Chapter 179

At the start of the third quarter, Zhou Yi was seen charging inside with the ball, but unfortunately, LeBron James was like a persistent pest, along with Dwyane Wade watching closely from the side, leaving Zhou Yi seemingly trapped between them.
With a “snap,” Zhou Yi spun 180 degrees in place, but the ball dropped sharply downward. The intense force caused it to bounce rapidly off the floor and fly right through the gap between the two defenders.
A figure appeared lightly on the ball’s flight path.
Andre Iguodala caught the ball and shot decisively.
67-63—the Pistons narrowed the score to four points.
LeBron James passed the ball incorrectly, and Zhou Yi intercepted it before quickly penetrating into the Heat’s half-court.
Madison and Zhou Yi had a great chemistry, but Dwyane Wade clearly didn’t want to give him any chances.
After studying over a dozen Pistons playoff games, Eric Spolstra noticed that Zhou Yi was excellent at taking advantage of opponents’ mistakes to launch fast breaks and had a keen sense of timing.
Madison was the one who coordinated best with him, accounting for over 70% of the successful fast breaks, so Spolstra kept that in mind when planning tactics for the third quarter.
Dwyane Wade was superior to Madison in both stamina and speed, so using him to disrupt the partnership between Madison and Zhou Yi was the best choice.
As Zhou Yi neared the free-throw line, Dwyane Wade reluctantly abandoned Madison and rushed to confront Zhou Yi. Madison’s threat couldn’t be underestimated, and Zhou Yi couldn’t afford any carelessness. Dwyane Wade truly admired this player, who was nearly a decade younger than him.
From the first day he joined the league, Zhou Yi seemed to emit a dazzling brilliance. American fans had always believed that “The Little Emperor” James was the future of American basketball. But compared to Zhou Yi, the Cavaliers, despite having James, failed to make the playoffs in the first two seasons.
With a “screech,” Zhou Yi suddenly stopped mid-motion at high speed, his feet not moving at all. His upper body leaned slightly forward, and he twisted his waist forcefully to slip past Dwyane Wade.
That instant stop allowed LeBron James to catch up in time. With Zhou Yi’s earlier movement, if LeBron James had tried to cut him off from the right, it would have been very difficult for Zhou Yi to keep the ball. But he didn’t do that; instead, Zhou Yi decisively squeezed past.

Zhou Yi was overjoyed. His left toe touched the ground, and his elbow firmly locked onto Dwyane Wade—everything told him his breakthrough had succeeded. Unfortunately, he didn’t have X-ray vision. With his center of gravity slightly lowered, he couldn’t see what was behind Dwyane Wade. He quickly stepped forward with his right foot; where there had only been Dwyane Wade under the basket moments ago, there was now nothing but open space. His foot finally felt solid ground beneath it, yet he didn’t sense any sense of stability. The immense inertia prevented him from making any other moves. His keen sense of smell warned him of danger. As his body tilted, he tried desperately to pull back, but his entire body fell even faster. In his current position and posture, if he fell to the ground, things would likely turn out very badly. Many female fans had already covered their eyes, unable to bear to watch the tragedy unfold. Just as disaster seemed inevitable, a pair of dark, strong hands grabbed Zhou Yi’s shoulders the moment he was about to fall. “Phew,” almost all the fans in the arena let out a deep sigh as their anxious hearts were finally relieved. With a swish, Zhou Yi’s layup succeeded, giving the Pistons a 90–88 lead over the Heat at the end of the third quarter. Zhou Yi scored 15 points in that quarter, repeatedly breaking through the Heat’s interior defense and throwing their defense into chaos. … Eric Spolstra reluctantly called a timeout. With only 1:30 left in the game, Zhou Yi’s three-pointer put the Pistons up 106–104. In the fourth quarter, defense became the main theme of the game. Both teams’ shooting percentages dropped significantly. Even Zhou Yi, under intense pressure from his opponents, managed only one successful shot out of three attempts. John Kuester’s expression turned very serious. In fact, he had already been worried. By this point in the game, both teams had used up all their strategies, and their stamina was nearly exhausted. What remained was perhaps a mental battle, with determination to win deciding the ultimate winner. His limbs were stiff, his body trembling, and his head foggy. Even the massages from the staff couldn’t relieve his physical fatigue. He simply sat slumped in his seat, unwilling to move.

“A high-quality game, with both teams giving it their all. What will now determine the outcome is their will and determination to win. In the last round against the Chicago Bulls, Zhou Yi showed us he has a great heart; he remains the most reliable player for the Pistons,” Kenny Smith has always spoken highly of Zhou Yi.

The Heat made adjustments to their lineup, with the five players on the court being center Joel Anthony, power forward Chris Bosh, small forward LeBron James, shooting guard Dwyane Wade, and point guard Mike Bibby.

The Pistons still relied on their starting lineup. Undoubtedly, with the Pistons’ current lineup, the only slight regret is McGrady at the scoring position—his scoring talent cannot hide his defensive weaknesses. As the game progresses, defense is key. But when John Kuester thinks about his bench, who can replace him? Ben Gordon? Jody Meeks?

Starting with the Heat’s offense, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade used their speed to dash across the Pistons’ half-court, confusing the Pistons’ defenders. Yet they didn’t dare slack off either. To maintain their slim advantage, the Pistons showed unprecedented determination in defense. Normally, their key players have played at least 25 minutes each, showing signs of fatigue, but their defensive movements seemed unaffected. LeBron James and Dwyane Wade kept rushing to the basket, setting up screens and moving around each other, but Zhou Yi and Andre Iguodala were like their shadows, always there in time.

As time passed, LeBron James had no choice but to quickly pass the ball to Chris Bosh at the front court. Unfortunately, Chris Bosh was only near the free-throw line at that point, so his offensive power was limited. He kept charging toward the basket, but Greg Monroe naturally wouldn’t give him a chance. With his right elbow firmly pressed against Chris Bosh’s ribs, Monroe used his extensive experience to sense changes in Chris Bosh’s body and his movement direction, countering his feints time and time again.

Big drops of sweat fell from Chris Bosh’s forehead onto the floor. He appeared very anxious, his eyes darting around restlessly.

Dwyane Wade used Chris Bosh’s screen to quickly cut inside from his side. Delighted, Bosh tossed the ball lightly behind Greg Monroe. Dwyane Wade, who had entered the three-second zone, caught the ball just in time. Facing Samuel Dalembert’s defense at the basket, he spun in mid-air to evade the defender and scored with a layup.

“Bleep,” the referee’s whistle suddenly sounded. Everyone was puzzled by this call—Dwyane Wade’s move had seemed effortless, with no apparent contact with Samuel Dalembert. Ignoring the confused looks around him, the referee signaled that Samuel Dalembert had violated the three-second rule. The three referees enforcing the rules in the Eastern Conference finals were extremely strict, ensuring no obvious flaws in their decisions.

Reviewing the footage, it was indeed true that when Dwyane Wade rushed to the basket, Samuel Dalembert had already stepped into the three-second zone, and he didn’t take another step until Dwyane Wade released the ball. The score was counted, and a free throw was added—resulting in a 2+1 score that left the Pistons’ fans extremely frustrated.

Dwyane Wade’s successful free throw made matters worse. With 1 minute and 15 seconds left in the game, the Heat took the lead again thanks to the free throw. At this point, both teams had only one timeout left. John Kuester valued this timeout greatly, as his five players on the court were his greatest hope. Eric Spoelstra naturally wouldn’t give the Pistons an easy timeout at this stage.

Zhou Yi quickly took control of the ball and appeared outside the three-point line, instantly tightening the Heat players’ nerves.

Generally, after two games of facing each other, defensive players would have a good understanding of their opponents, making defense easier over time. But with Zhou Yi, it was the opposite. LeBron James’ defensive impact on him was decreasing, forcing Eric Spoelstra to use three outside players to guard him in rotation, often employing a double-team strategy most of the time. Yet this seemed to spur his performance—accurate shots and clever passes repeatedly humiliated the Heat’s proud defense.

Thirty-six points is Zhou Yi’s score so far. Against such a dangerous player, the Heat naturally couldn’t let him roam free in their half of the court. Aside from Dwyane Wade, who kept interfering in front of him, LeBron James quickly joined in, surrounding Zhou Yi. There was only a narrow gap in the middle—so narrow that Zhou Yi couldn’t even get through it. Even if he managed to squeeze past the two, Mike Bibby, who was waiting on the other side, would immediately appear in front of him.

“Greg!” Zhou Yi suddenly jumped higher, shouting angrily, which shocked the Heat’s defenders.

Seizing the moment when the two were distracted, Zhou Yi managed to stabilize his upward momentum and suddenly dropped down, unleashing all his strength to force his way through the gap between them.

The tremendous force forced the two defenders to take several steps back involuntarily. Zhou Yi stepped forward quickly, passing through between them, then leaped into the air, flying a considerable distance before smoothly shooting the ball.

“Swish.” The ball landed firmly in the basket, and the crisp sound silenced the entire American Airlines Center.

Chapter 409: Eastern Conference Finals, Duel of Two Shooters Against Three Giants (5)

With 46 seconds left, the Pistons regained the lead at 108:107.

Throughout the fourth quarter, the Pistons had employed a half-court man-to-man defense. Zhou Yi’s sudden decision to switch to a full-court coverage caught LeBron James off guard. Just as it seemed he was about to break through, Zhou Yi quickly slipped past him, taking the ball with him.

LeBron James couldn’t defend in time. Samuel Dalembert, who was already in the half-court area, had caught Zhou Yi’s pass and quickly stepped forward, easily jumping outside the three-second line before dunking the ball.

With a three-point lead at 110:107, Eric Spolstra finally couldn’t stay calm and called a timeout.

When play resumed, fans at the American Airlines Center stood up one after another, cheering loudly for their team, hoping their hero would create another miracle.

Under Zhou Yi’s full-court pressure, the Heat struggled to get past half-court for nearly eight seconds. LeBron James quickly passed the ball, but Zhou Yi’s intensified defense made him feel suffocated. Once the ball was passed, he felt relieved.

After catching the ball, Dwyane Wade rushed toward the paint. Under his pressure, the Pistons’ defense kept retreating inward.

“Swish.” Dwyane Wade’s forced layup was stunning—his graceful and dominant move, combined with a twist in mid-air, allowed him to completely evade Greg Monroe’s defense. Just as the ball seemed about to go through the hoop, a pale hand suddenly appeared on the right side, swatting the ball away fiercely. “Zhou…” The Pistons’ fans immediately cheered. At that critical moment, Zhou Yi’s block proved decisive. Dwyane Wade’s layup route was highly concealed, but Zhou Yi keenly noticed that Greg Monroe was occupied by Chris Bosh, limiting his movement and restricting his defensive options. Dwyane Wade was excellent at driving to the basket with Chris Bosh providing cover, but Zhou Yi’s timely intervention saved his team. The ball hit the ground and was picked up by Chris Bosh. Zhou Yi, who had just landed, quickly embraced him without hesitation. With 27 seconds left in the game, Chris Bosh was sent to the free-throw line. Although the Pistons’ fans made up less than one-third of the crowd, their loud cheers made the Air Canada Center feel like theirs. Chris Bosh’s first shot missed, further exciting the Pistons’ fans. Standing at the free-throw line, wiping sweat constantly, Chris Bosh lost his usual composure; his scattered gaze clearly showed his anxiety. Under the referee’s repeated urging, Chris Bosh finally took his shot. “Thud”—the hoop rejected his attempt again, and the entire Air Canada Center fell into silence. The rebounded ball flew out of the basket, landing in the hands of a Heat player. Eddie House! One of the league’s outstanding clutch players, with 24 seconds left in the game, the ball was in his hands. Quickly stepping back two steps, Eddie House retreated beyond the three-point line. His sturdy frame appeared heavy in the air, and his hands, which had created many miracles before, once again took control of the game’s fate. “Whoosh”—a soft sound as the ball flew lightly from his fingertips. Time seemed to freeze in that instant, with millions of fans around the world watching this crucial shot. “Swish”—a loud thud as the ball was swatted out of the air from nearly a meter away.

