Chapter 180

The second quarter began quickly, with the Pistons starting in this lineup: Will Bynum, Ben Gordon, Andre Iguodala, Charlie Villanueva, and Samuel Dalembert. The Heat, on the other hand, started with Eric Dampier, Chris Bosh, LeBron James, Mike Miller, and Mario Chalmers.
Chris Bosh had rested in the locker room for almost an entire quarter, but it seemed he was fine now. The Heat started the second quarter with their near-starter lineup, clearly determined to turn the game around.
The Heat gained possession first. Mario Chalmers quickly drove to the middle of the court. As he glanced at his teammates, Will Bynum appeared beside him like a ghost, his dark right hand aiming at the ball in Chalmers’ hands. Chalmers was slightly startled but quickly turned to avoid the steal.
LeBron James, covered by his teammates, immediately positioned himself just outside the three-point line at the baseline. Chalmers noticed him and quickly passed the ball. After catching it, LeBron adjusted briefly before shooting—swish—the ball went through the net.
Bynum took the ball at the baseline and slowly moved toward the Heat’s half. Shortly after reaching the half-court line, Mario Chalmers rushed at him. Bynum frowned slightly; the Heat hadn’t played such aggressive defense in the first quarter!
Bynum passed the ball to Andre Iguodala near the free-throw line, but as soon as Iguodala caught it, LeBron James stuck close to him, with Mike Miller also watching Iguodala closely. Iguodala tried to break through, but LeBron clung to him like a parasite. Such defense was unfamiliar to Iguodala.
Suddenly, LeBron reached out and stole the ball from Iguodala, then passed it to Mario Chalmers. After catching it, Chalmers drove fast down the court and completed the fast break with an easy layup.
John Kuester frowned, watching everything on the court. He could clearly see that the Heat’s defense was very different from before. The Heat were playing intense defense while still not giving up on fast breaks.
Bynum held the ball and suddenly accelerated after reaching the half-court line, charging toward the Heat’s paint. Although Mario Chalmers was slender, he gritted his teeth and pushed hard against Bynum.

Bynum passed the ball to Ben Gordon. Gordon tried to shoot right away but was disturbed by Mike Miller and missed; LeBron James secured the rebound. After grabbing the rebound, LeBron immediately passed the ball to Mario Chalmers and then rushed desperately toward the Pistons’ half of the court. The Heat passed the ball back and forth, and in just a few exchanges, it reached outside the Pistons’ three-point line. Taking advantage of Will Bynum’s hesitation, Chalmers shot a three-pointer that actually went in. 38:43 — the Heat narrowed the score to 5 points. In a short time, the Heat scored an 8-0 run and managed to catch up. Seeing this, John Kuester immediately called a timeout. “Guys, I think you can feel it too. Yes, the Heat’s defense has tightened up, but this kind of defense built by sacrificing energy can only help them temporarily. After all, they’re not a team good at defense. If they keep relying on exhausting themselves to strengthen their defense, they’ll suffer the consequences in the fourth quarter. Guys, we’re different. We’re a team that’s good at defense. Show them what you’re capable of — who’s really good at defense!” John Kuester said passionately to the Pistons’ players. “Okay!” After the timeout, Zhou Yi replaced Will Bynum, and McGrady replaced Ben Gordon; the Heat also had Dwyane Wade come in to replace Mike Miller. The game continued, with the Pistons in possession. Zhou Yi organized the offense, connecting with McGrady across half-court. After receiving the ball, McGrady drove hard and passed to Andre Iguodala. Iguodala rushed to the baseline and then passed to Zhou Yi at the top of the key. Zhou Yi took a jump shot from outside the three-point line, and the ball neatly went into the basket. The Pistons’ offense this time was very patient and smooth. LeBron James rushed to the free-throw line to block, and the moment he got the ball, he passed it back quickly to Dwyane Wade on the weak side. Fortunately, Zhou Yi’s counter-defense was timely; before Wade could shoot, Zhou Yi appeared like a ghost in front of him. With his amazing explosive power, he overtook Wade, gently touching the ball with his fingertips. Although the block wasn’t very strong, it was enough to slightly change the ball’s trajectory.

