Chapter 173

In the first quarter, to get the other players going, the two opted to pass the ball to their teammates more often. The poor offense from the other players was a key reason behind the Bulls’ large victory. During the break, Tom Thibodeau wasn’t at all relaxed; he reminded his players that it wasn’t time to be careless, reminding them of what Zhou Yi had done against the Bulls in the first game, as well as Greg Monroe’s surprisingly good form that day. If the Bulls couldn’t control these two players, victory might not go their way.

The ball went to the Bulls first. Derrick Rose quickly drove past the midcourt. As he glanced at his teammates, Andre Iguodala appeared beside him like a ghost, his rough right hand aiming at the ball in his hands. Rose was slightly startled and quickly turned to avoid the steal. It was surprising that after just a few minutes of rest, Iguodala’s defensive intensity had increased so much—completely different from the first quarter.

Carlos Boozer pulled up at the free-throw line to block. The moment he got the ball, he passed it back, and it quickly reached Keith Bogans on the weak side.

Fortunately, Zhou Yi’s counter-defense was timely. Before Bogans could shoot, Zhou Yi appeared before him like a ghost. His amazing burst of speed allowed him to overtake Bogans, and his fingertips lightly touched the ball. Though he couldn’t block it properly, that slight touch was enough to change the ball’s trajectory slightly.

A “thud” and a “drip” sound came one after another. Just moments ago, they had been relieved that the ball had gone awry, but the referee’s whistle left Zhou Yi confused. When he saw Keith Bogans lying on the ground in pain not far away, all the answers became clear.

“Faking?” Those two words popped into Zhou Yi’s mind.

After the referee’s whistle, Keith Bogans quickly got up, his face filled with indescribable joy.

Andre Iguodala’s three-pointer from the right wing missed. Greg Monroe was tightly held back by Carlos Boozer, watching helplessly as Kurt Thomas grabbed the rebound and passed it to Derrick Rose in the midcourt. The closest Pistons player was Andre Iguodala, but even with his speed, he could only watch as Derrick Rose raced ahead and easily scored a dunk.

The score gap grew wider and wider, yet John Kuester’s emotions calmed down. At this point in the game, there was little he could do; all that remained was to watch how his team’s key players performed. If they could deliver in tough situations, there might still be a chance for a surprise outcome. If they performed poorly as well, he could only hope the game would end quickly to avoid a crushing defeat.

Chapter 401: Semi-Finals, Against the Bulls (7)

Andre Iguodala’s pass was almost intercepted by Keith Bogans. Fortunately, Zhou Yi had a decisive speed advantage and reached the ball first, though he was drenched in sweat.

Gently touching the ball in his hands, Zhou Yi told himself that the critical moment had arrived. The score gap between the two teams had reached sixteen points, but that wasn’t the biggest issue—it was the Pistons’ morale.

With their depleted lineup, they lacked confidence even before the game. After suffering successive setbacks, Zhou Yi didn’t know how much fighting spirit the other players still had. If their morale completely collapsed, no amount of his skill could save the team from defeat.

He slowly drove the ball across half-court. As expected, Derrick Rose and Keith Bogans appeared in front of him one after another. This time, Zhou Yi didn’t rush to break through or pass the ball.

As Zhou Yi kept moving around on the perimeter, the two Bulls defenders had to follow his movements constantly. All eyes in the O’Brien Center were fixed on him. His outstanding performance in the first game had left a deep impression on them. Even though the Bulls held complete control of the game, they wanted to see what more Zhou Yi could do.

Because, in their eyes, Zhou Yi was a hero.

“Swish, swish”—the basketball kept changing hands beneath Zhou Yi’s hips, growing faster and faster. With each bounce, Derrick Rose’s heart trembled, and he couldn’t afford to relax even for a moment. Watching Zhou Yi ready to strike, he knew his opponent’s attack could happen in the blink of an eye.

A drop of sweat fell from Derrick Rose’s brow, causing a brief blur in his vision. Just as he instinctively reached up to wipe it away, a cool breeze passed by him, bringing instant relief to his body—but chills to his heart. In a closed arena, such a breeze couldn’t appear out of nowhere; it must have been caused by a player passing by quickly, creating a current of air.

