Chapter 176

With 5 minutes and 13 seconds left in the fourth quarter, the Pistons were temporarily trailing the Bulls 112-96. At this point, 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 the game 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; they also need to improve their 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 Bulls’ 16-point lead, the game was no longer close. After a slow start to the fourth quarter, the Bulls were in good form.
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. The Bulls always had at least two players focused on him, and with Greg Monroe in the paint also needing to help defend, 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 against offense but weak otherwise. Moreover, they didn’t expect the first pass after Zhou Yi returned to the court to go to him, 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 his successful shot, the Bulls had to pay more 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—this situation demanded caution.
“The game has reached a critical moment, so Tom Thibodeau wisely called a timeout. Any change now could determine the final 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 other players,” explained Yu Jia.
Carlos Boozer was extremely poor at close-range shooting 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 threw up a high 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 a victory early in the first three quarters. Against the depleted Pistons, Thibodeau’s strategy worked well in the first half. However, thanks to the combined counterattacks from Zhou Yi and Greg Monroe, the Pistons managed to hold on tightly to the score, keeping their hopes of turning the game around alive.

Just as Zhou Yi’s stamina was running out—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 great success achieved by coaches who bear significant responsibility—it is their carelessness at the end that creates opportunities for others. 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.

With 1:50 left in the game, the Pistons finally narrowed the score gap to single digits, and the fans at the Auburn Hills Palace erupted in excitement.

While the Bulls’ offense was still going fairly well, the Pistons gradually closed the gap. Less than two minutes later, they still had a nine-point advantage, but the fans couldn’t see how that nine-point difference could guarantee their team’s victory.

Suddenly, Keith Bogans made a slight mistake while dribbling. For some players, even a brief moment is enough to execute multiple moves, and Zhou Yi, who was defending him, was one of the best at doing just that. The moment Bogans made the mistake, Zhou Yi’s right hand shot out like a venomous snake, snatching the ball from him in an instant before passing it long.

The Bulls players were clearly unprepared for this mistake. Greg Monroe jumped high inside the three-second line, raising his hands high above his head, and slammed the ball down with great force at the peak of his jump. Such a powerful dunk seemed to shake the entire arena.

117-110. Seeing the bright red numbers on the scoreboard, Tom Thibodeau finally called a timeout. In just four minutes, the Bulls’ lead of over ten points was on the verge of disappearing. What angered him even more was that since Zhou Yi entered the game, three Pistons players had scored, and Spencer Hawes, playing in the paint, had also defended effectively, preventing the Bulls from scoring twice.

This definitely wasn’t the Pistons’ true strength, nor was it the Bulls’. Yet both teams’ on-court performance was the opposite of their actual capabilities. With one and a half minutes left in the game, if they used this timeout wisely, they could still retain control of the game.

“The Bulls’ timeout is timely. Given the current score, they still hold a clear advantage. But based on both teams’ performance so far, this seven-point lead isn’t sustainable—it could vanish in just a couple of possessions. What the Bulls need to focus on now is avoiding their own mistakes,” analyzed Kenny Smith, the play-by-play commentator.

Thibodeau was worried about more than just that. The Bulls also had problems with rebounds. In the past few minutes, Greg Monroe had grabbed three offensive rebounds alone, giving the Bulls three scoring opportunities. Now, with the game reaching a critical moment, every rebound was invaluable.

The Bulls had been using a lineup of one big man and four smaller players, relying on speed. However, their weakness in rebounding was inevitable. It seemed that this lineup wasn’t very effective against the Pistons. To regain control of rebounds, Thibodeau brought back Kurt Thomas. Joakim Noah had already been forced to leave the game after committing six fouls while defending Greg Monroe. The Bulls could now only count on the veteran Kurt Thomas.

In this way, together with Carlos Boozer, they gave the Bulls an advantage inside the paint. On the Pistons’ bench, John Kuester looked very serious; he tapped on the tactical board a few times and calmly outlined the strategy for the players. “At this stage of the game, both teams are exhausted. It’s all about who loses their nerve first—once that happens, there’s little hope left for either team,” Yu Jia said with a serious expression as well. Kurt Thomas, as a skilled player, immediately grabbed an offensive rebound after entering the game and passed it to Derrick Rose for a three-point shot, widening the score gap to double digits. This shot could be considered the most valuable for the Bulls so far. With only 1 minute and 13 seconds left in the game and a 10-point lead, victory seemed within reach for the Bulls. Off the court, Joakim Noah and the other bench players couldn’t sit still—they stood up, raising their fists to celebrate the Bulls’ win. The few Bulls fans in the O’Brien Center also became lively, with many cheering for the victory. John Kuester’s face turned pale instantly; he had been confident just moments ago, but this goal by the Bulls left him completely disheartened. With less than a minute left, unless something as miraculous as McGrady’s 35 seconds and 13 points happened again—something that’s extremely rare, perhaps only once in NBA history—there was little hope. Derrick Rose enjoyed this wonderful moment to the fullest. His first target for showing off was Zhou Yi. He couldn’t forget Zhou Yi’s words to him after he returned to the game. He wanted to tell Zhou Yi: Though you’re excellent, if you want to take victory away from the Bulls, sorry—you’ll have to ask me first. But all he saw was Zhou Yi rushing toward his own half of the court, quickly reaching beyond the three-point line. In an instant, a dark shadow flashed past his ear, and with a whoosh, Derrick Rose felt a cool breeze sweep through him—from head to toe—but nothing could compare to the chill in his heart. Suddenly, Zhou Yi’s movements seemed extremely slow in front of his eyes; not a single movement was careless. Watching Zhou Yi gracefully jump, the ball swiftly flew out of his fingertips. With a swish, Derrick Rose didn’t even need to listen to know the shot would definitely go in—Zhou Yi’s previous shot had been as perfect as a textbook example.

Keith Bogans didn’t notice Derrick Rose’s distraction. Seeing him still on the Pistons’ half-court, he felt a surge of joy—this was an excellent opportunity to launch a fast break. If Derrick Rose could execute this fast break, they could secure the win for sure.

Derrick Rose had just regained his focus when a large basketball shot swiftly toward him. Instinctively, he dodged, and Zhou Yi easily caught the ball before passing it quickly to Greg Monroe. At that moment, there were no Bulls defenders in front of Greg Monroe. His powerful dunk seemed capable of tearing apart the Chicago Bulls’ rebound.

With 1 minute and 5 seconds left in the game, the Pistons’ inside and outside players combined forces, scoring five points in just half a minute, once again throwing things into uncertainty.

At this critical moment, the referee blew his whistle.

The call was utterly unreasonable. All eyes turned to the referee. The Bulls hadn’t even taken a shot yet; the players from both teams were merely positioning themselves without any aggressive actions. Where did this call come from?

The answer came quickly. Tom Thibodeau, seeing the Pistons scoring continuously, suddenly lost his head and called a timeout. Unbeknownst to him, the Bulls’ last timeout had already been used. His assistant tried to stop him, but it was too late. The chief referee had already noticed his gesture and wouldn’t hesitate. At this point in the game, as the chief referee, he actually preferred to keep the suspense until the very end.

He was a relatively inexperienced referee. Although his calls had always been respected by the league, he hadn’t officiated many such important games. If this game became a classic, it would bring honor to his career as a referee. Unconsciously, he had begun to favor the Pistons in his calls, but he still maintained a good balance and didn’t give the Bulls any advantage.

The crucial free throws at this moment naturally fell to Zhou Yi. He lived up to his teammates’ trust, sinking the shots accurately. The score stood at 120-116. Now, only the Pistons had one more 20-second timeout left. But obviously, John Kuester wouldn’t be foolish enough to call a timeout for the Bulls at this point.

The Heat, who had just defeated the Celtics 119-111 in overtime away from home, advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals with a 4-3 series win.

At this moment, all the members of their team were watching the game on TV. They happened to catch the end of the third quarter. By then, the Heat were certain their opponent would be the Bulls, especially after Zhou Yi sat on the bench. However, the Pistons’ strong comeback momentum added more suspense to the game, particularly after Zhou Yi returned to the court, as the Pistons completely dominated the Bulls.

With Zhou Yi’s free throws making it back to a close game, there was no longer any focus on who would win or lose; everyone’s attention was entirely on the game. Among the dozens of games in this season’s playoffs so far, the first matchup between the Bulls and Pistons has been rated as the most surprising. But if things continued like this, this game might even surpass the previous one in excitement.

Derrick Rose was in the most complicated mood. At the most critical moment of the game, his distraction had pushed the team to the brink. Tom Thibodeau’s recent mishandling of the situation also had a lot to do with him. He surely didn’t expect his most trusted player to be the one who put the team in trouble.

Seeing the excited expressions on the Pistons’ players’ faces, Derrick Rose felt an unprecedented fighting spirit. He was known for his calmness in games, but now he also felt an urge to rise again after falling—his mistakes had to be rectified by him.

Tom Thibodeau looked anxious, completely devoid of his usual composure. He had been quite proud after calling a timeout earlier, as it helped the team turn things around at a critical moment. But now he wished he could call another timeout. There was only one chance, and it was in the hands of the opponent. No matter how much John Kuester wanted to give instructions to his players, he wouldn’t call a timeout at such a crucial moment, giving an advantage to the other side.

As the game reached its most critical stage, every second was vital. To prevent the Bulls from regaining their rhythm, the Pistons played a coordinated, intense defense throughout the game. In the final moments of a game, the trailing team usually resorts to two tactics: either an intense man-to-man defense to force mistakes from the opponent or fouling. But with a four-point deficit and time still left, fouling wasn’t necessary. Moreover, they were facing the Bulls, whose players were very consistent from the free-throw line.

As Derek Rose received the ball just beyond the three-point line, Ben Gordon immediately appeared beside him, trying to force Derek Rose out of the court. With a feint, Derek Rose got past him, and Zhou Yi felt a surge of tension. What seemed like a simple move earlier turned out to be executed with great determination by Derek Rose, who showed no signs of fatigue from the game—apparently, the earlier mistake had hurt the veteran’s pride.

Over the seven games, what impressed Zhou Yi most about Derek Rose was his resilience. In terms of raw speed, Derek Rose was slightly inferior, but in numerous head-to-head encounters, their performances had been evenly matched. At critical moments, Derek Rose always found a way to escape tough situations.

Just as Derek Rose crossed midcourt, Zhou Yi didn’t give him any room to recover and pressed closely. Once Derek Rose got fully into motion, even Zhou Yi at his peak might not have been able to stop him, let alone now that he was already exhausted.

John Kuester was now restless, pacing anxiously on the sidelines. Especially upon seeing Derek Rose’s expression, he kept shouting for defense. The Pistons had already switched to zone defense. Unlike other teams, the Bulls’ five players all had strong scoring abilities, and none of them could be ignored.

Despite sweat dripping from his forehead onto the ground, Zhou Yi didn’t dare wipe it away. He seemed completely focused on defense, unable to hear the noise in the MCI Center.

Derek Rose displayed lightning-fast speed, appearing right in front of Zhou Yi in the blink of an eye. At that moment, everyone in the arena and among the fans watching on TV knew that the game’s most crucial play was about to happen. With less than a minute left in the game, this confrontation would determine the final outcome. The Pistons had nowhere left to retreat; if they failed to defend this shot, winning the game would become purely theoretical.

As the two players neared each other, Derek Rose’s movements seemed unchanged—his speed remained steady, while his hand movements shifted subtly. He caught the bouncing ball with his left hand and swiftly shot it toward Zhou Yi’s left side. The ball was moving extremely fast. Zhou Yi’s heart tightened as he shifted his weight slightly backward, adapting to Derek Rose’s ever-changing moves.

The moment the ball was released, Derrick Rose made a surprising move—he quickly spun 360 degrees in place, bent his right hand slightly, and appeared on Zhou Yi’s right side. Realizing his mistake, Zhou Yi immediately tried to cover him, but before he could react, Carlos Boozer nimbly pulled back to the perimeter and set up a simple screen with Derrick Rose.

Just as Derrick Rose was about to shoot inside the three-point line, Greg Monroe rushed forward quickly. Having anticipated Boozer’s move, he also followed swiftly and managed to block Derrick Rose in time.

Derrick Rose wasn’t the type of player who liked to take shots alone. After his attempt was blocked by Greg Monroe, the ball hit the floor to the right of Monroe and quickly bounced into the hands of Kurt Thomas inside. By then, Monroe had withdrawn from the paint, and Spencer Hawes was blocked behind him, making a dunk a matter of course.

Kurt Thomas stepped forward slightly, and scoring became inevitable. A faint smile appeared on his lips—being able to help his team score such a crucial shot in an important game was a rare achievement for him.

