Chapter 158

With 16 seconds left in the first quarter, Zhou Yi skillfully controlled the ball, lingering near the midcourt. The other Pistons players also spread out, creating space for Zhou Yi to operate alone. Paul Pierce tried several times to step forward to defend Zhou Yi, but Andre Iguodala firmly held his position, even preventing Pierce from making a counter-attack from the baseline with Iguodala’s help. As time passed, the atmosphere at North Shore Garden became extremely tense. LaDanian LD’s forehead was covered in cold sweat, his eyes trembling violently, and his mouth tightly closed. “Thud”—the ball hit the floor hard and shot out quickly. At the same time, Zhou Yi dashed forward like lightning, making a sudden breakthrough. LaDanian LD felt a chill run through his body as a dark shadow flashed before his eyes, leaving his limbs numb. Inside the free-throw line, Zhou Yi’s agile three-step layup forced Kevin Garnett to concentrate intensely. He shifted sideways to block Greg Monroe behind him, while Zhou Yi had already made several attempts to get to the basket. “No good…” Kevin Garnett shouted and rushed forward quickly. As he took his second step, Zhou Yi performed a spin in mid-air, gently tossing the ball. Kevin Garnett roared, pushed off with both arms to push aside Greg Monroe behind him, and launched himself upward like a volcano erupting. His right arm swung powerfully. The basketball tricked its way past his fingertips. Kevin Garnett groaned in frustration—having given it his all in that jump, he could only watch helplessly as the ball flew over his head. “Swish”—the crisp sound of the basket hit Kevin Garnett like a heavy blow to his heart. Zhou Yi’s tall figure now appeared extremely imposing in his eyes. With a sigh, he turned and walked toward the sidelines. As Zhou Yi’s ball dropped into the net, the referee’s whistle blew, signaling the end of the first quarter. 29:24—thanks to Zhou Yi’s last-second shot, the Pistons once again widened the score gap. It was an excellent quarter, with both teams playing in their own styles. The Pistons’ defense was outstanding, and Ray Allen played only half a quarter, so it was still hard to predict the outcome. But as long as the Pistons maintained their defensive intensity, victory would not be difficult for them.

A five-point advantage didn’t make John Kueste relax. From the first quarter, the Pistons brought out their best players, performing well on both offense and defense, yet their opponent still had plenty of room to maneuver. Only two of the trio remained on the court. Ray Allen seemed the weakest among the three, but his reputation as a master shooter wasn’t unfounded—his unpredictable long-range shots were hard to defend against, especially with Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce drawing defensive attention inside. This made it even harder for the Pistons to focus their defense on him, thus increasing his threat exponentially.

When the game resumed, McGrady returned to the court. Zhou Yi had indeed performed brilliantly in the few minutes earlier, scoring the last seven points of the first quarter by himself. However, with the Celtics double-teaming him, his performance would surely be restricted. The key for the Pistons to win lay in their offense.

Chapter 369: Experience Still Matters (Part 1)

With the trio back on the court, the Celtics launched a fierce attack at the start of the second quarter. Kevin Garnett gradually moved closer to the basket from the inside, his immense destructive power sending the Pistons’ interior defense into panic.

The greatest strength of the trio lay in their coordination, especially since all three were selfless players. The Pistons’ defense was completely overwhelmed.

Zhou Yi received the ball again. Just past the midcourt, as he prepared to move, Deron Williams and Rajon Rondo already closed in on him. Zhou Yi smiled slightly and accelerated even more.

“That’s it, that gap,” he thought to himself. He had always kept his center of gravity low while driving, and now he lowered it even further, like a cheetah hunting—his figure almost turning into a streak of blue light.

Amidst the gasps of the crowd, Zhou Yi gently tapped his right foot and made a dominant lateral move. From a seemingly impossible angle, he slipped through the gap between the two players and ended up behind Rajon Rondo.

Deron Williams wasn’t the best defender, but years of experience in the league gave him great skill, along with many tactical moves. Zhou Yi’s lateral move was indeed unexpected, but his two consecutive jumps relied on pushing off his toes, significantly slowing him down. He quickly spread his arms and shifted slightly to the right. If he could delay Zhou Yi for just a moment while Rajon Rondo caught up, Zhou Yi would be in a difficult situation.

A sly look flashed in his eyes. Under completely unreasonable circumstances, Zhou Yi decided to jump. However, the position of the ball he used this time seemed too far forward, barely brushing against Delonte West’s right hand, yet it didn’t affect Zhou Yi’s jump at all. With the referee’s whistle, Zhou Yi soared into the air, easily stretching his arms—his left hand supporting the basketball while his right hand gently pushed it forward. The basketball spun rapidly in the air, like a dancing spirit, before plunging into the basket. John Kuester waved his fists excitedly on the sidelines. The seamless coordination of the “Big Three” put the Pistons at a disadvantage for a while, and Zhou Yi’s score was indeed well-timed. He effortlessly sank the free throw. The Pistons had been in a very dangerous situation just moments earlier, with the opponent gradually closing the score gap. “Swish”—Ray Allen’s third-pointer hit again, and the crowd erupted in enthusiastic applause. Amidst the applause, there were also some sighs. The Pistons’ defense had actually been quite good earlier, with timely help defense. But the strength of the “Big Three” truly gave people a sense of powerlessness. Every time Kevin Garnett caught or passed the ball inside, it posed a huge challenge to the Pistons’ defense, eventually allowing Ray Allen to slip through, catch the ball, turn around, and shoot—without needing to aim or adjust the ball’s position. Coupled with his league-leading shooting speed, even Tracy McGrady, who was right behind him, found it hard to stop him. 34:35—the Celtics had narrowed the score to just one point. John Kuester looked helplessly at the players on the bench. The Celtics’ offensive strategy was obvious—the ball always revolved around the “Big Three.” John Kuester wondered if he had forgotten to burn incense before leaving home that day. The “Big Three” got into their rhythm quickly, especially in those few minutes, scoring effortlessly no matter how they tried. The Pistons quickly pushed the ball across half-court. The Celtics focused their defense on the outside, while the Pistons started their attacks from there. With McGrady returning to the court, the Pistons’ two outside shooters struck repeatedly at the Celtics’ weak point, firing cold shots over and over. Ray Allen disliked physical contact, and his soft defense was a weakness in his skills. But after so many years in the league, his rich experience made him far more skilled in defense than Rajon Rondo.

