Chapter 175

With 5 minutes and 13 seconds left in the fourth quarter, the Pistons were temporarily trailing the Bulls 112-96. John Kuester appeared very relaxed—the toughest part had passed.
“Everyone did a great job just now, but the real test has only just begun. There are still five minutes left, and we’re still 16 points behind. If we can turn things around, the Eastern Conference title awaits us.”
“With a little over five minutes left, Zhou Yi finally joined the Pistons’ starting lineup. But they were still 16 points behind their opponent. To catch up in five minutes, offense alone isn’t enough; we also need to improve our defense. Zhou Yi, who has always been the core of the Pistons’ defense, might instead become the biggest weakness right now.” Yu Jia’s commentary on Zhou Yi’s entry was fairly balanced—indeed, the Pistons’ chances of winning were slim.
As Zhou Yi and Derrick Rose passed each other, Zhou Yi whispered, “Derrick, be careful. The real game has just begun.” Derrick Rose simply smiled in response—he greatly admired Zhou Yi’s skills. But given his current physical condition and the 16-point advantage for the Bulls, the game was no longer close. After a slow start to the fourth quarter, the Bulls were in good form now.
Still, John Kuester kept Ben Gordon on the court. First, he was the most talented player among the others, and Zhou Yi needed him to help with playmaking in the remaining five minutes. Zhou Yi’s main focus now was scoring.
Ben Gordon quickly drove the ball across half-court, aiming his first pass at Zhou Yi. But since he entered the game, Keith Bogans had been closely following him. Among the Bulls’ current players, aside from Joakim Noah, he was the best defender and also good at drawing offensive fouls. At this critical moment, Tom Thibodeau naturally entrusted him with the defense, with other Bulls players ready to help out.
Although Zhou Yi no longer had his former speed and wasn’t responsible for the team’s playmaking, the impact of his presence was obvious. At least two Bulls players were always focused on him, and Greg Monroe in the paint also needed to help defend. As a result, the Bulls’ zone defense was full of gaps.

Ben Gordon quickly passed the ball to Spencer Hawes. The Bulls had no dedicated defender for a player who was strong on defense but weak offensively, and they hadn’t expected the ball to go to Zhou Yi on his first play after returning to the court, leaving them helpless as he scored with a mid-range shot.

Spencer Hawes’ shot was crucial. Initially, after Zhou Yi entered the game, the Bulls’ main defensive focus was on him. But with that shot, they had to pay attention to other Pistons players, reducing the pressure on Zhou Yi.

Carlos Boozer’s mid-range shot missed, and the ball went back to the Pistons. Ben Gordon scored from beyond the three-point line, and the Pistons scored five points in half a minute, narrowing the gap to 11 points.

Tom Thibodeau immediately called a timeout. The sudden surge from the Pistons’ two role players completely disrupted his tactical plan. Zhou Yi hadn’t even had a chance to play yet, and the Pistons had already closed the gap by five points—there was no room for carelessness.

“The game has reached a critical moment, so Tom Thibodeau wisely called a timeout. Any change now could determine the outcome. It’s normal for the Pistons’ two bench players to score consecutively. With Zhou Yi and Greg Monroe on the court, the Bulls have to use double-team tactics on both, creating opportunities for the others,” explained Yu Jia.

Carlos Boozer was extremely poor from close range today, hitting just 2 out of 8 attempts. However, his performance at the free-throw line was impressive—he made all 9 of his free throws so far.

After the timeout, Roy Dunbar continued his strong form. After a simple screen with Derrick Rose, he scored from the baseline.

Ben Gordon drove across half-court without lingering too long, quickly passing the ball to Zhou Yi. At that moment, only Keith Bogans was around Zhou Yi. Although other Bulls players were lurking nearby, the situation was much better than before with the double team.

With a step back, he created distance between the two. Zhou Yi launched a high arc shot, and the ball quickly passed over Keith Bogans’ head as Ben Gordon turned and scored with a jump shot.

With 3 minutes and 31 seconds left in the game, after two consecutive breakthroughs by Derrick Rose, the score stood at 116-103. As the game neared its end, the Pistons’ hopes grew slimmer, especially after the Bulls improved their defense significantly during a timeout. Derrick Rose’s two consecutive scores also dampened the Pistons’ offensive efforts.

Seeing the Bulls take control of the situation, Zhou Yi’s expression grew even more stern, his dark eyes flashing with a cold light. Every Bulls player caught in his gaze trembled involuntarily.

The Pistons now had only one timeout left. Despite being anxious over the Bulls’ consecutive scores, John Kuester tried to stay calm. The single timeout needed to be used at the most appropriate moment, and the current situation couldn’t be resolved with just one timeout. If Zhou Yi and his team could turn the crisis around, this timeout could become a chance for the Pistons to turn things around. Otherwise, it would be pointless.