In the brief match lasting just over twenty seconds, Zhou Yi made two difficult blocks, saving his team. In the last few seconds, the Heat’s foul strategy only served to widen the score gap. Zhou Yi was unrelenting at the free-throw line, making all six of his attempts. With a “ding,” the final whistle blew, and the Pistons, thanks to Zhou Yi’s crucial blocks, defeated the Heat 116:109, taking a 2:1 lead in the series. Zhou Yi’s 45 points, 7 rebounds, 10 assists, 5 steals, and 3 blocks were the key to the team’s victory.
…
At 9:30 a.m. on June 2nd, Beijing time, the Pistons traveled to AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami to face the Heat in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The Pistons had won the previous game, but not easily. This time, the Heat were determined to turn the series around at home. After both teams took their positions, the referee stepped to the center line, glanced at the players ready to jump for the ball—Greg Monroe and Chris Bosh—and gently placed the whistle in his mouth. With a clear whistle, the orange basketball was lightly tossed by the referee. As the ball rose, millions of hearts soared with it. Greg Monroe and Chris Bosh focused entirely on the ball in the air, yet that didn’t stop them from competing fiercely, their bodies pressed close as they tried to gain an advantage over each other. Jumping for the ball tested not only physical strength but also mental toughness and experience. Thanks to his height advantage, Greg Monroe used his right elbow to gently press against the opponent’s left arm as he jumped. Chris Bosh’s incredible explosive power meant he wouldn’t be pushed to the ground by such a slight force, but he lost the advantage of jumping first. With a “thud,” Chris Bosh landed and immediately shot upward like a rocket. There was a muffled “thump,” and Greg Monroe’s expression changed sharply. Having lost the advantage, he became careless in competing for the ball, not quickly passing it to his teammate but instead thinking about how to deliver it more smoothly. But he never expected Chris Bosh to have such extraordinary physical abilities, astonishing jumping power, and such a short recovery time for a second jump.

Chris Bosh pushed hard on the bottom of the basketball with his right hand, sending the ball, which had just fallen, soaring back toward the ceiling of American Airlines Center—though at a different angle. It wasn’t the two players competing for the ball anymore.
“Get out of the way!” With a fierce shout, Dwyane Wade quickly moved two steps to the right. A loud gust of wind followed as a black-and-white figure flashed past him.
Chris Bosh’s push was indeed powerful, and this time the ball rose to an astonishing height. Under the astonished gazes of the fans, two lightning-fast figures quickly crossed paths.
Dwyane Wade and Zhou Yi, destined to be rivals, saw each other’s figures. Dwyane Wade’s gaze became even sharper, and Zhou Yi’s stare grew even more intense.
Two clearly defined black-and-white palms touched the basketball almost simultaneously.
“Thwack!” The basketball finally couldn’t withstand their incredible force and soared into the air once again.
With a muffled thud, Zhou Yi sighed helplessly. In fact, he should have had an advantage over his opponent in timing his second jump, but a moment of carelessness ruined his plans.
Just a few moments later, a loud dunk sound froze the atmosphere in the arena.
The ball ended up in Dwyane Wade’s hands—he didn’t even have time to adjust. With a gentle push on the bottom of the ball, it quickly flew over the heads of the Pistons players.
As the ball was about to cross the baseline, LeBron James’ strong figure swiftly cut inside from the right. Two steps from the free-throw line, he leaped into the air and scored with a battle-axe dunk, giving the Heat an early lead.
“King James! King James! King James…”
“Our king! Take them down!”
“LBJ…”
Watching LeBron James easily high-five his teammates, the atmosphere on the court became awkward.
McGrady caught the ball at the baseline and quickly pushed it into the middle of the court.
Zhou Yi rushed forward to meet him, skillfully controlling the basketball with his right hand while using his left to direct his teammates’ movements. The Pistons’ interior players weren’t fast. So one of Zhou Yi’s key tasks in this game was to control the pace—only by dragging the game into close combat could the Pistons increase their chances of winning.

Heat head coach Eric Spoelstra’s emphasis on this game was evident; he assigned Dwyane Wade to guard Zhou Yi. Mike Bibby was a solid defender, but his speed was clearly not on par, while Dwyane Wade was at the peak of his career.

Zhou Yi dropped low, and Dwyane Wade’s gaze sharpened. Highly focused, Zhou Yi didn’t choose to drive but passed the ball to McGrady on the right, quickly slipping past Dwyane Wade.

The Heat’s switching defense was swift—before he could even get the ball, Mike Bibby appeared right in front of him. McGrady was shocked and made a mistake in handling the ball. To avoid Bibby’s aerial interception, he threw the ball too high, forcing Zhou Yi to reach up to catch it.

Glancing briefly at the basketball above, Zhou Yi acted quickly, maintaining his top speed. Dwyane Wade had already anticipated his driving route and even predicted his actions after catching the ball.

The only thing unexpected was that Zhou Yi ignored the ball above. There were no players on the Pistons’ right side of the paint, and given the ball’s trajectory, it would definitely cross the baseline without any Heat player intercepting it.

Watching the ball approach rapidly, Dwyane Wade hesitated. Such a pass would definitely cross the baseline if he didn’t intervene, but it posed no challenge to him.

At that moment of distraction, Zhou Yi quickly closed in, pressing his back against Dwyane Wade, and with agile steps, slipped through his defense on the right.

Dwyane Wade was startled and rushed to cover, but Zhou Yi wouldn’t let him do so easily. As he drove, he leaped up and effortlessly grabbed the ball.

Under the gaze of all the fans, Zhou Yi twisted in mid-air, seemingly freezing momentarily before gently pushing the ball, sending it softly into the basket a few feet away.

Amid the cheers of a few Pistons fans, Zhou Yi raised his right hand high and quickly retreated. The Heat’s fast breaks were truly astonishing; in the blink of an eye, Mike Bibby made a superb pass, sending the ball across most of the court from near the free-throw line, while the Pistons’ forward player was only just reaching the midcourt line.

Dwyane Wade caught the ball effortlessly, used his amazing jumping ability to execute a stunning battle-axe dunk, helping the Heat regain the lead. Watching Dwyane Wade just two steps away, Zhou Yi’s expression was very serious. Among the Heat’s five starting players, Dwyane Wade was the best choice to defend him.

In the first two games, although LeBron James had mostly defended him, it had been proven that LeBron posed less of a threat to Zhou Yi than Dwyane Wade. With realistic feints and years of training, Zhou Yi’s breakthrough moves were no longer flashy—they were more aggressive, with better timing and route selection. The simpler his movements, combined with his unmatched speed, made his breakthroughs even more lethal.

Dwyane Wade’s expression was serious as he focused intently on Zhou Yi’s actions. Zhou Yi’s skilled ball-handling made it difficult for Dwyane Wade to consider rushing in for a steal. With a crisp “swish” of the basketball, Zhou Yi’s lightning-fast movement made Dwyane Wade’s eyes narrow, but even so, he couldn’t see Zhou Yi’s moves clearly—only feeling a tremendous force coming from his left arm.

Zhou Yi’s breakthrough was a perfect blend of skill and strength. Dwyane Wade’s center of gravity was nearly disrupted. Gritting his teeth, he planted his feet firmly, knowing that if he could hold back Zhou Yi for a moment, his teammates would quickly fill in.

As he broke through, Zhou Yi didn’t forget to observe the positions of the other players. Inside, Greg Monroe was in an excellent position, tightly holding Eric Dampier behind him. However, that spot wasn’t Monroe’s forte for attacking, while Mike Bibby was quickly coming over to help defend.

Zhou Yi leaned forward but was pulled back forcefully. His entire body weight rested heavily on Dwyane Wade, while his right hand, holding the ball, suddenly pressed downward out of Dwyane Wade’s line of sight. Although Dwyane Wade guessed Zhou Yi’s intention, he couldn’t react in time, surprised to find himself so easily manipulated.

Mike Bibby watched helplessly as the ball flew past him; just two steps away and he could have grabbed it. Zhou Yi’s passing was always frustrating—in today’s NBA, there were two players whose passing was particularly frustrating: Zhou Yi and Steve Nash.

Zhou Yi’s pass was perfect; Greg Monroe didn’t even need to bend down and easily caught the ball. With his right hand skillfully controlling the ball, he pressed Eric Duncan tightly from behind and made his way toward the basket step by step.

With a roar, Greg Monroe slammed his right hand down. As the ball moved up and down, his entire body exerted tremendous force, forcing Eric Duncan to take two steps back. Before Eric Duncan could reposition himself, Greg Monroe quickly turned and dunked with one hand.

Amidst the cheers of the crowd, Greg Monroe accepted high-fives from his teammates before slowly walking to the free-throw line. Earlier, Eric Duncan had hit Greg Monroe’s wrist while repositioning.

“Thwack”—Greg Monroe’s free throw seemed too forceful, hitting the back of the rim and bouncing right out. Eric Duncan easily grabbed the rebound.

Greg Monroe cried out in pain, waved his right hand in frustration, and quickly returned to defense. The Heat’s speed left no time for him to dwell on his mistake.

Faced with Zhou Yi’s defense, Mike Bibby hesitated none at all. With just one tentative drive, he cleverly passed the ball to Dwyane Wade on the other side. It was McGrady who was guarding Dwyane Wade at that moment.

After catching the ball, Dwyane Wade didn’t hesitate at all. With a quick shot, he launched a three-pointer right over McGrady’s head.

“Swish”—the ball went through the net. McGrady didn’t even have time to react. Dwyane Wade’s decisive shot left the well-prepared McGrady without a chance to defend.

7:5—the Heat regained the lead. Dwyane Wade was in excellent form that day, scoring 5 points all by himself just over a minute into the game.

According to the pre-game strategy, the first quarter should focus on the inside play. However, Greg Monroe’s position wasn’t ideal, so they promptly passed the ball to Ben Wallace. Ben Wallace shot in a hurry and missed.

The Heat secured the first rebound in the backcourt of this game. Eric Dampier grabbed the rebound and quickly passed it to Mike Bibby. Bibby, Chris Bosh, and Dwyane Wade formed a rapid attack toward the Pistons’ backcourt.

The Pistons’ starting lineup wasn’t very fast, with Andre Iguodala being the relatively quicker one. Yet near the midcourt, they were still left far behind by Wade and his teammates. By then, only Zhou Yi remained on the Pistons’ half-court.

A three-on-one situation was something many fans couldn’t bear to watch—three against one, especially with three highly skilled players, meant scoring was only a matter of time.

Zhou Yi couldn’t help but gasp. How could he defend against this? Mike Bibby was in the center, with Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade on either wing. At that moment, Zhou Yi was like a leaf in a storm, his eyes flickering between the three players as he quickly backed away.

As Zhou Yi neared the free-throw line, Mike Bibby threw the ball lightly while in motion. It effortlessly landed in Dwyane Wade’s hands. Zhou Yi had no choice but to shift his position to the left. The ball didn’t pause in Wade’s hands at all; with his left hand supporting the bottom of the ball, it lightly flew over Zhou Yi’s head and into Chris Bosh’s hands on the other side.

In such a short distance from the free-throw line to the basket, the three Heat players completed five passes, forcing Zhou Yi to run back and forth between them.

Such a stunning scene made many fans close their eyes.

After catching the ball, Chris Bosh leaped up, raising it high above his head with his right hand. Zhou Yi rushed at him quickly.

Seeing Zhou Yi approaching, a faint smile appeared on Chris Bosh’s lips. With a slight motion of his right hand, the ball lightly flew over Zhou Yi’s head.

Zhou Yi gritted his teeth and had to sprint back at full speed.

Dwyane Wade had already jumped into the air, easily catching the ball. At that moment, he was right above the basket, his tense body like a bow ready to shoot.

With a roar, Dwyane Wade’s red-faced face stood out even more under the lights. The fans on the Heat’s bench stood up eagerly, awaiting the moment of the storm.