Taking a deep breath, he slammed the ball against the backboard, which then spun 180 degrees smoothly as it moved, landing precisely on the floor to Ray Allen’s left. He darted past at lightning speed. As the two collided, Zhou Yi used the momentum of holding the ball to gently push against Ray Allen from behind. Against Paul Pierce, Zhou Yi didn’t have an advantage in physical confrontation, but against Ray Allen, he certainly didn’t hold back. His breakthrough caught the opponent off guard, with his force applied to a spot where Ray Allen found it difficult to resist. Doug Rivers was deeply wary of Zhou Yi’s continuous breakthroughs. To prevent them, the Celtics intensified their double-team on him in the second quarter. Just as Zhou Yi crossed midcourt, Paul Pierce made a counter-run down the baseline, breaking free from Andre Iguodala, who had been clinging to him. Zhou Yi pushed past Ray Allen but stumbled himself, needing several quick steps to regain his balance. Yet this brief delay gave Paul Pierce time to react and cover up in front of Zhou Yi. Frowning slightly, just as he adjusted his stance, Paul Pierce’s countermove hit his weak point, leaving no room for further breakthroughs. Lowering his body slightly, he gently pushed with his right hand under his leg, forcing himself to spin 180 degrees while still facing Paul Pierce. With both hands, he lightly caught the floating basketball and swung his left hand to his right, simultaneously blocking Paul Pierce’s attempt to steal it. Kevin Garnett knew Zhou Yi wouldn’t make such a pointless move; there must be a teammate waiting in the right wing to receive the pass. Sure enough, McGrady was quickly running out from the baseline. Kevin Garnett was shocked and quickly pulled himself to a high position on the right wing. “Huh…” Kevin Garnett heard a loud rush of wind in his ears and saw a figure flash by out of the corner of his eye. By then, McGrady had already passed him. Kevin Garnett felt a chill—there was no basketball in McGrady’s hands as expected. Andre Iguodala cut diagonally to the right wing and caught Zhou Yi’s pass. By now, there was no one defending under the basket for the Celtics. Andre Iguodala, who had already started moving, rushed two steps into the free-throw line, then leaped into the air using momentum, soaring like an eagle above the Celtics’ interior players.

Jermaine O’Neal was just pushed out by Greg Menolly; the moment Andre Iguodala cut in, he had already noticed his move and quickly retreated toward the paint. Iguodala jumped from a considerable distance, giving O’Neal enough time to react. With a roar, O’Neal’s intensity was no less than Iguodala’s as he leaped high under the basket and swung his right hand hard at the ball held high in the air. A faint smile played on his lips, his gaze filled with mockery. Iguodala swiftly pulled the ball to his waist and tilted his body slightly to avoid his opponent’s aerial attack. Roaring in frustration, he flipped his wrist and completed a reverse windmill dunk. Extremely excited after the dunk, Iguodala roared a few times and happily welcomed his teammates’ celebrations. Seeing that the Pistons were still in high spirits, Paul Pierce passed the ball high into the air, covering most of the court. Kevin Garnett caught it in the front court, with McGrady being the only player left under the basket for the Pistons. Faced with Garnett’s fierce momentum, McGrady looked extremely serious, but defense wasn’t his strength—at least not right now, and his physique was also somewhat frail. Garnett kept pushing forward, forcing McGrady to retreat step by step toward the basket. Raising the ball high with his right hand, Garnett suddenly crouched, quickly moved past McGrady’s right side, and unleashed all his strength in a burst of motion, lifting himself into the air. McGrady felt a tremendous force coming from his left shoulder, causing him to involuntarily step back from under the basket. Garnett completed an easy reverse layup beneath the basket. The score stood at 41:42, with the two teams closely matched. The biggest lead so far in the game occurred toward the end of the first quarter, when the Pistons took a five-point advantage, and the gap between them has never exceeded this level since. However, the Celtics seem to have a slight edge, with their three stars coordinating seamlessly and dominating the offense. Most of the Pistons’ attacks come from Zhou Yi, who is now being double-teamed by the Celtics. As the game progresses, Zhou Yi’s stamina is declining rapidly, and the Pistons must improve their performance if they want to win. Moreover, the Pistons are only holding on thanks to Zhou Yi’s strength, which is quite concerning.

