Chapter 129

In the remaining time of the third quarter, the players from both teams engaged in a final struggle. But perhaps fate was not on the Pistons’ side! Throughout the rest of the third quarter, they simply couldn’t find their rhythm, missing all four of their three-point attempts in the final moments, allowing the Heat to gradually widen the score through consistent scoring. By the end, if not for Zhou Yi and McGrady combining their efforts and individual skills to repeatedly attack the Heat’s interior players, the game might have already entered garbage time. Still, the Pistons entered the fourth quarter trailing by 11 points, 79 to 90. “Damn it, that old bastard Joel Anthony is too despicable. I wasn’t even pushing hard—his move was clearly a foul,” Taylor Hansbrough grumbled as he sat on the bench, complaining about Joel Anthony’s tactics. In this quarter, he made just one of four shots, scoring only 3 points, and was also forced to commit one turnover and one foul by his veteran defender, Joel Anthony. Will Bynum glanced at Taylor Hansbrough and said angrily, “You’re still lucky. That guy Eddie House took advantage of my lack of stamina and hit me twice in a row. Damn it, it’s an insult—absolute humiliation.” Will Bynum was so furious he seemed ready to devour Eddie House. Driven by these two, the emotions of the others also surfaced, with everyone complaining about their opponents’ “despiceness.” Zhou Yi looked around, not knowing what to say. He felt extremely uneasy because, no matter what had happened before, he had never seen his teammates act so emotionally. Now, even he himself was filled with anxiety and restlessness. It seemed as though a faint voice in his head kept repeating, “Are we going to lose? Are we really going to lose…” At that moment, Zhou Yi felt suffocated by the pressure he was under. “Are we going to lose? Really going to lose?” Helplessly, he covered his head, gradually unable to hear the voices of the others around him, staring blankly at the cold floor and his own sweat on it. “Are we really going to lose?” Suddenly, Zhou Yi heard many different voices in his head—some accusing, some pitiful, some mocking, and some indifferent. Without exception, all of them were mocking his incompetence for causing the team’s defeat. “Stop talking, stop talking…”

Zhou Yi groaned inwardly as his body tensed up. But suddenly, a thick and warm hand was placed on his shoulder, pulling him back from his painful struggle into reality.
Zhou Yi turned his head in a daze to look at the person who had placed their hand on his shoulder and was staring at him—Maddie.
Maddie smiled and asked, “What are you thinking?”
“Nothing, just nothing,” Zhou Yi shook his head and turned his gaze back to the floor, breathing heavily in silence. Sweat kept flowing from his body, dripping onto the floor with soft sounds. Some of this sweat was from exhaustion and heat, while the rest was from excessive nervousness.
“Are you scared?” Maddie asked suddenly.
“Huh?” Zhou Yi was startled and looked up at Maddie blankly.
Seeing Zhou Yi’s confused expression, Maddie chuckled and shook her head. “Ah, I knew it. You’re scared.”
Zhou Yi panicked and quickly defended himself, “W-what are you talking about? I’m not scared…” The last few words were barely audible.
“Zhou, you don’t need to lie to me.” Maddie leaned back comfortably. “I know you’re scared. And I know you’re scared of losing the game, right?”
“I…” Zhou Yi tried to argue but ultimately couldn’t utter any excuses. “Yes… I’m scared… I’m afraid we’ll lose the game… If the team loses, as its core member…” He couldn’t continue speaking.
Maddie looked at Zhou Yi and said irritably, “It seems the team’s decision to make you the leader was indeed a mistake.”
“…” Zhou Yi remained silent, unable to refute. Indeed, as a leader, especially the leader of a strong team, failing to lead them to victory was unacceptable…
“Zhou, I want to tell you that I think the team’s decision was wrong not because you can’t lead them to victory, but because of your cowardice.”
Zhou Yi was stunned and turned his gaze back to Maddie.
“Zhou, do you know? I can understand your current mindset. Because I’ve also played many important games. When the team was about to lose, I was very scared too. But the more scared I was, the more determined I became, because I knew if I fell, the team would be finished.”
“…” Zhou Yi remained silent, waiting for more.
“Later, the team still lost. I was really disappointed and sad at that time. But it was then that I understood one thing.”

“What’s the logic in that?” Zhou Yi finally spoke up.
“It means that the success or failure of a team is something that everyone on that team has to bear together.”
“Everyone… bear it together…”
“Yes,” Maddie nodded, looking at the others around. “Just look around. Why are we all fighting so hard? Is it just out of professionalism? No, that’s not it. We’re all striving for our own dreams. Whether it’s James, Greg, Andre, me, or you—aren’t we all working hard for our own dreams? Besides, having made it this far, who would put all the pressure of the team’s success or failure on you alone? Right?”
“Right,” the people who had been listening to their conversation replied in unison.
“Zhou, by fighting this far, it’s no longer about going further or out of professionalism,” Greg Monroe said. “We’re all striving for our own dreams. And our dream is to be with you. Our failure is your failure, but your failure doesn’t mean everyone else’s failure. Because the success or failure of a team doesn’t come from one person.”
Will Bynum patted Zhou Yi on the shoulder. “Zhou, don’t overthink it. It doesn’t matter whether we win or lose this game. As long as we play a game without regrets, that’s enough. All those pressures you’re worried about are unnecessary. Besides, this is just an ordinary game.”
Taylor Hansbrough, who never knew how to comfort others, chimed in, “Zhou, relax. Just do your best. If we lose, it’s not just your fault. We all share responsibility. Of course, you’ll also have some responsibility, but not much. You just need to…”
“Go away,” James Posey pushed aside Taylor Hansbrough, who was getting more and more chaotic, and said to Zhou Yi, “Zhou, keep going. Just play a game without regrets. It doesn’t matter whether we win or lose. Even if we lose, we still have other games ahead. Of course, it would be best if we could win, so please shoot more baskets so that we…”
“Go away too…” Everyone pushed aside James Posey, who was just as chaotic as Taylor Hansbrough. The commotion made those who weren’t aware think there was chaos within the Pistons team.

Finally, the kind and amiable head coach John Kuester smiled and said to Zhou Yi, “Zhou, it doesn’t matter what the future holds for our Pistons after this game. What’s important is that we all give our best in this match without any regrets. Zhou, you’re a great player, but a team isn’t created just for you, so you don’t need to bear all the pressure by yourself. Believe in yourself and believe in everyone else. After all, what we all have is unity.”

