Chapter 177

At the end of the third quarter, the score was 77:74, with the Pistons still holding a 3-point lead.
“Guys, the fourth quarter is the most crucial. Although you all performed very well in the first three quarters, it’s the fourth quarter that truly decides the outcome. So I hope everyone will give it their all in the fourth quarter and play just as well as they did in the previous ones. I believe in you all; I believe we can win,” said John Kuester, his eyes shining with excitement as he looked at his players.
The Pistons nodded, gathering together to encourage one another.
“Ding,” the whistle blew, and the final quarter began.
The Pistons took the first shot, with Zhou Yi holding the ball. From the very first second of the game, Mario Chalmers stuck closely to Zhou Yi, who now felt a different kind of pressure compared to the previous quarters.
After half a minute, Zhou Yi passed the ball to McGrady, who was positioned low on the court. Immediately afterward, Zhou Yi moved to the other side to set a screen for Andre Iguodala. Andre Iguodala quickly moved sideways, breaking free from LeBron James’s defense, and by the time he reached the middle, McGrady’s pass arrived. Andre Iguodala attempted a three-step layup, but despite breaking free from LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, who had moved over with McGrady, caught up just in time and swatted the ball out of Andre Iguodala’s hands.
The ball went out of bounds, and the Pistons continued their attack.
“Good job, Dwyane,” said LeBron James, walking over to Dwyane Wade and patting his shoulder.
Dwyane Wade patted LeBron James back before smiling and going back to defend.
Andre Iguodala inbounded the ball at the baseline. After catching it, Zhou Yi immediately passed it to McGrady for a one-on-one situation. With only 24 seconds left, McGrady didn’t hesitate at all and took a step back for a fadeaway jump shot. Although Dwyane Wade tried his best to block it, McGrady’s attack was too decisive and swift, so the shot went through without interference.
“Yesss,” McGrady swung his arm, bumped into Zhou Yi, who was rushing over, then stepped back to defend.
Dwyane Wade steadily drove the ball across half-court and, after Chris Bosh got into position, passed the ball to him to take the shot. However, just as Chris Bosh caught the ball, McGrady suddenly came over to double-team him, tightly blocking Chris Bosh’s passing routes and line of sight.

But Chris Bosh was still one of the Big Three—he wasn’t incompetent. He used his height to accurately pass the ball to Dwyane Wade, who was already in an open position. However, the Pistons’ defense switched quickly, with Zhou Yi immediately rushing over. Realizing there was no chance to shoot, Dwyane Wade quickly passed the ball to Mario Chalmers, who was temporarily unguarded on the other side. Mario Chalmers glanced around quickly to ensure no one was guarding him, then jumped and threw the ball. With a swish, the ball went through the net. “Good job,” LeBron James said, pleased to see Mario Chalmers execute this offensive play and going over to praise him. Zhou Yi reluctantly took the ball at the baseline from Greg Monroe, glanced at Mario Chalmers, who had returned to the Heat’s half-court, and drove toward their half-court with the ball. McGrady received the ball at the top of the key; after catching it from Zhou Yi, he stepped forward with his right leg before pulling back swiftly. Dwyane Wade immediately rushed over but didn’t dive, as it might have been McGrady’s feint. Sure enough, McGrady didn’t shoot but passed the ball to Greg Monroe, who was cutting toward the basket from the left wing. After catching the ball, Greg Monroe slammed it down, took a big step forward, and delivered a powerful dunk. The Pistons took a 6-point lead, with the score at 82:76. After a timeout, the Heat’s head coach, Eric Spoelstra, decided to have his best defensive player, Dwyane Wade, stick closely to Zhou Yi to disrupt his playmaking and prevent the Pistons from executing smooth attacks. Without Zhou Yi’s playmaking, the Detroit team became somewhat panicked. They were used to relying on his coordination, so without it, their offense gradually fell into trouble. Fortunately, there was still McGrady, who was good at initiating team attacks, and under his leadership, the Pistons managed to keep attacking. Watching the Heat gradually close the score gap, John Kuester shook his head and decisively replaced Zhou Yi with Will Bynum. LeBron James drove with the ball, while Dwyane Wade quickly moved to the baseline, shook off his defender, and found an open spot. LeBron James, who was driving on the other side, quickly passed the ball, and Dwyane Wade caught it in an open position and made a jump shot. Seeing this series of coordinated moves, John Kuester just shook his head.

On the Pistons’ side, McGrady drove hard and passed to Ben Wallace at the basket. Ben Wallace’s reverse layup missed, and LeBron James secured the defensive rebound.

LeBron James held the ball at the top of the key and signaled to D-Wade, who quickly came over and took the ball from him. At that moment, LeBron quickly cut to the basket without the ball, and D-Wade passed to him as he cut. LeBron caught the ball and immediately executed a one-handed dunk.

Watching LeBron James and Dwyane Wade score continuously and narrow the score gap to just 1 point, Pistons head coach John Kuester had no choice but to call a timeout.