Gently touching the ball, Zhou Yi quickly drove it across half-court and finally met up with Derrick Rose. Seeing Derrick Rose’s tense defensive stance, Zhou Yi smiled slightly. The more critical the game became, the more relaxed Zhou Yi seemed.

After several feints, Derrick Rose remained unfazed.

It seemed Zhou Yi had eyes at the back of his head—he accurately passed the ball to Ben Gordon, then stepped forward to block Derrick Rose tightly on the right side. Seizing the opportunity created by Zhou Yi, Ben Gordon didn’t hesitate and quickly shot, but unfortunately, his force was too weak, and the ball bounced high in front of the basket.

Greg Monroe spread his arms wide, pressing Carlos Boozer behind him, and easily scored a free throw.

…

“Ding.” With the referee’s whistle, Keith Bogans got up smoothly from the floor—deceived into committing another offensive foul. Zhou Yi’s earlier breakthrough had only lightly touched him, yet he fell that far. Such deception made Zhou Yi smile bitterly.

The Pistons were in control, and such a move dealt a huge blow to their morale, especially with only 2.5 minutes left in the game and them still 11 points behind. Unless the Bulls made any mistakes, the game was practically over.

Watching Keith Bogans approach the free-throw line, the Pistons fans watching on TV couldn’t help but mutter “no good.” Yet Bogans had always been consistent from the line, with a regular-season success rate of 80.1%. Seeing several players murmuring to themselves, Zhou Yi also silently prayed in his heart. At this point in the game, every point scored by the Bulls pushed the Pistons further toward the edge of disaster. “Thud”—what Zhou Yi used to hate the most was the sound of the ball hitting the basket, but now it sounded like music. Bogans’ second free throw lacked power; the ball hit the front of the rim, and Greg Monroe leaped up, easily grabbing the rebound before passing it quickly out of the paint toward the Bulls’ half-court. Zhou Yi, who had been waiting on the other side, saw the pass and quickly judged the situation before rushing toward the Bulls’ basket. As he predicted, Monroe’s pass had enough force to reach the free-throw line, giving him enough time to get away from Derek Rose surrounding him. Derek Rose stretched out his arms and ran desperately, but to his frustration, the two who had been neck and neck just a few steps later showed signs of Zhou Yi overtaking him. Thinking back to 20 minutes earlier, when Zhou Yi had stayed on the bench for so long due to exhaustion, he never expected him to be able to run this fast. Catching the ball lightly, Zhou Yi maintained a slight lead over Derek Rose and easily scored by layup. What frustrated Derek Rose even more was that he kept chasing Zhou Yi in an attempt to disrupt his shot, but when he reached the basket, he lost his balance and collided heavily with Zhou Yi. The referee didn’t hesitate and called a defensive foul. Derek Rose didn’t argue with the referee—after all, the collision was obvious, and the call was justified. He just felt a bit aggrieved; he hadn’t intended to foul at all, it was simply that he couldn’t control his pace. If he had known this would happen, he would have pulled Zhou Yi down earlier, at least to prevent him from scoring an easy three-point shot. Free throws were Zhou Yi’s most reliable scoring method. No matter how poor his form was that day, he rarely missed them. In the regular season, his free-throw success rate was as high as 95.3%, ranking first in the league.

After seven consecutive tough games, physical exhaustion has become a fatal weakness for the Bulls’ players. Therefore, in this match, Tom Thibodeau maintained a strong offensive pressure on the Pistons in the first half, hoping to secure the victory early in the first three quarters. Against the depleted Pistons, Thibodeau’s plan worked well in the first half. However, thanks to the combined counterattacks from Zhou Yi and Greg Monroe, the Pistons managed to hold their ground and keep their hopes of turning the game around alive.

Just as Zhou Yi’s stamina was running low—a scenario Thibodeau was extremely reluctant to see—the other Pistons players, as if waking from a slumber, showed an unstoppable fighting spirit and gradually narrowed the score gap. But now, the Bulls’ players’ physical problems finally came to light. Derek Rose’s foul earlier could have been avoided under normal circumstances.

Despite knowing this, Thibodeau still did not call a timeout. Both teams now had only one timeout left, and this single opportunity had to be used wisely. In his view, although the Pistons showed strong momentum in their comeback, with so little time left, all they could hope for was a miracle.

Those legendary moments in the league, according to Thibodeau, are the result of the coaches’ responsibilities. It is their carelessness at the end that creates opportunities for opponents. As a successful coach, one must always keep control of the game situation. No matter how big the advantage, mistakes must be avoided until the very end of the game. Otherwise, no matter how skilled one is as a coach, if they can’t win, they can’t be considered a good coach.