After hearing John Kuester’s words, Zhou Yi stared blankly at his teammates, companions, and friends who had been with him for almost half a year. Seeing them strive to help this 19-year-old boy feel less nervous and overwhelmed, he felt deeply warmed, even to the point of tears.

Zhou Yi stood up, bowed to everyone, and expressed his sincere gratitude, “Thank you all. I’m truly very grateful. I’m so happy to have teammates like you…”

The others looked at Zhou Yi, exchanged glances, and then all smiled at the same time.

Greg Monroe extended his right hand toward the space in the center. After a brief pause, everyone else also extended their right hands and placed them together in the center, then shouted in unison, “One, two, three—we’re the best!”

“Ding~~~” The whistle for the fourth quarter finally sounded.

Zhou Yi slowly walked onto the court with his teammates. At this moment, he felt no pressure at all. For the first time since joining the NBA, he felt so relaxed, because he knew he wasn’t alone—he had the best teammates and their unwavering support. Moreover, the shared dream that united them all kept them closely bound together; they were all striving for that dream, working hard without cease.

Zhou Yi raised his head, remained silent for a moment, then opened his eyes again and strode onto the court.

When the fourth quarter began and Zhou Yi returned to the court with his team, Lynch Xiao and the others, far across the ocean, looked anxious and murmured, “Zhou Yi, what will you do now? Hah, we’re really looking forward to your performance in the final quarter…”

“Zhou!” A familiar call rang out as McGrady passed the ball to Zhou Yi again.

After catching the ball, Zhou Yi lowered his center of gravity and faced Dwyane Wade, his mind racing as he searched for an offensive strategy.

This shot must succeed—there’s no room for failure. As long as they can narrow the score to single digits, they can launch a counterattack.
Zhou Yi was filled with a fierce desire to win, but this desire didn’t make him anxious; instead, it sharpened his mind, keeping him calmer than ever. He knew he had teammates who trusted and supported him wholeheartedly, teammates who shared the same dream.
Zhou Yi moved swiftly—shifting left, stepping back right, then lowering his center of gravity to the lowest possible level. In a crouching stance, he used his speed to break through Gino’s defense on the left side and cut into the Heat’s paint, passing through Chris Bosh’s defense and entering the penalty area.
He caught the ball, stepped forward. One, two, three—he jumped.
Zhou Yi soared into the air, spun 180 degrees to face the basket, and then swung his right hand like a windmill, slamming the ball hard into the hoop.
“Bang.”
The basket’s pained groan echoed once again across the court. Every fan’s heart pounded wildly, trembling with excitement.
The Pistons’ fans, whose enthusiasm had already cooled somewhat, were now boiling over again.
An 180-degree spin dunk.
“Zhou—Yi—!” The fans cheered his name once more, and his perfect dunk was firmly etched in everyone’s memory.
Once again, Zhou Yi became the “Chinese Flying Man.”
81:90—9 points left to close the gap.
“That was an amazing dunk!” Greg Monroe patted Zhou Yi on the back.
Zhou Yi smiled briefly before returning to his serious expression. Though the morale-boosting task was done, the race to close the score had just begun.
“Snap.” With a soft sound, LeBron James’ ball was taken away by Andre Iguodala. Immediately, both rushed toward the ball. Just as they were about to reach it, they both leaped at it at the same time—but both ended up on the ground without grabbing the ball, which continued rolling forward.
“Damn it.”
“I’m not giving you the ball.”
Zhou Yi and Dwyane Wade rushed in from behind and lunged at the ball, just like the two before them. This time, it was Zhou Yi who got the ball.

Zhou Yi, who was on the ground, ignored the pain in his body. Sitting there, he pushed the ball backward and passed it to McGrady, who had just arrived. McGrady lived up to Zhou Yi’s expectations and scored a steady three-pointer with no defenders around.
84:90, 6 points left.
The Pistons launched a counterattack, and hope reignited among their fans. But then “The Little Emperor” LeBron James scored another three-pointer, widening the score gap to 9 points once again, dimming the hopes of the Pistons’ fans once more.
After controlling the ball for half the game, McGrady took a determined shot from 45 degrees outside the three-point line on the right wing. Unfortunately, the ball missed and bounced away.
Greg Monroe and Tyler Hansbrough jumped at the same time to compete with Chris Bosh for the rebound. One of them touched the ball, sending it out of bounds.
At a critical moment, Zhou Yi rushed from the outside into the paint and caught the ball just before it went out of bounds, passing it to McGrady before collapsing among the reporters.
“Zhou, great save!” McGrady caught the ball excitedly, quickly adjusted his stance, and shot it again from outside the three-point line.
“Swish.” This time, the ball went in!
87:93.
The Pistons’ fans breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing the shot go in, touching their chests and pressing down on their hearts, which were pounding from nervousness.
Zhou Yi was helped up by McGrady. The two exchanged smiles and returned to their half of the court with the other teammates.
“Clap, clap, clap!” Zhou Yi clapped his hands and said loudly, “Alright, everyone, give it your all! Victory belongs to us!”
“Okay,” the teammates replied in unison, their voices filled with confidence and a desire for victory.
The Pistons’ fans, inspired by the players’ fighting spirit and passion, cheered loudly for their team with all their might. At that moment, everyone understood that the Pistons’ players were giving their all in a final, regret-free effort.
The Heat attacked, with “The Little Emperor” James breaking into the paint and scoring 2 points with a one-handed dunk.
Zhou Yi controlled the ball and moved to the spot just outside the three-point line facing the basket. In front of him, Dwyane Wade kept a close eye on him.
Zhou Yi glanced to the left, and sensing this slight movement, Dwyane Wade immediately shifted his weight slightly to the left.

But just as he shifted his center of gravity, Zhou Yi suddenly accelerated, crouched down to dribble, pushing his speed to the limit, and plunged like a sharp blade into the Heat’s interior defense. DeWayne Wade, who was guarding him, couldn’t stop him or keep up with his pace. With the interior defenders occupied by their teammates, Zhou Yi stepped into the three-second zone and immediately leaped into the air, charging toward the basket like a sword. Gritting his teeth, he raised the basketball with his right hand and slammed it into the basket with a powerful dunk. “Bang!” The familiar yet stunning sound of the basket echoing once again. A simple, decisive, and dominant dunk—perfectly executed. The fans took a deep breath before bursting into cheers. They were ecstatic not only because of the stunning dunk but also because, at the same time, the Pistons had tied the score. 98:98, with 3 minutes left, the teams were finally tied. “Ding~~~” At that moment, Heat head coach Eric Spoelstra finally called a long timeout. Eric Spoelstra was in a terrible mood—more than nine minutes had already passed in the final quarter. Yet, due to the Pistons’ aggressive defense and hard fighting, the Heat had only managed 8 points. In those nine minutes, the Pistons had prevented the Heat from scoring much in a critical period. It was a humiliation for the Heat. So when the Heat players returned to the bench, they all looked gloomy and silent. In contrast, the Pistons were full of morale, filled with joy at having tied the score. When Zhou Yi and the other five players on the court returned to the bench, the other players on the bench stepped forward to shake hands with these five brave warriors to express their immense joy.