“I have to say, the Miami Heat are really strong, especially LeBron and Dwyane. We’ve barely been able to contain their offense. You still need to be extra careful guarding LeBron—he’s the brain behind the Heat’s offense. Be vigilant against their cuts without the ball. Don’t rely too much on Tracy’s playmaking. Tracy, once you leave the court, you’ll be in charge of the team’s offense, understand?” John Kuester said carefully to his players.

“Understood,” replied McGrady and the others.

But things weren’t as simple as John Kuester thought.

The Heat’s offense remained smooth as water, and even though Andre Iguodala tried his best to stick closely to LeBron James, he couldn’t stop their offense.

In no time, the Heat took the lead back. With 6 minutes and 11 seconds left in the fourth quarter, the score was 90:97, with the Pistons trailing by 7 points.

On the Pistons’ next possession, Will Bynum drove hard to the paint and shot from there, resulting in a foul on Mario Chalmers. At that moment, the Heat’s coach called a timeout.

Looking at his players, drenched in sweat, John Kuester frowned slightly and glanced at the stats on his hand. “We’re in trouble, guys. There are less than 6 minutes left in the game, and we’re still 7 points behind. This score might not be a big deal for other teams, but for a team like the Heat, it’s enough for them to maintain their lead until the end and send us home defeated. So in these last less than 6 minutes, we must make changes. Since we can’t strengthen our defense, we have to boost our offense.”

John Kuester took the water bottle from the assistant coach, took a sip, and continued, “In the next game, switch Tracy out and let him rest for a while. Zhou and Will will form the backcourt duo, which will help us speed things up and make offense easier. Samuel will replace Ben to add height and offensive power in the paint. Andre, stay on the court—you might not get a single second of rest. Your defense and offense will both benefit the team. Taylor, you’ll replace Greg. You have more experience than him, so I expect great performance from you. Zhou, get moving and revitalize our offense.” John Kuester carefully outlined the tactics for the upcoming game.

“I understand,” Zhou Yi nodded and replied seriously.

“Alright, guys, get ready to play,” John Kuester said with a smile as he glanced at his players.

The game continued, with Will Bynum taking free throws. Amidst the boos from the crowd, his first attempt missed, and he adjusted before making the second one.

LeBron James orchestrated the offense, with Andre Iguodala standing in front of him to guard him closely. Seeing Dwyane Wade being held back by Zhou Yi and Big Z’s position tightly covered by Samuel Dalembert with few opportunities, LeBron immediately signaled to Big Z.

Upon seeing the signal, Big Z moved toward the ball. His defender, Samuel Dalembert, rushed into LeBron’s passing lane. Realizing Dalembert’s defense, Big Z quickly changed direction and moved toward the basket. LeBron then passed the ball to Big Z, who was running back toward the basket.

Big Z caught the ball and drove to the basket, scoring a point.

It was too easy. Seeing the Heat players’ relaxed expressions, the Pistons were furious but powerless to do anything.

LeBron James and Big Z had excellent chemistry—true to their eight years as teammates.

Zhou Yi took a deep breath, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and took the basketball from Taylor Hansbrough’s hands. This was the most critical game, so the Heat started pressing hard all over the court.

Mario Chalmers closely guarded Zhou Yi as he moved from the Pistons’ half to the Heat’s half. Although he tried to disrupt him, he failed to steal the ball.

After entering the second half for the Heat, Zhou Yi suddenly accelerated, leaving Mario Chalmers far behind as he headed straight toward the basket. Dwyane Wade had no choice but to defend Will Bynum in order to cover Zhou Yi. Seeing this, Zhou Yi tossed the ball directly to Will Bynum, who was waiting unguarded beyond the three-point line. Will Bynum adjusted briefly before shooting a three-pointer. With a swish, the ball went in. Smooth, coordinated, and efficient—this was the teamwork between Zhou Yi and Will Bynum just now. John Kuester watched this scene with satisfaction, nodding repeatedly. On the other hand, Eric Spolstra frowned as he observed the game. It was the Heat’s turn to attack, with Dwyane Wade in control of the ball. Dwyane Wade tried to force his way past Zhou Yi and shoot a three-pointer from beyond the line, but missed; “Big Z” grabbed the offensive rebound. “Big Z” immediately passed the ball to LeBron James on the perimeter. After catching the ball, LeBron James raised it above his head, aiming to shoot another three-pointer. But Andre Iguodala wasn’t going to give him that chance—he immediately jumped up and rushed toward LeBron James. However, Andre Iguodala was deceived. LeBron James shifted his body slightly, and only when Andre Iguodala lunged at him did he jump up and shoot the ball. With another swish, it also went through the net. 94:102—the Pistons were still 8 points behind. The Pistons called another timeout, with only 3 minutes and 52 seconds left in the game. It was dangerous; the Pistons were truly in trouble! “These last 3 minutes and 52 seconds are very important for us. I hope we can mount a comeback in this time frame. I believe we can win. Do you believe it?” said John Kuester. “We do.” John Kuester nodded and made plans for the final 3 minutes and 52 seconds of the game. After the timeout, the Pistons made another lineup change—Madison replaced Will Bynum, and Greg Monroe replaced Tyler Hansbrough. The Heat also made adjustments—Mike Bibby replaced Mario Chalmers, and Joel Anthony replaced “Big Z.” The game continued, with the Pistons attacking. Greg Monroe passed the ball directly to Zhou Yi, who drove forward. Boos rang out from the crowd as Zhou Yi received the ball, but he remained unfazed and ignored them.