Taking advantage of a dead ball, John Kuester substituted Ben Wallace and moved Greg Monroe to center, with Taylor Hansbrough filling in for him. This season, Charlie Villanueva has performed averagely, with his playing time continuously reduced, while Taylor Hansbrough seized the opportunity to show the potential of a solid role player—excelling in defense, rebounding, and pick-and-roll plays—gradually taking Villanueva’s place. Doug Rivers was intrigued by the Pistons’ constant roster changes, but looking at his own bench players, he found few who could hold their own, especially in defense, where there was a severe shortage of talent; it seemed they would have to rely on their three star players. After the trades, the Pistons’ bench depth increased, and sometimes their frequent roster changes made other teams envious. Although the Pistons’ bench doesn’t have many big-name players, there are plenty of capable ones, many of whom have stood out this season—veteran James Posey, Will Bynum as a substitute for Zhou Yi, and Ben Gordon, a strong contender for Best Sixth Man of the season. Chapter 370: Old Is Gold (Part 2) Once the game resumed, the Pistons’ defense intensified suddenly, catching the Celtics off guard. The Celtics made consecutive mistakes in their attacks and were forced to allow the Pistons to score six points in a row, pushing the score gap above six points for the first time. Paul Pierce personally drove the ball into the middle of the court, raising his left hand high and saying, “Don’t rush! Be patient—this shot must go in.” Under his leadership, the Celtics’ players quickly moved around, while the Pistons employed zone defense, sticking to one strategy no matter how the Celtics tried to change tactics. Andre Iguodala went all the way to beyond the three-point line. Pierce’s versatile skills, agile footwork, and tough playing style made it difficult for ordinary defenders to handle him. Although Zhou Yi’s defense was excellent, he still struggled when defending him, especially since most of the team’s offensive burden fell on him, putting a severe strain on his stamina. That’s why John Kuester made the change, bringing in the young, energetic, and solid defender Taylor Hansbrough to share the defensive pressure. He dipped slightly, shook his upper body rapidly, and made his breakthrough in the blink of an eye.

Andrea Iguodala remained calm, ignoring his opponent’s feints entirely, his eyes fixed on Paul Pierce’s shoulder. Although many skilled cutters in the league could execute feints so convincingly as to deceive opponents, the signs before a breakthrough were unchangeable—no matter how many feints there were, what mattered most was making a calm judgment.

He tapped his left foot slightly in front of him, then pulled it back and tapped it slightly in front of his right side. After several such attempts, a glint appeared in Paul Pierce’s eyes.

“Huh…” Andrea Iguodala heard only a gust of wind in his ears. He saw Paul Pierce’s body shoot toward his left side like lightning. He quickly stepped back, spreading his arms in an attempt to block him.

Just as Andrea Iguodala adjusted his stance, he was suddenly shocked—Paul Pierce didn’t try to get past him but instead charged straight at his left shoulder.

A defensive foul was called when a defender had established a legal defensive position and had to maintain it, not extending his arms, shoulders, hips, or legs to stop the ball-handler passing by. Yet Andrea Iguodala’s arms had stretched too far.

With doubts in mind, Andrea Iguodala instinctively retracted his movements. As the two were about to collide, Paul Pierce stepped forward, his right foot firmly hitting the floor. His upper body leaned forward and rotated 180 degrees in the air, moving a few centimeters to the left—just those few centimeters allowed him to easily slip past Andrea Iguodala’s left side.

With concerns in his mind, Andrea Iguodala became distracted while defending. By then, it was too late to make amends, and he could only watch as Paul Pierce sped away.

It was a brilliant breakthrough—not only breaking through Andrea Iguodala’s defense but also catching the Pistons off guard.

At that moment, only Greg Monroe remained under the basket for the Pistons. With a beautiful behind-the-back pass, Paul Pierce delivered a precise pass, moving the ball to the other side. Kevin Garnett, who was right behind, easily caught the ball, stepped forward two quick steps, and used his momentum to jump into the air. By then, the Celtics had a two-on-one advantage under the basket.

Greg Monroe felt a chill and gritted his teeth, rushing out quickly. Allowing the opponent to dunk recklessly in his own half was undoubtedly the greatest shame for an interior player.

Kevin Garnett pushed the ball forward with both hands in a steady motion; the ball flew just over Greg Monroe’s head. Paul Pierce caught the ball, tapped his right foot on the ground, lifted it with his right hand, and shook his wrist slightly—sending the ball into the net as it grazed the backboard.

46:50—The Pistons failed to widen the score gap. With the trio of Celtics players constantly attacking, the Pistons’ defense appeared very passive.

With only 4.1 seconds left in the first half, McGrady attempted a risky pass near the midcourt, but the ball didn’t even touch the backboard and flew over the sideline. The referee promptly blew the whistle, ending the first half. The Pistons led the Celtics 50:46, holding a 4-point advantage at halftime.

Zhou Yi scored 11 points, provided 6 assists, grabbed 4 rebounds, and made 2 steals in the first half, becoming the best performer for either team.

During the halftime interview, Zhou Yi briefly said a few polite words. His focus was entirely on the game, and if it weren’t for concern over his image, he might not have agreed to the interview at all.

The intense first half came to an end—a high-quality matchup where both teams delivered an excellent performance for the fans.

The Pistons’ locker room was filled with fighting spirit. John Kuester knew that both teams were evenly matched, so the Pistons’ morale needed to be kept high. During halftime, he praised all the players, even raising issues in a gentle manner, before briefly outlining strategies for the second half.

In the third quarter, neither team changed their tactics. The star players determined the pace of the game, but with their momentum, the Pistons expanded their lead to 8 points, 71:63.

Both teams focused on defense in this quarter. However, Ray Allen seemed to lose his touch after halftime, missing all five of his shots. Meanwhile, McGrady continued to score from beyond the arc, hitting three three-pointers in the quarter—especially a last-second shot that gave the Pistons their biggest lead of the game.