“Ladies and gentlemen, there are only 2 minutes and 47 seconds left until the end of the game. At this critical moment, the Pistons have already tied the score. Zhou Yi has currently scored 23 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists, and 2 steals. Additionally, Greg Monroe has recorded a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds, while McGrady has scored 22 points. In the final quarter, the Pistons have performed excellently on both offense and defense. Over a full 9 minutes, they allowed the Heat to score only 8 points, while scoring 19 points themselves. In the final moments, the Heat will surely make adjustments to find ways to score. Whether the Pistons can maintain control and continue their scoring momentum will determine the outcome of the game.”

At this moment, hundreds of millions of eyes around the world are watching intently what’s happening inside the Auburn Hills Palace. Everyone’s heart is pounding fiercely, everyone is trembling with excitement, all waiting in anxiety and anticipation.

Everyone knows that once the timeout ends, the final sprint will begin.

The timeout passed quickly, and the five star players from both teams stepped onto the final battlefield with a determination to win. The countdown officially started.

2 minutes and 46 seconds~~~
The Heat have the ball, kickoff in the middle of the court, and it goes to LeBron James.

2 minutes and 45 seconds~~~
The ball is passed to Dwyane Wade.

2 minutes and 44 seconds, 2 minutes and 43 seconds, 2 minutes and 42 seconds~~~
Dwyane Wade attempts several breakthroughs but fails, then passes the ball to veteran Eddie House~~~

2 minutes and 41 seconds~~~, 2 minutes and 40 seconds~~~
McGrady suddenly reaches out to steal the ball from Eddie House, but unfortunately, after hitting it, the ball goes out of bounds.

2 minutes and 39 seconds~~~
The Heat players move around, and finally, Eddie House passes the ball to Dwyane Wade.

2 minutes and 38 seconds~~~
After receiving the ball, Dwyane Wade turns and jumps back from about one meter outside the three-point line.

2 minutes and 37 seconds~~~
Zhou Yi also jumps, but he can’t stop Dwyane Wade, who shoots the ball.

2 minutes and 36 seconds, 2 minutes and 35 seconds~~~
The basketball traces a high, graceful arc through the air and lands in the basket after 2 seconds of flight.

Dwyane Wade’s long-distance backshot three-pointer—made!

98:101.

2 minutes and 34 seconds~~~, 2 minutes and 30 seconds, 2 minutes and 29 seconds~~~

The Pistons quickly took possession, but the Heat employed a full-court press, causing the ball to go through several passes before crossing half-court.
2 minutes 28 seconds……
The ball was passed to Zhou Yi……
2 minutes 27 seconds, 2 minutes 26 seconds……
Zhou Yi dribbled sideways to the top of the key, right in front of the basket.
2 minutes 24 seconds……
Zhou Yi suddenly threw the ball toward the basket with his right hand from two meters away from the three-point line.
2 minutes 23 seconds, 2 minutes 22 seconds……
The ball flew vertically toward the backboard and was caught by Tyler Hansbrough, who had jumped up, before being forcefully dunked into the basket with both hands.
100:101.
After landing, Tyler Hansbrough let out a powerful roar and celebrated by bumping chests with Zhou Yi.
2 minutes 21 seconds……1 minute 38 seconds……
Under intense defense from both sides, several attempts by each team failed.
1 minute 32 seconds, 1 minute 31 seconds, 1 minute 30 seconds……
Dwyane Wade missed a three-point shot, but Chris Bosh grabbed the rebound and passed it back to Dwyane Wade.
1 minute 29 seconds, 1 minute 28 seconds……
After catching the ball, Dwyane Wade shot again decisively; the Pistons’ defenders were too slow to react, and the three-point shot finally connected.
100:104—the score gap widened again.
“Ding”—the Pistons called another timeout.
At this moment, the hearts of the Pistons’ fans were pounding with tension, anxiety, and worry.
With just over a minute left, the score gap had grown to 4 points. This intense, tense, and uneasy atmosphere caused many people’s heart rates to rise continuously; such suffocating stress was definitely beyond what people with heart conditions could endure.
“Listen up, there’s only a little over a minute left now…” John Kuester said firmly. “The outcome depends on how we perform in these final moments. I think everyone understands that. As for tactics, I’ve already told you everything I can. You all know how to play. But I still want to remind you: don’t be careless in these last moments. Just play as you know how. Work well together and play steadily. Absolutely no silly mistakes—everyone should understand that mistakes in these final moments can be fatal.”
“Yes, coach.”

After John Kuster finished speaking, the players hurried to regain their strength, while McGrady sat down next to Zhou Yi and said softly, “Zhou, in the final moments, be more decisive in your attacks. Don’t worry. Trust me, and trust everyone else—even if you miss, we’ll still grab the rebounds.” Zhou Yi was momentarily stunned, then nodded silently. In McGrady’s words, he felt McGrady’s trust and support. So, to live up to everyone’s expectations, he would give it his all in those last moments. Soon, the sound of the game starting rang out again, and the countdown began anew. After the ball was tipped, Zhou Yi controlled the ball and moved outside the three-point line, calmly looking for an opportunity to attack, slowly wasting away the remaining time, as if it weren’t they who were behind and as if there was still plenty of time. The fans were extremely anxious, not understanding why Zhou Yi continued to waste the already limited time. Of course, no matter how anxious they were, they wouldn’t shout loudly. After all, every Pistons fan feared their voices might disturb the players on the court. When the number on the 24-second shot clock dropped to eight, Zhou Yi finally took action. He suddenly sped forward like an unstoppable blade, using his speed to cut from a 45-degree angle outside the three-point line into the paint. Dwyane Wade, who was defending him, couldn’t keep up, allowing Zhou Yi to easily reach the Heat’s interior and approach their basket. At that critical moment, the Heat’s interior core, Chris Bosh, stepped in to block Zhou Yi’s path at the basket. This time, Zhou Yi didn’t choose to avoid confrontation; he stepped directly into the paint and, as he did, used one foot to propel himself upward. “You won’t succeed.” “Ah~~~” Chris Bosh also jumped up with a roar, raising his arms to block Zhou Yi’s shooting path. With his path blocked, Zhou Yi wasn’t panicked. After all, his goal was to get Chris Bosh to jump—Zhou Yi slammed the ball hard onto the floor, and after bouncing, it landed perfectly in Greg Monroe’s hands. After catching the ball, Greg Monroe gritted his teeth, jumped up with both feet, and used his strong hands to slam the ball into the basket. “Bang.” A brilliant combination, ending perfectly with Greg Monroe’s powerful dunk.