Chris Bosh secured the ball and shot from mid-range, but it was blocked by Charlie Villanueva, with Samuel Dalembert grabbing the rebound. Andre Iguodala’s three-pointer from the right wing missed, as Greg Monroe was tightly held back by Chris Bosh, watching helplessly as Eric Dampier secured the rebound and passed the ball to Mario Chalmers in the middle of the court. The closest Pistons player was Andre Iguodala, but with his speed, he could only watch as Mario Chalmers raced past and scored inside the Pistons’ basket. The score gap narrowed, and John Kuester became calmer; at this point in the game, there was little he could do. All he could do was trust his players’ performance. If they could thrive under pressure, they could still control the situation, but if they performed poorly, the Heat would take control. Charlie Villanueva’s pass was almost intercepted by Dwyane Wade, but fortunately, Zhou Yi had a clear speed advantage and touched the ball first. He slowly drove the ball across half-court, without rushing to break through or pass. As Zhou Yi moved around the perimeter, the two Heat defenders had to follow his movements, with everyone in the O’Brien Center focusing on him. “Swish, swish”—the basketball kept changing hands at Zhou Yi’s waist, growing faster with each bounce. With each impact on the floor, Mario Chalmers’ heart trembled, his attention never wavering. Seeing Zhou Yi ready to strike, he knew his attack could be completed in an instant. Suddenly, Zhou Yi appeared on Mario Chalmers’ right side in the blink of an eye, blocking him and charging toward the Heat’s basket. Once Zhou Yi accelerated at full speed, Dwyane Wade couldn’t keep up, not even manage to draw a foul, and could only watch as Zhou Yi dived into the basket. Inside the Heat’s basket, there were two big players who were ready to defend after Zhou Yi passed by Mario Chalmers. It seemed Zhou Yi didn’t intend to score himself; after entering the free-throw line, he passed the ball to Charlie Villanueva inside, then quickly moved past him.

Eric Spolstra could finally relax, with his anxious heart at ease. Zhou Yi’s peak speed just now had already left him in awe; if he managed to throw the ball into the basket in one go, it would definitely be a spectacular shot and one that would greatly boost the Pistons’ morale. Once the ball reached Charlie Villanueva’s hands, it wasn’t easy for him to score despite facing two interior defenders.

Yet what happened next left Eric Spolstra extremely frustrated. Charlie Villanueva didn’t turn to shoot but gently threw the ball to the left. His pass was very subtle, and after catching it, Zhou Yi used Villanueva’s block as cover to easily score. Due to a Heat passing mistake, Zhou Yi easily intercepted the ball and passed it long to Andre Iguodala, who hit a three-pointer.

After entering the game, Zhou Yi led the Pistons on an 8-2 run, quickly widening the score gap to double digits again. With no other choice, Eric Spolstra called another timeout. After the timeout, Mike Bibby replaced Mario Chalmers, the Pistons’ Charlie Villanueva was replaced by Greg Monroe, and Jody Meeks replaced McGrady. Mike Bibby and LeBron James created a scoring opportunity with a block, but the shot missed the basket. Greg Monroe immediately pushed Chris Bosh away at the basket and easily secured the rebound.

“After being down 8-0 at the start by the Heat, it seems the Pistons regained their rhythm once Zhou Yi entered the game. Zhou Yi scored 5 points in a row, and Iguodala also hit a three-pointer, helping the Pistons widen the lead to 11 points. What’s your opinion on the Pistons’ performance so far, Coach Zhang?” Yu Jia suddenly spoke up, shifting the topic to Zhang Lihe.

The commentators from the TV station stayed silent during timeouts but spoke up during the game. They really didn’t realize how much disdain fans would have for such behavior.

“In the subsequent attacks, the Heat players seemed unable to find their rhythm. It’s not their fault, as the Pistons’ defense is already very strong. Under Zhou Yi’s leadership, the Pistons regained their form and responded with an 8-2 scoring run against the Heat. Hopefully, the Pistons can maintain this excellent form in the rest of the game,” Zhang Lihe explained calmly.