After crossing the midcourt line, Mike Bibby immediately followed up, positioning himself in front of Zhou Yi to prevent him from breaking through directly. Zhou Yi dribbled step by step toward the front court, while his teammates kept moving around in hopes of creating an opening. Finally, Greg Monroe managed to get open, and the moment he did, Zhou Yi passed the ball to him. There was no time for Jwan Howard to react—Greg Monroe jumped and shot, and the ball went straight through the net! “Yay!” The ball was in, and Greg Monroe was obviously very happy, waving his arms excitedly. Having been held back by Chris Bosh for so long, he could now unleash his strength, which made him feel great. “As long as you position yourself well, I’ll definitely pass the ball to you!” Zhou Yi said, looking at Greg Monroe. Jwan Howard sent a baseline pass, which Mike Bibby caught. But just as Mike Bibby caught the ball, a gust of wind swept past him. When he looked down, the ball was gone. Looking up again, he saw Zhou Yi already at the basket, scoring with a dunk. “Wow…” Cheers erupted from the crowd, with a few boos as well. But those boos were quickly drowned out by the cheers. Some of the home fans even glared at the Heat fans who were booing. LeBron James glared angrily at Mike Bibby for the mistake, then snorted. The Pistons scored on two consecutive attacks, bringing the score to 98:102, narrowing the gap to just 4 points. These two attacks took less than 20 seconds, and with 3:35 left, the Pistons still had a good chance of winning. Jwan Howard sent another baseline pass, this time caught by LeBron James. LeBron James looked at Zhou Yi and slowly dribbled across half-court. After crossing half-court, Zhou Yi switched defenses with Andre Iguodala, who took on LeBron James. LeBron James drove with the ball and then took a quick stop-and-shoot, scoring again. Andre Iguodala shook his head in frustration—he had done his best but still couldn’t stop him. “It’s okay, just did your best,” McGrady said, patting Andre Iguodala’s shoulder. McGrady dribbled across half-court, but Dwyane Wade wasn’t defending there; he was standing at the three-point line, waiting for McGrady. “If you can shoot from that distance, then I’ll just accept it!” Dwyane Wade thought.

Maddie didn’t play alone; instead, he drove to the basket and passed to Zhou Yi. With Greg Monroe providing coverage, Zhou Yi found an open spot. Just then, Maddie passed the ball to him. Zhou Yi caught it and immediately jumped to shoot, and the ball somehow went in. Though it wasn’t a smooth shot, it was still a good shot.
100:104, still 4 points behind!
Dwyane Wade dribbled four times in a row outside the three-point line before suddenly shooting the ball.
“Thud” — a miss echoed across the Auburn Hills Palace court. Greg Monroe used his strong physique to push aside several big men and secure the rebound.
Zhou Yi drove with the ball, heading straight toward Mike Bibby’s right side. Despite Bibby doing his best, he didn’t expect the opponent to drive so quickly. In just one play, he was left behind.
Fortunately, Bibby was still sharp enough to see Dwyane Wade moving to help defend Zhou Yi, so he quickly went to assist Wade in guarding Maddie.
As Bibby predicted, Zhou Yi, realizing there was no chance to attack, passed the ball to Maddie. Thankfully, he had the foresight to come help defend Maddie; otherwise, Maddie would have had another open shot and easily scored again.
But Maddie’s physical strength and experience meant it wasn’t easy to defend him. Maddie used continuous crossover steps and fake moves, gradually confusing Bibby. Then, he jumped and shot over Bibby’s head.
Fortunately for Bibby, Maddie’s jump shot missed. However, the Pistons secured the offensive rebound. Samuel Dalembert added a layup.
102:104, 2 points apart — only 2 points behind. Heat head coach Eric Spoelstra could no longer sit still and called a timeout.
After the timeout, the Pistons’ Andre Iguodala was replaced by James Posey, the Heat’s Joel Anthony was replaced by Big Z, and Mike Bibby was replaced by Mike Miller.
The Heat’s lineup change was somewhat unfair, as they assigned LeBron James to the point guard role, meaning Zhou Yi would be directly matched up against LeBron James, which was not advantageous for Zhou Yi.
But the Pistons had no choice but to keep playing tough.