“Great job.” Zhou Yi and Greg Monroe exchanged a confident high-five; their teamwork was indeed of top quality. Cheers echoed throughout the arena, and the shouts thrilled the hearts of Pistons fans around the world. 102:104—two points left. 1 minute and 5 seconds remaining…… At this critical moment, the Heat once again demonstrated the experience and consistency of their three star players. They moved strategically and passed the ball back and forth, and after several breakthrough attempts, the ball ended up in Chris Bosh’s hands. However, when he was surrounded by Pistons players, he passed it to Eddie House, who had just moved to the outside. After catching the ball, House quickly adjusted his stance and shot. Swish. The ball went in—perfect and smooth. 102:107—the score gap widened further. The game officially entered the countdown phase! “59, 58, 57, 56…” John Kuester didn’t call a timeout for adjustments, so the Pistons resumed play and launched an attack. “54, 53… 48, 47” The Heat continued to use full-court pressure, but the Pistons managed to carry the ball across half-court through calm passing. “46” When Zhou Yi ran to just outside the three-point line facing the basket, the other Pistons players began moving strategically. “45, 44…” Zhou Yi started breaking through into the Heat’s paint, but instead of finishing the shot himself, he passed the ball to McGrady on the outside as soon as he was surrounded by defenders. “43, 42…” After catching the ball, McGrady also broke through, drawing another defensive trap, and this time passed it to Andre Iguodala on the outside. “41, 40…” When Iguodala got the ball, there were no defenders around him, so he jumped confidently and shot. “39” Swish. The ball traced a perfect arc through the air before landing precisely in the basket. 105:107—two points left. “38, 37, 36… 33, 32, 31” After the Heat started play, the Pistons also used full-court pressure to put them under strain. But the Heat were a team known for their consistency; the better it got in critical moments, the better they performed. They made no mistakes and steadily carried the ball across half-court.

“30, 29… 25, 24…”
The Heat players calmly passed the ball to waste time, their actions further panicking the Pistons fans, who were also extremely anxious.
“23, 22…”
The Heat continued to waste time, and at that moment, the Pistons fans on the court, unable to contain their tension, started shouting “Defense!”
“21, 20…”
As the 24-second timeout neared, Chris Bosh finally reached the perimeter to set up a pick-and-roll for LeBron James.
“19, 18…”
LeBron James, given an opportunity due to Bosh’s pick-and-roll, broke through from the center, stopped abruptly at the free-throw line, and jumped to shoot.
“17, 16…”
Unfortunately, the shot missed, and Greg Monroe secured the defensive rebound.
“15”
The Pistons launched a fast break. McGrady, Zhou Yi, and Andre Iguodala all rushed toward the Heat’s half-court, while Greg Monroe threw the ball forward.
“14, 13…”
Zhou Yi caught the ball and had already crossed half-court.
“12”
Dwyane Wade blocked Zhou Yi’s path, but Zhou Yi skillfully threw the ball to Wade’s left and passed by him on the right, continuing to sprint after catching it.
“11, 10…”
Zhou Yi reached beyond the three-point line and threw the ball toward the basket.
“9”
McGrady dashed forward, caught the ball in mid-air with both hands, and threw it into the basket.
Chapter 322: Deciding the Outcome
“Thud.” The resonant sound of the basket echoed, and the Pistons fans erupted in excited cheers.
107:107—the teams were tied again.
“Beep~~~” As expected, the Heat used up their last long timeout.
Tension, nothing but tension.
At this moment, all fans watching the game were filled with anxiety, knowing that the final result of the game would soon be decided.
“Huh…” Zhou Yi leaned back, closed his eyes, and tried to calm himself. At such a moment, if he claimed he wasn’t nervous at all, it would be a lie. In a life-or-death situation like this, no one could stay calm.

For this very reason, Zhou Yi, who was at the core of the team, had to calm his emotions and try to stay composed. Because in the next moment, the more steadily a player performed, the greater their chance of winning.
After the timeout, the players from both teams returned to the court, and the audience’s tension grew even more intense.
When the timeout ended, Ed Davis, the server, passed the ball to Dwyane Wade, who then slowly used up the remaining time.
Seeing this, anyone could understand that the Heat’s final shot would fall on Dwyane Wade. And this meant that the Pistons’ future was now in the hands of Zhou Yi, who was tasked with defending Dwyane Wade.
The final showdown between “The Flash” and “The Chinese Flying Man” had begun.
“8”
Zhou Yi stayed close to Dwyane Wade, preventing him from getting any shooting opportunities and constantly looking for ways to steal the ball from him.
“7, 6…”
Although Zhou Yi defended tightly, “The Flash” was not going to let such obstacles stop him.
So, Dwyane Wade continued to protect the ball and waste time.
“5, 4…”
With no time left, McGrady abandoned Mario Chalmers, whom he was guarding, to help Zhou Yi defend Dwyane Wade.
“3”
Just as McGrady was about to reach him, Dwyane Wade suddenly pushed the ball to Mario Chalmers.
“2”
After catching the ball, Mario Chalmers jumped and shot a mid-range shot that could determine the outcome of the game.
“1”
“Bang!”
A sound that lifted the Pistons’ spirits rang out. For everyone on the Pistons’ team and their fans, this sound was undoubtedly the most beautiful music at that moment.
With that clanging sound, the Heat and their fans’ morale plummeted instantly. But they weren’t discouraged, because although the final shot missed, they could still play overtime.
Meanwhile, the Pistons and their fans’ hearts were pounding with excitement.
The regular time was over, and overtime was about to begin.
After resting for a while in the locker rooms, both teams returned to the court.
Now, there were some changes in the players on the court.
Pistons: Will Bynum, Ben Gordon, Andre Iguodala, Greg Monroe, Samuel Dalembert;
Heat: Carlos Arroyo, Mike Miller, LeBron James, Jwan Howard, and Big Z.