Chapter 413: Eastern Conference Finals – Two Shooters Against Three Giants (9)
John Kuester was naturally very satisfied with the performance just now, especially Zhou Yi, whose play had improved significantly over this period. Andre Iguodala’s three-point shots also disrupted the Heat’s defense, reducing the pressure on Zhou Yi from the outside.
Zhou Yi’s mid-range shot missed, and the rebound was secured by LeBron James.
Mike Bibby made several attempts to test Zhou Yi, but he remained unfazed. Bibby couldn’t help but sigh as time passed, and he had no choice but to pass the ball to Dwyane Wade.
Zhou Yi was always calm and composed; he was a person with a cool head and superb skills. Offensively, he knew how to leverage his strengths to attack his opponents. Defensively, he was among the best guards.
When Dwyane Wade saw Andre Iguodala ahead of him, he used several feints, shifted his weight, and rushed forward.
Iguodala, with a serious expression, watched Dwyane Wade’s moves and calmly stepped back, easily stopping his advance. His dark right hand shot out like lightning, gently pushing from Dwyane Wade’s right side.
It seemed Dwyane Wade was cooperating with Iguodala’s move—when Iguodala’s right hand reached his right side, he raised the ball to his waist, and with a gentle push, the ball was knocked out of his hands.
Dwyane Wade wasn’t expecting the ball to be knocked out so easily, but he stayed calm. He quickly turned, stretched out his left arm to block Iguodala’s body, and stepped forward to regain control of the ball.
Seeing Dwyane Wade’s calm performance, Iguodala’s eyes also showed admiration.
“Truly a battle-tested superstar!”
But Iguodala wasn’t easy to deal with. He quickly regained his position, and Dwyane Wade held the ball close to his chest.
Seeing what had just happened, Mike Bibby quickly rushed back to support Dwyane Wade. Using Dwyane Wade’s body as cover, Bibby accelerated and easily passed past Iguodala.
At the moment Bibby broke through, Jody Meeks quickly closed in.

Just past the free-throw line, Mike Bibby’s feet seemed to be fitted with springs as he launched himself into the air without warning, his upper body leaning forward at nearly a 45-degree angle due to inertia. Bibby used both hands to push the ball forward, his left hand supporting it while his right hand gave it a gentle push, sending the ball out almost horizontally—a signature move of his, the “horseback shooting” stance. Jody Meeks jumped in haste, but unfortunately, the ball flew over his head first. With a crisp swish of the net, the Heat’s bench erupted in celebration; the score was now 47:56, with only a 9-point difference left. Eric Spolsky substituted Dwyane Wade because of his ability to break through defenses. Bibby’s breakthroughs had already weakened the Pistons’ defense, and adding Dwyane Wade would amplify that effect. But Andre Iguodala wasn’t Tracy McGrady, so Wade’s attempts to break through had no effect. In just over three minutes on the court, he managed only one breakthrough past Iguodala’s defense, at the cost of two mistakes. When the ball reached Jody Meeks, he didn’t even have time to adjust; with a light push from the bottom of the ball, it quickly flew over the Heat players’ heads. As the ball seemed about to cross the baseline, a tall figure swiftly cut inside from the right, leaping up two steps inside the free-throw line and scoring a battle-ax dunk to give the Pistons 2 points. Watching Andre Iguodala easily high-five his teammates, the Heat’s morale clearly dipped. LeBron James caught the ball at the baseline and quickly drove it into the middle of the court. Mike Bibby rushed forward to support him, skillfully controlling the ball with his right hand while using his left to direct his teammates’ movements. The Heat’s interior players weren’t fast, so one of Bibby’s key tasks was to control the pace of the game—only by doing so could the Heat increase their chances of winning. Bibby suddenly dipped his body, Zhou Yi’s gaze sharpened as he focused intensely. But instead of breaking through, Bibby passed the ball to LeBron James on the right side and quickly slipped past Zhou Yi.