Yet the Pistons players didn’t give up. Several of them rushed toward the basket. With the game already decided, they were determined to do everything in their power.

This time, Kurt Thomas jumped very high. At the peak of his jump, he bent his waist slightly, his body like a taut bowstring, as a stunning dunk seemed about to unfold before all the fans’ eyes.

Just as his raised right hand was about to descend, a sense of unease arose. He couldn’t see it, but all the Bulls fans witnessed something they couldn’t believe.

The moment Derrick Rose passed the ball to the ground, a dark figure rushed straight from beyond the three-point line into the paint. By the time Kurt Thomas leaped up, that figure was already inside the free-throw line. There was no time to waste—like a rocket, he quickly soared into the air.

Watching the ball in Kurt Thomas’s hands rising little by little, Zhou Yi’s determination grew even stronger. Yet his body was no longer what it used to be. As he leaped into the air, a wave of soreness and fatigue spread throughout his body, making it seem as though he might plummet straight down at any moment. But his unwavering resolve kept him from letting go.

He didn’t have the energy to pay attention to anything else; all he seemed to see was the orange Spalding basketball. By the end, Zhou Yi’s consciousness had become somewhat blurred, but his persistent belief kept him from stopping and extending his right hand forward.

A sharp, agonizing pain snapped Zhou Yi out of his daze slightly. He let his body fall straight down. At this point, he had no regrets left. He had felt the heat of the basketball. Though only three fingers touched it, and he couldn’t swat it away neatly, that final push was enough to disrupt its trajectory.

“Bang!” Kurt Thomas’s powerful dunk missed by a narrow margin, hitting the back edge of the backboard. The intense rebound sent Kurt Thomas flying back.

Chapter 404: Semi-Finals, Battle Against the Bulls (10)

Just as Zhou Yi felt pleased for blocking that shot, the referee’s whistle blew. Zhou Yi turned to look at the referee, who signaled a defensive foul.

Frustrated, Zhou Yi swung his arm violently and muttered, “I didn’t even touch anything! How can they say I fouled?”

Unluckily, the referee heard his muttering, so he immediately issued Zhou Yi a technical foul.

Derek Rose took to the free-throw line. Taking a deep breath, he endured the boos from the Pistons’ fans and made the shot.

Next was Kurt Thomas’s turn at the free-throw line, but he only made one shot. The score now stood at 118:120, with the Pistons only leading by 2 points.

With 34 seconds left in the game, the Pistons didn’t call a timeout.

After catching the ball at the baseline, Zhou Yi rushed straight toward the Bulls’ half-court. Along the way, Derek Rose kept interfering with Zhou Yi’s dribbling, trying to force him into mistakes. But Zhou Yi’s ball-handling skills were superb. Despite being pressured, he managed to carry the ball across half-court.

After crossing half-court, Zhou Yi passed the ball to McGrady to organize the offense. McGrady broke through, and Greg Monroe provided a screen for Andre Iguodala, allowing him to easily find an open spot.

Seeing an opening for Andre Iguodala, McGrady immediately passed the ball to him. After catching the ball, Iguodala shot right away, but the shot missed despite having no defender. What worried the Pistons even more was that Derrick Rose secured the defensive rebound. With only 25 seconds left in the game, if the Bulls could convert this offensive play into a three-point shot and use up most of the time, their chances of winning would be very high. Even if it wasn’t a three-point shot but a two-point shot, they still had a chance to go into overtime and win in overtime. At this thought, the Bulls’ fans immediately felt hopeful. Some fans wearing Bulls jersey number 1 even started shouting “MVP” at Derrick Rose. The Bulls no longer had timeouts, and the Pistons only had one left, so neither team called a timeout. Derrick Rose dribbled across half-court and slowly wasted time, seemingly aiming to complete the attack as the 24-second clock neared its end. When 10 seconds remained, Derrick Rose moved. He suddenly accelerated and charged toward the basket. At this point, Derrick Rose was giving it his all, so even though McGrady tried his best, he couldn’t stop him from reaching the basket. Greg Monroe and Samuel Dalembert were already prepared to defend both Derrick Rose and the inside players. But just as everyone thought Derrick Rose was going to attack the basket, he passed the ball. The receiver was Rolando Black, who was lurking outside the three-point line—the Bulls wanted to use a three-point shot to seal the win against the Pistons. At that moment, Zhou Yi was right in front of Rolando Black, but after catching the ball, Rolando Black immediately jumped up to shoot a three-point shot. Zhou Yi rushed at him, but he was still half a step too late. Although he couldn’t block Rolando Black’s shot, Zhou Yi still disrupted him. Due to inertia, Zhou Yi still bumped into Rolando Black in mid-air, but it wasn’t a foul. Rolando Black lost his direction and balance, then fell to the ground, already preparing to protect himself as he fell! With a loud thud, Rolando Black crashed to the court, while Zhou Yi wasn’t hurt at all. However, no one paid attention to that; they were focused on that three-point shot, including Zhou Yi and Rolando Black who was already on the ground.

The entire Auburn Hills Palace was dead silent, so quiet it was terrifying—people could hear their own breathing. Under everyone’s gaze, that three-point shot floated lazily toward the basket, bounced three times on the rim, and then fell in reluctantly. The moment the ball went in, the Bulls’ fans erupted in cheers, along with those in the bench, and even head coach Tom Thibodeau cheered. “Nice!” After watching the shot, Derrick Rose waved his fist before rushing over to Raul Deng and helping him up. But just as the Bulls’ players and fans were celebrating, the referee raised two fingers, indicating it was a two-point shot. The Bulls players stared in disbelief at the replay on the big screen, seeing Raul Deng’s toe cross the three-point line, and immediately slumped like a deflated ball. “Don’t worry, if we defend this shot, we can still go to overtime,” Derrick Rose shouted to his teammates. The Bulls players nodded in agreement. “Are you okay?” Derrick Rose asked Raul Deng concerningly. “I’m fine, haha,” Raul Deng replied with a smile after moving around a bit. “Guys, that shot from Raul wasn’t the game-winning shot. Game-winning? Ridiculous! We’re going to come back and win. Guys, the Bulls’ weakest side is their interior players, and we’ve been doing well from outside before, so they definitely don’t know whether we’ll play from outside or inside. So, let’s catch them off guard. Of course, they’ll probably assume we’re more likely to shoot two points since it’s easier to tie the score that way, but we want to create that illusion so they can’t tell whether we’re shooting two or three. So…” John Kuester paused and turned to Zhou Yi, saying, “So, Zhou, in the next 5.6 seconds, you’re crucial. You need to create scoring opportunities for everyone. Of course, if you get a chance, you can shoot on your own. Guys, I want a victory, and I believe everyone wants to win this game too. Let’s go, guys! I believe in you!” The timeout ended quickly, and the game resumed. Andre Iguodala stood at the sideline to shoot, with Keith Bogans in front of him, ready to disrupt his shot.

Zhou Yi kept weaving through the crowd until he finally found an open space and caught Andre Iguodala’s pass.
“Roar,” Zhou Yi growled, channeling all his strength to maximize his speed and break past Derrick Rose.
But Derrick Rose stuck closely to Zhou Yi, leaving no chance for him. Zhou Yi pulled back sharply and then used a crossover to get past Derrick Rose from the right side.
Derrick Rose was left behind by Zhou Yi!
After shaking off Derrick Rose, Zhou Yi headed straight toward the basket, forcing Carlos Boozer in the paint to divert his attention to defend him.
However, Carlos Boozer was already tightly covered by Greg Monroe, so by the time Zhou Yi reached the paint, he was essentially alone.
“Zhou, there’s no time left!” John Kuester shouted at him.
Zhou Yi naturally heard Kuester’s call, and he had already calculated the timing—when he reached the paint, he stopped.
With a quick stop and jump shot, he released the ball. At that moment, the buzzer signaling the end of regular time sounded.
Everyone held their breath once again, watching this shot more intently than before, as it would determine the outcome of the game.
A successful shot meant a victory for the Pistons on the road; otherwise, the Bulls would win at home.
At that moment, time seemed to slow down!
The basketball wasn’t far from the basket, but the time it took to fly through the air felt incredibly long.
“Clang”—a sharp sound broke the silence!
The ball bounced off the rim, and as it spun in the air, regular time came to an end.
The score was tied at 120:120, sending the game into overtime.
Zhou Yi felt extremely guilty for missing that shot. But McGrady patted his shoulder and said, “We still have overtime. We’ll definitely beat them in overtime.”
Hearing McGrady’s words, Zhou Yi nodded.
When the game resumed, Zaidrus Ilgauskas outjumped Greg Monroe and passed the ball to his teammate Keith Bogans, giving the Bulls the first possession.
As Keith Bogans dribbled across half-court, the Pistons’ players were already in position, ready to defend.

Keith Bogans glanced at Zaidrunas Ilgoskas in the paint, intending to pass the ball to him. But when he saw that Zaidrunas Ilgoskas was still engaged in a fierce struggle with Greg Monroe for position, he changed his initial plan and passed the ball to Derrick Rose instead.

Upon receiving the ball, Derrick Rose immediately bent down, preparing to attack, his eyes fixed intently on Zhou Yi ahead of him. Zhou Yi stood with his arms outstretched, watching Derrick Rose quietly, utterly still, like a lurking beast that seemed harmless and unhostile, but would lunge out with sharp claws and fangs to tear apart its prey the moment it moved.

Derrick Rose felt an invisible pressure pressing down on him, trying to tear him apart, destroy him, overwhelm him. Zhou Yi silently watched Derrick Rose, who remained motionless, his face showing no expression at all.

Suddenly, Derrick Rose surged forward, accelerating at lightning speed and breaking through from Zhou Yi’s left, easily bypassing his defensive coverage. As Derrick Rose passed Zhou Yi, Zhou Yi also moved quickly, closing in on him and 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 that, another player would need to join Zhou Yi to surround Derrick Rose. And that player appeared—Greg Monroe in the paint!

Greg Monroe came to help Zhou Yi trap Derrick Rose, but just as Derrick Rose was about to be surrounded, he suddenly changed direction with his dribble, moving the ball behind his right hand and then to his left, using this maneuver to slip through the gap between Zhou Yi and Greg Monroe. With no defenders in front of him, Derrick Rose hesitated not for a moment and immediately caught the ball and jumped high.

He hovered in the air, stretching his body, holding the ball with both hands. “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 over and organize the offense.

Meanwhile, 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—his opponent was none other than Derrick Rose. Zhou Yi dribbled outside the three-point line, keeping his eyes fixed on his rival Derrick Rose, while his teammates kept moving around in search of an opportunity to support him. After more than ten seconds outside the three-point line, Zhou Yi gave a subtle signal to Greg Monroe inside the court. Understanding immediately, Greg Monroe rushed toward Zhou Yi’s location. In the past, seeing Greg Monroe move like that 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. When Greg Monroe reached outside the three-point line, Zhou Yi immediately passed the ball to him and then rushed inside the court. “What on earth is he doing?” Derrick Rose was stunned by Zhou Yi’s actions and quickly chased after him, but by then, Zhou Yi was already a meter away. Zhou Yi, who had rushed inside, turned back to look at Derrick Rose behind him, then gave another subtle signal to Greg Monroe. Greg Monroe understood again, threw the ball toward the basket, and by then, Zhou Yi had already entered the Bulls’ undefended paint. “Ah!” With a loud shout, Zhou Yi seized the chance that Derrick Rose hadn’t caught up with him, pushed off with both feet, leaped into the air, and caught the flying basketball head-on—his back to the basket. “Oh my God! Is this…?” At that moment, all the Pistons fans in the arena held their breath, their blood boiling, hearts pounding, not daring to blink, because 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—complete silence! All the Pistons fans were captivated by this brilliant coordination and that soul-stirring dunk.