To prepare for the more intense final quarter, the key players from both teams took turns resting in the last few minutes of the third quarter.

All five starting players for the Pistons, except Zhou Yi, had already gotten their turn to play. John Kuester wasn’t unwilling to let Zhou Yi rest a bit, but he was well aware that Zhou Yi’s breakthrough ability was what the Celtics feared the most. The reason the trio couldn’t break through was mainly because the Celtics were always controlled by John Kuester alone.

In the second half, the Pistons stepped up their defense at the paint. Under Zhou Yi’s relentless man-to-man defense, Rajon Rondo fumbled his way across half-court before passing the ball without hesitation. His look of relief made one wonder if he was holding a bomb.

McGrady quickly darted out, narrowly missing the ball. Even so, it still startled Paul Pierce, who tried to break through. But upon seeing the Pistons’ defense under the basket, he changed his mind, pushed forward suddenly, and gently dribbled the ball, sending it diagonally toward the rim.

Greg Monroe leaped high, trying to intercept the ball mid-air. Just as his hands were about to touch it, a strong figure jumped up behind him with even more momentum, snatching the ball first and slamming it home with a two-handed dunk.

A combined effort by Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett in the air allowed the Celtics to easily regain a two-point lead.

Andre Iguodala’s inbound pass from the baseline was met with a light tap from Zhou Yi, sending the ball rolling forward. Zhou Yi closely followed it, bending down to pick it up near the midcourt.

With the ball in hand, Zhou Yi’s agile figure once againactived in the Celtics’ half-court. Breakthroughs, passes—McGrady jumped to catch the ball at the baseline and shot it through the net.

Taking a deep breath, he placed his right hand on his heaving chest. Looking at the Celtics’ players still full of fighting spirit, he sighed inwardly. He knew his own condition best—with his current energy level, he might only be able to hold on until the end of the game.

He really wished he could go to the sidelines and rest for a few minutes, but it wasn’t the right time yet, as both teams were performing excellently. There had been no signs of slippage in the first three quarters. If he left the court, he had no idea if the team could withstand the Celtics’ counterattack.

Doug Rivers wasn’t blind either; he noticed every move on the court. As soon as Zhou Yi showed signs of fatigue, he felt victory was within reach for the first time. Taking advantage of a dead ball, he replaced Rajon Rondo with Deron Williams.

Watching Delonte West constantly interfering with him, Zhou Yi’s expression turned cold. The Celtics were actually using full-court pressure defense against him. With Zhou Yi’s current skills and reputation, such defense would usually be futile, but at this moment, the Celtics resorted to it, clearly aware of his stamina issues. He hurriedly drove the ball across half-court and quickly passed it to McGrady, who was waiting nearby, while he himself darted toward the baseline. He knew well that since the Celtics had seen through this tactic, they wouldn’t ease up on him as long as he had the ball. Delonte West had plenty of experience, but stamina wasn’t his strength, and he wasn’t good at running either. When Zhou Yi had the ball and with the help of his teammates, they could limit his effectiveness to some extent. But once Zhou Yi shed the burden of playmaking and started moving around under the basket, his pace allowed him to easily leave them behind in just a few steps. With the help of the interior players, Zhou Yi easily broke free from the defenders and rushed toward the right-side baseline. Paul Pierce looked at McGrady ahead and Zhou Yi on the left—having to choose between the two, he gritted his teeth and opted for McGrady. Pierce’s plan seemed sound, but things weren’t as simple as he thought. The moment he switched to defend, Andre Iguodala quickly retreated, and the two collided head-on. McGrady naturally wouldn’t miss this opportunity, and the pass was meant for Zhou Yi. Even if he couldn’t shoot once he got the ball, he could still handle it properly. Facing an unguarded basket, Zhou Yi remained calm. He checked his footing, then jumped high, lifting the ball above his head and gently pushing it forward with his wrists. Feeling the ball slide between his fingers, he felt pleased: “It works…” With a swish, a perfect shot sent ripples through the net as Zhou Yi swung his right hand forcefully. John Kuester had also noticed Zhou Yi’s problem. Actually, before the fourth quarter started, he had asked Zhou Yi for his opinion, but at Zhou Yi’s insistence, he gave up the idea of letting him rest for a few minutes. Zhou Yi wasn’t the type to act on impulse. Realizing he lacked stamina, he simply stopped playing the role of playmaker and focused more on running without the ball, making it even harder for the Celtics to defend him.

Although Zhou Yi’s stamina was starting to show signs of decline, his speed without the ball remained unmatched by anyone on the Celtics’ team. Yet Doug Rivers didn’t have the courage to ignore him. Zhou Yi was the most dangerous scorer in the Pistons’ lineup—his scoring ability was well-known throughout the league. Many experts believed that if he hadn’t carried so much responsibility on the Pistons’ team, he would have been a strong contender for scoring champion. With a crisp swish, Zhou Yi hit a turnaround jump shot near the free-throw line. Three attempts, three hits—Zhou Yi kept firing from all angles. The Celtics were caught off guard, and Doug Rivers paced anxiously on the sidelines, only to be penalized with a technical foul, forcing him to retreat to the bench. His restless demeanor made it seem like he wanted to step onto the court himself to stop Zhou Yi from moving. Yet this situation gave him hope in a desperate situation. Despite Zhou Yi’s continuous scoring, the Pistons failed to widen the lead. McGrady’s playmaking was impressive, but something seemed to be missing beneath the smooth passes. McGrady’s passing was excellent, but it lacked Zhou Yi’s penetration. The reason Zhou Yi could rank among the league’s top point guards was his immense threat through passing—he could always deliver the ball to the opponent’s weak spots and even guide his teammates to the most effective positions. McGrady’s strength lay in his strong ability to read the game, but his passing still fell short compared to top point guards. With an official timeout, the Pistons led 86–79, a seven-point advantage that wasn’t decisive for either team, especially since the Pistons’ key player was struggling with stamina. Repeated bursts of speed had exhausted Zhou Yi to an astonishing extent. Though his stamina had always been remarkable, and he hadn’t shown any signs of fatigue in previous games, it seemed today his limits had finally been reached. Chapter 371: Fleeing Boston After Defeat Rejecting John Kuster’s suggestion to rest, Zhou Yi knew his own body best. He could still hold on for now, but he knew that once he sat down to rest, he might truly be unable to continue.