LeBron James broke through toward the basket with Zhou Yi right behind him. Zhou Yi was no match for LeBron James in terms of strength, so LeBron easily pushed past him to the basket and completed a layup to score.
102:106—the score gap was back to 4 points!
Zhou Yi was extremely frustrated, as was the entire Pistons team.
“Zhou, I can also play as an offensive guard. I’ll defend LeBron; it’s up to you to handle Dwyane,” McGrady said, patting Zhou Yi’s shoulder.
“Hmm, that’s the only option,” Zhou Yi replied.
Next, McGrady faced LeBron James, while Zhou Yi faced Dwyane Wade. Zhou Yi organized the offense, but it was LeBron James who defended him. Zhou Yi accelerated and tried to break through LeBron James.
Despite being very strong, LeBron James wasn’t slow at all. Though he couldn’t keep up with Zhou Yi’s speed, he could barely follow.
Suddenly, taking advantage of Zhou Yi’s distraction, LeBron reached out and stole the ball. It was stolen, but it went out of bounds—LeBron’s effort was in vain.
The Pistons continued their attack. Zhou Yi drove with the ball and organized the offense. Just as LeBron James happily chased after Zhou Yi, he suddenly collided with a solid figure. Looking up, it was Greg Monroe. Glancing around, Zhou Yi had already run away.
LeBron James quickly shook off Greg Monroe and rushed after Zhou Yi.
As Greg Monroe set up a pick-and-roll with Zhou Yi, he also drew Jwan Howard into the play. After completing the pick-and-roll, Greg Monroe quickly rushed back to the basket—this was a tactic they often used together.
Sure enough, as he rushed back to the basket, Zhou Yi passed the ball. Although Jwan Howard realized Greg Monroe’s trick and tried his best to defend, his age meant he couldn’t keep up. So he could only watch helplessly as Greg Monroe completed this offensive play.
After catching the ball, Greg Monroe leaped high and scored a dunk.
“Great!” Cheers erupted from the Pistons’ bench, especially from Will Bynum.
The Pistons narrowed the score gap to 2 points again, with only 2:40 left in the game.
Those final 2:40 were the real decisive moment.
LeBron James drove with the ball and then passed it to big Z inside the paint.

Dae-Z used Samuel Dalembert as a screen to suddenly attempt a hook shot, but it missed. Jwan Howard grabbed the offensive rebound and passed the ball back to LeBron James once again.
LeBron James slowly adjusted his pace, dribbling the ball while observing the situation on the court. When 10 seconds remained out of the 24-second clock, he suddenly spun around. McGrady didn’t have time to react before seeing LeBron backpedal and shoot. Fortunately for McGrady, LeBron’s form was off that day, and the ball hit straight at the back of the rim.
“Good thing it didn’t go in,” McGrady said, still shaken after seeing the shot miss and Zhou Yi grab the rebound.
“Hmph, you won’t be so lucky next time!” LeBron James snapped coldly at McGrady before quickly returning to defend his own half.
Zhou Yi rushed forward like an arrow released from a bow.
Although James Posey was older, his awareness and experience were excellent. The moment he saw Zhou Yi grab the rebound, he rushed full speed toward the Heat’s half. By the time Zhou Yi reached the front court, he was already lurking just outside the three-point line in the opposing corner.
“James,” Zhou Yi called out before passing the ball accurately to James Posey.
At that moment, James Posey was completely open, with Jwan Howard, the closest player to him, too slow to block his shot.
James Posey took a deep breath, adjusted his rhythm, and shot from three points.
Though it wasn’t the shot that would decide the game, almost everyone held their breath, staring intently at it.
“Bang bang bang bang”—the basketball bounced back and forth inside the rim before falling out reluctantly.
The three-point shot went in!
“Wow, wow… That was amazing, absolutely amazing…” Will Bynum started dancing, drawing laughter from his teammates.
The entire arena was in uproar!!!
The Pistons took a 1-point lead, with the score now 107:106!
Neither team called a timeout, and the game continued.
LeBron James continued to orchestrate the Heat’s offense. After half a court pass, he began driving to the basket. Under McGrady’s close defense, he didn’t dare attack recklessly, so he passed the ball to Dwyane Wade and started moving around.
Dwyane Wade gave it his all. Using his strong physique and top-tier explosiveness, he finally broke free from Zhou Yi’s clingy defense. After breaking through, he scored with a jump shot.

The fans exclaimed in awe, cheering for Dwyane Wade’s performance. After scoring 2 points, Dwyane Wade’s chest rose and fell rapidly as he gasped for breath—clearly such aggressive attacks drained too much of his energy and couldn’t be sustained. Zhou Yi coordinated the offense, weaving through the crowd in search of the best shooting opportunity. The Pistons players also moved actively, trying to deliver a decisive blow to the Heat. “James, get the ball,” Zhou Yi said, quickly passing the ball to James Posey, who had once again found an open spot. However, this time James Posey didn’t have much of a chance, as Mike Miller was already close by; even if he shot right away after catching the ball, he would surely be disturbed by Miller. But an experienced player is still an experienced player—especially one with championship experience who can deliver a fatal blow at critical moments. After catching the ball, James Posey, as before, glanced at the basket, adjusted his rhythm, and prepared to shoot a three-pointer. Just as he raised the ball above his head, Mike Miller lunged at him. “Heh, that’s exactly what I was waiting for you to do,” James Posey sneered. “Mike, you fell for it,” Dwyane Wade said immediately upon seeing that James Posey hadn’t jumped, realizing it was a feint. Since James Posey had once been his teammate, he knew his playing style well, which is why he shouted at Mike Miller. But reality is cruel. As Mike Miller leaped at him, James Posey quickly darted to the other side, adjusted slightly, and shot the three-pointer. True guts—absolute guts, because James Posey’s three-pointer went in again! Again! The Pistons’ bench erupted in celebration, with players hugging each other, while John Kuester also clenched his fists in excitement. If they won this tough match, the Pistons’ morale would surely soar even higher, and their reputation would grow even stronger. 110:108, the Pistons led by 2 points! With 1 minute and 15 seconds left in the game, just as LeBron James received the inbound pass from Mike Miller, the Heat’s coach Eric Spoelstra called the team’s second-to-last timeout. After the short 20-second timeout, both teams returned to the court.