The awe that can only be felt by being there in person made the fans forget to clap, forget to shout, forget about the players, forget about themselves, forget everything. They were all utterly overwhelmed by the intensity. The Pistons fans present felt a surge of boiling passion rushing into their brains, spreading throughout their bodies, making their entire being, even their souls, boil with excitement. “Wow~~~” All the fans there went wild—some shouting, some clapping, some howling. The fans expressed their excitement, enthusiasm, frenzy, and joy through the simplest words and actions. Overtime score: 2-2. “Great pass, Greg!” Zhou Yi happily ran up to Greg Monroe and high-fived him to celebrate. Greg Monroe smiled and said, “You too. That alley-oop was absolutely amazing.” “Hehe…” Zhou Yi wiped his nose and returned to the backcourt with his teammates. Of course, he used the time to conserve his energy. Pass, pass, pass again! The Bulls’ veteran Keith Bogans set up his teammate Carlos Boozer, who hit a precise mid-range shot. Overtime score: 4-2! Greg Monroe took on Zaidrus Ilgauskas back-to-back, turned, and scored with a backdoor shot. Zaidrus Ilgauskas maneuvered past Greg Monroe, caught a pass from a teammate under the basket, and dunked with such force that the basket was deformed. McGrady shot from 45 degrees on the right wing beyond the three-point line and hit it. The next two offensive attempts by both teams failed. The Pistons attacked; Zhou Yi and McGrady completed an alley-oop, with McGrady smoothly dunking after catching the ball. The Bulls’ offense still didn’t work, and the Pistons’ subsequent attacks also failed. Derrick Rose grabbed a rebound in the backcourt, started a fast break, and completed a stunning alley-oop dunk with Zaidrus Ilgauskas. Derrick Rose assisted Zaidrus Ilgauskas in a powerful two-handed dunk. Zhou Yi missed a three-point shot, but the power forward Greg Monroe grabbed a rebound in the frontcourt and dunked with one hand.

After driving past the half-court line, Zhou Yi didn’t head straight for his partner Ben Gordon as usual; instead, he passed the ball to Andre Iguodala right away and quickly moved to create space, opening up a clear path for Iguodala to drive past defenders—this indicated that the Pistons’ tactics had changed. John Kuester once again made Andre Iguodala the team’s offensive core. Andre Iguodala vs. Raul Dunleavy! The gap remains the gap! There’s no doubt—although Raul Dunleavy is a decent player, there’s still a huge difference between him and Andre Iguodala. Offensively, he’s even less competitive against someone with Iguodala’s outstanding skills. Though Dunleavy’s defensive abilities are unquestionable, they’re not as formidable as they were at his peak due to his age. Everyone believes that if Andre Iguodala wants to, he can easily score against Raul Dunleavy. Now, with Iguodala once again as the team’s offensive core and the help of his teammates, he no longer has to worry about being double-teamed. Thus, Iguodala can fully unleash his strength as the team’s undisputed leader. Iguodala performed two consecutive dribbles under his arm, then suddenly pulled to the left, breaking through Dunleavy’s defense in an unconventional way. Dunleavy wasn’t quick enough to react and was easily bypassed by Iguodala. Using cover from teammate Tyler Hansbrough, Iguodala rushed into the Bulls’ basket and dunked powerfully with both hands. “Wow…” The arena was filled with enthusiastic applause and cheers. It seemed like Iguodala had regained his sense of being the leader on the 76ers. Steve Blake drove past the half-court line. This time, instead of passing, he decided to attack on his own. He used teammate Carlos Boozer to set up a pick-and-roll, taking advantage of the moment when the defense was distracted to shoot a solid three-pointer. The Pistons still had possession, with Andre Iguodala in control. Iguodala slowly moved to the 45-degree angle on the left side beyond the three-point line, where he began dribbling slowly—neither attacking nor passing, seemingly deliberately wasting time. As the 24-second timeout approached, with eight seconds left, Iguodala finally took action.

He suddenly accelerated, using his speed and agility to slip past Rolando Blackman’s defense from the left side and charge straight into the Bulls’ basket like an unstoppable sword.
“Damn!”
Rolando Blackman felt a chill and quickly turned to chase Andre Iguodala. But by then, there was already a meter between them—catching up was impossible.
Andre Iguodala entered the Bulls’ basket area, with the Bulls’ hoop and their backup center, Kurt Thomas, right in front of him.
Andre Iguodala gritted his teeth, his face showing determination. Holding the ball in his right hand, he leaped above Kurt Thomas, stretched his body in mid-air, and raised his ball-holding hand high.
Seeing that Andre Iguodala wasn’t afraid of him at all, the former first-round draft pick Kurt Thomas became furious. He jumped up right after Andre Iguodala, raising his arms high in an attempt to block him.
Andre Iguodala frowned, staring intently at the hoop behind Kurt Thomas’s strong, massive hands. With unwavering resolve, he relied on his incredible explosive power and air control to fly toward the hoop.
Andre Iguodala collided with Kurt Thomas in mid-air, and the impact caused him to lose his balance and fall backward.
But he didn’t give up on his shot. As he collided with Kurt Thomas, he used his long right arm to slam the ball hard into the hoop.
“Thud!” The hoop emitted a pained groan, and the ball went through the net with a loud noise.
“Awesome!” The fans erupted in excited, frantic cheers once again.
Andre Iguodala’s dunk over two defenders was truly astonishing—the force and impact were undeniable.
After landing, Andre Iguodala couldn’t steady himself and kept stumbling backward. Of course, he didn’t fall, as Tyler Hansbrough, who had rushed over, caught him.
“Impressive!”
Tyler Hansbrough gave Andre Iguodala a thumbs up.
Andre Iguodala smiled, patted Zhou Yi on the back, and ran back to the backcourt with him.
In the rest of the game, since Andre Iguodala became the Pistons’ offensive core, he found himself trapped in double-team situations.

However, this doesn’t mean the Pistons will be defeated just because of that. When Andre Iguodala is double-teamed, it gives other players an opportunity to shoot. Ben Gordon, Taylor Hansbrough, and Spencer Hawes all scored thanks to Iguodala’s clever passes. In the following plays, Zhou Yi didn’t perform well as Derek Rose applied intense close defense on him. Time passed by, with only 2 minutes left before overtime, and at that moment, it was the Pistons who had possession of the ball. Zhou Yi held the ball and moved outside the three-point line, while Derek Rose defended him, moving slowly alongside him. These two talented young players faced off—Zhou Yi didn’t attack, and Derek Rose didn’t try to steal the ball either. As a result, the cameras on the court kept focusing on them, capturing every subtle movement they made. All the fans in the arena were on edge, with tens of thousands of anxious and eager eyes fixed on the two players, cheering for Zhou Yi who held the ball. After both Zhou Yi and Derek Rose reached the 45-degree angle on the right side outside the three-point line, they stopped moving and stared intently into each other’s eyes, filled with fighting spirit. Time continued to pass, and Zhou Yi’s rhythmic ball-handling speed gradually increased. As his pace accelerated, Derek Rose’s vigilance also heightened. A sharp glint appeared in Zhou Yi’s eyes, and he moved. He suddenly sped up, using the purest, simplest, most direct, and perfect form of “speed” to take his first step to the right, followed by quick subsequent steps, aiming to use his speed to break through Derek Rose’s defense. As soon as Zhou Yi moved, Derek Rose also started moving. He accelerated almost simultaneously with Zhou Yi, staying closely behind him, tightly surrounding him to prevent him from reaching his maximum speed or getting a shooting chance. After entering the paint, seeing that he still couldn’t shake off Derek Rose, Zhou Yi stopped and turned his back on him. After dribbling the ball a couple of times with his back to Derek Rose, the latter relaxed slightly and loosened his defense. But it was precisely this relaxation that led him to face a severe consequence.

Zhou Yi moved again. He quickly turned to the right, using his body and subtle movements to block Derek Rose behind him, then accelerated to his maximum speed in the shortest time possible, heading straight for the Bulls’ basket. Seeing Zhou Yi approaching the basket, the Bulls’ power forward, Carlos Boozer, who was closest to him, had no choice but to release Greg Monroe and rush back to defend, trying to stop Zhou Yi. Once in front of Carlos Boozer, Zhou Yi didn’t hesitate. With a strong push from his right hand, he sent the ball toward the floor beneath Boozer’s legs, causing it to bounce up and land in Greg Monroe’s hands, who now had a chance to shoot. “Great pass, Zhou!” Greg Monroe exclaimed in ecstasy after catching the ball. As he said this, he jumped up and slammed the ball into the basket with a fierce roar. “Thud!” The sound of the basket echoing along with Greg Monroe’s roar filled the entire court, making the fans’ hearts race even more and prompting them to erupt in loud cheers. All sorts of shouts came from the fans—old and young, men and women—all excited by this brilliant teamwork between Zhou Yi and Greg Monroe. “Zhou!” Swift rushed over to Zhou Yi with a triumphant smile, using a simple gesture to express his joy and high-fiving him to celebrate. Derek Rose stared intently at Zhou Yi’s retreating figure, his face expressionless and calm. From beyond the three-point line, facing the basket, Derek Rose received a pass from his teammate Carlos Boozer. After catching the ball, he immediately lowered his center of gravity, ready to attack, while his other teammates moved around to create space for him, giving him ample room to showcase his skills. Zhou Yi spread his arms again, watching Derek Rose like a lurking predator, his face unchanged. Derek Rose narrowed his eyes, then suddenly widened them, shooting two icy glances at Zhou Yi. At the same time, his body moved in a way that surprised Zhou Yi. With a slap of his right hand and a step forward, he and the ball broke through Zhou Yi’s defense, leaving Zhou Yi staring in shock. That’s because Derek Rose simply threw the ball onto the floor beneath Zhou Yi’s legs, allowing it to easily pass under him.

Derek Rose cut through Zhou Yi’s defense from the left side, received the ball at the same time, and drove toward the Pistons’ empty paint. This breakthrough by Derek Rose was similar to the quick pass Zhou Yi had just made to Greg Monroe—except that Zhou Yi passed the ball while Derek Rose drove with the ball himself. “Damn it, I was careless…” Zhou Yi realized his mistake immediately and rushed back to chase after Derek Rose. The other Pistons players also rushed toward the paint, all trying to stop Derek Rose. But how could Derek Rose, who had already broken through, let others catch up to him easily? So by the time the other Pistons players started moving, Derek Rose had already accelerated to full speed, crossed the free-throw line, and headed straight for the Pistons’ basket. The only person close to Derek Rose was Zhou Yi, who had reached his right side. Derek Rose casually glanced at Zhou Yi out of the corner of his eye, a cold smirk forming on his lips. Gritting his teeth, Derek Rose took three big steps, leaped into the air under the basket, and raised his hands to grab the ball as he soared. At this point, it was impossible for Zhou Yi to block Derek Rose using normal methods. The only way to stop him was by fouling, so Zhou Yi, who hadn’t committed a single foul yet, chose that option without hesitation. Zhou Yi jumped up along with Derek Rose, raised his arms high in the air, and pressed his body against Derek Rose. “Bang!” Their bodies collided in mid-air, and both Derek Rose and Zhou Yi lost their balance as they fell to the ground. The basketball in Derek Rose’s hands flew out of bounds due to the impact. After landing, neither could stay upright, but they were treated differently. Derek Rose was supported by Zaidrus Ilgauskas and didn’t fall, while Zhou Yi, having no one to support him, simply collapsed to the ground. “Ding!” The referee blew his whistle and made the call. “Home team player number 37, offensive foul!” Fifty-six seconds before the end of the game, Zhou Yi drove with the ball to the center outside the three-point line, right in front of the basket. He stared fixedly at the basket as if Derek Rose beside him were completely transparent, with no defenses left.

However, even if Zhou Yi deliberately exposed a weakness, Derek Rose wouldn’t dare act rashly. He understood that this was a critical moment—Zhou Yi would certainly not be stupid enough to intentionally give him an advantage, and even the slightest carelessness on his part could lead to a fatal mistake. Zhou Yi took a deep breath, gradually speeding up the rhythm of his dribble, signaling that he was about to attack. Every cell in Derek Rose’s body began to pulse in rhythm with the dribble, ready to confront Zhou Yi at any moment. Zhou Yi glanced to the left, and after detecting this subtle movement, Derek Rose assumed he intended to break through from the left, so he shifted his body slightly to the left. At the same time, Zhou Yi launched his breakthrough. He suddenly stepped rightward with his first move, attempting to break through from the right. “Don’t think you can get past so easily!” Derek Rose moved immediately, following Zhou Yi’s pace and blocking his path. But Zhou Yi suddenly changed direction, shifting sideways to appear ready to break through from the left. Derek Rose followed suit, but his balance was already compromised. Gritting his teeth, Zhou Yi pulled his left hand holding the ball sideways, shifted his body to the right, and once again changed direction through dribbling, returning to the right side. “Damn it!” The series of difficult directional dribbles left Derek Rose unable to keep up with Zhou Yi. His balance failed, and he nearly fell to the ground. By the time he regained his footing, it was already too late to catch up—Zhou Yi had already crossed the free-throw line. At that moment, the Bulls’ penalty area was empty. The only player close to Zhou Yi, Zaidrunas Ilgoskas, was nearly two meters away and running toward the penalty area. But could Zaidrunas Ilgoskas really stop Zhou Yi, who had reached his top speed? “Ah~~~” With a loud roar, Zhou Yi leaped as soon as he entered the penalty area, gliding swiftly toward the basket like a glider. In mid-air, he raised his right hand holding the ball, while Zaidrunas Ilgoskas jumped from behind, raising his left hand to try and block him. But Zaidrunas Ilgoskas had just recovered from an injury, and his strength wasn’t as good as at the start of the game.