Zhou Yi’s resilience exceeded everyone’s expectations. His unsteady body, like a fallen leaf in the wind or a small boat in the ocean, was at risk of collapsing at any moment. Yet he never fell, repeatedly scoring precise shots to keep the Pistons holding a slim advantage.

“Clang!” Kevin Garnett executed a powerful dunk.

90:91—the Celtics narrowed the score to one point, with only 51.1 seconds left in the game. The Pistons called a brief timeout. The outcome hinged on one play, and both teams still had at least one chance to score. If they seized it, the Pistons would gain complete control.

For safety, Zhou Yi joined McGrady in the middle of the court. The Pistons weren’t in a hurry to score; the longer they delayed, the more time the Celtics would have to attack.

The Celtics naturally couldn’t just sit idly while time passed, but Paul Pierce was trapped by Andre Iguodala and couldn’t move freely. Kevin Garnett also didn’t dare leave the basket easily. Jermaine O’Neal remained the Celtics’ biggest concern—if Garnett left, the Pistons could take advantage and attack the basket.

Faced with the double-team from Deron Williams and Ray Allen, Zhou Yi calmly passed the ball to McGrady. Zhou Yi, McGrady, and Iguodala stood outside the three-point line, passing the ball back and forth like in tactical drills, keeping the Celtics’ defense on its toes and showing great patience in their attacks.

Affected by the tense atmosphere on the court, the fans fell silent.

At the last moment, all signs of fatigue vanished from Zhou Yi. With skilled ball control, he crouched slightly, ready to launch himself forward, his muscles tensed like those of a hunting cheetah. His lightning-fast breakthrough shocked Ray Allen.

Allen stepped back, but Zhou Yi wasn’t where he expected him to be. Instead, he stepped back, placed his left foot lightly on the ground, and prepared to leap into the air.

By now, Allen had lost his defensive position and had no time to think. He quickly jumped up to block Zhou Yi’s shot.

His eyes were no longer on the basketball but on Zhou Yi, who was smiling below him.

Allen knew he had been tricked. Using the strength in his waist and abdomen, he tried to shift his body a few centimeters in the air. But Zhou Yi wouldn’t let the prey slip away. Even though Allen had great skills in mid-air, he wasn’t as agile as Zhou Yi, who was firmly on his feet. With just a slight shift, Zhou Yi’s charging body collided with Allen’s.

The basketball thrown into the air flew straight upward. With Zhou Yi’s current stamina, after committing a foul, he was unable to get the ball into the basket while out of balance. The referee’s whistle blew, and with 37 seconds left in the game, Zhou Yi was given three free throws. North Shore Garden fell silent instantly; all the fans knew what those three free throws meant. Leading by one point, the Pistons could secure the win with those free throws, as Zhou Yi’s free throws had always been a guarantee of confidence. Taking the ball from the referee, Zhou Yi tapped it gently twice, took a deep breath, bent slightly, lifted the ball above his head, and shook his wrists slightly—sending the basketball flying from his fingertips. The basketball spinning in the air carried the hopes of countless people; even many Pistons fans on site closed their eyes, joined their hands in front of their chests, and prayed. With a “swish,” ripples spread across the calm lake’s surface, and North Shore Garden grew dark. The praying Pistons fans opened their eyes in surprise—the scene on the court just now, along with the sound of the ball going through the net, echoed throughout most of the arena. Amid the disappointed expressions of the Celtics fans, Zhou Yi completed another free throw, the ball firmly landing in the net. There was no doubt—the three-point advantage had pushed the Celtics into a desperate situation. Just as Zhou Yi was about to take his third free throw, Doug Rivers called a timeout. Although the chances of Zhou Yi missing the shot weren’t much higher than winning the lottery, he still called a timeout—it was after all the Celtics’ last chance. Seizing this final opportunity, the Celtics adjusted their lineup, with the five players on court being Jermaine O’Neal, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Rajon Rondo. With a crisp “swish,” the sound reached Doug Rivers’ ears. Despite the confusion in his eyes, he didn’t lose his coaching sense and quickly called a timeout. 37 seconds was enough for them to launch one offensive play. Of course, it was also enough time for the Pistons to launch one offensive play. The Celtics players lined up near the free-throw line. As the referee’s whistle blew, the four of them quickly dispersed. Kevin Garnett threw the ball high into the air. At that moment, the Pistons’ players focused on the outside, ignoring Paul Pierce, who quickly cut inside.