It seems both teams wanted to give some of their key players a rest in the early stages of overtime before bringing them in later. The teams started the jump ball, and Greg Monroe won it against Big Z, giving the Pistons the ball. One minute into overtime, neither team had scored. At that point, the Pistons made substitutions: Zhou Yi replaced Will Bynum, McGrady replaced Ben Gordon, and Greg Monroe was taken off by Taylor Hansbrough as he had already committed five fouls. On the Heat’s side, Dwyane Wade replaced Mike Miller, Mario Chalmers replaced Carlos Arroyo, and Chris Bosh replaced Juwan Howard. The game continued, with McGrady taking control of the ball and playing as a point guard to prevent Dwyane Wade from stealing it, while Zhou Yi and Andre Iguodala were ready to support him. The ball was smoothly passed to Zhou Yi on the right wing. Zhou Yi drove with the ball and made a clever pass to Taylor Hansbrough under the basket. After catching the ball, Taylor Hansbrough immediately shot from behind, easily scoring 2 points and giving the Pistons a temporary 2-point lead, stabilizing the situation. “Greggggg——Monroooooo!” The DJ at the venue called out Greg Monroe’s name, and the fans cheered for him as well. 109:107, the Pistons finally scored in overtime. John Kuester, who had been ready to call a timeout to bring in Greg Monroe, breathed a sigh of relief and sat back down on the bench, his face once again showing a confident smile. He believed that as long as they had Zhou Yi as a superb offensive organizer, the Pistons wouldn’t lose. Because now the Pistons were a top-tier team with balanced offense and defense. Not only did John Kuester think so, but the Heat players also believed that it would be difficult for them to beat the Pistons as long as Zhou Yi was on the court. Dwyane Wade received a pass from a teammate at a 45-degree angle on the right wing outside the three-point line and used LeBron James’ screen to easily break into the Pistons’ basket, jumping in front of Taylor Hansbrough. “Swish~~~” The referee’s whistle sounded. In this attack, although Dwyane Wade didn’t score, he caused Taylor Hansbrough to commit a defensive foul. Taylor Hansbrough looked confused, the fans booed, McGrady and Zhou Yi went to argue with the referee, the entire Pistons team looked gloomy, while the Heat team was overjoyed.

At this moment, with over three minutes left in the game, Taylor Hansbrough has already committed five fouls. John Kuester wants to bring in Greg Monroe, but Greg Monroe has also already received five fouls, so it’s not a good idea to bring him in now. If John Kuester does bring in Greg Monroe, he’s likely to be ejected for a sixth foul. That would leave the Pistons without their key interior player. Zhou Yi gritted his teeth and clenched his fists tightly, while the other person beside him showed fierce determination in his eyes. Zhou Yi and McGrady’s fighting spirit of rising to the challenge returned to them once again. “Ding~~~” The whistle blew, and John Kuester called for a long timeout. …… “Ding~~~” The timeout ended, and the whistle sounded again. Zhou Yi and McGrady stood up simultaneously and joined the rest of the Pistons on the court. The game resumed, and Dwyane Wade made both of his free throws, tying the score again. However, the Pistons didn’t panic, knowing that victory in this game would surely belong to them. “Only by going all out can we win,” was the only thing John Kuester said to the Pistons during the timeout. After controlling the ball and crossing half-court, Andre Iguodala immediately passed it to Zhou Yi. Upon receiving the ball, Zhou Yi ignored LeBron James in front of him, jumped back from about a meter away from the three-point line, and shot. Unprepared for Zhou Yi’s sudden move, LeBron James could only helplessly watch the ball soar toward the basket, praying in his heart that it wouldn’t make it in. But it seemed God was on the side of the Pistons that day, as the shot went through cleanly! “Swish!” The familiar sound of the basket and ball colliding rang out. 112:109—Zhou Yi once again helped the Pistons widen the lead! “Hah, that felt good!” Zhou Yi casually shook his hand and turned to return to the backcourt with his teammates. “Damn it!” LeBron James cursed in frustration, picked up the ball, ran to the sideline, and passed it to Dwyane Wade. After receiving the ball, Dwyane Wade silently dribbled slowly toward the front court, his eyes fixed on Zhou Yi.

Dwyane Wade passed the ball to Chris Bosh in the paint. After catching it, Bosh quickly turned and hooked the shot, helping the Heat regain two points. It was the Pistons’ turn. This time, after driving across half-court, Andre Iguodala still passed the ball to Zhou Yi without hesitation. Learning from the previous mistake, LeBron James didn’t take any chances and stayed close to Zhou Yi, preventing him from shooting easily and tightly guarding him. Zhou Yi suddenly lowered his center of gravity, turned around, and dribbled past LeBron James’s outstretched right arm, breaking into the Heat’s paint. His movement as he dodged LeBron James was more like “drilling” through rather than running. Zhou Yi practically crawled past LeBron James. Seeing his breakthrough, people couldn’t help but think of another superstar—the “King of Speed,” the greatest dribbler among super scoring guards in history, Allen Iverson. Zhou Yi’s breakthrough was exactly like Iverson’s signature drilling move. After breaking through LeBron James’s defense, Zhou Yi accelerated to his top speed in the shortest time possible, approaching the Heat’s basket from the right side. At that moment, only the Heat’s center, Big Z, could stop him. One step, two steps, three steps—then he jumped. Zhou Yi soared into the air, holding the basketball high, while Big Z also jumped up with his hands raised. Now, Big Z had completely blocked Zhou Yi’s path to the basket; whether it was a shot or a dunk, Zhou Yi was destined to be blocked. In that critical moment, Zhou Yi let out a loud shout, suddenly retracted his body, brought the ball back to his side, and passed by Big Z to get behind him. As he began to fall, Zhou Yi stretched out again, raised the basketball, and with a smooth motion, hooked it gently toward the basket. “Swish!” A soft sound echoed throughout the court. Everyone heard that familiar and pleasant sound. A layup after dodging in mid-air! Instantly, the Pistons’ fans in the court erupted in cheers again, and the bench players in the Pistons’ locker room also stood up, waving their fists excitedly. Although Zhou Yi had performed such layups many times before, in this deadlock situation, this brilliant move was the perfect way to boost morale, demoralize the opponent, and lift team spirit!