So, the height Zaidrunas Ilgoskas reached was nowhere near as high as that of the energetic Zhou Yi, and his speed was also not faster than Zhou Yi’s at all. For this reason, Zaidrunas Ilgoskas could only wave his hands uselessly in the air, staring blankly at Zhou Yi as he approached the basket. With the basket right in front of him, Zhou Yi gritted his teeth and swung his right hand, holding the ball, like a sharp and heavy axe, at the basket. “Bang!” It was a simple, decisive, and powerful dunk. Instantly, thunderous cheers filled the entire court—no, every Chinese fan watching the game was shouting, all ecstatic over Zhou Yi’s performance. However, the Chinese fans seemed to be celebrating a bit too early, as the game wasn’t over yet. “44, 43, 42” Derek Rose drove forward, but Zhou Yi kept pestering him, preventing him from easily carrying the ball to the front court. “41, 40” Derek Rose couldn’t fully exert himself with Zhou Yi closely following him, so he had to pass the ball. “39, 38” Keith Bogans made a mistake after receiving the ball and was stripped by the suddenly active Andre Iguodala. “37, 36, 35” Andre Iguodala, Zhou Yi, and McGrady launched a rapid attack, rushing into the Bulls’ half-court, creating a three-versus-two situation against Derek Rose and Keith Bogans. Andre Iguodala passed the ball to McGrady, who lightly tossed it up; Zhou Yi leaped high and dunked the ball into the basket. 129:126, the Pistons led by 3 points. Carlos Boozer secured a strong position in the paint and signaled for the ball. Greg Monroe placed his left hand on Carlos Boozer’s waist, pressing firmly against his back. Twisting his hips, pushing his waist, and relaxing his shoulders, Carlos Boozer spun like a top, continuously pushing against Greg Monroe behind him. “Hmph,” Greg Monroe grunted, finally unable to withstand Carlos Boozer’s immense strength. Carlos Boozer suddenly stopped pushing, turned, stepped back, and shot a jump shot that landed neatly in the net. 129:128, the Pistons now led by just 1 point. With only 21 seconds left in the game, Zhou Yi held the ball, facing Derek Rose’s defense, and steadily moved it, trying to use up all the remaining time.

Derek Rose, seeing time running out, hurried to take the ball from Zhou Yi’s hands. But his eagerness led to an overly forceful move, resulting in a defensive foul called by the referee. At this point, only 10 seconds remained until the end of the game. Since the Bulls had already reached their foul limit, it was Zhou Yi’s turn to take free throws. With two smooth shots, he made both. With no more timeouts left, the Bulls had to inbound the ball from their own half. After catching the ball, Derek Rose rushed like an arrow toward the Pistons’ half. But at that critical moment, he made a mistake—the ball hit his foot and went out of bounds, giving the Pistons possession. There were now 6.6 seconds left in the game, and the score stood at 131–128, with the Bulls still 3 points behind. Worse, the Pistons held the ball. Andre Iguodala inballed from the sideline, while Ron Artest waved his arms to disrupt his shot. Yet the Pistons managed to get the ball out. Zhou Yi caught the pass from Iguodala and quickly passed it again. The Bulls’ players were eager to foul, as little time remained for them. The ball was in McGrady’s hands; seeing defenders preparing to foul, he quickly passed it to Zhou Yi. Derek Rose, being the closest to Zhou Yi, rushed over and pulled him. The whistle blew—Derek Rose had committed a foul, bringing his total to six fouls for the game, enough to force him off the court. Derek Rose left, replaced by CJ Watson. It was Zhou Yi’s turn for free throws again, and as expected, he made both. The score was now 133–128. Unless something unexpected happened, the Pistons were on their way to winning the game, with only 2.5 seconds left for the Bulls. The Bulls quickly inballed and passed it to Ron Artest. Artest jumped two steps from the three-point line and shot. But with a thud, the ball hit the backboard and bounced out, just as the final whistle blew. In the end, the Pistons, with their tenacious spirit, narrowly defeated the Bulls 133–128 to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. Their opponent in the Eastern Conference Finals would be the Miami Heat, who had their own trio of stars. Chapter 405: Eastern Conference Finals – Two Shooters Against Three Stars (Part 1)

“Hello, dear viewers. This is the NBA live broadcast room. Today, we’re bringing you the first game of the Eastern Conference Finals, with the Pistons hosting the Heat. This season has been a year of great achievements for Zhou Yi—he helped his team reach the Western Conference Finals for the first time, was named to the All-NBA First Team, and also won the Regular Season MVP award and the Rookie of the Year award. These are the greatest accomplishments achieved by a Chinese player in the NBA to date. In the series against the Chicago Bulls, he truly showcased his talent. Teacher Xu, what’s your opinion on the upcoming Eastern Conference Finals?” Yu Jia asked.

“It’s too early to predict the outcome of this match. But before the game, we can talk about these two teams. In the regular season, the Pistons won 4-0, but that doesn’t mean they will definitely defeat the Heat. There are many interesting elements at play, with the core players being the biggest focus. Greg Monroe has shown the skills of a top-tier power forward this season, while Chris Bosh has always been one of the best power forwards in the league. Each has his own strengths, but Chris Bosh seems to have the edge in that position. Neither team places much emphasis on center players, but the Pistons have a slight advantage there. On the small forward position, LeBron James is the best in the league, but Andre Iguodala is also extremely talented and versatile. As for the guards, Zhou Yi and Tracy McGrady’s combination is clearly better than the Heat’s guard duo. However, the Pistons have a clear advantage in bench players,” Teacher Xu said, speaking at length while referring to the materials in his hands.

The game started on time at 9:30. John Kuest also seized the last moment to motivate the team, saying excitedly, “Everyone must maintain a focused mindset. No matter who our opponent is, we just need to stick to our playing style and work hard on defense. This is our home court—we must win this game here. Don’t forget that we once swept the Miami Heat in the regular season.”

“Yes!” Zhou Yi replied loudly, and a fierce atmosphere arose. Inspired by him, the other players also became highly motivated.

With a clear “swish” as the basketball pierced the air, the sound reached the ears of the players entering the court. It was like a battle cry, marking the official start of the intense match.

The Heat’s starting five players are: center Ilgauskas, power forward Chris Bosh, small forward LeBron James, shooting guard Dwyane Wade, and point guard Mario Chalmers.
On the Pistons’ side: center Samuel Dalembert, power forward Greg Monroe, small forward Andre Iguodala, shooting guard Tracy McGrady, and point guard Zhou Yi.
Greg Monroe’s jumping ability allowed him to get to the ball first, and McGrady quickly grabbed it.
By this time, Zhou Yi had already rushed toward the opponent’s half along the sideline, with no one around him. Seeing this, McGrady was delighted and swiftly passed the ball diagonally.
Unfortunately, he only paid attention to Zhou Yi and didn’t pay much attention to his surroundings. At the moment the ball was passed, a dark figure flashed past him like a whirlwind.
Dwyane Wade touched the ball with his fingertips, changing its trajectory. But with his speed, he naturally couldn’t keep up with the fast-moving ball and could only watch it fly over the sideline. Still, it disrupted the Pistons’ fast break attempt.
Since it was the Pistons’ home court, despite the Heat’s excellent defense, there wasn’t much applause.
As time passed, McGrady still managed to pass the ball to Greg Monroe. Zhou Yi had someone trailing behind him, and LeBron James kept chasing him. During the free-throw line, McGrady tried several times to pass the ball to him, but LeBron James kept interfering.
Zhou Yi cut straight into the paint from the baseline. In the narrow space at the baseline, LeBron James had no choice but to stop—after all, his bulky frame couldn’t fit through there. Fortunately, he didn’t have the ball.
Thanks to the teamwork developed over the past year, when Zhou Yi dived under the basket, Greg Monroe used his body as a shield to pass the ball to him, then quickly turned around to block Chris Bosh’s path.
Without hesitation, Zhou Yi leaped lightly against Chris Bosh’s back, tilting his upper body slightly in the air and shaking his wrist gently as the ball went through the hoop.
The crisp sound of the basket made Chris Bosh turn around in confusion—how did the ball end up in Zhou Yi’s hands without him noticing anything?
“So fast.” In a flash, LeBron James appeared on his right side with the ball. He never expected his momentary carelessness to allow someone to bypass him like that.

Zhou Yi glanced back in annoyance. If it weren’t for having such a “tail” following him, he would never have let him break through so easily. LeBron James made a lightning-fast breakthrough, getting ahead of Greg Monroe and charging into the paint to force a layup against Samuel Dalembert. “Bang, bang…” The ball bounced lightly off the rim a few times before finally falling through. The referee’s whistle sounded immediately—Samuel Dalembert’s foul gave the opponent a 2+1 chance. With a smooth motion, LeBron James converted the free throws, completing the 2+1. Competing head-on with the Heat’s fast-paced offense was definitely not a good strategy. After receiving the ball, Zhou Yi didn’t rush to break through to the other end of the court; instead, he let his teammates flood into the opponent’s defense. In terms of scoring ability, the Heat’s starting lineup was no match for the Pistons’. Among the Pistons’ five starters, aside from Samuel Dalembert, the other four all had strong scoring skills. Andre Iguodala set up a pick-and-roll for Tracy McGrady, who quickly moved. Dwyane Wade was pulled several steps back by McGrady, and Zhou Yi promptly passed the ball to McGrady at the zero-degree angle at the baseline. “Swish”—from the other side at the zero-degree angle, McGrady’s jump shot hit. … “Swish”—Greg Monroe hit a turnaround jump shot from under the basket. Compared to his frantic scoring in the previous round, Zhou Yi clearly focused more on organizing the offense at the start of this game. With six minutes and twenty seconds left in the game, the Pistons led 15–10 by five points. Eric Spoelstra reluctantly called a timeout. To curb Zhou Yi’s aggressive scoring from the previous round, he sent in the team’s best one-on-one defender from the start. But unexpectedly, Zhou Yi avoided direct confrontation and used passing to create scoring opportunities for his teammates, especially McGrady, who hit two three-pointers in just half a quarter. After receiving the ball, Dwyane Wade chose to drive straight ahead. His defender was McGrady. After brief contact, McGrady, who was somewhat weaker, stepped back several times. Dwyane Wade quickly stepped to the left and hit a three-point shot from beyond the arc. Just three minutes later, the Pistons experienced the same frustration as the Heat earlier—Dwyane Wade used his impressive strength to score three consecutive points from outside, including one three-pointer, bringing the Heat back to parity.

Left with no choice, Andre Iguodala had to defend out of position to contain Dwyane Wade’s fury, and by the end of the first quarter, the score was tied at 25-25, with Dwyane Wade scoring nine points for the Heat.
Mike Miller sat on the bench, pale-faced. Though it was only one quarter, the constant pressure from Dwyane Wade had taken a heavy toll on him, leaving him feeling extremely tired; his right hand trembled so much that he could barely hold a drink bottle.
At the start of the second quarter, the Pistons made adjustments to their lineup—Ben Gordon replaced Miller, and Ben Wallace replaced Samuel Dalembert.
As the Heat players took the court, Pistons fans were surprised to see LeBron James sitting on the bench. In truth, Zhou Yi knew best that he had passed the ball more often in the first quarter due to intense defense from the opponent.
This season, Zhou Yi had faced countless top defensive players in the league, but none had put as much pressure on him as LeBron James.
The key wasn’t so much his defensive skills but rather his absolutely outstanding physical condition.
“Swish”—Chris Bosh hit a mid-range jump shot.
Zhou Yi quickly drove the ball past half-court, with Mario Chalmers guarding him. His successive changes of direction were all thwarted by Chalmers, but as he drove fast, Zhou Yi caught a glimpse of his opponent’s position with the corner of his eye. With a quick spin, he sent the ball to a 45-degree angle on the right wing.
Ben Gordon quickly caught the ball and jumped, but before he could shoot, it was snatched from his hands mid-air.
“Is it Dwyane Wade?”
Ben Gordon had handled that shot terribly. When Zhou Yi passed the ball, he didn’t move to catch it immediately but waited for it to come to him. As a result, Dwyane Wade, who was several steps away, had enough time to close in. Yet when shooting, he failed to notice another player beside him. His lack of proper ball protection, combined with Dwyane Wade’s lightning-fast speed, led to the disappointing outcome that left Pistons fans sighing in dismay.
Dwyane Wade scored with a dunk.