The Heat’s lineup remained unchanged, but the Pistons made adjustments that puzzled many, as John Kuester replaced James Posey, who had just hit two three-pointers, with Andre Iguodala.
The game continued with the Heat’s offense. After LeBron James broke through to the paint, he passed to D-Wade, but just as D-Wade reached for the ball, a large yellow-skinned hand snatched it away before he could touch it. Another steal—this was Zhou Yi’s fourth steal of the game.
After the steal, Zhou Yi took off at full speed. Even LeBron James, who had started first, could only follow behind him. Zhou Yi rushed to the Heat’s basket and completed the fast break with a straightforward layup.
112:108—the Pistons led by 4 points. With 51 seconds left in the fourth quarter, true clock time had begun.
“That’s it! That’s it!” John Kuester jumped up excitedly from the bench, ignoring his image, waving his fists continuously.
Eric Spolstra, on the other hand, wasn’t in such a mood. He called a timeout, their last one of the game.
“Do you want Detroit to take the win on our home court? Do you want that yellow-skinned kid to beat us alone?” Eric Spolstra asked his players, frowning tightly.
“We absolutely cannot lose, understand?” Eric Spolstra picked up his playboard. There were no tactics written on it—just one sentence. For these players, writing down tactics would restrict their freedom of play, which he didn’t want to see.
20 seconds was a very short time. By the time the Heat players returned to the court, Zhou Yi and the others were already inside.
With a whistle, the game resumed.
Mike Miller sent in a corner shot, and Dwyane Wade caught it. Facing Zhou Yi, Dwyane Wade rushed toward Zhou Yi’s right side with all his might as soon as he got the ball. Naturally, Zhou Yi wouldn’t let him pass by as easily as last time; he stayed close to Dwyane Wade, preventing him from scoring easily.
The Heat’s interior play was already weak, and now, without Chris Bosh, it was even weaker. So, relying on the interior was basically pointless. To win the game, they still had to depend on their outside players.

Zhou Yi’s defense worked effectively; Dwyane Wade didn’t dare to charge recklessly, as if Zhou Yi caused him an offensive foul at that moment, it would be too costly. Fortunately, the Heat had more than just him as a main offensive player—there was also LeBron James. Dwyane Wade began looking for LeBron James, who happened to be already cutting toward the basket. Dwyane Wade promptly passed the ball to LeBron James with a ground pass. After catching the ball, LeBron James immediately dunked to score 2 points. After receiving the ball at the baseline, Zhou Yi rushed straight toward the Heat’s half-court. Along the way, LeBron James kept interfering with Zhou Yi’s dribbling, forcing him to make mistakes. But Zhou Yi had extremely skilled ball-handling skills; despite being under pressure, he still 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 Andre Iguodala to easily get into an open position. Seeing Andre Iguodala in an open spot, McGrady immediately passed the ball to him. After catching the ball, Andre Iguodala shot right away, but the ball missed despite no one guarding it. What worried the Pistons even more was that LeBron James grabbed the defensive rebound. At this point, only 31 seconds remained until the end of the game. If the Heat scored a three-point shot during this offensive drive and used up most of the time, their chances of winning would be very high. Even if it wasn’t a three-point shot but just a two-point shot, they still had a chance to go into overtime and win in overtime. Thinking of this, the Heat fans immediately felt hopeful. The Heat no longer had timeouts, and the Pistons only had one left, so neither side called a timeout. “Defend your man well!” Zhou Yi said to his teammates while staring at LeBron James. After saying that, his eyes flashed with intensity, fixed on LeBron James, who was dribbling toward the Pistons’ half-court. Chapter 408: Eastern Conference Finals, Duel of Two Guns Against Three Giants (4) “Bastards, I must defeat you this time,” LeBron James thought as he looked at Zhou Yi ahead of him. LeBron James dribbled across half-court and slowly tried to waste time, seemingly aiming to complete an attack just before the 24-second clock ran out. “Trying to waste time?” Zhou Yi frowned.