114:111, with a 3-point gap still between the two teams, and less than two minutes left in the game. The Heat launched a counterattack, but this time they failed to convert their offense into points, allowing the Pistons to regain possession. After halftime, the ball fell into Zhou Yi’s hands just as before, but unlike last time, it was Dwyane Wade who was now guarding him. “Zhou, I’m not letting you score that easily again!” Dwyane Wade lowered his center of gravity and spread his arms, ready to defend. Zhou Yi bent over with the ball, glanced at Dwyane Wade, then smiled, straightened up, and slowly dribbled the ball, moving outside the three-point line with no apparent weaknesses. Dwyane Wade didn’t dare slack off in the slightest; he closely followed Zhou Yi, preventing any chance for him to break through or shoot, while also ready to steal the ball at the slightest opening. Zhou Yi stopped just outside the three-point line facing the basket and shifted his gaze to Andre Iguodala on the left. Then he stopped dribbling and stood still with the ball, his obvious intention making it clear to everyone that he intended to pass to Andre Iguodala. So, Dwyane Wade moved in close, blocking all of Zhou Yi’s passing routes to Andre Iguodala. Yet even so, Zhou Yi managed to pass the ball—though not to Andre Iguodala, but to McGrady. McGrady cut toward the basket from the right, and Zhou Yi used visual deception to mislead Dwyane Wade. With a quick push of his right hand, he timed the pass perfectly toward the backboard. McGrady didn’t waste Zhou Yi’s clever pass; he rushed forward, jumped in the air, caught the ball, and threw it forcefully into the basket with his strong hands. “Bang!” The basket let out a pained groan, echoing throughout the entire court! The fans’ hearts pounded wildly with excitement, their blood boiling with enthusiasm. “Tracy McGrady~~~” “Zhou Yi~~~” Their names kept echoing from the fans’ mouths, filling the entire court and spreading to every corner of the world through television. “That dunk was amazing!” Zhou Yi rushed up to McGrady and bumped into his chest, his face filled with excitement. McGrady patted Zhou Yi on the back and said with a smile, “You too. Thanks for the assist!” “Hehe!” Zhou Yi smiled without saying anything more—everything was understood without words.

“Beep~~~” The whistle sounded again, and the Heat called for a long timeout.
The score gap returned to 5 points. Now, there was only one and a half minutes left in the game.
If nothing went wrong, Greg Monroe, who had five fouls, would likely return to the court after the timeout, and by then, the outcome of the game might be decided.
Sure enough, after the timeout, Greg Monroe returned to the court, and from then on, the Pistons took complete control of the game.
Right after returning, Greg Monroe scored a 2+1.
Then, led by Zhou Yi and McGrady, the Pistons launched a 5-2 run, instantly widening the score gap to 10 points.
In the last few seconds, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James led the Heat to close the gap using fouls, reducing it to 2 points at one point.
However, thanks to consecutive blocks and steals by Andre Iguodala and Samuel Dalembert at critical moments, the Pistons once again widened the gap to 6 points.
Finally, when the game ended, the score stood at 125:119.
The Pistons won!
Chapter 323: Facing the Trail Blazers Again
On February 14th, Beijing time, which is Valentine’s Day in the West, the Pistons will host the Portland Trail Blazers, currently ranked sixth in the West.
Although the Trail Blazers are only sixth in the West, this game won’t be easy for the Pistons, as their key center, Greg Oden, will be playing. Moreover, the Trail Blazers’ leader, Brandon Roy, has also recovered from injury.
The commentators for this game are none other than the familiar faces Yu Jia and Coach Zhang, also known to fans as “Zhang Lihe”.
Looking at the camera in front of her, Yu Jia smiled and said, “Good morning, viewers! Welcome to the 2010-2011 NBA regular season game where the Detroit Pistons host the Portland Trail Blazers. There are two key focuses in this game: one is the clash between the Pistons’ interior players and Oden, and the other is the matchup between Brandon Roy and Zhou Yi.”

As is well known, Zhou Yi is now performing exceptionally well in the NBA. He is also a versatile superstar, excelling both on defense and offense. Brandon Roy is another highly skilled player who has been in the NBA for several seasons, and his abilities are certainly not to be underestimated. Although his offense and breakthrough skills are sharp—even surpassing those of Zhou Yi—his defensive capabilities and three-point shooting are far from impressive. Therefore, I believe the rookie Zhou Yi has the capability to compete with current Brandon Roy, as both possess fairly well-rounded skills. At this point, Yu Jia glanced at the audience in the arena, chuckled lightly, and said to Coach Zhang beside her, “Coach Zhang, have you noticed? Although this is the Pistons’ home court, there are quite a few fans wearing Trail Blazers jerseys numbered 7 and 52!” Coach Zhang glanced at those fans and said, “Actually, that’s quite normal. Even though McGrady and Zhou Yi are on the Pistons, it doesn’t mean all fans only support the Pistons. After all, there are many strong teams and stars in the NBA, and fans have their own preferences. It’s quite normal for this to happen!” “Yes! That’s true,” Yu Jia nodded in agreement before turning her attention back to the camera. “Well, with nearly half an hour left before the game starts, let’s take a look at some of the exciting matches between the Pistons and Trail Blazers this season…” As soon as Yu Jia finished speaking, the screen immediately switched to an NBA game, showing past exciting matches between the Pistons and Trail Blazers. It was 7:05 p.m., with only 25 minutes left before the game officially began, but the players from both teams still hadn’t shown up. However, this didn’t cause the fans to complain, as most of them had already been waiting for nearly a month and weren’t bothered by waiting a little longer. Of course, deep down, they were still very eager and anxious. Inside the locker room, Zhou Yi stood with his eyes closed, leaning against a locker, his expression eerily calm, as if he wasn’t at all concerned about the upcoming game. Like Zhou Yi, the other Pistons players were also relaxed, showing no signs of anxiety about the tough match ahead, each busy with their own things. At that moment, the door to the locker room opened, and John Kuester walked in. He silently scanned his players before saying, “Time’s up! Let’s go!”