As Dwyane Wade’s right arm swung down, he enjoyed the silence in the arena—but at the instant the ball was about to touch the basket…

A lightning-fast figure came from the side, startling Dwyane Wade. Before he could react, he felt a tremendous force in his hands. With a loud thud, the basketball in Dwyane Wade’s hands hit the front of the basket, and Zhou Yi and Dwyane Wade collided violently, falling to the floor together. As their feet hit the ground, a deafening dunk sound echoed above them. Chris Bosh caught the rebounded basketball and completed an immediate dunk. But at that moment, the focus of the game wasn’t on Chris Bosh—it was still on the two players tangled together. Zhou Yi’s block earlier had been astonishing; despite his opponent gaining the advantage first, Zhou Yi counterattacked and forced the ball into the basket. Amidst the cheers of the crowd, the two separated, with Chris Bosh and Mike Bibby helping them up. After helping Zhou Yi to his feet, Chris Bosh patted his shoulder and said, “Good job, but I definitely won’t hold back.” Ben Wallace’s second attempt was immediately disrupted by his opponent, while Zhou Yi was inside the paint, creating an opportunity for Ben Wallace. However, Ben Wallace hesitated with his shot, and Chris Bosh saw through his shooting path, jumping ahead to disrupt him, resulting in a brilliant fast break for the Heat. 15:7—just over four minutes into the first quarter, the Heat had made six shots out of eight attempts, while the Pistons were struggling offensively. Their attacks mainly focused on Zhou Yi and Greg Monroe. Zhou Yi scored on both of his attempts, and Greg Monroe made one out of two shots but missed all three free throws. The other players missed all four of their attempts. John Kuester called a timeout. The Pistons’ problems weren’t just offensive—they also had issues defensively, especially in switching defenses, unable to adapt to the Heat’s fast breaks. Additionally, Mike Bibby’s playmaking allowed the Heat to frequently create mismatched attacks, with Chris Bosh taking on McGrady alone and LeBron James attacking Greg Monroe from an awkward angle—this situation was extremely unfavorable for the Pistons.

John Kuester doesn’t seem to have any good solutions; the current roster is already the Pistons’ strongest. The Heat’s fast breaks are something the Pistons are completely unaccustomed to dealing with. Trading McGrady for Will Bynum might be a good idea, but both players have their strengths. Will Bynum has excellent physical fitness and strong breakthrough skills, but his mid-to-long range shooting is inaccurate, and his defense is far from reliable. McGrady isn’t in as good physical shape as before, but he has more experience. In such a situation, trading McGrady for Bynum would only make the Pistons’ defensive problems more apparent.

After the timeout, the Pistons simply replaced Ben Wallace with Samuel Dalembert. Ben Wallace’s performance earlier was terrible—all three of his attempts missed, and he was hesitant in attacking. Although he has solid defensive skills, he’s too old.

Samuel Dalembert has strong confidence and a fierce, aggressive playing style, which are his strengths. He also has solid fundamentals, is agile, plays smart, and excels in physical battles under the basket. His ability to combine long-range shooting with rebounding for second-chance attacks often catches opponents off guard.

Once the game resumed, both the Heat and Pistons continued to attack aggressively. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh took turns pressing the Pistons’ defense, while the Pistons’ offensive performance also improved significantly.

With a score of 23:11, the Pistons’ deficit widened further. Zhou Yi slowly drove the ball across half-court. The pace of the game earlier was too fast—such a pace suited the Heat well, while the Pistons were forced to chase after them, putting them in a very passive position. Fortunately, Greg Monroe performed well inside, preventing the score from widening any further.

Zhou Yi skillfully controlled the ball and said, “Everyone, don’t rush. Just make sure to score this ball properly.”

“A twelve-point gap isn’t a huge problem. In the past, the Pistons would hardly have any chance to turn things around in such a situation. But with Greg Monroe and Zhou Yi around, the Pistons still have a good chance. Although Zhou Yi hasn’t been with the Pistons for long, his impact is obvious. In just a few minutes, he showed true leadership,” said the commentator.

The Pistons were very active on the court. After the timeout, the biggest change was the increased enthusiasm of the players, who were much more proactive in their movement around the court.

Samuel Dalembert cleverly pulled to the perimeter to set up a pick-and-roll for Zhou Yi; LeBron James’s path was blocked by him. In that instant, Zhou Yi made a lightning-fast breakthrough—LeBron James suddenly found Zhou Yi out of sight. Mike Bibby, after all, was older, his footwork far less agile than before. Though his defensive skills were excellent, against Zhou Yi’s overwhelming speed, he had no choice but to accept being beaten through.

At that moment, the only one standing in Zhou Yi’s way was Chris Bosh. Chris Bosh had astonishing athletic talent, especially a powerful offensive ability, and defense had always been his strength. With his physical condition, he could have become an excellent defensive player. However, his attitude toward defense was very lax, and effective defense was rarely seen from him in games. A guard with Zhou Yi’s sharp breakthrough skills and agile footwork was his natural enemy. LeBron James, having shaken off Samuel Dalembert, quickly moved in to join the pressure.

Chris Bosh was aware of his own defensive limitations, but he was smart enough not to rush in recklessly. Instead, he assessed Zhou Yi’s path and tried to push him toward the baseline. If he could slow Zhou Yi down just a bit, LeBron James could quickly close in for a double-team.

Zhou Yi didn’t force his way toward the basket. At the moment their bodies were about to touch, he quickly tilted his body to the right, rotating on the tip of his right foot while instantly bouncing upward. His entire body arched diagonally across the baseline, tilted at a 45-degree angle in the air.

Chris Bosh quickly closed in, using his body to block Zhou Yi’s shooting space. To his relief, LeBron James also arrived in time. Zhou Yi’s choice was undoubtedly foolish.

With a loud shout, Zhou Yi, hanging upside down in the air, threw the ball forcefully with his right hand. The ball flew across most of the court and landed in the hands of Andre Iguodala on the left wing.

At that moment, there was no one in front of Andre Iguodala. With no defender present, he calmly adjusted the ball in his hands and easily jumped from beyond the three-point line to shoot a long-range shot.

With a crisp swish, the net rippled, creating waves of sound.

23:14—the Pistons had once again narrowed the score to single digits.

“Zhou’s passing is truly pleasing to watch, along with his excellent overall game awareness. Just now, he didn’t deliberately watch his teammates’ positions, yet under such circumstances, he accurately passed the ball to Andre Iguodala,” the commentator praised. Zhou Yi’s breakthrough earlier had drawn all of the Heat’s attention, and the pass was timely enough to give Iguodala a calm shooting opportunity.

Half a minute later, Zhou Yi almost in the same position and using the same method passed the ball to McGrady again, who scored the Pistons’ second three-pointer of the game.

23:17 — the Pistons were only six points behind. Two consecutive three-pointers re-energized the few Pistons fans who had seemed disheartened earlier, as they cheered enthusiastically for their team.

The Heat’s head coach, Eric Spolstra, was also anxious, directing the team from the sidelines. Only after being advised by the referee did he return to the bench. At least for now, the Pistons had the upper hand on the court.

In the rest of the first quarter, both teams entered a tight battle. The Pistons’ players played aggressively defensively, preventing the opponent from expanding their lead. The Heat ended the first quarter leading by 7 points, 29:22.

The Pistons players were still satisfied with this result. They returned to their seats chatting and laughing, except for Zhou Yi, whose expression was serious. He sat on the bench, out of breath, quickly rehydrating after his intense exertion in those few minutes. Most of the Pistons’ scoring opportunities came from Zhou Yi’s breakthrough passes, and the Heat’s defense against him became increasingly fierce.

Greg Monroe gently patted Zhou Yi on the shoulder, sighed, and sat down next to him. He was well aware that the Pistons’ offense relied on Zhou Yi’s relentless breakthroughs, while he himself struggled to make progress inside the paint. Eric Dampier had also become smarter, using his physical advantages to make it difficult for Monroe to get to the shooting position.

Zhou Yi refused John Kuester’s offer to take a break. The game was still tied, but once the Pistons started rotating players, the huge difference in their bench strength would surely make things more difficult for them.

The five players on the Pistons’ bench in the second quarter were Greg Monroe, Charlie Villanueva, Samuel Dalembert, Will Bynum, and Zhou Yi.
The five players on the Heat’s bench were Igor Kokoskov, Dwyane Wade, Mike Miller, Mike Bibby, and LeBron James.
As Samuel Dalembert approached the free-throw line, Zhou Yi took a deep breath to steady himself.
Mike Bibby, with his pale face showing no emotion, slightly spread his arms, bent his upper body slightly, and fixed his sharp gaze on Zhou Yi.
After several attempts by Zhou Yi, Mike Bibby remained unmoved. Zhou Yi couldn’t help but sigh; as time passed, he had no choice but to pass the ball to Will Bynum.
Mike Bibby, nicknamed “The White Devil,” had a very steady playing style. He was a calm and highly skilled player who was good at passing and had diverse offensive tactics. Especially in critical moments, he never hesitated. Those who knew Mike Bibby well knew he was extremely calm while playing, knowing how to use his strengths to counter his opponents. His defense as a guard was top-notch: quick eyesight, fierce tackling, high jumping ability, fast running speed, and most importantly, patience. His opponents would always realize, no matter how smart or patient they thought they were, that facing Mike Bibby meant they would always feel their patience wasn’t enough.
When Will Bynum saw LeBron James ahead of him, he became excited and executed several flashy feints before diving forward.
LeBron James smiled, watching Will Bynum’s moves, stepped back calmly, and easily stopped him from moving forward. His dark right hand shot out like lightning and gently pushed him from the right side.
It seemed Will Bynum was cooperating with LeBron James’s move; as LeBron’s right hand reached his right side, he raised the ball to his waist, and with a gentle push, it rolled away.

Amidst the sighs of the Pistons’ fans, Will Bynum was also shocked. His graceful ball control had always been his greatest pride, and he never expected it to be disrupted so easily. Yet he remained calm, quickly turning around, using his left arm to block LeBron James’s body, while stepping forward swiftly to regain control of the ball.

Seeing Bynum’s composure, LeBron James showed a cautious expression. But LeBron wasn’t someone easy to deal with—he quickly regained his position, and Bynum held the ball close to his chest.

Noticing what had happened, Zhou Yi rushed back to support Bynum. With a quick acceleration, he easily outpaced LeBron James. At the moment Zhou Yi broke through, Dwyane Wade quickly closed in. It was thanks to Zhou Yi’s outstanding performance that the Pistons could keep up with their opponents in the second half of the first quarter. During the few minutes of rest, Heat head coach Eric Spoelstra reorganized the tactics for the second quarter, with Zhou Yi’s defense being a top priority—Mike Bibby’s return to the court served that purpose as well.

Just past the free-throw line, Zhou Yi’s feet seemed to be fitted with springs as he leaped off suddenly, his upper body tilting forward at nearly a 45-degree angle due to inertia. He pushed the ball forward with both hands, his left hand supporting the ball while his right hand gave it a gentle push, sending it flying horizontally—exactly like Steve Nash’s signature “horse-arching” shooting stance.

Dwyane Wade tried to jump in haste, but the ball had already passed over his head. With a crisp swish, the Pistons’ bench erupted in celebration—29:24, with only a 5-point difference left.

John Kuester had substituted in Will Bynum precisely because of his breakthrough ability. Zhou Yi’s breakthroughs had already thrown the Heat’s defense into chaos, and with Bynum added, they would have a two-pronged attack.

But LeBron James wasn’t Mike Bibby—Bynum’s attempts to break through had no effect. In just over three minutes on the court, he managed only one breakthrough past LeBron’s defense, at the cost of two mistakes.

36:26—In the blink of an eye, the Heat regained a double-digit lead. Will Bynum’s entry onto the court didn’t yield the expected results. At this point, Zhou Yi began to miss McGrady a bit. Although he wasn’t as fast as McGrady, his extensive playing experience and superior offensive skills made him far more suitable for the Pistons at that moment than Will Bynum’s brute-force approach.

John Kuester wasn’t an incompetent player either. He watched Will Bynum’s performance with concern, feeling anxious as the Heat regained control. With no other choice, he called a timeout and brought McGrady back onto the court, replacing Samuel Dalembert with Ben Wallace. So far, only Greg Monroe and Zhou Yi remained on the court for the Pistons.

Chapter 410: Eastern Conference Finals, Two Shooters Against Three Giants (6)

After the timeout, the Pistons reluctantly noticed that the Heat had also made changes to their lineup—Chris Bosh replaced Dwyane Wade.

“Greg, try to focus the offense inside. Defense isn’t Chris Bosh’s strongest suit, but his defensive attitude is solid, and he’s quite aggressive. As long as we play smart, the rest of the game will be easier,” Zhou Yi instructed Greg Monroe before he took the court.