With 10 seconds left in the 24-second period, LeBron James moved. He suddenly accelerated and charged toward the basket. At that moment, LeBron was giving it his all, so despite McGrady doing his best as well, he couldn’t stop LeBron from reaching the basket. Greg Monroe and Samuel Dalembert were already prepared to defend both LeBron and the inside player. But just as everyone thought LeBron was about to attack the basket, he passed the ball. The receiver was Dwyane Wade, who was lurking just beyond the three-point line—the Heat wanted to win it with a three-pointer. Zhou Yi was right in front of Dwyane Wade, but after catching the ball, Dwyane Wade immediately jumped to shoot a three. Zhou Yi rushed at him, but it was still too late. Although he failed to block Dwyane Wade’s shot, he still disrupted him. Due to inertia, Zhou Yi still bumped into Dwyane Wade in mid-air, but it wasn’t a foul. Dwyane Wade lost his direction and balance, then fell to the ground—already preparing to protect himself! With a loud thud, Dwyane Wade crashed to the court, while Zhou Yi wasn’t hurt at all. But no one paid attention to that; they were focused on that three-pointer, including Zhou Yi and Dwyane Wade, who was already on the ground. The entire O’Brien Center was eerily quiet—so quiet that people could hear their own breathing. Under everyone’s gaze, that three-pointer floated toward the basket, bounced three times around the rim, and then fell in reluctantly. The moment the ball went in, the home crowd instantly became disheartened. The Heat players cheered, and even head coach Erik Spoelstra cheered. “Damn it, absolute bullshit…” The home crowd booed Dwyane Wade. “Nice!” After watching the shot, LeBron James waved his fist and quickly ran over to Dwyane Wade to help him up. “Are you okay?” LeBron asked concernfully. “I’m fine, haha,” Dwyane Wade replied with a smile after moving around a bit. “Did we win?” Dwyane Wade asked.

“Not yet. There are 7.6 seconds left in the game, we’re only up by 1 point, and they’ve called a timeout. We need to defend well in these next 6.6 seconds,” said LeBron James cautiously.
Upon hearing LeBron James’s words, Dwyane Wade nodded.
The Heat’s fans were extremely intense, their cheers drowning out the boos from the home crowd.
Seeing the arrogance of the Heat fans around them, the home crowd began insulting them, and soon fights broke out in several areas of the arena, but they were quickly brought under control by the security personnel maintaining order.
“Guys, Dwyane’s shot wasn’t the game-winning shot. Game-winning? Ridiculous. We’re going to come back and win it. Guys, the Heat’s weakest side is their interior players, and we’ve been doing well from outside before, so they definitely don’t know whether we’ll attack from outside or inside. So, let’s catch them off guard. Of course, they’ll probably assume we’re more likely to score 2 points since we’re only up by 1, which would be easier, but we want to create that illusion so they can’t tell whether we’re going for 2 or 3 points. So…” John Kuester paused for a moment, then turned to Zhou Yi and said, “So, Zhou, in these next 7.6 seconds, you’re crucial. You need to create scoring opportunities for everyone. Of course, if you get a chance, you can go for it yourself. 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 Mike Miller in front of him, ready to disrupt his shot.
Zhou Yi kept moving through the crowd until he found an open space, where he caught Iguodala’s pass.
“Roar!” Zhou Yi growled, using all his strength to maximize his speed and break through LeBron James.
But LeBron James stuck closely to Zhou Yi, leaving no chance for him. Zhou Yi pulled back sharply and then used a crossover to get past LeBron James from the right side.
LeBron James was left behind by Zhou Yi!
After getting rid of LeBron James, Zhou Yi headed straight toward the basket, forcing Juwan Howard, who was on the interior, to divert his attention to defend against him.

But Zhu Wan Howard was already tightly held back by Greg Monroe, so by the time Zhou Yi rushed to the paint, he was essentially in an open space.
“Zhou, there’s no time left,” John Kuster shouted at Zhou Yi.
Zhou Yi naturally heard John Kuster’s call, and he had already calculated the timing; when he reached the paint, he stopped.
With a sudden stop and a jump shot, Zhou Yi released the ball. At that moment, the whistle signaling the end of the game sounded.
Everyone held their breath once again, watching this shot more intently than before, for it would determine the outcome of the game.
If it went in, the Pistons would win on the road; otherwise, the Heat would claim a home victory.
At that moment, time seemed to slow down!
The basketball wasn’t far from the basket, but the time it took to fly seemed extremely long to everyone.
“Thud…”
The soft sound, along with the bouncing ball, plunged the hearts of all Pistons fans and players to rock bottom, because the ball didn’t go in.
The Pistons lost!
“Yay~~~” The entire Heat team erupted in cheers of relief, hugging each other, shouting, going wild, because they had secured the final victory!
“How is this possible…” Zhou Yi knelt on the ground helplessly, resting his hands on the floor, staring blankly at it for a long, long time.
All the Pistons fans in the arena stood up and quietly left the court, many of them shedding tears of sadness and regret.
Yu Jia sighed softly and said in a helpless and regretful tone, “Ladies and gentlemen, the game is over now. Thank you for watching. Goodbye…”
Inside the Auburn Hills Palace, the silence of the Pistons and the celebration of the Heat formed a stark contrast, with the arena filled with a mix of lively and gloomy atmospheres.
McDyess walked over to Zhou Yi, knelt down on one knee, and said calmly, “Zhou, don’t be sad. We’re not done yet!”
Zhou Yi looked up at McDyess, then lowered his head again. “Yes, we’re not done yet. But I’m sorry, I’m sorry. If only I…”
“Enough!” McDyess wrapped his right arm around Zhou Yi’s neck. “Stop talking. It’s really enough. We just need to win the next few games. Come on, let’s go back.”
After hearing McDyess’s words, Zhou Yi gritted his teeth and murmured, “Yes…”
……