Derrick Rose, of course, couldn’t see it, but every fan at the Auburn Hills Palace saw an unbelievable scene. Zhou Yi’s body appeared instantly on Derrick Rose’s right side in the blink of an eye. Fans who had just blinked seemed to witness Zhou Yi’s instant teleportation—a speed so extraordinary that, in league history, only ‘The Answer’ Allen Iverson had ever displayed such amazing performance at his peak. Once Zhou Yi accelerated at full speed, Keith Bogans naturally couldn’t keep up, not even managing to draw a foul; he could only watch as Zhou Yi dived into the paint. At that moment, there were two big players under the Bulls’ basket, ready to defend after Zhou Yi passed Derrick Rose. It seemed Zhou Yi didn’t intend to score himself—he passed the ball after entering the free-throw line to Greg Monroe inside, then quickly moved past him. Tom Thibodeau’s anxious heart could finally relax. Zhou Yi’s peak speed had already stunned him; if he had scored right away, it would have been an excellent goal and one that would greatly boost the Pistons’ morale. With the ball in Greg Monroe’s hands, facing two interior defenders, it wasn’t easy for him to score. But what happened next left Tom Thibodeau extremely frustrated—Greg Monroe didn’t turn to shoot but gently threw the ball to the left. His pass was very subtle. After catching the ball, Zhou Yi used Greg Monroe’s block to easily shoot it in. Due to a Bulls’ passing mistake, Zhou Yi easily intercepted the ball and passed it long to help McGrady score a three-pointer. Derrick Rose and Carlos Boozer created a mismatch, earning a chance to shoot a three, but the ball missed the rim. Greg Monroe immediately pushed Kurt Thomas out from under the basket and easily grabbed the rebound. After enduring for a while, Tom Thibodeau finally called a timeout. During that period, the Bulls seemed unable to find the basket, while the Pistons, after Zhou Yi’s brilliant dribble past, gradually found their offensive rhythm, scoring a 8-2 run to take a 31-41 lead, widening the gap to ten points again.

“After being down 5:0 at the start by the Bulls, the Pistons seemed to regain their rhythm. McGrady and Andre Iguodala hit three-pointers in succession, helping the Pistons narrow the score gap to 10 points. What’s your opinion on their performance so far, Yi Jianlian?” Yu Jia gave a brief commentary before turning the topic over to Yi Jianlian.
“Maybe the fans watching at home didn’t pay much attention to Zhou Yi’s dribble bypass just now, but we here at the Auburn Hills Palace could see the impact of that move. In the subsequent attacks, the Bulls players seemed to lose their offensive rhythm, while the Pistons, under his leadership, regained their form and responded with an 8:2 scoring run. We hope the Pistons can maintain this excellent form after the timeout.”
Yi Jianlian was clearly distracted, as Zhou Yi’s dribble bypass had left a deep impression on him. Zhou Yi wasn’t on the newly announced list for the Asian Championships national team. However, the list hadn’t been made public yet, and Yi Jianlian only learned about it last night. He didn’t know what kind of stir it would cause in China once the list was released, especially considering Zhou Yi’s outstanding performance in these playoffs, which had greatly raised his status in the league. Under such circumstances, things would obviously become more complicated.
John Kuester was naturally very satisfied with the performance just now, especially since several role players had shown significant improvement. Spencer Hawes’ two consecutive offensive rebounds reduced the pressure on Greg Monroe in the paint. McGrady and Iguodala’s three-pointers also disrupted the Bulls’ defense, easing the pressure on Zhou Yi from the outside as well.
After the timeout, the Bulls’ lineup changed again. Derrick Rose, Carlos Boozer, Joakim Noah, Ronnie Brewer, and Rolando Dunham formed a new lineup, indicating a focus on defense. The Bulls’ offense hadn’t had any problems earlier; it was just the sudden surge from the Pistons’ other players that threw their defense into chaos. With Tom Thibodeau’s emphasis on offense, they would now have to consider defense as well.

On the Pistons’ side, Jody Meeks also played as a substitute. Although this rookie’s performance in the regular season was average, it improved significantly once the playoffs began, especially in defense, making him a very useful player for the Pistons. He gets 11.5 minutes of playing time per playoff game, which is quite remarkable for a substitute, especially in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

At the end of the first half, the Bulls led 65-57. Though the Pistons were still eight points behind, the situation was far better than at the start of the second quarter. Their once-dissolved morale returned among the Pistons’ players. Zhou Yi and Greg Monroe served as the backbone, holding off the Bulls’ repeated attacks, and the Pistons gradually regained their composure. Jody Meeks, despite playing only seven minutes, hit two three-pointers in a row. His impact went beyond the stats—he provided solid defense against Derrick Rose and blocked shots for Zhou Yi several times, giving him opportunities to shoot.

TNT’s halftime interview featured Zhou Yi, as it was he who revitalized the team’s offense in the second quarter, helping the Pistons regain their momentum. However, it was clear that victory was still out of reach for the Pistons. In the critical second half, fatigue could become a fatal factor for them.

In the first half, the Bulls had nine players on the court, with even Carlos Boozer, who played the most minutes, resting on the bench for over five minutes. On the Pistons’ side, aside from the five starting players, only Jody Meeks and Spencer Hawes got playing time from the bench, while Zhou Yi and Greg Monroe didn’t leave the court at all.