The entire arena fell silent. After the start of the second quarter, the Pistons’ offense suddenly stalled—five consecutive shots missed, even Zhou Yi’s open mid-range shot went awry. In contrast, the Heat kept pushing forward, causing the numbers on the scoreboard to keep rising.

“The Pistons’ offense is having problems. At this moment, Zhou Yi should take more shots. With LeBron James resting, the Heat players simply can’t stop him. As the team’s core player, he needs to step up in times like these,” Teacher Xu exclaimed in front of the TV.

“32:25.” Looking at the bright red numbers on the scoreboard, Zhou Yi remained exceptionally calm. Seeing the trust in his coach’s eyes and the expectant looks from his teammates, he knew what he had to do.

Mario Chalmers, who was guarding him closely, seemed to sense Zhou Yi’s change. He glanced at him doubtfully. Beads of sweat glistened on his handsome face under the lights. The basketball bouncing constantly to Zhou Yi’s right seemed to remind him of something.

A shadow flashed past Mario Chalmers. By the time he turned to look, Zhou Yi had already escaped and quickly moved toward the Heat’s interior players.

Ben Gordon seemed to understand Zhou Yi’s intentions. He didn’t hold onto the ball long and passed it right away.

Seeing the direction the ball was going, Mario Chalmers also realized what was happening. But as he watched Zhou Yi approach the free-throw line, he knew he had made a serious mistake by letting Zhou Yi get away so easily from his defense.

Swish. Past Greg Monroe’s body, Zhou Yi threw the ball straight into the basket. His exceptional touch allowed him to choose various shooting methods as he saw fit.

Bang. The O’Banion Pavilion finally stopped Dwyane Wade’s shot. With five shots in five attempts, Dwyane Wade had given the Pistons’ players a tough time.

But this time, due to Ben Gordon’s interference, Zhou Yi’s shot had a bit more force. The ball hit the back of the rim and bounced high. The four interior players under the basket all showed their strong positioning skills but couldn’t jump up easily.

The moment the ball was shot, Dwyane Wade seemed to sense it wouldn’t go in. As soon as he landed, he rushed into the paint to help Chris Bosh block Zhou Yi’s path.

Chris Bosh leaped into the air to catch the basketball, which seemed to grow larger in his eyes as it neared his grasp. Just as he was about to get it, a dark shadow flashed past him, and the basketball disappeared into thin air. As the person involved, he naturally couldn’t understand what had happened due to the special circumstances at the time, but over ten thousand Pistons fans were shocked by what had just occurred. “Amazing speed, amazing jumping ability,” the commentator in the CCTV studio seemed stunned as well, murmuring continuously. The moment Dwyane Wade rushed to the basket, Zhou Yi seemed to sense his intentions and quickly rushed from beyond the three-point line into the paint. His speed was so fast that even words couldn’t describe it; in the blink of an eye, Zhou Yi was already at the basket. Almost at the same time he started moving, Chris Bosh was already preparing to leap. Without hesitation, Zhou Yi leaped quickly from outside the three-second zone. His incredible jumping ability made him soar through the air like a rocket, passing right in front of Chris Bosh. After landing, Zhou Yi didn’t choose to pass the ball. He tapped his right foot on the ground and rushed forward at full speed again. At this point, the Heat players were all amazed by what had just happened, with only Big Z following closely behind him. But after running only halfway across the court, he had to give up. The stark contrast in speed made Big Z feel like a clown, and this mindset caused him to slow down gradually. With a “swish,” there was a beautiful three-point shot, but it was met with a lot of boos. After such an exciting moment, even the Heat fans hoped Zhou Yi would finish the sequence with a stunning dunk. In fact, Zhou Yi himself wished the same. His high fighting spirit gave him the confidence to try any move, but the two rapid sprints and sudden leaps made him realize how much energy he had already expended in such a short time. Though his fierce determination and strong legs prevented him from completely losing himself, he knew he couldn’t pull off any amazing feat in such a short period. Eric Spolstra decisively called a timeout. He keenly noticed that after Zhou Yi’s astonishing performance, several players on the court seemed distracted—the loss of that ball had a significant impact on the team’s morale.

The Pistons’ players surrounded Zhou Yi and led him to the locker room, where he had to deal with praise from his teammates and coach. Yet inwardly, he smiled bitterly, thinking, “It may seem glorious on the surface, but my calves are still trembling nonstop.” After drinking a whole bottle of sports drink and receiving massages from the staff, Zhou Yi finally felt a bit better. By then, John Kuester had finished arranging the tactics, and McGrady returned to the court. In fact, John Kuester could see that Zhou Yi had struggled greatly just now. McGrady’s role wasn’t only in scoring consistently; the默契 he had developed with Zhou Yi over the season was also a huge support for the team. The Heat’s lineup underwent significant changes—Mike Miller, Dwyane Wade, Juwan Howard, Big Z, and LeBron James. The few players who had been on the bench were less affected by Zhou Yi’s earlier play. Usually, when LeBron James stepped off to rest, Dwyane Wade would step up as the team’s new leader, showing great mental resilience. John Kuester sighed helplessly—the Heat’s lineup was simply too strong. Perhaps their current lineup wasn’t as aggressive as their starters, but after a few players were replaced due to being affected by Zhou Yi, they could quickly field a completely new lineup. Few teams in the league could pull off such a move, and the opponent’s five players couldn’t be underestimated at all. “Hmph,” Zhou Yi snorted lightly. Eric Spoelstra’s substitutions were indeed timely, but expecting to turn the game around with them was probably wishful thinking. With several players replaced, the Heat faced a significant issue on the court: speed. Whether in offense or defense, their current lineup severely hindered the team’s speed. It might have worked against those older Celtics players, but now they were facing a fast-paced team like the Pistons. Once the game resumed, the Heat’s fans were shocked to see that the Pistons’ offensive rhythm had improved dramatically. The players quickly penetrated the half-court, using their teammates’ screens to move around, with the ball not staying in Zhou Yi’s hands. Lightning-fast passes came from the midfield. After catching the ball, McGrady quickly drove, drawing Dwyane Wade, who was defending him, toward the free-throw line. The ball was quickly passed to him from the side, and at that moment, Zhou Yi appeared at the three-point line on the right wing.

Taking a light step forward, he leaped high, stretching his arms to gently push the ball away. With a “whoosh,” white waves surged as Zhou Yi made no mistake in capitalizing on his teammate’s pass. With the switch between offense and defense, along with a strong overall vision and judgment of the ball, Dwyane Wade also showed remarkable talent in organizing attacks, quickly moving the ball across half-court. Yet Dwyane Wade still tried hard to control the pace of the game. He knew well that if things turned into a fast-paced attack, even the Heat’s full-strength team might not be a match for the Pistons, strictly speaking. Passes, pick-and-rolls, passes, pick-and-rolls—the Heat’s offense was patient, with the ball constantly moving between several players as they searched for weaknesses in the Pistons’ defense. But against the Pistons’ tight man-to-man defense, it was difficult for them to find an opportunity to shoot. As the 24-second clock approached, Dwyane Wade, holding the ball, began to sweat. His teammates on the bench kept reminding him to pass, and though their well-intentioned reminders were actually a form of invisible pressure on him. With no other options left after failed passes, Dwyane Wade had to rely on breaking through. A sudden step back caught Zhou Yi off guard, and his sidestepping made it hard for Zhou Yi to determine his direction of attack. With a light tap of his right toe on the ground, he accelerated instantly, a white streak rushing toward Zhou Yi’s left shoulder. A tremendous force passed through Zhou Yi’s shoulder, leaving him unable to react. “Damn it!” Andre Iguodala appeared at the free-throw line just in time, but his move seemed a bit slow; he only managed to touch Dwyane Wade’s jersey. His shuffling steps made it seem like he might fall at any moment, yet Dwyane Wade always managed to get the ball into the basket. “Damn you, bastard,” Andre Iguodala cursed angrily. What annoyed him the most was that he had once again been easily broken through by the opponent’s chaotic movements. “Don’t worry, we now have complete control of the game’s pace. This time it was just his luck; next time he won’t be so lucky,” Zhou Yi said quickly as he drifted away, leaving those words behind.

With a swish, Greg Monroe’s turnaround jump shot hit. The Heat’s lineup adjustments benefited the players inside the paint the most. Greg Monroe and Chris Bosh performed similarly well just now; every offensive attempt seemed extremely difficult. Their four encounters this season in regular play had already allowed them to get quite familiar with each other’s styles. But with Chris Bosh out of the game, Greg Monroe once again experienced the joys of playing under the basket—Uncle Ho clearly couldn’t stop his attacks.

Eric Spolstra reluctantly called a timeout. Earlier, fearing that his key players might be affected by Zhou Yi, he had substituted in several bench players with stronger mental resilience. But unexpectedly, the Pistons deviated from their playoff tactics and aggressively employed a fast-paced offense, repeatedly attacking the Heat’s basket. Especially with Greg Monroe freed to attack, the Pistons were able to shoot from both inside and outside, hitting a 10-2 run that put them ahead 37-34. At that point, there were still 6:40 left in the second quarter.

Zhou Yi was taken off the court to rest. John Kuester thought carefully before making this decision. From the start of the game, Zhou Yi had been guarded alternately by LeBron James, Mario Chalmers, and Dwyane Wade, taking on significant responsibilities on both offense and defense, which undoubtedly increased his physical strain. To prepare for the more intense next game, John Kuester decided to have him sit on the bench.

Faced with the Heat’s five starters, the Pistons’ players showed no signs of backing down. The Pistons of today were no longer the same team they were at the beginning of the season—Greg Monroe’s growth, McGrady’s return to form, and Andre Iguodala’s addition had elevated the team’s overall strength.

However, Zhou Yi’s absence clearly affected the Pistons. The pace of the game slowly returned to the Heat’s control, and both teams gradually resorted to half-court play. Fortunately, Greg Monroe found his rhythm inside the paint, hitting two consecutive shots over Chris Bosh’s head to help stabilize the score. McGrady’s crucial three-pointer sealed it.

“The Pistons right now hardly resemble the team from regular season. Back then, even without any of their key players, it was hard to win games. But now, even against the Heat, who have the best defensive efficiency in the league, the Pistons still maintain an excellent competitive level and keep a slim lead,” Yu Jia said, quite satisfied with the Pistons’ performance.

“It’s actually not a surprise. McGrady’s consistent shooting largely made up for the loss of Zhou Yi’s scoring power, and Andre Iguodala’s defense is by no means inferior to Zhou Yi’s. It’s easy to understand why the game stalled. I hope the Pistons can maintain their advantage into the second half, as the Heat have a formidable trio whose adaptability in games is second to none in the league. Even in difficult situations, it’s hard to see them collapse; instead, they’ll struggle forward and gradually get out of trouble—that’s what makes the Heat truly strong.” Coach Xu’s analysis was quite insightful. Although the Pistons still held a two-point lead, this advantage seemed insufficient as the Heat’s trio kept pushing them.

“Ding” The whistle marking half-time finally sounded. It seemed fate was still on the Pistons’ side—Dwyane Wade’s last-second layup missed, and the Pistons retained a 46-44 lead.

In the second half of the second quarter, both teams struggled offensively. The Pistons showed unprecedented determination defensively, while the Heat’s trio managed only three successful shots out of twelve attempts in six minutes.

“I’ve always believed that as long as the team shows dominance defensively, the Pistons will become an unbeatable force. I was glad to see that in the second quarter. We did have some minor issues offensively, but I believe we can solve them. My only requirement for everyone in the second half is to maintain that defensive intensity—use defense to pressure the opponent and offense to defeat them.” John Kuester’s passionate voice could be heard clearly even from the Heat’s bench. No wonder he was so intense—he had always strived to turn the team into a top defensive squad. After three years of effort, hope finally appeared today. He knew well that the performance just now was only the Pistons’ best so far, and they still had a long way to go to become a true defensive powerhouse. Yet those outstanding moments could undoubtedly serve as a goal for the players to strive for.

Soon, the second half of the game began.

On the Heat’s offense, LeBron James quickly brought the ball beyond the three-point line. For a top-tier player like LeBron James, ball control has almost become instinctive. Unless it’s absolutely necessary, applying full-court pressure on them is just a waste of energy.