Paul Pierce leaped into the air, flapping his arms like an eagle as he gently caught the basketball in mid-air, twisting his waist and finishing with both hands behind his back.
At 31.8 seconds, the Pistons led the Celtics 92–94 by 2 points. John Kuester didn’t become complacent; instead, he called a timeout carefully. The Celtics’ previous timeout had made Kuester sense a hint of crisis.
After the timeout, the Pistons regained possession. Zhou Yi took control of the ball and tried to waste as much time as possible. With 31.8 seconds left, if the Pistons could execute this offense, their chances of winning would increase significantly.
“24, 23, 22…”
Zhou Yi steadily controlled the ball. Despite constant interference from Rajon Rondo, the ball remained in his hands.
“14, 13, 12…”
As the 24 seconds neared their end, Zhou Yi executed a clever fake shot followed by a pass, delivering the ball to Andre Iguodala in the corner. Iguodala was completely open, so he shot a three-pointer right away.
But surprisingly, Iguodala’s open three-pointer missed. Worse still, the Celtics grabbed the rebound.
Doug Rivers didn’t call a timeout because he no longer had any left.
Rajon Rondo drove fast with the ball, while Zhou Yi stuck closely to him, preventing him from scoring. Rondo took advantage of a pick-and-roll with Kevin Garnett to drive straight to the basket.
Mike D’Antoni quickly abandoned Ray Allen to help defend Rondo.
However, upon seeing Rondo’s move, Zhou Yi immediately shouted, “Bad! Watch out for Ray Allen!”
But it was too late. By the time Zhou Yi shouted, Rondo’s ball had already reached Ray Allen’s hands.
Zhou Yi rushed at Ray Allen desperately, but due to exhaustion, he was still a step slow.
Ray Allen shot immediately after receiving the ball, his speed astonishing the fans.
With a swish, the ball went in!!!
95–94, the Celtics took the lead back by 1 point!!!
John Kuester quickly called a timeout. With 3.1 seconds left, the Pistons still had a chance.
After using their last timeout, the Pistons’ players returned to the court.
Greg Monroe stood at the sideline to inbound the ball, while Kevin Garnett stretched out his arms to disrupt Monroe’s pass.

The remaining four players on the Pistons ran around desperately, but the Celtics’ four players stuck close to them like glue. Finally, taking advantage of a moment when McGrady blocked a shot for him, Zhou Yi found some space to move. Greg Monroe, of course, didn’t miss this chance and passed the ball to Zhou Yi. However, he underestimated Kevin Garnett’s ability to steal the ball. His extremely long arms were one of his strengths in stealing balls. Under Garnett’s interference, Ray Allen intercepted the ball. The Pistons’ foul was called on Ray Allen, and with two accurate free throws, the Celtics secured the win 97–94. With only 1.9 seconds left in the game, the Pistons had no more timeouts, and they had to take free throws at the baseline. As Zhou Yi shot a mid-range jumper, the Celtics defeated the visiting Pistons 97–94 at home, winning the game. Zhou Yi scored 33 points, gave 9 assists, grabbed 7 rebounds, stole 4 balls, and had 1 block in this game; McGrady made 6 out of 8 three-point attempts, scoring 27 points; Andre Iguodala also scored 19 points through shooting and free throws. Yet none of these stats mattered anymore because they had lost the game, and they no longer held any significance for them. On the Celtics’ side, their three stars combined for 78 points—Kevin Garnett scored 28 points, grabbed 15 rebounds, and added 4 blocks. Truly, experience counts! Kevin Garnett, panting heavily, suddenly collapsed to the ground. The North Shore Arena, which had been filled with noise and applause just moments ago, fell silent. Behind the team’s victory, their star player didn’t even have the strength to walk. They could hardly imagine how, at the age of 35, Kevin Garnett had sustained the game with such determination. “Kevin is really a hardworking guy!” Zhou Yi murmured, looking at Garnett lying on the floor. Indeed, Garnett’s success likely stemmed not only from his versatile skills but also from his fighting spirit, which ranked among the best in the league. Zhou Yi was also exhausted, but he kept himself from falling and followed his teammates back to the locker room. Doug Rivers was naturally full of praise for Zhou Yi’s performance, especially his determination. Chapter 372: Back to Detroit

Defeated by the Celtics, the Pistons’ record stood at 69 wins and 7 losses. Just one more win would allow them to tie the Bulls’ historic best record of 72 wins and 10 losses. Their next game would be against the Wizards. It wasn’t a particularly tough opponent; since the dissolution of their core trio, the Wizards hadn’t had the strength to make it to the playoffs. Although they had started rebuilding in recent years, their record hadn’t shown any improvement. Both the Wizards and Pistons were teams of great interest to Chinese fans—the Wizards because of Yi Jianlian, and the Pistons naturally because of Zhou Yi. But regardless, Zhou Yi didn’t take it to heart. To him, playing against the Celtics was the same as playing against the Wizards—it was just another game. He certainly wouldn’t show leniency just because the Wizards had Yi Jianlian. Against the Wizards, Zhou Yi would be facing John Wall, a fast-paced player. “Everything is for the next game!” Putting down his phone, which he had been using to text Mo Keer, Zhou Yi picked up his bread to eat again. Right now, nothing was more important to Zhou Yi than winning games; everything revolved around achieving victory. “After eating, we can go to the hotel’s gym to work on our muscles. At 9 o’clock, we’ll take the bus to the airport together,” said John Kuester with a smile as he saw Zhou Yi almost finished eating his bread. “Got it, Coach Kuester,” Zhou Yi replied with a smile, putting down his bread as well. … On the afternoon of April 5th, Zhou Yi and the others arrived in Washington. The game against the Wizards was an away game, but they arrived early due to some matters. Since it was an away game, they were tired from the journey, and they had a game against the Wizards that night, so John Kuester didn’t send the players to the home team’s gym to train. Instead, after giving a few brief instructions at the reserved hotel—such as not going too far—he dismissed them. This pleased everyone, except Zhou Yi, who didn’t know what to do. “Zhou, don’t look so lost. You can go have fun with Will and the others!” John Kuester laughed at Zhou Yi’s confused expression. “Yeah, Zhou, we’d be happy if you joined us,” said Will Bynum with a smile as he watched Zhou Yi sitting there.