A clear whistle sounded. Greg Monroe reluctantly raised his right hand. Chris Bosh used his backcutting style, but unfortunately, Charlie Villanueva’s defense was weak, allowing Chris Bosh to push him back easily. Greg Monroe’s counter-defense came too late, costing the Pistons a free throw.

Swish—Chris Bosh successfully made the free throw.

39:26—All their efforts from earlier were instantly wasted. Zhou Yi and Greg Monroe exchanged helpless looks. The Heat were simply too strong, especially after years of training, having developed a high level of coordination.

Watching Mike Bibby ahead of him, Zhou Yi felt frustrated. Ever since Mike Bibby entered the game, his attempts to break through seemed to hit a wall. Mike Bibby’s defense was extremely meticulous, especially when coordinating with LeBron James, forcing Zhou Yi to pass the ball instead of breaking through.

Instead of trying to break through in the middle, Zhou Yi quickly brought the ball to the right wing, bypassing McGrady easily, and Mike Bibby effortlessly left him behind.

By now, there were no defenders in Zhou Yi’s path. LeBron James quickly broke free from the Pistons’ players, moving at lightning speed with a fierce demeanor. Zhou Yi completely ignored LeBron James’ counter-defense; he lightly tapped the ground with his right foot and soared into the air. Before reaching his peak, he swung his right hand gently, shooting the ball as he was still ascending. With a “swish,” the ball landed in the net the moment Zhou Yi touched down. LeBron James gave Zhou Yi a complex look. He thought his counter-defense had been timely enough—given Zhou Yi’s fast shooting speed, if he had waited until Zhou Yi reached his peak, he would have had a good chance to block the shot. But he never expected Zhou Yi to shoot in such an unconventional way. The next two attacks by both teams ended without success. Greg Monroe was feeling frustrated; Eric Dampier and Chris Bosh, two powerhouse players, took turns guarding him. Greg Monroe’s stamina was depleting rapidly, and stamina had never been his strength. Now, he was struggling inside the paint, but he knew well that the Pistons still relied on him. His lack of stamina directly affected his offensive efficiency—he missed two hook shots in a row, and his offensive positioning was too far out, clearly not his strongest style of play. The score was 48:31, a 17-point gap—the largest so far. There was still a little over four minutes left in the second quarter. The Pistons called another timeout. John Kuester brought Taylor Hansbrough back in while Greg Monroe went off to rest, with Andre Iguodala replacing Charlie Villanueva. Zhou Yi gently moved his wrist, took a deep breath, and stepped back onto the court with big strides. The Heat’s lineup changed again, with five starters returning. It seemed they wanted to take advantage of the situation to close the gap and prevent the Pistons from recovering, especially since Mike Bibby had done a good job guarding Zhou Yi earlier. Bringing him back in was clearly to keep an eye on Zhou Yi. Suddenly, Mike Bibby’s right hand shot out like lightning, aiming at the ball in Zhou Yi’s hands. Zhou Yi felt a surge of tension; he quickly stepped back to regain control of the ball, his gaze toward Mike Bibby sharp and intense.

A flash of lightning split the sky, and in an instant, Mike Bibby saw a blur—Zhou Yi was no longer in sight. By the time he reacted and turned around, Zhou Yi was already near the free-throw line, his agility unchanged from the start of the game. “Don’t let him shoot!” Heat head coach Eric Spoelstra shouted anxiously from the sidelines. From that position, Zhou Yi had already made three shots, with the closest defender still several steps away. Zhou Yi’s pace showed no sign of slowing; in the blink of an eye, he appeared under the basket and dived inside. Eric Spoelstra’s expression darkened—given Zhou Yi’s skills, he could have easily stopped and jumped for a shot, but he still rushed under the basket; his intentions were obvious. “Ding”—the coach realized too late. Just as he was about to warn him, the referee’s whistle blew. “Foul!” Zhou Yi’s layup was clear, and Eric Dampier naturally wouldn’t miss such an opportunity; he immediately raised his hand to foul. “Third foul!” The Heat coach frowned at the stats in his hands. The Heat’s most reliable player was Eric Dampier, whose ability to control the paint was outstanding. Joel Anthony, who had played earlier, had a limited offensive style and was nowhere near Dampier’s level. Though Dampier was far from being the best center in the West, he still had considerable strength. Zhou Yi’s expression was strange—almost a wry smile. Especially his left hand hidden under his jersey; he thought to himself, “I really was careless just now. Thankfully it’s just my left hand.” “Swish,” “Swish”—two consecutive free throws went through the net, easing the pain in his left hand, though it still felt numb. 48:33—there was still a fifteen-point gap. Looking at the red numbers on the scoreboard, Zhou Yi made up his mind: with three and a half minutes left before halftime, it was the Pistons’ toughest moment. As long as they could prevent the opponent from widening the gap, there was still a chance in the second half. In the next few minutes, Zhou Yi rushed around tirelessly, becoming the most eye-catching figure on the court. Even Mike Bibby’s usually calm face showed signs of anxiety. After being broken through several times by Zhou Yi, he felt embarrassed to meet the Heat coach’s expectant gaze.

What troubles Eric Spolstra the most isn’t Zhou Yi’s breakthroughs. In fact, he knew well before the game that it was unlikely to truly contain Zhou Yi—his skills are simply too versatile; he can always find ways to help his team. He didn’t think Mike Bibby could really stop Zhou Yi either; he just hoped to limit his movement as much as possible.

What troubles him now is the issue of their interior players. Within three minutes, the Pistons had almost all the ball control in Zhou Yi’s hands, who attacked the Heat’s paint without any restraint. In just three minutes, the referee blew the whistle four times, resulting in ten points for the Heat, along with three personal fouls for Eric Dampier, three for Chris Bosh, and two for D-Wade. If things continued like this, he might really run out of interior players.

“Swish!” Zhou Yi’s last-second three-pointer was blocked by LeBron James, sending it out of bounds. Zhou Yi looked at the smug LeBron James and could only shake his head helplessly.

After over twenty minutes of intense play, Zhou Yi’s physical exhaustion was greater than ever before. Just as he jumped, his legs went numb, severely affecting his jumping height.

The final score between the two teams was 53:44, with the gap narrowing to single digits. As the referee’s whistle blew, Zhou Yi let out a sigh of relief and turned to leave the court. Unexpectedly, his legs failed him, and he stumbled. Fortunately, Chris Bosh beside him caught him, otherwise he might have really fallen.

“Thank you!” Zhou Yi said softly before breaking free from Dwyane Wade’s support—he couldn’t let others see his fatigue.

In fact, how could Zhou Yi know that the scene of Chris Bosh helping him had already been shown on the big screen at the arena to all the fans watching on TV?

“Ladies and gentlemen, the first half of the game is temporarily over. The current score is 53:44, with the Heat leading the Pistons by 9 points. A 9-point gap doesn’t truly reflect the difference in strength between the two teams. Coach Zhang, could you explain the first half of the game for us?” The commentator handed the mic to Coach Zhang.

“It has to be said that the Heat are very strong. At the start of the season, they even topped the Eastern Conference for two consecutive weeks. They take this game very seriously.”

The Pistons didn’t perform well in the first half; even Greg Monroe’s play was just average. The Heat’s two interior stars nearly exhausted all of his energy. In the first half, Zhou Yi almost carried the entire team on his own. But as we all saw, Zhou Yi’s stamina was already running low. We definitely can’t expect him to maintain such excellent form in the second half.

Coach Zhang seemed rather pessimistic, and the commentator interjected, “No wonder the Pistons really have no chance.”

“As I’ve said before, the Heat do have their flaws, but first and foremost, the Pistons need to do their own job well. At least in the first half, their performance was far from enough to beat the Heat. Moreover, Zhou Yi created a very favorable situation for the Pistons in the first half—three of the Heat’s interior players each accumulated three personal fouls. In the second half, it will depend on Greg Monroe’s performance,” Coach Zhang said, changing the subject.

In the locker room, John Kuester made final arrangements for the second half of the game. The biggest challenge for him was deciding how to handle Zhou Yi. Since Zhou Yi had already played 21 minutes in the first half, John Kuester wanted him to rest in the first half of the third quarter, but Zhou Yi refused.

“Stop being stubborn. Listen to the coach this time. You know your own body best. In the first half, you let me sit on the bench with peace of mind. I hope you can trust me in the second half too,” Greg Monroe said earnestly.

Zhou Yi is a player who gets stronger the more pressure he faces. The more critical the situation, the clearer his mind becomes. He knows his own physical condition best. In a game, it’s absolutely unrealistic to rely solely on determination without physical strength—after all, he’s not Superman. The events at the end of the first half served as a warning to him.

The five players who started for the Pistons in the second half were Greg Monroe, Ben Wallace, Andre Iguodala, Tracy McGrady, and Will Bynum.

After the second half began, Greg Monroe’s performance was completely different from that in the first half. He dominated the interior, forcing Chris Bosh to commit three fouls. Bosh became hesitant in defense and couldn’t play freely offensively, allowing Greg Monroe to take control in the paint. As a result, the Heat’s head coach sent him to the bench.

Eric Dampier, who came in as a substitute, did manage to contain Greg Monroe at the basket for a while. However, he was called for a defensive foul during one of his defensive attempts, forcing the Heat’s head coach to take him off the court. It seems he will have to wait until the last few minutes of the fourth quarter to get on the court.

Greg Monroe performed brilliantly, but the Pistons failed to seize this opportunity to narrow the score gap. The Heat ended the first three quarters leading by 13 points, 78-65.

In this quarter, Greg Monroe made 6 out of 8 shots, scoring 15 points through both field goals and free throws. The other players combined for only 6 points.

The Pistons’ bench was silent. John Kuester, looking at his players with heads bowed, was filled with disappointment. But as head coach, now was not the time to feel discouraged.

Zhou Yi, who had rested for an entire quarter, had already regained much of his energy. His stamina was astonishing, and his ability to recover was even more remarkable.

The Pistons brought back five starting players for the final quarter, while the Heat also had three starters on the court, along with Mike Miller. Ilgauskas served as the center, while Eric Dampier, having already accumulated four personal fouls, could only sit on the bench in frustration.

Zhou Yi slowly drove the ball across half-court—a pace he disliked the most. In the first half, due to several lost passes, his teammates seemed to react half a beat too late. Two consecutive passing mistakes were almost unheard of for Zhou Yi, but they happened in the second quarter.

Mike Bibby’s expression was serious as he kept a close eye on the ball in Zhou Yi’s hands.

At that moment, the basketball in Zhou Yi’s hands seemed like a lively sprite, performing various incredible moves as it bounced around him. Mike Bibby didn’t rush to interfere.

Zhou Yi’s drives were always unpredictable and hard to figure out.

“Snap, snap, snap…” Zhou Yi’s ball-handling speed suddenly became extremely fast, with the ball constantly moving between his legs. Mike Bibby had no choice but to turn his head aside; such rapid changes made it hard for him to keep up.

In the blink of an eye, Zhou Yi was out of sight. Mike Bibby felt anxious, but he was prepared for this situation. Calmly stepping back, he blocked Zhou Yi’s path again.

Zhou Yi tapped his right foot lightly on the floor and retracted like a spring. Mike Bibby hadn’t had time to adjust his balance yet, but with his strong will, he wasn’t going to give up so easily. Gritting his teeth, he quickly moved back up close.

Under such circumstances, thanks to his excellent explosive power, Zhou Yi could have simply chosen to take a jump shot at Bibby, who was already struggling to defend. Without a chance to adjust, Bibby would never be able to jump.

Seeing Zhou Yi still in a driving position, Mike Bibby heaved a long sigh of relief. As long as Zhou Yi didn’t shoot, he still had a chance to stop him. Moreover, after the delay, he believed his teammates could definitely fill in the gap.

Repeating almost the same movements as before, Mike Bibby stepped back, losing his balance. His body swayed in the air as his arms stretched out instinctively to maintain equilibrium.

With a firm motion of his wrist, Zhou Yi pulled the ball back again. Mike Bibby felt like crying—being manipulated like this by his opponent must be unbearable for anyone. He really wanted to give up in frustration, but his instinct drove him to take half a step forward.