A perfect opportunity arose as Dwyane Wade quickly executed a pick-and-roll. The moment the two players moved apart, the ball was in Wade’s hands. Without hesitation, he swiftly dodged McGrady’s defense and made a fierce breakthrough—something McGrady simply couldn’t defend against. However, this also gave the defenders time to recover. By the time Wade reached the free-throw line, he found himself trapped in a double team by the Pistons: Greg Monroe at the basket, Andre Iguodala behind him, and Zhou Yi closing in fast. He knew he didn’t have much time left; once Zhou Yi caught up, it would be difficult for any player in the league to succeed under such pressure from three elite defenders. Lost in thought, his pace with the ball slowed down naturally. Andre Iguodala didn’t hesitate and snatched the ball from behind him. But Wade was quick—as soon as the ball was taken from his hands, he reacted instantly, causing it to fall from Iguodala’s grasp. Before anyone could pick it up, a white figure flashed by—Zhou Yi, who had already bent down to grab the ball. “Tracy!” he shouted. An orange-colored figure shot out from the Heat’s half-court, and the ball traveled across most of the court, landing precisely in McGrady’s hands as he retreated. A lean figure rushed into the basket like lightning, lifted off lightly on tiptoes, and smoothly dunked the ball through the hoop. Perhaps influenced by Zhou Yi, McGrady seemed less inclined to dunk since joining the Pistons. As his coordination with Zhou Yi improved, he often dominated games, but the number of times he ended an attack with a dunk was minimal. Control of the ball returned to the Heat. LeBron James’s fake move was seen through, but the ball flew out of his hands, and this time the attack went to the interior. Chris Bosh had great strength and flexibility. Although his speed wasn’t outstanding, he used it effectively. He was strong and agile, had an advantage in height for a power forward, and possessed rare ball-handling skills among interior players. While holding the ball, Bosh pushed toward the paint. In terms of physical confrontation, Greg Monroe had a slight edge, and his long reach made it difficult for Bosh to attack. As the two gradually moved toward the basket, the other Pistons players naturally wouldn’t sit idly by and let them fight it out alone.

After joining the Heat, Chris Bosh became much more selfless on the court. When he wasn’t sure about a shot, he would always pass the ball. Of course, the presence of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade was one of the main reasons for this.

A white streak appeared as the basketball was shot—its speed wasn’t fast, but it landed perfectly in Dwyane Wade’s hands. No defender was there.

After catching the ball, Dwyane Wade stepped sideways and jumped high, while the Pistons’ defenders quickly rushed back to defend.

With a crisp swish, the crowd erupted in boos. The score was now 48:46, with the gap between the two teams reduced to two points again.

The teams switched sides, and the Pistons quickly passed the ball across half-court. With consecutive dribbles, Zhou Yi quickly moved from the top of the key to the right side, drawing the Heat’s defense there as well.

Zhou Yi grabbed the rebounding basketball and leaned forward rapidly, shooting like an arrow toward the paint. His amazing explosive power and sudden movement left LeBron James, who was guarding him, completely unprepared.

The Heat players rushed over quickly, knowing the consequences of letting a player like Zhou Yi enter the paint. Avoiding Dwyane Wade’s right-hand attack, Zhou Yi found himself surrounded by two of the Heat’s fastest players. Under pressure from both sides, he seemed determined to fight to the end and jumped despite being trapped.

Without giving Dwyane Wade time to think, he also jumped high, waving his pale hands in front of Zhou Yi’s eyes.

With the basketball held high, just as it was about to be shot, Zhou Yi gently rotated his right wrist, sending the ball flying in a white streak.

McGrady, outside the three-point line, caught the ball and lightly jumped, adjusting it in his hands before shooting it out, tracing a beautiful parabolic arc through the air.

Another uncontested three-pointer—51:46.

The Heat were patient in their attacks, using several clever passes and pick-and-rolls, eventually getting the ball back to someone in the paint. Chris Bosh’s continuous feints finally disrupted Greg Monroe’s balance. Seizing the moment when his opponent was adjusting, he drove to the basket at a 45-degree angle on the right side.

51:48 – The Pistons maintained a high level of defense throughout, forcing the Heat to shoot almost at the buzzer. Their switching defense was highly skilled and coordinated. Thanks to this, despite the Heat’s intense attacks in the third quarter, the Pistons not only held their ground but also widened the lead to 74:66, the largest margin of the game.

Apart from Dwyane Wade’s explosive performance in the second half of the first quarter, the Pistons also successfully defended against the Heat’s three stars. Chris Bosh made 3 out of 10 shots, LeBron James 2 out of 9, and Dwyane Wade 6 out of 11, including 4 out of his first 5 attempts. It was this effective defense that allowed the Pistons to stay ahead. However, it also revealed another issue: the difference in quality between the two teams’ bench players. At that point, the Heat’s bench was 5 out of 9 three-point attempts, with a dominant 33:21 scoring advantage.

John Kuester showed no signs of relief. During the first three quarters, several Heat starters got ample rest, while the Pistons’ frontcourt and backcourt players fought hard throughout. Zhou Yi managed to get a few minutes off, but Greg Monroe was a true workhorse, the only player on either side who didn’t rest.

Greg Monroe was the Pistons’ key for interior offense and rebounding, but he faced some of the league’s best frontcourt players. Against Chris Bosh’s solid playstyle, he had no advantage at all. If Monroe’s stamina failed, the Pistons would face unprecedented difficulties. Against players like the Heat, you can’t give them even a moment’s respite; any slight reduction in pressure would unleash their terrifying strength.

“Our outside players were almost invisible throughout the third quarter. All I saw were beautiful arcs from the opponent.” To relieve pressure on the frontcourt, the Pistons had to rely more on their outside players. Zhou Yi, who rested near midcourt, still had plenty of energy. McGrady and Ben Gordon taking turns playing also gave him more time to rest.

McGrady’s pass traveled halfway across the court, accurately reaching Zhou Yi in the middle. At that point, the Heat players’ attention wasn’t yet focused on the game—only two players remained on the court: Dwyane Wade and LeBron James.

The loud thud of the ball hitting the ground woke up the Heat players. By the time they reacted, Zhou Yi had already driven to the free-throw line, with only Dwyane Wade chasing closely behind him.

With his toes lightly touching the ground as if wings had grown on his sides, Zhou Yi leaped gracefully outside the three-second zone. His movement was effortless; with a slight shake of his wrist, the basketball traced a small parabolic path before soaring into the basket.

76:66—the score gap widened to double digits for the first time.

Eric Spolstra frowned. The Pistons were indeed a tough opponent. Yet he was also helpless—the trio was tightly defended by the Pistons, preventing them from performing at their best. Moreover, that Chinese kid was impossible to defend against, even if “The Little Emperor” James tried to guard him.

Chapter 406: Eastern Conference Finals, Two Shooters Against the Trio (Part 2)

The Heat’s offense remained methodical. LeBron James quickly drove the ball across half-court. When faced with Andre Iguodala, he still chose to pass.

Observant as ever, Zhou Yi noticed that the ball’s trajectory seemed off the moment it was passed. Chris Bosh only needed to take a small step forward to catch it easily, and that slight movement would have given him enough space to drive. But somehow, Ben Wallace emerged from under the basket, blocking Bosh’s path.

Action followed impulse—opportunities in a game are fleeting. As expected, the ball hit Ben Wallace’s shoulder. Just as it was about to bounce out of bounds, Zhou Yi retrieved it in time.

Watching McGrady sprint across half-court, Zhou Yi sent a basketball, precise as if guided by a GPS, right in front of him. With a smooth layup, the ball cleanly went through the hoop.

…

After a pick-and-roll, Andre Iguodala drove to the right baseline. Zhou Yi’s shot traveled halfway across the court before appearing in his sight—a perfect three-pointer. It was already the Pistons’ fifth three of the quarter. With three and a half seconds left in the quarter, a 13-point gap was clearly not easy to close.

The Pistons clearly didn’t want to give their opponent any chance either. They continued to defend with their full lineup, sparing no effort throughout the game. In the end, the Pistons defeated their opponents 110:99, securing their first win in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Throughout the game, the Pistons showed determination to fight to the end, defeating their opponents in the way the Heat were best at. Zhou Yi scored 31 points, the highest in the game, proving that the Heat’s attempt to contain him failed. With 12 assists, 10 rebounds, and 5 steals, Zhou Yi achieved his first triple-double in the playoffs.

Greg Monroe’s stats weren’t outstanding—16 points and 12 rebounds—but his head-to-head duel with Chris Bosh dominated the game. Under Monroe’s defense, Bosh managed only 13 points and 9 rebounds.

Four Pistons players scored in double figures: Tracy McGrady with 20 points and Andre Iguodala with 18 points. According to post-game statistics, the Pistons lagged behind their opponents in shots made, assists, steals, blocks, and turnovers. However, there was a more concerning issue: they fell behind by 11 rebounds overall, with a deficit of 7 offensive rebounds. While the rebound problem could potentially be improved, even quickly, it was the contribution of their bench players that was the most critical flaw. The substitutes scored just 9 points, a stark contrast to the Heat’s 41 points.

…

Although the Pistons exposed fatal weaknesses during the game, they still managed to win—on their home court. The atmosphere in the Pistons’ locker room after the game was relaxed. Yao Ming was the first to congratulate Zhou Yi on defeating the Heat in his debut game.

The Pistons’ first victory delighted fans back home, and even some optimistic media outlets began calling for them to defeat the Heat and advance to the finals. Meanwhile, the Pistons remained calm, diligently following their coach’s tactics and training hard. Even media seeking interviews were turned away.

On May 24th, Beijing time, the first game of the Western Conference finals began. In the end, the Lakers defeated the visiting Dallas Mavericks 103-96 at home, securing their first win in the series.

Kobe was in top form in this game, hitting 14 out of 21 shots, 6 out of 8 three-point attempts, and 15 out of 17 free throws, scoring a staggering 49 points. As for the Mavericks, their best performer was undoubtedly “The German Tank” Nowitzki, who also scored 37 points and added 12 rebounds, but such stats weren’t enough to secure a victory for the Mavericks.
……
On May 26, the second matchup between the Pistons and Heat got underway.
The Heat came back with determination, determined to win this game—otherwise, letting the Pistons take two home victories in a row to Miami would surely hurt their morale. Moreover, if they could win a game in Detroit, the Pistons’ home advantage would be gone.
Both teams started with the same lineups as in the previous game.
As the game was about to begin, the starters from both teams entered the court, and the large screen displayed their starting lineups.
The home team, Pistons: point guard Zhou Yi, shooting guard Tracy McGrady, small forward Andre Iguodala, power forward Greg Monroe, and center Samuel Dalembert.
The away team, Heat: point guard Mike Bibby, shooting guard Dwyane Wade, small forward LeBron James, power forward Chris Bosh, and center Eric Dampier.
“Ding!”
The whistle blew, and this highly anticipated game officially started.
In the previous game, Greg Monroe won the tip-off, but this time it was Chris Bosh who won it.
Chris Bosh used his experience to outmaneuver Greg Monroe and passed the ball to LeBron James. LeBron James used his size to control the ball firmly before passing it to Mike Bibby.
Mike Bibby took control of the ball and moved into the Pistons’ half. He passed the ball back to James, who attempted a mid-range jump shot—unfortunately, it fell short. Greg Monroe grabbed the rebound and passed it to Zhou Yi.
Zhou Yi controlled the ball and slowly advanced into the Heat’s half.
He broke through from the left wing, struggling to get past Carlos Arroyo. Seeing Arroyo easily beaten, Chris Bosh shook his head and rushed in the direction of Zhou Yi’s breakthrough to help Arroyo temporarily block him.
“Greg!” Zhou Yi shouted.

“Damn it,” Chris Bosh growled, turning around hastily and running toward Greg Monroe. But the expected pass never came, causing Bosh to frown, and even Monroe grew puzzled. However, after seeing Zhou Yi’s next move, Monroe’s confusion vanished, replaced by admiration. Bosh, on the other hand, darkened in expression upon seeing Zhou Yi’s action, muttering that the guy was too cunning. After calling out to Monroe, Zhou Yi intended to pass the ball to him. But he didn’t expect Bosh to react so quickly, returning to defend Monroe right away. With a wry smile, Zhou Yi realized he was now open and acted without hesitation. The ball swished through the net, scoring 2 points. Zhou Yi swung his arm and rushed toward the Pistons’ half-court. The Heat controlled the ball with Dwyane Wade, who broke through before passing it to Bosh inside. Monroe was trapped by Bosh, who quickly spun around, using his supporting foot as an axis to sway slightly before swiftly bringing his moving foot back to start moving again. By then, Monroe’s balance was disrupted, leaving him unable to stop Bosh’s advance. Bosh scored 2 points for the Heat with an easy layup. On the Pistons’ offense, McGrady took the ball to the top of the key and attempted a three-pointer, but it missed. Monroe held Bosh behind him, allowing Samuel Dalembert to grab the offensive rebound. Dalembert attempted a free throw, but it seemed the basket was against the Pistons that day—his shot also missed, with the ball bouncing off the rim and being grabbed by LeBron James. On the Heat’s next offensive play, LeBron James took a quick stop and shot a jump shot. To the delight of the home crowd, his shot also missed, and Zhou Yi secured the defensive rebound. Zhou Yi drove the ball past the opponent’s three-point line, not holding it for even a second before quickly passing it to McGrady. Faced with Wade’s defense, McGrady immediately attempted a jump shot, but the ball bounced off the backboard. Haitian center Samuel Dalembert grabbed another offensive rebound and tried a free throw, but it missed as well, while Bosh protected the defensive rebound.