The Pistons’ switch defense changed speed extremely quickly. As soon as the ball reached him, Jody Meeks appeared right in front of him. LeBron James was shocked and struggled with the details of handling the ball. To avoid Jody Meeks’ aerial interception, he passed the ball very high, so much so that when it reached Mike Bibby’s head, Bibby had to leap to catch it.

Glancing briefly at the basketball above his head, Mike Bibby reacted instantly, maintaining his top speed. Zhou Yi had already anticipated his breakthrough route and even planned Bibby’s next move the moment he saw the pass. The only thing unexpected was that Bibby ignored the ball above him. After all, there were no players on the Heat’s right side of the paint, and given the ball’s trajectory, it would definitely cross the baseline if not intercepted by a Pistons player.

Watching the ball approach rapidly, Zhou Yi hesitated for a moment. With such a pass, if he didn’t intervene, it would definitely cross the baseline, but catching it posed no difficulty for him. Just as he was distracted, Mike Bibby quickly closed in, pressed against him with his back, and used his agile movements to slip past Zhou Yi from the right. Zhou Yi was shocked and rushed forward to cover the gap, but Bibby wouldn’t let him do so easily. As he broke through, he leaped up and effortlessly grabbed the ball.

Under the gaze of all the fans, Bibby twisted in mid-air, seemingly freezing momentarily before gently pushing the ball, causing it to float into the basket a few feet away. Amidst the crowd’s astonishment, Bibby raised his right hand high before quickly retreating to defend.

The Pistons’ fast breaks were truly astonishing. In the blink of an eye, thanks to Zhou Yi’s superb pass, the ball traveled across most of the court from near the free-throw line, while the Heat’s front player had only just reached the midline. Andre Iguodala caught the ball effortlessly, delivered an amazing bounce, and scored with a stunning battle axe dunk, helping the Pistons add 2 more points.

Iguodala’s awareness of fast breaks was outstanding; among the Pistons’ starting five, his overall ability was second only to Zhou Yi and Tracy McGrady.

Looking at Iguodala, who was just two steps away, Bibby remained focused. Among the Pistons’ five starters, Iguodala’s overall strength was likely second only to McGrady and Zhou Yi.

Mike Bibby’s breakthrough moves became increasingly sharp, with better timing and more strategic choices in his route. The simpler his movements, combined with his unmatched speed, made his breakthroughs even more devastating.
Zhou Yi’s expression was serious as he focused intently on Mike Bibby’s actions.
Mike Bibby’s forward-leaning body was pulled back forcefully, his center of gravity firmly against Zhou Yi. With his right hand holding the ball, he suddenly pressed down on his wrist out of Zhou Yi’s line of sight.
Although Zhou Yi guessed Mike Bibby’s intention, he couldn’t react in time.
Jody Meeks watched helplessly as the ball flew past him—just two steps away from where he could have reached it. Mike Bibby’s passing was always frustrating.
Mike Bibby’s pass was perfect; Eric Dampier caught the ball easily, skillfully controlling it with his right hand while pressing Samuel Dalembert tightly against him, inching toward the basket.
Eric Dampier roared and drove hard with his right hand. As the ball rose and fell, his entire body exerted tremendous force, forcing Samuel Dalembert to retreat two steps as well.
Before Samuel Dalembert could reposition himself, Eric Dampier quickly turned and scored with a one-handed dunk.
Then, the referee’s whistle blew—Samuel Dalembert had committed a defensive foul.
Samuel Dalembert was substituted out.
“Bang”—Eric Dampier’s free throw seemed too strong, hitting the back of the rim and bouncing right back out. Samuel Dalembert easily grabbed the rebound.
Eric Dampier waved his right hand in frustration and quickly returned to defense. The Pistons’ speed left him no time to dwell on his mistake.
Faced with Mike Bibby’s defense, Jody Meeks hesitated not at all. With just one tentative breakthrough, he cleverly passed the ball to Andre Iguodala on the other side. It was LeBron James who was guarding Andre Iguodala.
Without hesitation, Andre Iguodala took the ball and shot a three-pointer right over LeBron James’s head.
“Swish”—the ball went through the net instantly, leaving the prepared LeBron James unable to even defend it.
51:63—the Pistons regained a double-digit lead.