But the response he got was just continuous shaking of the head; Zhou Yi had no desire to go to where they were going.
“I’m not really fond of crowded places,” Zhou Yi explained, looking at Will Bynum.
“How about this, Zhou? The weather is nice today. You can go explore downtown Washington. It seems like you haven’t had a chance to really see around here yet! Go and take a good look!” John Kuster said, glancing at him.
Hearing John Kuster’s words piqued Zhou Yi’s interest. After all, he had been here for almost half a year, but he still hadn’t really explored Washington, the capital of the United States, much.
“Hmm, I get it!” Zhou Yi replied after thinking for a moment.
Washington is located in the northeast of the United States. Its full name is the District of Columbia, named in honor of George Washington, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, and Christopher Columbus, who discovered the New World. Administratively, it is directly under the federal government and does not belong to any state, similar to China’s municipalities directly under the Central Government, not belonging to any province.
The district is near the Atlantic Ocean, situated between Maryland and Virginia, so the climate has usually been quite good. But this year, for some reason—possibly due to global warming—there have been many blizzards, and the temperature is much colder than usual at this time of year.
In Washington, Zhou Yi only knew of two places: the White House. But it didn’t seem to be a public visiting day today, so he couldn’t enter either. Additionally, they are very strict with outsiders, so Zhou Yi only wanted to take a distant look. The other place was the Washington Monument. At first, he didn’t know what that white, spire-like structure was, but it kept appearing on American TV. Only after arriving here did he learn that it was built in honor of Washington.
As for other interesting things, none really caught Zhou Yi’s attention—things like the Washington Opera House, the symphony orchestra, the Kennedy Center, or the International Museum of Women in the Arts. He had no interest in attending operas or symphonies.
After leaving the hotel, Zhou Yi went straight to the subway station to take the subway to see the Washington Monument.
In Washington, there is a rule that the height of all buildings must not exceed that of the Washington Monument. So you can never see skyscrapers or tall towers over a hundred stories here. The Washington Monument is only about as tall as an old meter stick. Buildings like the one Zhou Yi lived in are only a little over four meters high. The Washington Monument can be seen from afar, even though Zhou Yi had never been there before.

After getting off the subway, he followed the stream of tourists toward the white tall tower, with many vendors selling souvenirs below it.
“It seems the same everywhere,” Zhou Yi couldn’t help but laugh as he looked at the vendors. It was just like in China. He wondered if there were such professionals as urban management officers in the U.S. If a van drove by and all the vendors ran away, then that would probably mean they did exist.
As he walked around, he used the digital camera he’d gotten from Will Bynum to take pictures of the sights he passed by.
After exploring downtown Washington, Zhou Yi returned to the hotel feeling bored. With two hours left before the meeting time, he decided to lie down on the bed and fall into a deep sleep.
After the round trip, Zhou Yi was clearly tired.
……
“Huh,” Zhou Yi exhaled softly and looked up at the stadium seats. By now, the MIC Center was packed to capacity; describing the scene as noisy and crowded would be an understatement.
The home team’s cheerleaders were gyrating their sexy hips on the court, while the fans in the stands cheered loudly as they watched the charming girls dance.
Soon, the cheerleaders left the court, and the players from both teams stepped onto the court simultaneously to warm up before the game.
Zhou Yi caught a pass from McGrady while running, jumped straight up, and the ball swished into the basket.
The players from both teams were still warming up, and their head coaches had taken their seats on the coaching bench.
The two referees for the game also entered the court and made some gestures to the players, signaling that the game was about to start.
The big screen displayed the rosters of the 12 players for each team, followed by the starting lineups.
Home team, Wizards: Center Xavier McKey, Power Forward Andre Iguodala, Small Forward Maurice Evans, Shooting Guard Jordan Crawford, Point Guard John Wall.
Away team, Pistons: Center Ben Wallace, Power Forward Greg Monroe, Small Forward Andre Iguodala, Shooting Guard Tracy McGrady, Point Guard Zhou Yi.
The starting players from both teams stood near the center court, while Ben Wallace and Xavier McKey were stretching their bodies, ready to start the game.