Is it finally here? Then let’s go! We must win this game!
Zhou Yi suddenly opened his eyes, clenched his slightly sweaty palms, and silently stepped out of the locker room with his teammates, heading toward the court with an unshakable determination to win.
In the Portland Trail Blazers’ locker room, the players were also joking and playing around casually, without any sense of tension before the game, as if what lay ahead was just a fun outing rather than a competition.
Brandon Roy glanced up at his “little brother” Greg Oden and said with a smile, “Greg, how are you? You’re about to return to play, and it’s against a super strong team. Are you nervous?”
Greg Oden smiled, placed his right hand on his chest, pretended to be very nervous, took a deep breath, and said, “I’m nervous! Extremely nervous! But the more nervous I am, the stronger I become. The stronger I get, the more invincible I am. So, I definitely won’t lose to those trash big men from the Pistons!”
Brandon Roy patted Greg Oden’s stomach and said with a laugh, “Heh, truly our ‘Emperor’. Go ahead! You’re the best center!”
Greg Oden smiled, stopped his exaggerated gestures, and laughed loudly, “Well? You keep talking about me. What about you? In this game, you might be facing that super popular Chinese Zhou! Are you nervous?”
Upon hearing this, a faint but intense fighting spirit flashed in Brandon Roy’s eyes as he smiled and said, “Me? Of course, I’ll do my best. I think I definitely won’t be any worse than that superstar rookie!”
“Hehe, then let’s cheer each other on!”
“OK, no problem!” Brandon Roy smiled casually.
The other teammates in the locker room, seeing such confident leaders, were full of confidence in this game. They believed that under the leadership of Greg Oden and Brandon Roy, the Trail Blazers would surely defeat the Pistons.
The Trail Blazers’ head coach, McMillan, entered the locker room and smiled at everyone inside, “How about it? Are you all ready?”
“We’re ready,” replied everyone with relaxed smiles.
“Heh, is that so?” Riley smiled. “Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go! Let’s crush the Pistons with our effort!”
“Yes!” The Trail Blazers players responded with full confidence, heading toward the court with an unshakable determination to win.

“Roar~~~” As the players from both teams stepped onto the court, over 20,000 fans in the stadium immediately erupted in thunderous cheers, constantly calling out the names of their favorite players, including Greg Oden and Brandon Roy of the Trail Blazers!
Greg Oden looked at the crazy fans and smiled, saying, “Hah, I didn’t expect there to be such enthusiastic fans supporting us even at the Pistons’ home court!”
Brandon Roy, hearing the cheers, joked, “Hey, did you hear that? It seems like a lot of people are calling your name!”
Greg Oden smiled and replied, “You’re the same! It’s mutual!”
At that moment, Zhou Yi joined McGrady and walked up to Greg Oden and Brandon Roy, drawing all the fans’ attention to the four of them.
McGrady and Brandon Roy stared at each other without saying a word, but they expressed their feelings through their actions. Both smiled and hugged each other to show respect for one another and their strong desire to win.
After that, Brandon Roy and Zhou Yi also made eye contact, reading intense fighting spirit in each other’s eyes.
At 7:30 p.m., the pre-game warm-ups ended.
The whistle blew to start the game, and the starting players from both teams stepped onto the court.
The long-awaited game finally began.
Pistons’ starting lineup: point guard Zhou Yi, shooting guard Tracy McGrady, small forward Andre Iguodala, power forward Greg Monroe, center Ben Wallace;
Portland Trail Blazers: center Greg Oden, power forward LaMarcus Aldridge, small forward Nicholas Batum, shooting guard Brandon Roy, point guard Andre Miller.
At the start of the game, “The Emperor” Greg Oden outjumped Greg Monroe and passed the ball to his teammate Andre Miller, giving the Trail Blazers the first possession.
As Andre Miller dribbled toward the other end of the court, the Pistons’ players had already taken their positions, ready to defend.
Andre Miller glanced at Greg Oden in the paint, intending to pass the ball to him. But when he saw Greg Oden still engaged in a fierce battle with Greg Monroe, he changed his plan and passed the ball to Brandon Roy instead.
After catching the ball, Brandon Roy immediately bent down, getting ready to attack, his eyes fixed on Zhou Yi ahead of him.

Zhou Yi stood with his arms outstretched, watching Brandon Roy in silence—utterly still, like a lurking beast. It seemed as though he posed no danger or hostility, but the moment his prey moved, he would unleash his sharp claws and fangs to tear it apart.
Brandon Roy felt an invisible pressure pressing down on him, trying to tear him apart, destroy him, overwhelm him. This feeling reminded him of battles against stars like Kobe. What stood before him was a fierce beast, ready to tear him apart at any moment.
Zhou Yi’s defensive style had changed, and both John Kuester and those who knew him well were aware of this. In the past, he always stayed close to his opponent, trying to prevent them from getting the ball or shooting, which worked well but also drained his energy rapidly. Now, he no longer fought as desperately as before; perhaps this was the correct defensive approach.
In previous games, Zhou Yi had one major weakness: his stamina. Since he had to exert himself fully in both defense and offense from the start of the game, he often couldn’t play the full 40 minutes, failing to contribute in critical moments and affecting the team.
Zhou Yi was frustrated by this. He couldn’t understand why, despite having decent stamina, he couldn’t play over 40 minutes like other stars. Therefore, he wanted to find ways to conserve his energy. So, he rewatched all of “The Basketball God” Michael Jordan’s game recordings carefully, observing how this legend gave it his all in every game yet still managed to play the full 48 minutes, understanding his deep understanding of basketball.
After repeated viewings, Zhou Yi finally, through his keen basketball intelligence, understood why Jordan could excel in both offense and defense in every game while still maintaining high energy levels and playing the full duration.
Does a game require constant intensity? Does one have to keep running and competing on the court all the time?
Of course not. But for beginners lacking game experience, that’s indeed the case. Besides being nervous, the biggest problem is having too many movements, not knowing what the most effective actions are or what to do.

The consequence of this is extreme physical exhaustion, quickly leading to an anaerobic state. Next, movements become distorted, making it difficult to find the basket or teammates, resulting in mistakes. In this regard, Zhou Yi is exactly the same as those rookies.

In fact, there are many dead times and pauses during the game, which are opportunities for rest and adjustment. This time can be summarized in one word: “safe time” — a period when a player’s inaction does not negatively affect the outcome of the game.

Zhou Yi silently watched Brandon Roy, who had remained motionless in front of him, with no expression on his face.

Suddenly, Brandon Roy started moving, accelerating rapidly and breaking through from Zhou Yi’s left with lightning speed, easily bypassing Zhou Yi’s defense. As Brandon Roy passed by Zhou Yi, he also immediately moved to follow him, blocking part of his offensive path. Of course, it was only part of it. Another part of his offensive route remained open, and to block it, another player would need to join Zhou Yi to sandwich Brandon Roy. And that player appeared — Greg Monroe from the frontcourt!

