Chapter 128

At the start of the third quarter, both Zhou Yi and Tracy McGrady of the Pistons were taken off the court to rest, while Dwyane Wade and LeBron James of the Heat also did not play, getting a chance to catch their breath. In the first half of this quarter, the Pistons and Heat engaged in positional battles, led by their key power forwards, Greg Monroe and Chris Bosh, respectively. The teams exchanged attacks, with intense physical confrontations, and the score remained closely tied as it climbed. Greg Monroe scored a 2+1 after being double-teamed and driving to the basket. 60:62… Chris Bosh took on Greg Monroe alone, spun around, dribbled past him, and successfully scored a layup. …63:66. Greg Monroe assisted Spencer Hawes, who hit a mid-range shot. …67:69. The Heat’s veteran Eddie House ran to the outside, received a pass from a teammate, and hit a three-pointer. …70:71. The positional battles continued, not particularly exciting in terms of flair but still fiercely competitive. Every attack and defense by both teams held everyone’s attention, as every goal could determine the outcome of the game. During these battles, both teams were aggressive defensively, but their shooting form was not as good as in the first half of the second quarter, resulting in a shooting percentage of around 40% for each team. However, this did not diminish the intensity of the game. The fans’ hearts raced as the players from both teams kept moving back and forth. By the seventh minute of the third quarter, Zhou Yi and McGrady finally returned to the court, while Greg Monroe was replaced by Taylor Hansbrough to rest and conserve energy for the final moments of the game. Along with Zhou Yi and McGrady, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade of the Heat also returned to the court, signaling that another intense scoring period was about to begin.