Zhou Yi said, panting, “Everyone has seen this game—it will be the toughest we’ve faced since the playoffs. The Bulls are an excellent team; their offensive power is unmatched in the league, and they do a great job with zone defense. Especially with their great leader, we’re now eight points behind them. To win this series, we have no choice but to fight hard in the second half. Maybe we’re not as strong offensively as the Bulls right now, but when it comes to fighting spirit, I don’t think we’ll lose to anyone. Our performance in the second quarter proved that. As long as we can maintain this level of performance in the second half, victory isn’t far away.” After saying all that in one breath, Zhou Yi rushed into the locker room. For the second half, John Kuester surely needed to make some arrangements—at least give several starters enough rest, otherwise, before the game was over, all the players would be exhausted. Right now, John Kuester was facing the biggest challenge: figuring out how to arrange player rest, which was extremely difficult for the Pistons. Greg Monroe and Zhou Yi were the hardest to manage. They were essential to the team right now—Greg Monroe was a guarantee in rebounds, and his presence in the paint was irreplaceable. It was his outstanding performance in the second quarter that forced the Bulls to focus their offense on the outside. Zhou Yi, on the other hand, was the engine of the team’s offense. Without him, the Pistons were like an old machine, struggling at home and waiting to be overwhelmed by the Bulls’ offensive wave. Yet, these two were also the players who needed rest the most. Once the game reached its critical moment, they became the most needed players. Seeing John Kuester’s dilemma, Zhou Yi understood his difficulties and stepped up to him, saying, “Coach, there’s no need to hesitate. The game has come this far—we have to go all out. If we give the Bulls any chance to catch up, with our current lineup, we won’t be able to withstand their strong offense.” Greg Monroe also spoke with determination. Seeing their resolve, John Kuester was very inspired, but he still hesitated, saying, “I’m worried your stamina won’t hold until the end of the game. As we get better, the Bulls will definitely tighten their defense against you. The games ahead will only get more intense.”

Zhou Yi smiled cheerfully and said, “Coach, all our efforts this season come down to today’s game. To not waste months of hard work, I’m willing to collapse on the court even if I’m exhausted.”
……
“Zhou Yi is already sitting on the sidelines resting. After all, in those 36 minutes of play, he was the only player from either team who didn’t take a break. Under the constant pressure from several Bulls players, his stamina was completely drained. Could this be a signal from the Pistons to give up?” Yu Jia asked doubtfully.
Yi Jian shook his head and said, “That’s unlikely. At this point in the game, if the head coach gives up easily, he’ll probably face criticism after the match. Besides, the score gap between the two teams is only 13 points, so the Pistons still have a chance to turn the game around.”
“The five Pistons players on the court, except for Spencer Hawes, are all very good at defense. If my guess is correct, John Kuester is likely using a strategy of dragging things out, trying not to let the Bulls widen the score before Zhou Yi returns. But this will put even more pressure on Greg Monroe, as he’s the only relatively stable scoring option for the Pistons right now.”
After years of experience, Yi Jian could immediately see John Kuester’s role. He could tell that Tom Thibodeau also understood it—for the current Pistons, Kuester’s tactics were undoubtedly the right choice. Without Zhou Yi, the Pistons’ offense would suffer greatly. Instead of focusing on offense, it was better to concentrate on defense. For players like Spencer Hawes, what they had was stamina, and they could hold their ground against their opponents.
Tom Thibodeau didn’t think the Pistons’ tactics would be very effective against his team. Even the Celtics’ well-organized defense had little success against the Bulls’ offense, let alone the currently disorganized Pistons’ defense.
But Tom Thibodeau forgot one thing: team morale. The Pistons’ low morale in the first half allowed the Bulls to dominate. However, when Zhou Yi ran out of energy and Greg Monroe had to carry the team alone in the paint, the Pistons’ morale was successfully boosted. At that moment, they had only one goal on the court: to stall the Bulls’ offense as long as possible until Zhou Yi returned.
Especially since this was the Pistons’ home court.

There are many things a coach cannot anticipate. The high morale of the Pistons was first felt by the Bulls’ players. Previously, the Pistons had adopted a zone defense in the half-court, but after the start of the fourth quarter, they resorted to a full-court press at the cost of their energy. From the moment Derrick Rose received the ball, Ben Gordon kept interfering with his control.

Given Derrick Rose’s ability to handle the ball, he wasn’t worried about it being taken away easily, but his constant interruptions were still troublesome. John Kuester decided on a full-court press as the defensive strategy. The Bulls were best at fast breaks, and a prerequisite for those breaks was getting the ball quickly to an eligible player across the half-court—each attack taking only about ten seconds. The longer an attack lasted, the lower the chances of success for the Bulls.

Ben Gordon’s interference was deliberate; his aim wasn’t to steal the ball from Derrick Rose. With Derrick Rose’s steady ball-handling skills, even Zhou Yi couldn’t easily take it from him. Ben Gordon always kept a two-step distance, preventing Derrick Rose from having enough time to get moving.

It took Derrick Rose about six seconds to get the ball across the half-court. Around him, there were always Pistons players standing by the Bulls’ other players.

Derrick Rose sighed inwardly. He hadn’t expected the Pistons’ defense to become even more troublesome after Zhou Yi left the court. When Zhou Yi was around, their defensive lineup favored offense over defense, leaving many gaps—something the Bulls excelled at exploiting. Now, with the Pistons focusing more on defense than offense, they couldn’t quickly complete attacks and had to immediately switch to a half-court game.