Andre Iguodala was in fantastic form today; as of now in the game, he had already hit three three-pointers. The Heat’s offense failed to produce any results, and Zhou Yi grabbed a rebound and quickly passed it to Jody Meeks. Andre Iguodala, Jody Meeks, and Zhou Yi quickly moved toward the Heat’s half of the court. At that moment, only Mike Bibby was left in the Heat’s half, resulting in a three-on-one situation. Mike Bibby couldn’t help but gasp—how could he defend against such a situation? Right in the middle was Andre Iguodala, with Zhou Yi and Jody Meeks on either wing. Mike Bibby’s eyes flickered between the three players as he quickly backed away. Just as he crossed the free-throw line, Andre Iguodala, while in motion, gently threw the ball, which easily landed in Jody Meeks’ hands. Mike Bibby had to shift his position to the left, but the ball didn’t pause at all in Jody Meeks’ hands; with his left hand supporting the bottom of the ball, it lightly flew over Mike Bibby’s head and into Zhou Yi’s hands on the other side. Over such a short distance from the free-throw line to the basket, the Pistons’ three players completed five passes, forcing Mike Bibby to run back and forth between them. After catching the ball, Zhou Yi leaped up, raising it high above his head with his right hand, while Mike Bibby rushed at him quickly. Seeing Mike Bibby approaching, a faint smile appeared on Zhou Yi’s lips; with a slight motion of his right hand, the ball lightly flew over Mike Bibby’s head. Mike Bibby gritted his teeth and had to run back at full speed. Jody Meeks had already jumped into the air, easily catching the ball with his right hand. At that moment, he was right above the basket, his tense body like a bow ready to shoot. With a roar, Jody Meeks threw the ball hard toward the basket. The moment his right arm struck down, a lightning-fast figure appeared from the side, startling Jody Meeks. Before he could react, he felt a tremendous force in his hands. With a loud clang, the basketball in Jody Meeks’ hands hit the front of the basket, and Mike Bibby and Jody Meeks collided violently, falling to the floor together. Another loud clang came from above as their bodies hit the ground, followed by a dunking sound that echoed throughout the arena. Zhou Yi caught the rebounded ball and immediately completed a dunk.

But at this moment, the focus on the court wasn’t on Zhou Yi—it was still on the two players locked in a struggle. Mike Bibby’s block just now was truly astonishing; despite his opponent gaining the upper hand, Bibby counteracted by forcing the ball back into the basket. No one expected such tremendous explosive power to reside in Bibby’s slender frame. Amidst the cheers of the fans, the two struggling players separated. Zhou Yi and Andre Iguodala helped them up; after lifting Bibby, Zhou Yi patted his shoulder and said, “Your block was really amazing—this is the best block I’ve ever seen from you.” “Hehe, thanks,” replied Bibby with a smile. At that moment, the Pistons’ head coach, John Kuester, called a timeout because Jody Meeks seemed injured. With Will Bynum’s assistance, Jody Meeks returned to the locker room, and McGrady stepped in to take his place. Although Meeks’ injury didn’t significantly impact the Pistons, it did affect their lineup. The entire team hoped Meeks only suffered a minor injury and could play in future games. Once McGrady entered the game, play resumed, with the Heat gaining possession. Chris Bosh’s first shot missed, and after grabbing an offensive rebound, his second attempt was disrupted by his opponent. Meanwhile, Bibby was in the paint, and his drive pass created an opportunity for Bosh. Bosh still hesitated before shooting, and Greg Monroe anticipated his shooting path and jumped early to interfere. Just over three minutes had passed since the timeout, and the Pistons had made four of six shots, while the Heat were struggling offensively. Their attacks mainly focused on Bibby and Bosh—Bibby made only one of two shots, and Bosh made one of three attempts, though he converted both free throws. All four attempts by the other players missed. Eric Spolstra immediately called a timeout. The Heat’s problems weren’t just offensive; their defense was also flawed, especially in switching defense, as they couldn’t adapt to the opponent’s fast breaks. Additionally, Zhou Yi’s playmaking allowed the Pistons to frequently launch mismatched attacks—McGrady taking on LeBron James alone, and Iguodala attacking Bibby in a mismatched situation—putting the Heat at a severe disadvantage.