A severe headache made Mike Bibby’s scalp tingle. His right ankle missed the ground, but he didn’t panic. At that critical moment, he quickly lifted his right foot, allowing his body to lean to the right.

With a crisp “swish” as the ball went through the net, Zhou Yi glanced at Bibby on the ground, smiled lightly, and quickly switched to defense.

The moment Zhou Yi shot, the arena erupted in prolonged applause. Many fans jumped up excitedly, venting their enthusiasm. Chris Bosh easily got a chance for a jump shot from the right wing, while the aging Ben Wallace’s defense was still half a beat slow, allowing the opponent to score right over him.

82:70—still a twelve-point lead.

Zhou Yi tried hard to suppress his emotions. No matter how much he struggled, his defensive skills wouldn’t improve, and trying to narrow the gap was nothing but a fantasy.

His tightly clenched teeth showed traces of blood, and his fierce gaze made the Heat players who met his eyes instinctively look away. At that moment, Zhou Yi’s eyes were red, and he resembled an angry lion king.

Mike Bibby became even more cautious in his defense, staying closely attached to Zhou Yi. Any player needing space to drive required close defense as an effective countermeasure.

On the other side of Mike Bibby, LeBron James rushed forward like lightning. Zhou Yi quickly thought of a plan, got rid of Mike Bibby swiftly, and darted toward the right wing along the three-point line. McGrady saw the opportunity and immediately stepped forward in coordination, while Zhou Yi quickly moved to his right side. “What a fast change of position,” Zhou Yi thought. Having gotten rid of Mike Bibby, he didn’t get the shooting opportunity he needed—Chris Bosh had already shaken off Ben Wallace and appeared right in front of him. Thankfully it was Chris Bosh, Zhou Yi thought to himself with relief. His shooting stance remained unchanged, but Chris Bosh realized he was still a step slow. Panicked, he lunged forward. Watching Chris Bosh reaching out at him in mid-air, Zhou Yi tried hard to suppress his joy, but his shooting speed slowed significantly. Chris Bosh, still in the air, showed a delighted expression—he had finally caught up and took up a defensive position before Zhou Yi could shoot. His smile was bright, but it was fleeting. The basketball in Zhou Yi’s hands didn’t fly out as he had expected; instead, Zhou Yi quickly pulled it back. Having been in the league for several years, Chris Bosh naturally guessed Zhou Yi’s next move. He could have avoided his opponent’s trap in mid-air, but his arrogance made him ready to block the shot. Seeing Chris Bosh’s disappointed expression, Zhou Yi’s smile seemed especially glaring to him. He even thought to himself, “I lost this round, but I definitely won’t let you have it so easy.” Facing Zhou Yi’s confident shot were Chris Bosh’s arms. He had already made up his mind—no matter what, he couldn’t let his opponent shoot. With his hands firmly pressed by his opponent, Zhou Yi couldn’t shoot the basketball. Yet he wasn’t too disappointed. In fact, plays like drawing fouls for 2+1 or 3+1 outcomes depend not only on a player’s skills and form but also a lot on luck. Just deceiving the opponent was enough to count as a victory. With Zhou Yi’s two free throws, the score gap between the two teams narrowed to 10 points: 82–72. Dwyane Wade had excellent breakthrough skills, easily pushing McGrady out of his defensive position. Ben Wallace was a step slow in covering up, leaving him helpless as his opponent rushed to the free-throw line.

Greg Monroe had already accumulated three fouls by this point. In the first three quarters, the Pistons’ defense had been inconsistent, forcing Greg Monroe to constantly defend near the free-throw line. Fortunately, he was able to take a few minutes off before the half ended; otherwise, he might have also had to sit on the bench. With these concerns in mind, Monroe’s movements slowed slightly. Dwyane Wade had already rushed to the basket, slamming his foot hard on the floor as his sturdy frame soared into the air with momentum. Monroe was now pressed to the left by Wade, who held the ball above his head. Monroe gritted his teeth and prepared to fight back—he couldn’t accept being outdone like this right in front of him. Wade was extremely pleased, letting out a loud shout as he drove the ball hard into the basket. Just as Monroe was about to turn, a lightning-fast figure flashed past him in a white jersey. Monroe felt relieved—he knew who it was. There was only one person on the Pistons with such incredible speed. A few surprised screams came from the Heat’s bench. Wade, still in mid-air, couldn’t tell what his teammates were doing, but at the moment of the dunk, he felt something tickle the back of his neck, as if someone had blown on it. Unprepared, Wade shuddered, and his movements froze. Suddenly, the ball in his hands grew heavy, and Wade fell forward involuntarily. As he descended, he noticed a pale arm shooting out from behind his head, pressing down on the ball. With a loud thud, Wade felt an even greater rebound force surge from the ball into his arms, preventing him from controlling his body as he crashed to the floor. The cheers in American Airlines Center stopped abruptly—Zhou Yi’s amazing block made the fans feel as if they were on an NBA court themselves. But the rebounded ball landed firmly in Chris Bosh’s hands. Now, only three players remained under the basket: Wade and Zhou Yi were locked in a struggle, while Monroe was blocked by them, with no time to get through. Bosh took two quick steps and launched himself into the air.

“Thud.” Chris Bosh flew only a meter before crashing hard to the floor. With a darkened face, he looked awkwardly at his right hand—the basketball had vanished the moment he leaped into the air.
The series of unexpected events caught the Heat off guard as they watched Zhou Yi make a brilliant long pass, sending the ball straight from the backcourt to the frontcourt, by which time McGrady had already crossed half the court.
When McGrady reached the free-throw line, the basketball landed firmly in his hands, and with a smooth three-step layup, he easily sent it through the hoop.
82:74—the score gap was finally reduced to single digits. The entire crowd cheered for Player No. 37. In just ten seconds, Zhou Yi had shown everyone his remarkable all-around skills.
Taking control of the game, Zhou Yi, despite being far behind, caught up to Dwyane Wade with his astonishing speed. Dwyane Wade had incredible jumping ability, but Zhou Yi managed to dunk right from behind him, demonstrating a terrifyingly strong leap—clearly far superior to Dwyane Wade’s.
Moreover, while Chris Bosh was in the air and tangled with Dwyane Wade, Zhou Yi still showed remarkable judgment, intercepting the ball with precision. It seemed simple, but it required intelligence, quick reflexes, and excellent physical condition—all of which were essential. As for the cross-court passes, they weren’t particularly surprising—Zhou Yi’s passing skills were already beyond doubt, and such passes were common throughout most of his season.
In the final quarter, the Heat gradually accelerated their offensive pace. It took only two or three seconds for the ball to cross half the court. Dwyane Wade’s feint sent a shiver through McGrady—his exceptional flexibility and sudden changes in direction left McGrady completely unprepared.
Zhou Yi forced himself to stop; Dwyane Wade was simply too fast. His only option was to try for a defensive foul, as there were at least two other players inside the paint.
With a quick change of direction, Dwyane Wade easily shook off Ben Wallace and broke through three players in a row, causing excitement in the Heat’s bench and a corner of the stands.
Now, only Greg Monroe was left under the basket. He stepped back calmly, ready to act at any moment. If Dwyane Wade dared enter his range, Greg Monroe would not hesitate.
At this point in the game, too many fouls were no longer something Greg Monroe could afford to worry about.

“Swish.” Dwyane Wade placed the ball at his waist, took a big step forward, with Greg Monroe fully focused—every move of Dwyane Wade was within his sight. “Swish.” With such a large stride, Dwyane Wade had already entered the paint, quickly lifting the basketball above his head. Greg Monroe swiftly stepped forward, waiting for the moment to contest the shot. His astonishing explosive power and incredible jumping ability meant Dwyane Wade’s leap speed exceeded Greg Monroe’s expectations; before he could even raise his arms, Dwyane Wade had already passed him by. Reaching the right side of the basket, Dwyane Wade used one hand to pull the backboard and gently threw the ball in. With a crisp “swish,” Dwyane Wade landed steadily on the floor. At that moment, the large screen in American Airlines Center captured the entire scene. With a surprised expression on Greg Monroe’s face, Dwyane Wade had moved far enough to avoid being blocked—even if Greg Monroe had a chance to block, the distance was too great for him to reach the ball. The score stood at 84:74, with the gap once again reaching double digits. John Kuester called the first timeout of the fourth quarter, with only 48 seconds left in the game. The score was still 89:79, a ten-point difference. Both teams were highly efficient during these few minutes—not just offensively, but also defensively. At least in defense, the Pistons performed very well during these moments, making timely rotations, disrupting opponents’ pick-and-rolls, and covering gaps effectively. However, this situation was highly disadvantageous for the Pistons; it wouldn’t be easy to close the ten-point gap against the Heat in the remaining time. During the break, Zhou Yi quickly replenished the fluids he had lost. He had expended a great deal of energy in the previous few minutes, and his legs were now weak. Looking at Greg Monroe beside him, whose complexion also didn’t look good, it seemed his energy issues were even worse than his own. Since the second half began, Greg Monroe had remained on the court, especially in the third quarter, where he almost single-handedly drove the Pistons’ offense. In fact, not only them two but also several other players were severely exhausted. McGrady collapsed onto the bench as soon as he left the court. Although his efficiency wasn’t high, John Kuester didn’t dare replace him easily.

The Heat have a very strong team, especially in terms of their bench players, with James Jones being even more formidable than their starters. There’s little difference in quality between the Heat’s bench and starters, whereas the Pistons lack that—no one can truly challenge their key players. In this game, the Pistons were almost constantly at a disadvantage, so John Kuester didn’t dare make any lineup changes. But the worse things got, the more problems their starters faced in terms of stamina. After much consideration, Kuester replaced McGrady with Ben Gordon and James Posey with Andre Iguodala. “The Pistons made more changes to their lineup. Ben Gordon and Andre Iguodala have good offensive skills and plenty of stamina. In these circumstances, John Kuester was essentially gambling everything,” said Coach Zhang. The timeout passed quickly, and Kuester had no effective tactics—only an emphasis on offense, as it seemed to be the best way to solve the problems at hand. All the fans in the arena were shouting fervently; at such moments, it seemed like there was no other way to help their team. With passion surging in his heart and an unwavering fighting spirit, Zhou Yi completely forgot about his physical fatigue. His dedication to basketball meant he would never yield on the court. With McGrady out, Zhou Yi became the only option as the point guard. He quickly drove the ball across half-court. The slow pace ahead made things difficult for him. James Jones was extremely cautious on defense, determined not to fall for Zhou Yi’s fake moves again. With a slight shift of his shoulders, Zhou Yi dashed forward like lightning. The previous lesson left James Jones wary, causing him to stiffen slightly. The figure in front of him had already disappeared. Zhou Yi’s speed was unmatched in the league, but what he meant by speed wasn’t just his starting speed. Although his first step was astonishing, his overall speed might not surpass Iverson’s. What truly amazed people was his speed once he started moving—during his bursts across the court, his speed was truly incredible. Once he got going, Zhou Yi was confident that no one on the court could catch up to him. Under impossible circumstances, his speed increased even further. Chris Bosh only saw a blur; his instinctive right hand failed to catch even a speck of dust from the opponent.

Eric Dampier and LeBron James watched as Zhou Yi’s unstoppable momentum grew. His stunning performance earlier had already discredited the Heat, and they couldn’t let their paint become his playground. With the Heat’s double-team, Zhou Yi’s expression became even more frenzied, his eyes glowing with a bloodthirsty light. Clutching the basketball tightly, he charged forward without hesitation. With a low grunt, Zhou Yi felt suffocated as he squeezed through the gap between Eric Dampier and LeBron James. Though his opponents were quick to react, allowing him to get his arm through, they pinned him to the floor. Just before hitting the ground, Zhou Yi shook his wrist forcefully, launching the basketball high into the air. Upon landing, he quickly turned to check—his instinct told him something wasn’t right about his shot; it had been a risky attempt aimed solely at creating a free throw. As expected, the referee blew the whistle. The basketball passed over the top of the rim before falling, hitting the inside edge and bouncing back, finally slipping into the basket along the rim. With a sharp motion, Zhou Yi waved his right hand sharply in front of his chest—such a shot still going in meant luck was on his side. Free throws were Zhou Yi’s safest scoring method, but in moments like this, any chance could turn the game around. He carefully adjusted the basketball in his hands before taking a deep breath. The force of his shot seemed a bit too strong, hitting the back of the rim. The moment the ball struck the rim, something inside Zhou Yi seemed to shatter. He never expected that despite his careful shooting, it would end up like this. The ball spun twice around the rim before finally falling in. Realizing his mental burden was too heavy, Zhou Yi realized his excessive focus on shooting had made him hesitant. The score was now 89:82, with the gap between the two teams reduced to 7 points—the smallest in the second half. Andre Iguodala couldn’t stop LeBron James’ breakthroughs, as the opponent’s constant changes in direction made it easy for him to lose his defensive position. With no other Pistons players nearby, watching LeBron James leap effortlessly and shoot with coordination, Zhou Yi felt a chill in his heart.