After receiving a pass from Chris Bosh, Mike Bibby quickly dribbled across half-court. Seeing LeBron James looking at him, Mike Bibby honestly passed the ball away.

LeBron James held the ball, staring at Andre Iguodala in front of him with no expression on his face. Using a crab-like crossover move, he sidestepped Andre Iguodala and directly entered the Pistons’ paint, then leaped for a powerful slam dunk.

The Pistons attacked; Greg Monroe grabbed the ball inside and turned to drive. But Chris Bosh blocked his path tightly, cutting off his offensive route.

Greg Monroe suddenly passed the ball, and Zhou Yi had already cut into the paint. With both player and ball in position, Zhou Yi caught the ball and tried to jump for a dunk in response to LeBron James’ previous slam, aiming to intimidate the Heat.

“No way,” Mike Bibby said as he rushed over from behind, ready to block the shot.

Zhou Yi ignored him, accelerating to the max, pushing off the ground with a fierce jump. Mike Bibby also jumped at that moment. Zhou Yi had intended to dunk with one hand, but with Mike Bibby’s interference, it was difficult to complete the dunk. Fortunately, he grabbed the ball with both hands and slammed it hard into the basket.

The ball went in, and the dunk also resulted in a defensive foul by Mike Bibby, earning a free throw!

It was a stunning dunk, and immediate loud applause and cheers filled the Auburn Hills Palace.

“Zhou… Yi, Zhou… Yi, Zhou… Yi…”

“MVP, MVP, MVP…”

Zhou Yi made the free throw—ball in, two-plus-one!

LeBron James glared at Mike Bibby, didn’t let him hold the ball, and took control, pushing toward the Pistons’ half-court. Andre Iguodala was still in his path.

This time, neither of them spoke, but the tension was palpable. LeBron James drove with the ball and passed it to Chris Bosh at the top of the key.

Chris Bosh shot a mid-range jump shot, but it missed, and he grabbed the offensive rebound. Just as he tried to attack again, the ball was snatched away.

Chris Bosh looked closely and saw that a player in a No. 37 jersey with black hair and yellow skin had stolen the ball. Frustrated, he rushed back to defend.

After Zhou Yi intercepted the ball, he swiftly drove with it toward the opponent’s half-court. Just past the midcourt line, he saw McGrady already charging toward the opponent’s basket, making a upward gesture at him. Zhou Yi understood immediately; without even glancing at LeBron James rushing toward him, he threw the ball straight toward the basket. LeBron, having seen the “communication” between McGrady and Zhou Yi, didn’t stop when he reached Zhou Yi but headed straight for McGrady to prevent the alley-oop. Yet, LeBron was still a step too late—not only did he fail to stop the alley-oop, but he even became part of the backdrop for this stunning play. As the ball neared the basket, McGrady leaped up, caught it, and dunked with both hands in a powerful and seamless motion, without any hesitation. “Wow… T-MAC… T-MAC… T-MAC…” LeBron James took the ball from Dwyane Wade and advanced toward the Pistons’ half-court. After controlling the ball in their half, he glanced at the situation on the court and passed it to Dwyane Wade. Dwyane Wade changed direction, feinting a break to the left, and seeing McGrady move to the center-left, he quickly pulled the ball and jumped to shoot. With a “clang,” the shot missed, and the ball bounced out of bounds. However, it was touched by Andre Iguodala before going out of bounds, so the Heat still had possession. Chris Bosh inbounded from the baseline as the Heat continued their attack, though time was running out. LeBron James held the ball and pushed past Andre Iguodala, using his physical advantage to force his way through and shoot. But Andre Iguodala’s long arms were no joke; despite his attempts to disrupt, the shot missed again. Meanwhile, at the basket, Eric Duncan, Samuel Dalembert, Chris Bosh, and Greg Monroe were all positioning themselves to compete for rebounds. On the perimeter, Dwyane Wade, who had been tangled up with McGrady, suddenly broke free, accelerated into the paint, leaped high, caught the ball with one hand, and slammed it hard into the basket. With a “clang,” the expected image of the ball going through the net didn’t appear—instead, everyone saw Dwyane Wade throwing the ball away due to excessive force, and Zhou Yi, standing at the free-throw line, miraculously caught the rebound. Seeing this funny scene, the crowd erupted in bursts of laughter.

“Damn!” Dwyane Wade cursed loudly.
Although the shot didn’t go in, everyone had to admire Dwyane Wade’s extraordinary jumping ability and explosive power.
“Damn, Wade jumped really high just now,” Zhou Yi thought to himself as he dribbled the ball.
Attack and defense switched.
After driving past half-court, Zhou Yi broke through from the right wing and saw that McGrady had an opportunity, so he quickly passed the ball to him. After catching it, McGrady immediately took a shot—swish—the ball went through the net.
After the shot, McGrady gave Dwyane Wade a brief glance.
The Heat took over offense.
Dwyane Wade drove the ball beyond the Pistons’ three-point line and signaled Chris Bosh to come out for a pick-and-roll. Seeing this, Chris Bosh rushed out to act as a human shield.
Dwyane Wade bypassed Chris Bosh, while McGrady was blocked by him. LeBron James also slipped past Chris Bosh and headed toward the basket.
Dwyane Wade passed the ball forward; LeBron James caught it, stepped over the free-throw line, and prepared to lay up. At that moment, Greg Monroe let go of Chris Bosh to chase after him, while Samuel Dalembert took his position, ready to block LeBron James.
But LeBron James flipped his wrist and passed the ball.
It was caught by Chris Bosh.
Chris Bosh, who had just completed the pick-and-roll, had already run back to the basket and was left unguarded. After receiving the pass from LeBron James, he immediately dunked.
The Heat’s trio played in perfect coordination.
Zhou Yi drove past Mike Bibby, drawing Dwyane Wade’s attention, then passed the ball to McGrady, who was cutting toward the basket from the middle.
After catching it, McGrady immediately executed a one-handed dunk. The ball went in, and Eric Dampier, once known as the “second-best center in the West,” could only serve as a backdrop to Zhou Yi and McGrady’s flawless teamwork.
“Ding,” said Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra, calling a timeout in frustration.
11:6—the Pistons led the Heat by 5 points. Loud cheers filled the arena, all for Zhou Yi.
Although frustrated by the Heat’s poor performance earlier, Erik Spoelstra couldn’t get angry with LeBron James and the others, so he patiently explained tactical issues to them.
The timeout ended, and play resumed with the Heat taking over offense.

Mike Bibby was replaced by Mario Chalmers, who now had control of the ball. The Heat’s center, Eric Dampier, was also substituted out by veteran “Big Z” Zydrunas Ilgauskas.
After halftime, Mario Chalmers passed the ball to LeBron James. Holding the ball in one hand, James looked intently at Andre Iguodala—his previous attack had been blocked by Iguodala, so he had to be cautious, otherwise he might end up looking foolish like Dwyane Wade just had.
James took big steps and suddenly rushed toward Iguodala’s left side. Iguodala pressed James’s waist with his left hand and raised his right hand high. James pulled back sharply, raised the ball high with both hands, and jumped. Iguodala quickly tried to cover him, but James didn’t shoot—instead, he passed the ball high to Big Z. After catching it, Big Z turned and hit a beautiful hook shot, scoring the point.
The crowd booed LeBron James, who, hearing the boos, turned his face dark and ran back to his own half of the court.
Zhou Yi glanced at the complacent LeBron James and dribbled toward the Heat’s half.
Andre Iguodala ran to an open spot, and Zhou Yi quickly passed the ball to him. After catching it, Iguodala threw the ball away.
“Bang”—a miss. Dwyane Wade grabbed the defensive rebound.
After grabbing the rebound, Dwyane Wade didn’t pass either; instead, he dribbled quickly toward the Pistons’ half. Big Z was in position, ready to grab a rebound if his teammate missed a shot. But unexpectedly, Dwyane Wade passed the ball directly to him when he saw Big Z in position—something even Big Z himself didn’t expect.
Big Z faced Ben Wallace and went one-on-one with him at the low post. Sensing Ben Wallace’s strong physique and solid defense, Big Z didn’t try to take too much credit. Instead, he distracted Ben Wallace and passed the ball to Chris Bosh.
Chris Bosh caught the ball and turned, about to lay it in, but Greg Monroe was guarding him tightly. Seeing Monroe’s youthful vigor, Chris Bosh grew angry. He flipped his wrist and made a cross-pass. Dwyane Wade, lurking outside the three-point line in the corner, caught the ball with no one around him—everyone else had already moved to other positions.
Dwyane Wade adjusted slightly after catching the ball and then shot, hitting the target.
It was the Pistons’ turn to attack.

The ball was in McGrady’s hands, with Dwyane Wade staring intently. McGrady slowly controlled the ball, then suddenly accelerated, changed direction, stepped forward, and turned—all in one smooth motion. By the time he turned back, the ball was gone, flying straight toward Zhou Yi at the top of the key.

Mario Chalmers was blocked by Greg Monroe, so he couldn’t keep up with Zhou Yi. In other words, Zhou Yi was completely unguarded now.

Zhou Yi jumped up, flicked the ball with his right hand, and it shot straight toward the basket.

“Clang, clang, clang”—the basketball bounced against the rim before finally falling in reluctantly. It was a three-point shot. Zhou Yi bumped into McGrady and then stepped back together to defend.

In this back-and-forth battle, both teams showed fierce determination. Although it was only the first quarter, the tension was high.

With 3.5 minutes left in the first quarter, both teams switched to their bench players.

Among the Heat’s players, aside from LeBron James, Mario Chalmers, and D-Wade, everyone else was substituted out, replaced by Mike Miller and “Uncle Ho” Jwan Howard.

On the Pistons’ side, except for Andre Iguodala and McGrady, everyone else was taken off the court. The substitutes were Samuel Dalembert, James Posey, and Will Bynum.

As soon as James Posey came on, he used his experience to hit a three-pointer over Mike Miller.

“Nice shot,” Zhou Yi said, taking a sip of his drink and smiling at Greg Monroe.

“Yes, James’ experience will be a huge help to us,” Greg Monroe replied, also grabbing a drink, saying that to Zhou Yi before taking a big gulp.

The Heat failed to score on their next attack. James Posey grabbed the defensive rebound and passed it to Will Bynum.

Bynum turned around and, using the rotating defense, hit a three-pointer over Mario Chalmers.

“Wow, Will is pretty accurate too, haha…” Zhou Yi laughed heartily after seeing Bynum score a three-pointer.

Greg Monroe also laughed, squinting as he watched the game unfold.

The Heat once again failed to score, with McGrady grabbing the defensive rebound and converting it into a fast break layup.

The Heat were playing very poorly today—not only in offense but also in defense. Otherwise, how could the Pistons easily score two three-pointers in a row?

Eric Spoelstra shook his head as he watched the game.

LeBron James once again took on Andre Iguodala alone, drove to the basket, switched hands, and scored a layup, also drawing a foul on McGrady. Seeing McGrady get fouled and considering he had already played nearly ten minutes, John Kuester promptly substituted McGrady out with Charlie Villanueva to give him a break. LeBron James converted his free throw. On the Pistons’ side, Andre Iguodala used a pick-and-roll to score 2 points with a mid-range shot, responding to LeBron James. Later, Mario Chalmers’ three-point attempt missed, and Chris Bosh grabbed an offensive rebound, passing it to the perimeter where LeBron James shot again and finally made a three-pointer. Will Bynum drove and hit a backdoor jump shot in front of Mario Chalmers. In the final three and a half minutes, both teams’ mostly bench players played vigorously, though the Pistons were more impressive. With the whistle blowing, the first quarter ended. The score was 25-17, with the Pistons leading by 8 points. The Pistons’ players sitting on the bench excitedly greeted their teammates coming toward them, while the Heat were relatively quiet, even subdued. “Let’s play harder from now on—no more defensive lapses,” LeBron James said, trying to suppress his anger. Though he controlled his anger, his words still carried a strong hint of frustration. “LeBron is right. We need to show intensity and definitely not lose to them,” added Heat coach Eric Spoelstra. On the Pistons’ side, the atmosphere was very positive, with coach John Kuester smiling as he explained tactics to his players. “We’ll continue playing this way—team basketball. Even though they have superstars like LeBron and Dwyane, as long as we play as a team, we’ll definitely win,” added John Kuester. “Understood,” the Pistons replied in unison. John Kuester then outlined the tactics for the second quarter, with all the Pistons listening attentively. “Alright, let’s go, guys,” John Kuester said as time approached. “Go, go, go!” the Pistons encouraged each other. With the referee’s whistle, the second quarter began, with the Heat in possession. LeBron James played the entire first quarter and was now substituted out by James Jones, with Chris Bosh stepping in to lead the bench players on the court.

