignore Stephen Graham, the Nets’ small forward standing in his way, and soared into the air. “Ah~~~” Zhou Yi roared from above, flying higher and higher, his left hand holding the ball raised vertically above his head. Stephen Graham watched Zhou Yi rise higher and closer, feeling an inexplicable fear, so he instinctively pulled back his hands meant to block him and tucked in his neck—actions that would become the source of his lifelong shame. Zhou Yi used his right hand to push against Stephen Graham’s shoulder, then pressed down hard, lifting himself even higher, while simultaneously throwing the ball toward the basket. With a loud thud, a dominant dunk was completed. “Yee~~~” The entire crowd erupted in excitement, surprise, and joy. But they weren’t cheering just because of the dunk itself; more importantly, as Zhou Yi completed the dunk and rode atop Stephen Graham’s head, his hand pushing against Graham caused him to shrink further, allowing Zhou Yi to fly even higher and thus clear him. Stephen Graham stared at Zhou Yi in confusion, as if still unable to process what had just happened. “Good heavens, is he really Chinese?” one black fan exclaimed in disbelief—the scene before him was too astonishing. “Zhou… Yi, Chi… na… se… fly… man…” At that moment, all the fans chanted those words, celebrating Zhou Yi’s “earth-shattering dunk.” Greg Monroe happily patted Zhou Yi on the chest and said, “You guy really like to draw everyone’s attention. You’re something else.” “Heh, it’s okay…” Zhou Yi scratched his head shyly. Greg Monroe smiled and said, “Alright, let’s get back on defense. They’ll be attacking soon.” “Yeah, okay.” Zhou Yi nodded firmly and then ran back to the backcourt with Greg Monroe. The Nets attacked—Devin Harris drove with the ball, passed it skillfully to Anthony Morrow, but unfortunately, under Maddie’s close defense, Morrow’s shot missed.

Zhou Yigang just crossed the free-throw line; his right wrist trembled slightly as he swiftly passed the ball to Andre Iguodala, who then drained a smooth three-pointer.
6:2, with the Pistons leading by 4 points.
In the next two minutes, led by Zhou Yigang and Andre Iguodala, the Pistons delivered a 7:2 run against the Nets, quickly turning the score to 13:4, a 9-point lead.
The Nets’ head coach, “Little General” Avery Johnson, could finally hold back and called a timeout.
Chapter 310: Unexpected Turn