So far in the game, the Pistons have been playing at an exceptional defensive level, holding back their strength. But with just one shot from the opponent, that strength could vanish in an instant, which would be a disaster for the Pistons. With a 9-point gap after three minutes, if they lose their fighting spirit, the game will truly be lost.
The shot was launched with too little force, hitting the back of the rim flatly before bouncing right out.
Greg Monroe, with his agile movements, took a step back to get close to Eric Dampier, pressing tightly against him and easily grabbing the rebound.
By this time, Zhou Yi had already rushed across half-court like crazy. When LeBron James missed his shot, he noticed Zhou Yi’s movement and quickly chased after him. But Zhou Yi was simply too fast, and LeBron James felt the distance between them growing wider and wider.
Greg Monroe watched the two of them moving like arrows leaving the bowstring, hesitating for a moment. In a pure speed race, LeBron James was definitely far inferior to Zhou Yi.
However, passing was not Greg Monroe’s strength, especially long passes, which posed a challenge for him. If he threw too hard, the ball might easily fly over the baseline; if not hard enough, it might be intercepted by LeBron James along the way.
But as the Heat players approached mid-court, he gritted his teeth, made up his mind, and threw the ball with all his strength.
“Greg Monroe’s pass, such a long pass—this is indeed rare from him,” the commentator said excitedly.
Greg Monroe’s pass wasn’t very fast, but it had great height. Chris Bosh near mid-court tried to jump and intercept the ball, but after glancing at it in the air, he simply stepped back and gave up. With such a high pass, even with excellent jumping ability, he could do nothing.
The ball quickly flew past the midline and the three-point line. Seeing the ball soaring above him, LeBron James grew anxious. By now, Zhou Yi had already reached the basket—once the ball got into his hands, he would truly be helpless.
By the time LeBron James crossed the free-throw line, Zhou Yi had already turned around. Seeing the ball in the air, his expression changed instantly—wasn’t that pass too high?
Chapter 411: Eastern Conference Finals, Two Shooters Against Three Giants (7)
Zhou Yi unleashed all his strength in an instant, soaring into the air like a rocket, reaching out with his raised right hand toward the ball.

A sharp pain shot through his middle and ring fingers. As the basketball flew over his head, Zhou Yi’s two fingers luckily touched the ball, pushing it straight into the air. But with such forceful passing, relying solely on two fingers to change direction and dealing with such tremendous impact, it was no wonder Zhou Yi’s face looked so grim.

There was no time for Zhou Yi to check his fingers. The moment he landed, LeBron James rushed down to the basket like a gust of wind. Zhou Yi quickly turned around, using his left arm to block LeBron James behind him and regain control of the ball.

As soon as he got the ball, pain surged in his right hand, and the same sensation returned. Panicked, he realized that with his right hand in that condition, he couldn’t even feel how to shoot.

Using his left arm to push against LeBron James, Zhou Yi swiftly stepped to the right. In that instant, he leaped into the air, moving another half meter to the right, then executed a small spin with his right hand to dunk at the basket above him.

92:87. There was still 1 minute and 27 seconds left in the game, with a 5-point difference.

The Heat’s head coach, Eric Spoelstra, immediately called a timeout. The Heat’s offense had been problematic in the previous few minutes, and Zhou Yi’s sudden surge had completely disrupted their strategy.

Zhou Yi’s smiling expression inspired all his teammates, especially those on the bench, who excitedly rushed forward to hug him.

Although Zhou Yi appeared relaxed, he wasn’t actually happy. His right hand, wrapped under his jersey, was numb and sore—both fingers were slightly swollen from earlier. There could be no worse news at this moment. His touch had always been his greatest strength, essential for shooting and ball control. His ability to blend himself with the ball relied entirely on his superb touch.

The Pistons’ bench was filled with laughter, while the Heat’s side was dead silent, especially LeBron James, whose expression was grave. Despite still leading by 5 points, the team was completely on the defensive. His own shot earlier, which would usually have gone in nine times out of ten, had missed at such a critical moment.

After the game resumed, the Heat substituted Mario Chalmers for Mike Bibby. Zhou Yi’s breakthroughs had mostly come from exploiting gaps created by Bibby. In critical moments, experienced veterans were still the most reliable.

Mike Bibby quickly drove the ball across half-court; seemingly unaware of LeBron James waiting for the ball on the right wing, he gently lofted it inside. Eric Dampier grabbed the ball near the free-throw line, and just as Greg Monroe tried to follow up defensively, Chris Bosh had already blocked his path. Panicked, Greg Monroe took a fierce step sideways, but Chris Bosh wouldn’t let him gain position easily—the two struggled physically. Eric Dampier stepped forward two more times, raised his hands, ready to dunk. Suddenly, everything went dark before his eyes as someone tightly grabbed his arm, pushing him back to the floor despite his attempt to jump. The referee’s whistle blew, and Zhou Yi casually shook his hand before walking away happily. With a cold expression, Eric Dampier headed to the free-throw line, furious that his dunk attempt had been ruined. With a loud “bang,” his shot was so forceful it hit the inside of the rim, bouncing out of bounds due to the immense impact. Zhou Yi clapped cheerfully from under the basket, seemingly satisfied with his foul. Losing his first free throw made Eric Dampier’s expression even darker—losing free throws greatly affects a player’s mindset. Though not loud, Zhou Yi’s applause was still clearly heard by Eric Dampier, who glared at him fiercely, gritted his teeth, and carefully pushed the ball forward. The ball bounced cheerfully on the floor, but Eric Dampier’s expression grew even more grim. The Heat’s bench was also silent—no one expected Eric Dampier to miss such a crucial shot. Amid the Pistons’ cheers, Greg Monroe quickly sent a ball to the baseline. Just as Zhou Yi was about to move, he felt his jersey tighten as a huge force pulled him from behind, nearly causing him to stumble. However, the force lasted only briefly and disappeared before Zhou Yi could react. He turned around and saw a torn mark on the back of his jersey. Mike Bibby ran away as if nothing had happened, but the referee seemed unaware of his earlier move. Greg Monroe tried to pass the ball to Zhou Yi, but Bibby’s interference prevented Zhou Yi from catching it. LeBron James, who had taken the lead, easily intercepted the ball, shook off Zhou Yi, and rushed straight to the basket.

Such fast movements—Zhou Yi secretly admired him. He charged forward with all his strength; at this moment, he absolutely couldn’t let the opponent score, or the game would truly end early. Lebron James, mid-air, used his core strength to spin 180 degrees beneath the basket. Against Zhou Yi’s defense, no move of his could escape his notice. His exceptional flexibility allowed Lebron James to maintain his balance as he gently threw the ball toward the basket behind him with his right hand. The Heat’s head coach, Eric Spoelstra, had already rushed to the sidelines, holding his breath and clenching his fists tightly, eagerly awaiting the moment Lebron James would score. Zhou Yi had no choice but to stop—Lebron James hadn’t left him any chance. “Is it really over already?” So close to victory, Zhou Yi felt as though all his pores had suddenly been blocked, giving him a suffocating sensation. “Get down!” A roar rang out. The moment his vision cleared again, he saw Lebron James’s right hand still raised, his expression blank, as the basketball flew rapidly toward him. Behind him, Greg Monroe’s furious expression came into view, his massive right hand hovering in the air to the right of Lebron James. Zhou Yi instinctively caught the basketball, but before he could act, Eric Spoelstra called another timeout—this would be the Heat’s last one. At 51 seconds, the Heat still led by 5 points, 92–87. Offense, offense—John Kuester kept emphasizing offense, causing Zhou Yi to frown slightly. Indeed, the Pistons had no other option but to attack. But defense couldn’t be abandoned either—the Heat’s five players on the court all had strong scoring abilities. Time off the clock was always so short; before the coaches of both teams could finish speaking, the timeout ended. After the timeout, the Pistons inbounded the ball at midcourt. Zhou Yi stepped forward and steadily crossed the midcourt line. But the situation ahead shocked him—Lebron James had already moved up to near the center line to defend him, with Mike Bibby just two steps behind, his gaze fierce, making Zhou Yi shiver. It seemed the Heat’s head coach really intended to freeze him completely. With Lebron James and Mike Bibby covering him from both sides, Zhou Yi had no choice but to pass the ball.

After the pass, Zhou Yi helplessly realized that Mike Bibby had rushed out to defend other players, while LeBron James remained motionless, staring at him near the midcourt. Zhou Yi tried to cut past LeBron James from his right side, but LeBron stubbornly moved around, preventing him from succeeding. With constant pushing and pulling, LeBron’s movements became chaotic; Zhou Yi’s breakthrough had already given him a huge headache. Now, without the ball and moving faster with less burden, he became even more agile and easily left LeBron behind. Greg Monroe kept looking for an opportunity inside, but the strong Eric Duncan never gave him a chance. Monroe assessed his distance from the basket, realizing it wasn’t his strong scoring spot, and with his stamina rapidly declining and his shooting form fading, he didn’t rush into an attack. Seeing Zhou Yi break free from LeBron James, Monroe quickly passed the ball. LeBron James pursued closely behind, and Mike Bibby almost simultaneously appeared in front of him. Under such circumstances, Zhou Yi couldn’t shoot at all, but he quickly stepped sideways two times and leaned forward slightly, clearly preparing for a breakthrough. The two defenders, not daring to slack off, quickly followed up. Zhou Yi suddenly straightened his upper body, placed the ball on his right shoulder, and threw it backward forcefully before LeBron James could intercept it. It was then that the Heat players noticed a Pistons player lurking near the three-point line on the left wing, with the basketball flying toward him at lightning speed. Andre Iguodala caught the ball, stepped forward, leaped into the air, and flicked his wrists, causing the ball to spin rapidly in the air. With a crisp swish, the players on the Pistons’ bench jumped up excitedly and hugged each other. As the scoreboard numbers changed, the cheers stopped abruptly. 92:89—the Pistons were still three points behind. Andre Iguodala’s long shot had only scored two points. John Kuester rushed to the referee, furious, to protest, but before doing so, he remembered to call a timeout first.

Watching John Kuester’s neck turn red, the referee shook his head slightly and pointed to the big screen in the American Airlines Center, where the replay of the previous moment was shown: when catching the ball, Andre Iguodala was indeed standing outside the three-point line, but his habitual step forward caused his right foot to land exactly on the line.

Andre Iguodala sighed in frustration, not expecting to make such a basic mistake. The difference between a three-point shot and a two-point shot was enormous at that moment.

Thirty-two seconds left, 92:89. The Pistons were still three points behind their opponent. By now, both teams’ benches were extremely serious, and the crowd was filled with tension. No one was paying attention to the cheerleaders’ performances; everyone was focused on the final struggle between the two teams.

“Thirty-two seconds left, a three-point difference. The Pistons still have a good chance, thanks to Zhou Yi’s outstanding performance. They’ve taken control of the game. As the gap narrows, the Pistons are showing an unprecedented level of defense. Time for a timeout. Let’s look forward to the exciting performance from both teams in the last half minute,” said the commentator quickly before switching back to the live feed.

He knew well that if his rambling delayed the game and caused fans watching at home to miss it, he would surely be cursed by countless people.

The Heat held the ball, with Mike Bibby controlling it near the top of the key. Other Heat players quickly moved around, but Bibby didn’t seem eager to attack. With thirty-two seconds left, the initiative was in the Heat’s hands.

The more hasty the Heat’s attack, the more time the Pistons would have to organize their final play. With the Heat’s experienced coach, they surely wouldn’t make such a basic mistake.