The referee glanced at Darbon and Javier McKee, got their affirmative responses, then lightly tossed the ball into the air to officially start the game. Javier McKee had a clear height advantage but lacked experience compared to Darbon. Using his years of experience, Darbon passed the ball to his teammate. Zhou Yi took the ball and organized the Pistons’ offense. He drove repeatedly before passing the ball to McGrady. McGrady quickly passed it to Darbon, who went one-on-one with Javier McKee, tried a hook shot, but missed. Greg Monroe then dunked the ball through the hoop over Javier McKee’s head. “Good shot!” Zhou Yi shouted excitedly. John Wall moved the ball at high speed and soon reached the front court. Faced with Zhou Yi’s close defense, John Wall didn’t dare be careless; he changed direction to get away from Zhou Yi’s defense and attempted a jump shot, but it also missed. Andre Iguodala grabbed the rebound and passed it to Zhou Yi to organize the offense. Zhou Yi adjusted the pace and played steadily. Just after halftime, Zhou Yi passed the ball to Andre Iguodala. Iguodala drove and passed to McGrady at the baseline. McGrady took a jump shot from above and scored, making it 4–0. John Wall stared at Zhou Yi darkly, then made a feint, but Zhou Yi wasn’t fooled. Instead, he intercepted the ball when John Wall was off guard. Seeing this, Iguodala rushed to the opponent’s half at lightning speed. Zhou Yi understood and passed the ball long to Iguodala, who glided inside the free-throw line and successfully dunked with both hands. At the start of the game, the Pistons took a 6–0 lead over their opponent. The Wizards’ head coach, Philip Sanders, watched the game coldly without taking any action. John Wall drove with the ball and made a brilliant pass. Javier McKee caught the ball and dunked with one hand, finally breaking the Wizards’ scoring drought. Andre Iguodala’s jump shot from beyond the three-point line missed. Andre Bledsoe grabbed the rebound and passed it to John Wall. He rushed all the way to the Pistons’ paint. Seeing Iguodala out of position, he quickly passed the ball to Maurice Evans at the three-point line. Evans adjusted slightly before shooting a three-point jump shot. With a swish, the ball passed through the bottom of the rim, and McGrady grabbed the rebound. After halftime, Zhou Yi faced John Wall’s defense, stopped abruptly, and took a jump shot, hitting it.

Javier McKey moved to a high position to set a screen for John Wall, who then pulled to the other side beyond the three-point line and took a jump shot. This time, the Wizards’ offense finally got going again. Zhou Yi made another contribution, driving to the basket and drawing a defensive foul from Javier McKey, earning two free throws. Zhou Yi took a deep breath and didn’t waste either free throw, adding 2 more points for the Pistons. In the blink of an eye, four minutes had passed, and John Kuester called a timeout while Andre Iguodala drew a foul from the opposing defender, aiming to make slight adjustments to the lineup. At that moment, the score was 12:8, with the Pistons leading by 4 points. Soon, the timeout ended. John Kuester substituted Ben Wallace for Spencer Hawes without making any changes to other positions, while the Wizards didn’t make any lineup adjustments at all. The game resumed, and Andre Iguodala took two free throws. He made the first one but missed the second, with Andre Blatche grabbing the rebound. John Wall moved like lightning toward the Pistons’ half-court. Zhou Yi stuck closely to John Wall, not giving him any chance. Using a screen from his teammate, John Wall pulled to the other side beyond the three-point line and took a jump shot. But he underestimated Zhou Yi’s reaction speed. With a swat, Zhou Yi sent John Wall’s jump shot back to the Wizards’ half-court. Zhou Yi rushed over like thunder, picked up the ball, and quickly drove into the Wizards’ paint, where there was no one, allowing him to easily score with a dunk. John Wall clearly hadn’t expected Zhou Yi to react so quickly and block his shot so easily. He glared at Zhou Yi, his long-time rival, before running back to his own half-court. It was still John Wall in control of the ball, but he immediately passed it to Javier McKey, who was looking for a shot inside, after crossing half-court. Javier McKey tried to beat Spencer Hawes alone but missed, with Greg Monroe grabbing the rebound. Andre Iguodala brought the ball to beyond the opposing team’s three-point line, and Zhou Yi rushed up to catch it. Then, Zhou Yi passed the ball directly to McGrady. Zhou Yi started moving around, looking for an offensive opportunity. Although John Wall was fast, Zhou Yi’s speed was comparable to his.

Thus, Zhou Yi quickly ran to an open spot. McGrady was quick-witted and passed the ball to Zhou Yi, who then took a jump shot. With a thud, it missed—Andrei Blatche grabbed the rebound. John Wall broke through Zhou Yi at the baseline and immediately took a jump shot; Zhou Yi failed to follow up with a block, so he could only watch as the ball went through the net. After receiving a pass from Greg Monroe at the baseline, Zhou Yi focused on organizing the team’s offense. Spencer Hawes had decent offensive and defensive skills; after receiving a clever pass from Zhou Yi, he played one-on-one with Javale McGee and scored by turning and driving to the basket. John Kuester was very satisfied with the players’ performance on the court and discussed the game with several assistant coaches on the bench. After passing the ball into the paint, John Wall cut from the middle and, after receiving a pass back from Javale McGee, scored with a smooth shot. Zhou Yi executed a deceptive breakthrough, leaving John Wall behind, but Morris Evans quickly rushed over to help defend. Zhou Yi remained calm, passing the ball to Andre Iguodala, who took a three-point shot from an open position, giving Zhou Yi another assist. Seeing that Javale McGee was running low on energy, Philip Sanders quickly made a substitution, taking McGee off the court to rest. The player who replaced McGee was Chinese player Yi Jianlian, while the Pistons also made changes—Andre Iguodala and Greg Monroe were replaced by James Posey and Taylor Hansbrough, respectively. With 2 minutes left in the first quarter, the score was 23:14, with the Pistons leading by 9 points. The game continued, with the Wizards in possession. After several feints, John Wall took advantage of Zhou Yi’s unprepared defense, rushed into the paint, and passed the ball to Andre Blatche, who easily scored. Zhou Yi carefully organized the offense, feeling the pressure from John Wall increase significantly. After two consecutive fake moves failing to deceive John Wall, Zhou Yi decisively chose to pass. McGrady received the ball and immediately took a shot—his movement was smooth and fluid, and most importantly, the ball went in. John Wall provided another assist, as Morris Evans caught a pass from John Wall from just outside the three-point line and scored with a jump shot.