Greg Monroe came to help Zhou Yi trap Brandon Roy, but just as Brandon Roy was about to be sandwiched, he suddenly changed direction with his dribble, moving the ball behind his right hand and then to his left. While doing this, he slipped through the gap between Zhou Yi and Greg Monroe. With no defenders in front, Brandon Roy hesitated not at all and immediately jumped up, holding the ball high.

He soared through the air, stretching his body and raising the ball above his head.

“Thud!” The crisp sound of the basket ringing echoed throughout the court, in the ears of the fans, and in the minds of the players.

“Damn it…” Greg Monroe cursed under his breath, turned, went to the sideline, took the ball from the referee, and passed it to his teammate Andre Iguodala so he could take control of the offense.

At that moment, Zhou Yi hadn’t even reached the other half of the court; he was still slowly jogging forward.

Zhou Yi received the pass from his teammate, bent down to protect the ball, and got ready to attack, with Brandon Roy as his opponent.

Zhou Yi dribbled outside the three-point line, keeping his eyes fixed on his opponent, while his teammates kept moving around, looking for an opportunity to support him.

After wandering outside the three-point line for over ten seconds, Zhou Yi gave a subtle signal to Greg Monroe in the paint. Understanding immediately, Greg Monroe rushed toward Zhou Yi’s location. In the past, seeing Greg Monroe move like this would have led people to think he was setting up a screen for Zhou Yi. But this time, Greg Monroe didn’t set up a screen for Zhou Yi—he caught the ball instead. As Greg Monroe reached outside the three-point line, Zhou Yi promptly passed the ball to him and immediately rushed inside the three-point line. “What on earth is he doing?” Brandon Roy was stunned by Zhou Yi’s actions and quickly followed him, but by then, Zhou Yi was already a meter ahead of him. Zhou Yi, who had rushed into the paint, turned back to look at Brandon Roy, then gave Greg Monroe another subtle signal. Greg Monroe understood again, threw the ball toward the basket with both hands, while Zhou Yi had already entered the unguarded paint of the Trail Blazers. “Ah!” With a loud shout, Zhou Yi seized the opportunity that Brandon Roy couldn’t keep up with, pushed off with both feet, leaped into the air, and caught the flying basketball head-on, with his back to the basket. “Good heavens! Is this…?” At that moment, all the Pistons fans in the arena held their breath, their blood boiling, hearts pounding, too afraid to blink, as none of them wanted to miss the next amazing moment. By now, Zhou Yi’s head had touched the backboard. His muscles tensed instantly, and with a powerful reverse dunk, he sent the ball through the basket. “Thud!” A catch in mid-air, followed by a powerful reverse dunk. This aerial pass-and-dunk was extremely difficult, as when Greg Monroe passed the ball, Zhou Yi not only had to judge the ball’s trajectory but also accurately locate the basket mid-air. He used a reverse dunk with his back to the basket, unable to see the basket clearly. Silence—absolute silence! All the Pistons fans were captivated by this brilliant coordination and the soul-stirring dunk. The awe-inspiring experience, one that could only be felt in person, made the fans forget to applaud, forget to cheer, forget about the players, forget about themselves, forget everything. They were utterly overwhelmed by the shock.

Commentator Yu Jia, truly accustomed to big moments, was the first to recover his composure. Speaking in an excited tone, he said, “Did you see that? Everyone watching, did you see it? This is China’s ‘Flying Man’—this is the strength of the ‘Chinese Flying Man,’ the strength of us Chinese. Zhou Yi has shown us with his actions that Chinese people can also fly, that Chinese people can also pull off such amazing dunks!”
The Pistons fans present felt a surge of boiling enthusiasm welling up in their minds, spreading throughout their bodies and even their souls.
“Wow~~~” All the fans went wild—some shouting, some clapping, some howling.
The fans expressed their excitement, passion, thrill, madness, and joy through the simplest words and actions.
2:2, a tie between the two teams.
“Great pass, Greg!” Zhou Yi happily ran up to Greg Monroe and high-fived him to celebrate.
Greg Monroe smiled and said, “You too. You were absolutely amazing in that alley-oop pass.”
“Hehe…” Zhou Yi wiped his nose and returned to the backcourt with his teammates. Of course, once back, he made use of the time to conserve his energy.
Greg Oden glanced at the still-crazy Pistons fans, smirked disdainfully, and said, “Tch, such naive people. Getting this excited over such a small thing.”
Brandon Roy looked at the fans and chuckled, “Hehe, actually, I’d really like to hear those fans cheering for me!”
Greg Oden grew frustrated, slapped Brandon Roy on the back, and said, “Don’t dream about it. Let’s go! There’s still a long game ahead.”
“Okay!” Brandon Roy nodded and ran toward the Pistons’ half-court with Greg Oden.
Pass, pass, pass again!
The Trail Blazers’ veteran Andre Miller assisted his teammate LaMarcus Aldridge, who hit a precise mid-range shot.
4:2!
Greg Monroe took on Greg Oden back-to-back, spun around, and scored a shot—4:4.
Greg Oden maneuvered, dodged Greg Monroe, caught a pass from a teammate under the basket, and threw down a powerful dunk that deformed the basket—6:4.
McGrady shot from 45 degrees on the right wing beyond the three-point line, hitting a three-pointer—6:7.
In the next two offensive waves, neither team scored.

The Pistons launched an attack, with Zhou Yi and Tracy McGrady executing a aerial pass-and-move; McGrady caught the ball and smoothly dunked it. The Trail Blazers’ attempts to score failed, and the Pistons’ subsequent attacks also went unanswered. Brandon Roy grabbed a rebound in the backcourt, initiated a fast break, and teamed up with Greg Oden for a stunning aerial dunk pass, with Brandon Roy assisting Greg Oden in delivering a powerful two-handed dunk. Zhou Yi missed a three-point shot, but power forward Greg Monroe grabbed a rebound in the frontcourt and dunked it with one hand. The first quarter was fiercely contested. Zhou Yi and Brandon Roy showed great fighting spirit, taking on opponents one-on-one multiple times and delivering several impressive dunks for the fans in attendance. Five seconds before the end of the first quarter, Will Bynum stole Rudy Fernandez’s ball, launched a fast break, rushed into the Trail Blazers’ paint, and passed the ball behind him to James Posey, who then stopped abruptly outside the three-point line and shot. “Ding!” “Swish!” As the whistle blew to end the first quarter, the basketball smoothly landed in the basket. 29:32—the Pistons ended the first quarter with a 3-point lead. Chapter 324: The Core of Transition Offense