Chapter 403: Semi-Finals, Against the Bulls (9)

After the official timeout, Thibodeau was very dissatisfied with the team’s offense. Their performance in those few minutes had been poor—the outside shots failed to break through the deadlock, and although they managed two successful interior attacks, Greg Monroe’s heightened alertness made it difficult to score again.

Derrick Rose had mixed feelings. He had always thought Ben Gordon was average in both offense and defense, with just ordinary speed, but he never expected Gordon to pose such a serious threat to him just now. Gordon’s constant tricks kept Rose’s anger rising. Fortunately, Rose could still control his own pace. However, Ron Denney seemed unable to calm down. After a ball was touched out of bounds by Andre Iguodala, he impulsively pushed Iguodala, resulting in a technical foul called by the referee.

Under the Pistons’ relentless defense, the Bulls’ offense became increasingly anxious. Derrick Rose’s passes were still sharp, but they didn’t help his teammates much. Several hasty attempts ended with the ball bouncing off the rim, while Greg Monroe did a great job controlling the rebounds.

While the Bulls’ attacks kept failing, the Pistons played more methodically. Ben Gordon maintained control of the game’s pace. It didn’t matter if a fast break didn’t work—they would switch to half-court play. Even if a pass was off, it didn’t matter; the ball would go back to the outside. As the ball kept moving, the Pistons carefully looked for shooting opportunities. This kind of offensive style was originally the Bulls’ forte, but now the Bulls’ offense was in disarray, while the Pistons played with precision.

When Carlos Boozer grabbed a rebound, Tom Thibodeau promptly called a timeout. In just over four minutes, the Bulls managed only two shots and scored seven points through shots and free throws. Although the Pistons didn’t score heavily, they also added nine points. The score at that point was 101-90, with the gap narrowing further in Zhou Yi’s absence.

“Under the Pistons’ fierce defense, the Bulls completely lost their rhythm in those over four minutes. Seeing the score narrow, Tom Thibodeau finally couldn’t resist calling a timeout. Before Zhou Yi entered the game, he wanted his team to maintain a clear advantage. With the final moments of the first game still fresh in mind, he naturally couldn’t afford to be careless. To be honest, given Zhou Yi’s current physical condition, Thibodeau’s concerns might be excessive. But right now, the Pistons are focused solely on waiting for Zhou Yi to come in. Judging from both teams’ current performance, the deadlock on the court will soon be broken. The Pistons’ current players can hold on for at least three more minutes. Once Zhou Yi enters, although he may not have a miraculous effect on the team’s defense, no one else among the Pistons can match his deterrence against the Bulls,” Yu Jia’s commentary was incisive, accurately reflecting the situation of both teams.

In the eyes of the players, Tom Thibodeau has always been a relatively gentle person, so such a loud scolding was rarely seen in previous games. It’s no wonder he lost his temper—this year’s Bulls have had a tough time. The seven-game series against the Orlando Magic in the first round of the playoffs left the Bulls severely depleted, and they also fought seven games in the series against the Pistons. If they lost even when holding such a big advantage, Tom Thibodeau simply couldn’t accept it. Regarding their recent performance, John Kuester wasn’t overly optimistic. With a large lead, the Bulls’ players’ mindset quietly changed, giving the Pistons an opportunity to strike back. Thibodeau’s timeout was timely—still holding an 11-point advantage, with proper strategy, the Bulls had a clear edge against the understaffed Pistons. Although his expression couldn’t be seen, Zhou Yi’s chest heaving gradually subsided, indicating he had calmed down, but it wasn’t wise to send him back on the court now. The team’s defense wasn’t an issue, but their offensive tactics were very monotonous. Six of the nine points they scored came from Greg Monroe’s strong play inside. The best defense is offense, and beyond Greg Monroe, the Pistons urgently needed a second scoring option. However, the situation on the court changed rapidly. The favorable outcome John Kuester hoped for didn’t happen. After a short timeout, the Bulls’ offense seemed to regain its rhythm—Derrick Rose forced his way through and scored, followed by Ronnie Brewer hitting a free throw, giving the Bulls a 14-point lead. Some Bulls fans in the stands couldn’t sit still; they stood up, raising their fists to celebrate the team’s impending victory. But the Pistons fans sitting next to them protested loudly, cheering for their team. Yet the Bulls’ advantage didn’t last long. With Greg Monroe hitting a turnaround jump shot, John Kuester called another timeout. At that moment, everyone’s attention turned to the Pistons’ bench—Zhou Yi, who had been lying quietly on the seat earlier, was now stretching by the side of the court.