As time passed, Bibby continued to casually control the ball outside the three-point line, showing no urgency to attack.

“Foul strategy!” As time went by, John Kuester shouted anxiously from the sidelines.

Andre Iguodala hesitated for a moment after hearing this but still followed his coach’s advice. Just as he raised his hand, Zhou Yi suddenly said, “No, don’t foul now.”

No matter how much time the Heat tried to waste, the Pistons still had at least ten seconds to organize their final attack. But if they fouled now, they would only get one shot, and since it would be against Mike Bibby, it would be self-destructive.

Two completely opposite suggestions left Andre Iguodala trapped in conflict. With his extensive playing experience, he should have had his own opinion. At the moment he hesitated, Mike Bibby took advantage to get past his defense. John Kuester kept shouting from the sidelines, but his target was Zhou Yi. In his view, it was Zhou Yi’s refusal to follow his instructions that gave the Heat an opportunity. After breaking through, Mike Bibby didn’t hesitate at all and headed straight to the basket. Before Greg Monroe could block him, he gently threw the ball up—such a skilled shot he had executed countless times in his career. Mike Bibby’s offensive move was brilliant, perfectly avoiding Greg Monroe’s block. However, the force behind his shot seemed too weak; the ball lost momentum as it reached the rim, allowing Greg Monroe to easily grab the rebound. Greg Monroe threw the ball forcefully across the court. The timer showed 13.5 seconds left—there was no time for him to dawdle. By now, LeBron James seemed determined, sticking closely to Zhou Yi, while Greg Monroe’s basketball landed outside the three-point line. The two were speeding up frantically. LeBron James, who was originally a few steps ahead, didn’t rush to grab the ball. He knew full well that his speed couldn’t compete with Zhou Yi over such a long distance, so he gave up chasing the ball and instead used his body to disrupt Zhou Yi. As long as Zhou Yi couldn’t catch up with the ball, possession would naturally go back to the Heat. With a harsh screeching sound, Zhou Yi’s right toe slammed into the floor, forcing him to stop abruptly. All he could see was LeBron James, who also stopped immediately. But since he stopped suddenly without preparation, he lost his balance. While struggling to regain it, Zhou Yi zipped past him. As the ball crossed the three-point line, Zhou Yi accelerated again in an almost impossible manner. On the big screen, many fans were surprised to see afterimages trailing behind him. It wasn’t until Zhou Yi retrieved the ball inside the free-throw line that the anxious hearts of the fans finally settled. Such astonishing speed had already captured everyone’s attention.

With a simple one-handed dunk, the Pistons were only one point behind their opponent, with six seconds left in the game. “Amazing speed! I can’t believe it—such speed is beyond what humans can achieve. I suggest the officials extract that moment after the game; Zhou Yi’s speed might have broken the sprint record,” the commentator exclaimed excitedly. In fact, not just him—everyone watching the game was stunned by Zhou Yi’s speed, especially the Earth fans in the front rows of the stands. They witnessed something truly spectacular, a visual feast. Many fans still hadn’t recovered from it. But the players on the court didn’t have time to reflect; there were only six seconds left, a critical moment for both teams. Mike Bibby was determined to prevent the ball from crossing half-court—the eight-second half-court limit was highly advantageous for the Heat. LeBron James closely followed Zhou Yi, knowing full well that in this final moment, Zhou Yi was the one most likely to pull off a miracle. If they could stop him, just five seconds would be enough to end it all. At the last moment, the Pistons’ players showed unprecedented enthusiasm, constantly moving to block. Chris Bosh tossed the ball back and forth at the baseline, but couldn’t get it out. Suddenly, Bosh had an idea: seeing that all his teammates were tightly guarded and the passing deadline approaching, he stepped back a few steps, determined to pass the ball no matter what, even if it meant not attacking. Bosh gently tossed the ball high into the air—so high that no one could intercept it—and LeBron James rushed to the front, with plenty of space to cushion the impact. Bosh’s plan worked perfectly. Seeing the height of the ball, LeBron realized he couldn’t reach it and immediately turned around and dashed forward. Once the ball crossed the midline, it began to fall, and LeBron felt hopeful. A furious scream made him pause mid-air—the roar sounded as if it were right beside his ear.

LeBron James glanced back and saw a tall figure shoot upward. The strong inertia kept his body leaning toward him even as he soared into the air. A look of disbelief gradually appeared on LeBron James’s face, his mouth unconsciously opening as he was stunned by what he saw.
“Thud.” Zhou Yi’s left toe slammed heavily on the floor, and his upper body quickly tilted downward. Seeing this, LeBron James gave up on attempting to steal the ball and even stepped back two steps, raising his hands to avoid being called for fouling if he fell.
As Zhou Yi’s upper body became parallel to the floor, he suddenly shot forward, striving to maintain balance while running. The distance from the free-throw line to the basket gave him a chance to steady himself. By the time Zhou Yi threw the ball into the basket, it was already over—there were only 1.2 seconds left for the Heat.
But remember, the Heat no longer had the chance for a timeout; they could only take free throws from the baseline.
As LeBron James took a desperate shot that didn’t even reach the basket, the referee’s whistle blew promptly. In fact, the game had already ended the moment Zhou Yi scored the basket. The chances of LeBron James’s shot making it across half the court and into the basket could be described as one in ten thousand.
“After two and a half hours of intense competition, the Pistons finally overcame their strong rivals, defeating the Heat 93–92. Down by seven points at the end, the Pistons used their tenacious defense to score a 10–2 run and secure the victory.
Let’s take a look at the stats of some key players for the Pistons. Greg Monroe made 10 out of 17 shots, scoring 25 points, along with 11 rebounds and 3 blocks. Zhou Yi made 13 out of 20 shots, scoring 37 points through both shooting and free throws—exactly matching his jersey number, haha… Additionally, Zhou Yi had 12 assists, 6 rebounds, 3 blocks, and 3 steals. He alone scored 12 of the Pistons’ final 19 points…”
After winning this game away from home, the Pistons led the Heat 3–1 in the overall series. They only needed to win one more game to advance to the finals.
Chapter 412: Eastern Conference Finals, Two Shooters Against Three Giants (8)

On June 5th, Beijing time, the Pistons returned to their home court to face the Miami Heat. This game was the fifth match in the Eastern Conference Finals and also a crucial battle for the Heat’s survival. If they lost again, their season would be over, and they would be out of contention for the championship. A win for the Pistons would send them to the finals. At 7 p.m., players from both teams arrived on the court, undergoing pre-game warm-ups. The game was set to start at 7:30 p.m. CCTV-5 would continue to broadcast the match, with Yu Jia and coach Zhang Weiping providing commentary. The Pistons’ starting lineup consisted of center Samuel Dalembert, power forward Greg Monroe, small forward Andre Iguodala, shooting guard Tracy McGrady, and point guard Zhou Yi. On the large screen, the Heat’s starting lineup was shown: center Eric Dampier, power forward Chris Bosh, small forward LeBron James, shooting guard Dwyane Wade, and point guard Mike Bibby. As Chris Bosh and Greg Monroe jumped for the ball, the game began! The Pistons took control of the ball first. Zhou Yi received a pass from a teammate, took a deep breath, and quickly drove forward. Just as he reached halfway across the court, Mike Bibby appeared in front of him. With a 3-1 lead in the series, the Pistons were in high spirits, giving the Heat little chance of winning. Therefore, they couldn’t afford to be careless and focused more on defending Zhou Yi and McGrady, the team’s key players. During the pre-game strategy session, Erik Spoelstra reiterated his message: no matter what happened, as long as the ball was in Zhou Yi or McGrady’s hands, the players on the court had to double-team them at all costs, preferring to leave space for other players rather than allowing those two any chance to operate. Zhou Yi didn’t hold onto the ball for long and quickly passed it away. Mike Bibby clearly wasn’t expecting Zhou Yi to pass the ball so easily. He thought, given the Pistons’ current situation, Zhou Yi would try to keep the ball under control to avoid unnecessary mistakes. But while he was distracted, Zhou Yi easily slipped past him, and the ball quickly returned to his possession.

The moment the ball was in his hands, Zhou Yi’s speed surged instantly. Mike Bibby wasn’t expecting him to start so quickly and quickly took up a defensive stance inside the three-point line, his eyes fixed intently on Zhou Yi, refusing to slack off in the slightest. Zhou Yi’s rapidly moving body stopped abruptly just inside the three-point line, his toes making intense friction against the floor. Without hesitation, he leaped up, raised the ball high, and gently pushed it, sending it flying through his fingers. With a swish, the ball went straight into the net! After completing the shot, Zhou Yi high-fived Igoudala beside him before retreating to defend. “Great shot!” Yu Jia and Zhang Heli in the studio couldn’t help but cheer. The Heat responded quickly; after Zhou Yi’s shot, the ball was passed swiftly. Aside from Mike Bibby, who held the ball and fell behind, the other players rushed toward the Pistons’ half-court. Before Bibby could even reach the half-court, the ball was passed to him. With his excellent game sense, he immediately spotted players without defense around Chris Bosh and passed the ball to him right away. Bosh took two quick steps and, before Greg Monroe could defend him, threw the ball high. It flew over Monroe’s raised right hand and easily entered the net. On the Heat’s side, Mike Bibby broke through at the baseline and passed the ball skillfully to LeBron James, who scored with a mid-range jump shot. Almost in the same spot and in the same way, Zhou Yi replicated that same goal. Suddenly, the referee’s whistle blew. Everyone was surprised—neither team had called a timeout, no one had fouled, and the game had just started. Why did the referee blow the whistle? The next moment, everyone understood why. Chris Bosh fell to the ground, his face twisted in pain as he held his knee, clearly injured. It turned out that when Bosh was defending Greg Monroe earlier, Monroe turned, and his knee hit Bosh’s knee, causing him to get injured. Strangely enough, the culprit, Greg Monroe, wasn’t hurt at all. The Heat called a timeout and helped Bosh off the court. Bosh was really unlucky—he had to leave just one minute into the game.

The game couldn’t stop because of Chris Bosh’s injury; Jwan Howard took his place on the court. The timeout ended and play resumed. It was the Heat’s turn to possess the ball, and Mike Bibby felt frustrated—just one minute into the game and they had already lost one of their key players. He hoped Bosh wasn’t seriously injured and could return to play after resting for a while. This game was crucial for the Heat; if they lost, they’d be heading home early. Now, with their star center Chris Bosh injured, it was like salt in the wound for them. Mike Bibby moved around the top of the key with the ball, passed it behind his back to Dwyane Wade. McGrady was blocked by LeBron James, and Dwyane Wade attempted a jump shot, but Zhou Yi reacted quickly and rushed at him as he shot. Although he didn’t block the shot, he disrupted it, causing Dwyane Wade’s attempt to miss. Greg Monroe secured the rebound at the back court. After a two-day rest, the Heat players were in good shape and continued to rely on an offensive strategy. Classic screen-and-roll plays were seen frequently in their attacks, with LeBron James even pulling up to the free-throw line, constantly setting screens for his teammates. He also served as the team’s playmaker, holding the ball for long periods and delivering it to the weaker side of the Pistons’ defense. Coupled with Mike Bibby’s precise passing, the Heat’s offensive power was maximized. The Heat players kept attacking the Pistons’ basket, quickly draining the Pistons’ players’ stamina through constant running. After all, on both offense and defense, the offensive players had the upper hand. Especially with the Heat’s style of play, the Pistons’ players were under constant pressure, having to anticipate the Heat’s next pass. The offensive players had a clear goal—just find the best route—while the Pistons’ players had to constantly guess the opponents’ next move, resulting in a lot of wasted effort. Under Mike Bibby’s guidance, the Heat scored a 7-2 run. Zhou Yi was always guarded by two Heat players, making every move extremely difficult for him, and McGrady also struggled—whenever he caught the ball, two players would immediately come to defend him.