After losing to the Heat by just 1 point at home, the Pistons boarded a flight for Miami. On May 29th, it was drizzling in Miami, but outside AmericanAirlines Center, there was a huge crowd. Staff refused fans entry early on, and the arena was already packed over an hour before the game started. Many fans who had managed to get tickets from scalpers were left outside, but fortunately, there were three large screens outside the arena showing the game live. The atmosphere in the Pistons’ locker room was unusually calm, without the tension typical before a big game. John Kuester was very satisfied with his players’ performance—especially important is maintaining a steady mindset at critical moments; even a player with 100% ability can only perform at 60-70% if they’re anxious. After going through numerous trials, the Pistons had clearly grown into a true strong team. The atmosphere at AmericanAirlines Center that day was complex. The once dominant Heat supporters were no longer in control, while Pistons fans scattered throughout the arena inspired everyone with their enthusiasm. Many of them had traveled long distances to Miami, hoping to be witnesses to their team’s pivotal moment. Countless media outlets sent strong photography teams to cover the event, and staff in the broadcast area began their intense pre-game preparations, gathering recent internal materials and constantly communicating with colleagues from other countries. The lights in the arena went out suddenly, and all fans knew an exciting moment was about to arrive. The Heat players naturally drew huge cheers from the crowd, but when it was the Pistons’ turn to enter, the cheers were mixed with more boos. When Zhou Yi stepped onto the court, the cheers reached their peak, unmatched by any other Pistons player. What truly moved Zhou Yi, however, was the group of fans in the southeast corner. When the on-site DJ introduced him, hundreds of fans in that corner stood up together. Their bright No. 37 jerseys, glowing glow sticks, and shining red stars on their chests gave Zhou Yi a sense of warmth. He had always had support from fellow Chinese in his previous games, but this was the first time he had such a large number of them. Zhou Yi knew there weren’t many Chinese people in Miami, so it was clear that many of these fans had come from all over the United States.

Greg Monroe said with envy, “Zhou, you’re really lucky to have such a group of loyal Earth fans.” At this moment, Zhou Yi was extremely excited; he nodded repeatedly and said emotionally, “Yeah, I think so too. Maybe China’s basketball level is still a long way from the world’s top tier, but we have the most adorable fans in the world. No matter when, they are always the greatest motivation for the players. Greg, you know, these fans here are just a small part. I can tell you that there are at least tens of millions of Chinese fans watching the games live via the Internet and TV.” Greg Monroe was left stunned, while Zhou Yi went on to do some warm-up exercises. At 8:30, the third match between the two teams officially began. Clyde Drexler and Kenny Smith served as the commentators for this game. “Kenny, what’s your opinion on this match?” Clyde Drexler asked Kenny Smith first. “It’s a clash between two top teams from the East. In the first two games, each team used their unique strategies—Heat’s trio and Pistons’ twin shooting guards dominated the entire series. But I think if that kid performs well, the Pistons have a better chance, hehe,” Kenny Smith said with a smile. Greg Monroe’s bounce pass once again overwhelmed Chris Bosh. John Kuester has always been very satisfied with Greg Monroe’s bounce passes. Zhou Yi stepped forward to catch the ball, while Dwyane Wade passed by him, almost ruining the play again. Top players like these always find opportunities when their opponents are off guard. With rapid ball handling sounds, Zhou Yi bent his upper body slightly, showing no intention of stopping even beyond the three-point line. LeBron James naturally wouldn’t let him succeed easily; two consecutive matches had given him valuable insights into dealing with Zhou Yi’s defense. But the more so, the more careful he had to be. With his super-skilled ball handling, the ball almost became part of his body. His amazing physical fitness—combining speed, explosive power, and agility—allowed him to start moving instantly and perform extraordinary moves in positions beyond the reach of defenders. Coupled with his almost invincible speed in the league, even the slightest gap could be turned into an opportunity for him to strike.

“Snap” — a quick step to change the ball, with his right foot suddenly pulled back, his entire body rotating 90 degrees on the spot. LeBron James didn’t dare slacken in his movements; before he could steady himself, he quickly stepped to the side. Though a bit unsteady, he managed to catch up.
“The screeching sound of his sneakers on the ground” made LeBron James feel helpless. Even though he had done his best, Zhou Yi turned 180 degrees in the opposite direction. His right foot stepped out swiftly, and as his body rushed forward, his left arm seemed to accidentally bump into LeBron James, causing the already off-balance LeBron to sit down on the floor.
Before his teammates could come to his aid, Zhou Yi decisively jumped and shot.
“Swish” — the ball went through the net. 2-0, the Pistons took the lead.
“Oh, that damn ‘crab’ got knocked down, haha…”
“Damn it, who do you call a ‘crab’? Do you want to die?”
“Who’s the ‘crab’? Only they know. Zhou, knock them down…”
……
After knocking down LeBron James, the crowd erupted, and fans from both teams started arguing.
The Heat’s offense remained patient. In the previous two games, they had tried to suppress the Pistons’ offense, but to no avail, even losing their usual rhythm. Perhaps the Heat were indeed the most well-rounded team in the league, but when it came to switching to a fast-paced offense, they were clearly no match for the Pistons.
In terms of their five starting players, the Pistons were clearly superior, especially in terms of offensive power. Their four starters averaged an astonishing 77.1 points per game in the regular season.
Using his teammates’ screen plays, LeBron James quickly penetrated the paint and launched a quick stop-and-shoot, with the ball firmly going through the net.
Zhou Yi continued to push forward, constantly being pursued by LeBron James, who was forced to retreat to his own half. He had no choice but to make such foolish moves — Zhou Yi’s speed had left him exhausted. Over the two games, none of his teammates had been able to truly contain Zhou Yi, who averaged 32.5 points per game and remained the top scorer of the entire series.