The Pistons also made some lineup changes: point guard Will Bynum, shooting guard James Posey, small forward Austin Daye, power forward Taylor Hansbrough, and center Samuel Dalembert. Mario Chalmers drove with the ball and attempted a quick stop jump shot, but missed; Chris Bosh secured the offensive rebound. Taylor Hansbrough raised his right hand to push against Chris Bosh. Chris Bosh suddenly delivered a reverse layup, catching Taylor Hansbrough off guard. The ball went in, and Chris Bosh stepped back triumphantly. On the Pistons’ next possession, James Posey assisted Will Bynum, who scored a layup. The teams continued to trade blows, and at 4:28 remaining, the Pistons called a timeout to bring in their starting lineup. By this point in the second quarter, led by Chris Bosh, the Heat had narrowed the gap to 35–31, only 4 points behind the Pistons. The 20-second timeout ended quickly, and the Pistons substituted Zhou Yi for James Posey, Charlie Villanueva for Austin Daye, and Greg Monroe for Samuel Dalembert. The Heat, of course, also brought in their starting lineup. LeBron James drove into the Pistons’ half, with Charlie Villanueva closely following. Glancing at Villanueva, LeBron James sneered and darted past him from the left. Villanueva shifted his weight in that direction, but as he did, James pulled the ball back and shot a jump shot. With a swish, the ball went in, reducing the Heat’s deficit to 2 points. Without looking at Villanueva, James turned and ran back to his own half. Will Bynum controlled the ball, guarded by Dwyane Wade. After crossing half-court, Bynum passed the ball to Zhou Yi. Facing Mike Bibby, Zhou Yi used a crossover to get past him. But Dwyane Wade quickly closed in, while Mike Bibby shifted to guard Bynum. Zhou Yi accelerated suddenly, breaking toward Dwyane Wade’s right side. Dwyane Wade didn’t dare take chances; the earlier encounter had made him take Zhou Yi more seriously. He quickly stepped back, shifting his weight to the right. But Zhou Yi suddenly executed a crossover, breaking in the opposite direction, causing Dwyane Wade to stumble.

But the moment Zhou Yi rushed toward the basket, he lost control of the ball. The ball taken away by Dwyane Wade was picked up by the Heat’s Mike Bibby, who then scored on a fast break layup and also drew a defensive foul from Will Bynum. Zhou Yi stood in the middle of the court with his hands on his hips, watching helplessly as Mike Bibby took the free throw. Mike Bibby attempted a second free throw but missed it. Fortunately, it didn’t go in, otherwise the Heat would have taken a 1-point lead. The Pistons attacked, and Will Bynum, perhaps provoked by Mike Bibby’s earlier actions, threw up a three-pointer right at Mike Bibby’s face—38:35. Seeing Mike Bibby’s frustrated expression, Will Bynum was overjoyed. Dwyane Wade asked LeBron James for a screen, found space, and shot without hesitation. The ball went in—38:37! John Kuester shook his head, seeing that Will Bynum couldn’t contain Dwyane Wade, and quickly replaced Bynum with Tracy McGrady and Charlie Villanueva with Andre Iguodala. Zhou Yi accelerated, using nothing but speed to overtake Mike Bibby in one step. After passing Mike Bibby, he felt no joy, as Dwyane Wade was already in front of him. Zhou Yi pretended to drive but actually passed the ball to McGrady behind Dwyane Wade. After catching the ball, McGrady rushed to the basket, pushed Joel Anthony aside, and scored a layup, also drawing a fighting foul from Joel Anthony. McGrady’s quick coordination with Zhou Yi earned cheers from many fans, including those who had previously supported the Heat’s “Big Three.” “Heh, Zhou still works best with Tracy!” said one of John Kuester’s assistant coaches. “Yeah, their coordination is getting better and better. It seems they really have a chance to become the Pistons’ backcourt duo,” said John Kuester, smiling as he watched Zhou Yi and McGrady celebrate. The assistant coach nodded in agreement. While McGrady was taking his free throw, the Pistons’ head coach, John Kuester, quickly replaced Taylor Hansbrough with Samuel Dalembert. In nearly 7 minutes on the court, Taylor Hansbrough had scored 4 points, grabbed 3 rebounds, and blocked 1 shot, fulfilling his role well.

The Heat also took advantage of McGrady’s free throws to replace Joel Anthony with Big Z. McGrady took the free throws and made both, including the extra one. The Heat launched an attack. Chris Bosh received a pass from LeBron James near the free-throw line and tried a jump shot, but missed. McGrady pushed his way past the big men inside and secured the rebound. Just as McGrady was about to get the rebound, Zhou Yi rushed wildly toward the Heat’s half-court. McGrady dribbled twice, saw that Zhou Yi had entered the Heat’s half-court, and threw the ball forcefully forward. With a swift move, Zhou Yi scored an easy layup! The entire arena erupted, and Zhou Yi smiled as he headed toward the Pistons’ half-court. LeBron James drove with the ball, passed it to Mike Bibby, who tried a drive to the basket but missed; Zhou Yi, who was following, grabbed the defensive rebound. Andre Iguodala’s mid-range shot from the free-throw line missed, and Greg Monroe jumped high, dunking the ball back in the basket and also drawing a foul on Chris Bosh. Chris Bosh angrily rushed at the referee, trying to argue that Greg Monroe had pushed him while grabbing the rebound, but the referee ignored him. Then, Chris Bosh went at Greg Monroe, exchanging harsh words. Greg Monroe took a free throw, but unfortunately missed, and Chris Bosh grabbed the defensive rebound. Mike Bibby drove with the ball, passed it to Dwyane Wade in the corner; Wade stepped back beyond the three-point line and shot a three-pointer, which actually went in. The Heat cheered, and their fans in the stands applauded enthusiastically. The Pistons launched an attack; McGrady and Greg Monroe set up a pick-and-roll, then passed to Greg Monroe, who rushed back to the basket. Greg Monroe caught the ball, jumped, and scored a powerful dunk. The Heat’s Dwyane Wade and Mike Bibby played with three substitutes, while the Pistons’ McGrady and Andre Iguodala also played with three substitutes. The two-and-a-half-minute game ended quickly, and during that time, McGrady of the Pistons and Dwyane Wade of the Heat seemed to be competing fiercely, both performing exceptionally well, almost giving it their all. In that short period, McGrady scored 7 points, 2 assists, and 1 block, while Dwyane Wade scored 8 points and 2 blocks. At the end of the first half, the score was 58:50, with the Pistons still leading by 8 points.

LeBron James scored 16 points in the first half, the highest on his team, along with 4 rebounds and 4 assists, but also 2 turnovers. Dwyane Wade scored 15 points, though his shooting percentage was low, hitting 4 out of 11 attempts. The third member of the Heat’s big three, Chris Bosh, scored 8 points and added 7 rebounds. Together, the Heat’s three stars scored 39 points, accounting for most of the team’s total, while the other players scored only 11 points.

On the Pistons’ side, the highest scorer was McGrady with 17 points, along with 4 rebounds and 4 assists. Zhou Yi scored 12 points and provided 5 assists. Besides McGrady and Zhou Yi, another player scored in double figures—James Posey, who hit three three-pointers and one two-point shot in the first half, totaling 11 points.

During the halftime break, many media reporters interviewed both teams. The main focus of the interviews was naturally the violent incident that occurred in the second quarter, with the second focus being the confrontation between the two teams’ big three players. Soon, the second half began. Both teams started the second half with the same lineups as at the start of the first quarter, with no changes.

With a “ding,” the third quarter commenced. The Heat took control of the ball and started their first offensive wave of the quarter. Mike Bibby handled the ball, drove half-court, and passed it to Dwyane Wade. After receiving the ball, Dwyane Wade took a tentative step forward before suddenly accelerating and breaking toward McGrady’s left side. McGrady stayed close to Dwyane Wade, trying to block his path. Dwyane Wade pushed McGrady hard before suddenly stepping back and shooting a jump shot, which went in. McGrady frowned, clearly finding it difficult to defend Dwyane Wade.

Zhou Yi took control of the ball, steadily pushed forward to the front court, and passed it to the interior player Greg Monroe. The player defending Greg Monroe was none other than Chris Bosh. Greg Monroe pressed against Chris Bosh, trying to push him back, then suddenly turned and attempted a backboard jump shot. But just as Chris Bosh closed in, he flipped his wrist and passed the ball. Zhou Yi caught the ball and cut toward the basket from the middle. Chris Bosh was deceived by Greg Monroe into jumping, while Joel Anthony was distracted by Ben Wallace. As a result, the area under the basket was almost empty for Zhou Yi. However, Mike Bibby was right behind him, making it difficult for Zhou Yi to attack the basket.

After Zhou Yi rushed to the basket, he didn’t do what people expected—no dunk or slam dunk, not even a shot. Mike Bibby, who was behind him, also rushed over, keeping a close eye on Zhou Yi to prevent him from attacking under the basket. At that moment, Greg Monroe, who had earlier tricked Chris Bosh into jumping, rushed in front of Chris Bosh, and Zhou Yi naturally passed the ball to him. “Damn it…” Chris Bosh muttered upon seeing this, then turned and charged at Greg Monroe. But Greg Monroe didn’t hesitate at all and immediately jumped up for a one-handed dunk. Chris Bosh and Mike Bibby were completely left in the background. Chapter 407: Eastern Conference Finals, Two Shooters Against Three Giants (Part 3) Although this whole thing took a while to unfold, it happened in an instant. All the fans in the arena were deeply shocked by this shot, and they couldn’t help but praise Zhou Yi’s ability to control the game. “Zhou, take them down! Send the Miami Zoo team back home!” “Zhou, dunk that damn crab! We’re eating crabs today!” “Zhou, let us witness the glory of a championship once again!” … For a moment, the arena was filled with such cheers. When LeBron James heard these voices, he frowned. What he hated the most was being called a crab. Although those fans didn’t name him directly, he knew those rude fans must be referring to him. LeBron James played the first half with a dark expression, not passing the ball but choosing to attack on his own. After signaling Chris Bosh to set up a pick-and-roll, LeBron James suddenly sped up, shaking off Andre Iguodala like a wild tiger out of its cage, heading straight for the basket. Seeing Andre Iguodala being left behind by LeBron James, Greg Monroe quickly released Chris Bosh and had Ben Wallace help defend against him, then rushed forward to cover LeBron James. Faced with LeBron James’ attack, Greg Monroe showed no sign of backing down. Seeing Greg Monroe’s defensive stance, LeBron James sneered, leaped high like an eagle spreading its wings, holding the ball in one hand. With an air of a king who looked down on the world, it seemed he could destroy any obstacle in his path. He almost dunked the ball through the basket while riding on top of Greg Monroe.

After completing that Battle Tiger dunk, LeBron James landed on the ground with his arms raised, seemingly listening to the cheers from the crowd. But there were no cheers—only loud, intense boos. The teams switched sides, and it was the Pistons’ turn to attack. McGrady took on Dwyane Wade and passed to Greg Monroe, who was near the free-throw line; Monroe caught the ball and scored right away. As time passed, 6 minutes had already gone by in the third quarter, yet the score remained close—69 to 67, with the Pistons still leading by 2 points. However, despite their 2-point advantage, the Pistons showed no signs of complacency. Perhaps LeBron James’ dunk had boosted the Heat’s morale, as the Pistons reduced their earlier 7-point lead to just 2 points in those few minutes. Thus, the battle between the two teams remained extremely close. Mike Bibby drove to the basket, and Zhou Yi suddenly found an opening to steal the ball. Unfortunately, although he managed to steal it, the ball hit Mike Bibby’s hand, and the referee immediately called a foul on Zhou Yi. John Kuester checked the time—there were still over 4 minutes left in the third quarter, so it was time to bring in the bench players for rest. So, John Kuester took the opportunity to substitute in the bench players. Seeing that the Pistons had brought in their substitutes, the Heat also replaced their starters to prepare for the fourth quarter’s intense battle. Now, everyone knew this game would be a tough, fierce fight, with the fourth quarter being the most critical part of it. In the last 4 minutes of the third quarter, the bench players fought fiercely, signaling that the final quarter would be even more intense and brutal.