When both Zhou Yi and Tracy McGrady were in a dilemma, the Pistons urgently needed a third player to boost their offense. That’s when Andre Iguodala proved his value. Iguodala received a pass from Zhou Yi, went one-on-one with LeBron James, spun away from him, rushed into the Heat’s penalty area, jumped high, and delivered a dominant and inspiring slam dunk. Iguodala’s dunk immediately ignited the passion of the Pistons’ players. The Heat failed to score on their next attack; Zhou Yi grabbed the defensive rebound and passed it long to McGrady and Iguodala, who were already moving downcourt. McGrady and Iguodala coordinated, with the latter easily scoring a dunk. The score was 10:11, with the Pistons trailing by 1 point. LeBron James broke through in the middle and passed the ball directly to Juwan Howard inside. Howard attempted a layup but was blocked by Greg Monroe. Eric Dampier fought for the offensive rebound but didn’t score himself instead passing it to Mike Bibby on the outside. However, as the ball was passed to Bibby, a gust of wind swept past him, stealing the ball. It was Zhou Yi who stole it. After grabbing the ball, Zhou Yi drove fast downcourt, with Iguodala on his left and McGrady on his right. Dwyane Wade and Mike Bibby were already in position defending their own half, leaving the Pistons in a 3-vs-2 situation. Zhou Yi didn’t stop outside the Heat’s three-point line but kept charging toward their penalty area. Mike Bibby had no choice but to stick closely to Zhou Yi, denying him any chance to score. With McGrady and Iguodala on opposite sides, one of them was always open. After rushing into the Heat’s penalty area, Zhou Yi passed the ball to McGrady on the right. McGrady, now free, shot a three-pointer, and with a swish, the ball went in. The Pistons completed this fast break in just six seconds. The score became 13:11, with the Pistons taking a 2-point lead. The Heat tried to attack, with Mike Bibby controlling the ball and organizing the offense. After half a court, he passed it to Dwyane Wade. As soon as Wade received the ball, McGrady rushed over. Wade went one-on-one with McGrady, used LeBron James as a screen to get past his defense, then took a free throw. The ball traced a beautiful arc through the air before sinking into the basket.

The Pistons attacked, with McGrady taking the ball to organize the offense. Facing Dwyane Wade’s defense, McGrady remained calm and ended the Pistons’ offensive drive with a jump shot. Mike Bibby made a clever pass to Jwan Howard, who missed his layup but secured an offensive rebound. He tried for a second shot, also missing, but drew a foul on Samuel Dalembert. Jwan Howard took the free throw, missing the first attempt. The Pistons substituted Samuel Dalembert out and Jwan Howard made the second free throw. Zhou Yi took the ball to attack, but was disrupted by Mike Bibby while passing, resulting in a mistake; LeBron James intercepted the ball. The Heat launched a fast break but failed, with Andre Iguodala grabbing the defensive rebound. Andre Iguodala drove past half-court and passed the ball to Zhou Yi. Zhou Yi organized the offense, drove with the ball, used a crossover to get past Mike Bibby, then shot a jump shot—only for it to clang off the rim. Greg Monroe fought for the offensive rebound and passed it to Iguodala at the perimeter, who drained a three-pointer! Mike Bibby also tried a three-pointer from the left wing with help from teammate LeBron James, but missed, with Samuel Dalembert securing the defensive rebound. Zhou Yi drove, used his speed to get past Mike Bibby’s defense, rushed to the basket, and scored a layup. After Andre Iguodala’s strong performance earlier, the Heat significantly tightened their defense on him, which actually made things easier for McGrady and Zhou Yi. With the combined efforts of Zhou Yi, McGrady, and Andre Iguodala, the Pistons scored a 12-5 run. With 3:11 left in the first quarter, the Pistons led the Heat 26-17 by 9 points. At that point, the Heat’s head coach, Eric Spoelstra, called a timeout. After the timeout, both teams changed their lineups. The Pistons: Samuel Dalembert, Taylor Hansbrough, James Posey, Ben Gordon, and Will Bynum; while the Heat: Jwan Howard, Joel Anthony, Mike Miller, Dwyane Wade, and Mario Chalmers. In the first quarter, both teams seemed focused on offense, but obviously the Pistons were better at attacking and also performed well defensively.

The Heat’s offense was quite monotonous; aside from Jwan Howard scoring inside, only Dwyane Wade had a decent shooting percentage from outside. However, with James Posey providing help defense, Wade didn’t get many shooting opportunities. After hitting a mid-range jump shot and a three-pointer right after the timeout, Wade scored only 2 points via free throws in the next two minutes, with all three of his other attempts missing. The other players did have quite a few chances, but they hesitated greatly when shooting—hesitating after receiving the ball, unsure whether to shoot or pass it. They were reluctant to waste such good opportunities, but given the Pistons’ strong defense, they had very little time to shoot. With just a moment of hesitation, defenders would immediately appear in front of them. The few opportunities Mario Chalmers managed to create were all wasted. Eric Spoelstra shook his head in frustration. At the start of the game, he was quite satisfied with his team’s performance. But once Andre Iguodala exploded off the bench, prompting Zhou Yi and Tracy McGrady to do the same, he immediately became anxious. He kept pacing around the sidelines, shouting loudly, but the more anxious he became, the worse things got. The players, who were already unstable, became even more hesitant and slow after being scolded, making more and more mistakes. With 1 minute and 6 seconds left in the first quarter, the Heat were trailing the Pistons 37–25 by 12 points. The Pistons had already built such a big lead before even the end of the first quarter, leaving Eric Spoelstra extremely frustrated. Helplessly, he called another timeout, determined to give his players a good lesson. “The situation now is that if we lose one more game, we’re out. This game is extremely crucial for us. As you all know, the Detroit Pistons are a very strong team. I’d say they’re the toughest opponent we’ve faced this season. I bear primary responsibility for how the game is going, but now isn’t the time to assign blame. After all, it’s only the first quarter, and we have plenty of time to make up for our mistakes.”

For the Pistons, a top-tier team in the league, there’s no need for me to say much—everyone has already had firsthand experience facing them in previous encounters. Although our focus for this game is offense, we all know that with our current roster, we’re not capable of breaking through their defense. So what can we do? We have no choice but to strengthen our defense while still pursuing offense. The Pistons are excellent both offensively and defensively, and in games, they place more emphasis on defense; their offense only became strong in recent seasons. Therefore, we must force them to make mistakes through intense defense, then use our fast breaks to create scoring opportunities—only then do we have a chance to win. Eric Spoelstra’s tactical plan is simple: strengthen defense, force mistakes from the opponent, then move quickly and make wide cuts to drive the offense forward. Once an opportunity arises, there should be no hesitation—quickly shoot the ball at the basket.

It must be said that Eric Spoelstra’s analysis is quite reasonable. But it’s the only option available; if he couldn’t even analyze these basic tactics, he wouldn’t have reached the position of head coach. Although this might result in many unnecessary shots from the Heat, it’s still better than missing opportunities over and over again! However, it puts even more pressure on the Heat’s interior players. In addition to exerting enough pressure on the Pistons offensively, they also need to maintain a strong performance in rebounding.

Yet today, the Heat’s interior players as a whole didn’t perform well. Aside from Jwan Howard, who did fairly well, the other interior players didn’t perform well at all. During this timeout, the Pistons made some lineup changes—Spencer Hawes replaced Samuel Dalembert, and Andre Iguodala replaced Ben Gordon. Both players who came off the court had performed well earlier, and John Kuester replaced them so they could get enough rest to stay strong throughout the game. The Pistons’ substitutions didn’t significantly affect their offense, as these players had already started in previous regular-season games. With Andre Iguodala on the court, John Kuester had nothing to worry about.

Eric Spolstra watched the Pistons’ starting players with red eyes. After such a long game, he should have made some adjustments to the lineup—not only to conserve the players’ energy but also because having the same lineup on the court for too long would allow the opponent to gradually find ways to counter them. Yet after glancing at the few players on the bench, he suppressed his urge. With the score already so far ahead for the opponent, there was no point in being indecisive any longer; there was no need to continue playing if things stayed this way.

Mike Bibby gently wiped the sweat from his forehead. Chris Bosh’s unexpected injury had left the Heat’s frontcourt extremely weak. Without Bosh to hold down the paint, the Heat’s interior defense was even weaker.

Mike Bibby was well aware that he needed to change his previous playing style of constantly seeking three-point opportunities from outside. It seemed unlikely now. Previously, Zhou Yi’s close defense had been like a persistent pest—whenever the ball reached him, Zhou Yi would appear right beside him, leaving no room for error.

Although in his current state, Mike Bibby was confident he could break through Zhou Yi’s defense over time, it would still be exhausting. Moreover, playing alone while the other four watched wasn’t the kind of game Mike Bibby preferred. And even if he managed to force his way through, it wasn’t guaranteed he’d create any opportunities. He firmly believed that as a competent point guard—the brain of the team—his constant movement could create excellent offensive opportunities with every pass. Having the ball stuck in one player’s hands wasn’t good for either the player or the team, nor did it reflect the team spirit of basketball.

The ball was quickly passed to Jwan Howard. Jwan Howard dribbled with his right hand, focusing his strength on his left shoulder, pushing against Spencer Hawes behind him as he moved step by step toward the basket. Faced with Jwan Howard’s aggressive play, Spencer Hawes fought tenaciously, firmly holding his ground in the paint.

As time passed, Jwan Howard knew he might not come out on top if he continued like this. Seizing an opportunity to drive, he quickly passed the ball to the outside.

Mike Bibby wouldn’t miss such a rare chance. The moment the ball reached him, he immediately jumped up. The ball stayed in his hands for only a brief moment before flying out from between his fingers.

After landing, Mike Bibby let out a long sigh. During those few minutes of play, he watched as the opponent closed the score gap, even took the lead, and the difference between the two teams grew larger and larger, while he failed to score from outside. He felt extremely frustrated, and this shot really relieved some of that pressure.

Mike Bibby hit a three-pointer, helping the Heat narrow the score to 9 points. The current score was 37-28 in favor of the Pistons.

With 36 seconds left in the first quarter, it was the Pistons’ turn to play. The Pistons had a masterful offense and excellent defense, with every player contributing effectively. Their multi-pronged attack made it difficult for the Heat to defend, while the Heat could only rely on Mike Bibby’s scoring to hold on. The first quarter ended with a score of 30-43.

“Coach Zhang, what’s your opinion on how the first quarter turned out like this? In your view, how can the Heat turn things around?” Yu Jia asked.

“Actually, this outcome isn’t surprising at all. Both teams are among the best offensive teams in the league. When their offense is going well, they’re almost unstoppable, but once their offense falters, things get tough. The Pistons showed their strengths today, excelling both offensively and defensively. The Heat lost one of their key players right at the start, which surely hit them hard. Given their current situation, they can only count on LeBron James and Dwyane Wade,” Zhang Lihe said, analyzing the data in his hands.

Still, with Mike Bibby on the team, the Heat weren’t without hope. Basketball is a team sport, but star players often can determine the course of a game at critical moments. At such times, they definitely have the power to decide the outcome.

Eric Spolstra shared this mindset as well. During the break, he gave the other players orders to be more aggressive in the game, to seize any opportunities they had, and not force things if there were none. More focus should be placed on defense. Even if they couldn’t stop certain shots, they shouldn’t give up easily—instead, they should use fouls strategically to prevent the Pistons from getting 2+1 opportunities, making the Pistons’ scorers nervous whenever they took a shot.

For a team like the Pistons, resorting to fouling tactics shows that Eric Spoelstra is in a desperate situation. Yet it can also be an effective strategy, forcing the Pistons’ scorers to hesitate before shooting. Back in the day, the Pistons’ “Bad Boys” squad won two championships using aggressive and brutal tactics, even keeping “The Round Mound of Fury” Michael Jordan out of the finals several times. Everyone feared facing the Pistons because of their tough, even dirty, playing style. The worst among the Bad Boys was their center, Bill Laimbeer—one of the most troublesome players in NBA history and one of the most brutal and dirty players. When defending, he focused more on charging at opponents rather than the ball, causing many players to fear him, worried about being caught off guard by his tactics. Eric Spoelstra has always disdained such tactics, but he has still adopted some elements of them, using a more aggressive defensive approach that can significantly affect the mindset of offensive players. However, he does not endorse Bill Laimbeer’s style of play. As professional athletes, they should maintain professional standards under any circumstances. Basketball is a passionate sport, but not one based on violence. Intense competition should still be conducted within certain rules; excessive brutality goes against the true spirit of basketball.