Many people can’t understand why, after entering the playoffs, Zhou Yi seemed to become a completely different person, with his scoring soaring to unprecedented levels. In the earlier series, Zhou Yi’s assists were around 10.3 per game, second only to Nash in playoff statistics. But by the Eastern Conference Finals, his average assists dropped to just 9 per game. The current Zhou Yi seems to bear some resemblance to Allen Iverson—with terrifying speed, ghostly dribbling moves, and scoring that seems effortless. However, Zhou Yi is clearly more threatening than Iverson, boasting a defense on a completely different level, along with extremely stable shooting. For a guard, a 50% shooting percentage is already quite remarkable, yet even under the Heat’s intense defense, his shooting accuracy remained at 54.4%. The Pistons scored the first seven points through Zhou Yi. Over more than a dozen playoff games, the Pistons’ lineup had become highly coordinated, with strong defense during transitions. “Ding” — Zhou Yi drew a foul from Chris Bosh inside the three-second line. At that point, the score was 7:5, and the game had only been going for two minutes. He gently moved his wrist; it seemed his left hand was slightly sprained. Disappointed by this, Zhou Yi realized that, unlike most players, he was equally skilled with both hands, especially when driving to the basket—thanks to the coordination between them, he could perform so perfectly. “Bang” — the sound of the rebound echoed loudly in the massive American Airlines Center. Zhou Yi was always regarded as the most consistent free-throw shooter in the league, with missed free throws being rare even once or twice a month. Especially after the start of the playoffs, he made all of his over 100 free throws without missing a single one, even surprising the Heat fans. Frustrated, he tapped his head and quickly focused to make the second free throw successfully. There’s no need to overreact to Zhou Yi’s first missed free throw—everyone has off days. In comparison, his performance at the free-throw line has always been exceptional, so this miss was likely just an accident. Back in the studio across the ocean, everyone also breathed a sigh of relief. In all the regular-season games broadcasted featuring the Pistons, Zhou Yi had hardly missed a single free-throw opportunity.

Waving at his teammates, Zhou Yi quickly returned to defense. He even felt a hint of satisfaction over his earlier free-throw mistake—his free-throw myth in the playoffs had actually been a source of pressure for him. Every time he stepped to the line, he couldn’t maintain the calm mindset he had during games. He kept reminding himself, and the prolonged pressure was undoubtedly a heavy burden for Zhou Yi.

LeBron James and Dwyane Wade moved aside, trapping Andre Iguodala behind them.

“Squeak”—Zhou Yi’s sudden appearance halted Iguodala’s offensive move. Had it not been for Iguodala’s agility, Zhou Yi might have intercepted the pass right away.

Amid the cheers of the Heat fans, LeBron James finally took action. In the two encounters, he had barely gained any advantage over Andre Iguodala. Iguodala’s fierce defense had left very little room for LeBron to operate, at least compared to the previous rounds.

With stats of 18.9 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 6.1 assists, LeBron James faced skepticism from Miami’s media.

He retreated like a ghost, taking one step back. Just as Zhou Yi caught up, he rushed forward even faster.

Such a sudden change caught Zhou Yi off guard as well. He tried to block with his left hand, but LeBron James feinted and broke through from the baseline toward the basket.

Using Chris Bosh as a screen, LeBron James leaped up from under the basket and managed to throw the ball out from the tight space.

“Thwack”—just as the ball seemed about to go through the net, a dark hand appeared above it, swatting the ball away. At that critical moment, Greg Monroe’s block saved the Pistons.

Zhou Yi caught the flying ball. The orange ball traveled across most of the court, leading to a fast break finished with McGrady’s dunk.

10:5—five points apart—spurred Eric Spolstra to make a decisive call for a timeout.

All his pre-game instructions were forgotten the moment the players stepped onto the court.

The pace of the game gradually shifted back in favor of the Pistons. LeBron James’s performance was truly disappointing; he had fallen far short of his usual level in the series and couldn’t control the team’s offensive rhythm at all.

After the timeout, Dwyane Wade’s control of the ball revitalized the Heat’s offense. The backcourt duo took turns attacking, taking control of the game’s pace. By the end of the first quarter, the Heat had taken the lead with a score of 31:28.

Soon, the second quarter began.
“Swish,” McGrady scored a three from the baseline.
“Swish,” Dwyane Wade scored with a layup.
“Swish,” Zhou Yi hit a three from the right side.
“Swish,” LeBron James scored with a stop-and-shoot, forcing a defensive foul on Andre Iguodala.