Eric Spolstra seems to lack a clear vision; the current roster is already the Heat’s strongest lineup, and the Pistons’ fast breaks are something the Heat are completely unprepared for. After the timeout, the Heat simply replaced LeBron James with Mike Miller—LeBron hadn’t been performing well either, missing both of his shots and appearing hesitant in attack while also struggling defensively; he was in no shape today. Mike Miller, on the other hand, had a great game—confident, aggressive, and tenacious, with solid fundamentals, quick movements, and a smart playing style. His strength lies in strong physical confrontation under the basket, especially when combining long shots with rebounds for second-chance attacks, often catching opponents off guard; three-point shooting is also his specialty. Once play resumed, the Pistons’ offense remained fierce, with players like Zhou Yi repeatedly attacking the Heat’s basket, while the Heat’s offense saw significant improvement. 74:58—the Pistons widened their lead further. Mike Bibby slowly drove the ball across half-court. The pace of the game had been slow earlier, which suited the Pistons well, while the Heat were forced to chase, putting them in a very passive position. Fortunately, Mike Miller performed exceptionally well, preventing the score from widening any further. Mike Bibby skillfully controlled the ball, using his finger to direct his teammates’ movements. “A 16-point gap isn’t a huge issue, and half-court isn’t over yet. In the past, under such circumstances, the Heat would hardly have a chance to turn things around. But with Wade and James around, the Heat still have a good chance—their roles in the team are obvious,” explained Zhang Li. The Heat were very active on offense. After the timeout, the biggest change was the increased enthusiasm of the players, who were more proactive in moving around the court. Mike Miller cleverly pulled to the outside to set up a pick-and-roll for Mike Bibby, blocking Zhou Yi’s path. In that instant, Mike Bibby broke through like lightning—Zhou Yi lost track of him in an instant. After all, McGrady is older now, his footwork isn’t as agile as before. Although his defensive skills are good, he had no choice but to accept being beaten due to Mike Bibby’s overwhelming speed advantage.

At this point, the only obstacle in Mike Bibby’s path was Andre Iguodala’s astonishing athletic talent, especially his formidable offensive ability. However, his speed was not as strong as Bibby’s, and a guard like Bibby, with his sharp breakthroughs and agile movement, was his natural enemy. Iguodala quickly broke free from Mike Miller and slipped through as well.

McGrady was aware of his own defensive limitations, but he was smart enough not to charge in recklessly. Instead, he assessed Bibby’s path and tried to push him toward the baseline. If he could slow Bibby down just a bit, Iguodala could quickly close in for a double-team.

Bibby 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, then immediately bounced upward, leaping diagonally across the baseline with his body tilted at a 45-degree angle in the air.

McGrady quickly followed up, using his body to block Bibby’s shooting space. To his relief, Iguodala also arrived in time—Bibby’s decision was undoubtedly foolish.

In mid-air, with his body tilted backward, Bibby threw the ball forcefully with his right hand. The ball traveled across most of the court and landed in Mike Miller’s hands on the left wing.

There was no one guarding Miller at that moment. With no defense, he calmly adjusted the ball in his hands and easily jumped from beyond the three-point line to shoot.

With a crisp swish, the ball went through the net.

74:61—the Heat had narrowed the score to 13 points again.

Bibby’s breakthrough earlier had drawn most of the Pistons’ attention, allowing the pass to come at just the right time and giving Miller such a great shooting opportunity.

Twenty seconds later, Bibby was almost in the same position, using the same method, to pass the ball to Dwyane Wade, who scored his second three-pointer.

74:64—the Heat were now only 10 points behind.

Two consecutive three-pointers reinvigorated the Heat’s bench. The players who had seemed frustrated earlier became energized once more, full of enthusiasm.

Coach John Kuester also became anxious and started directing from the sidelines. Only after being persuaded by the referee did he return to the bench. At least for now, the Heat had the advantage on the court.

In the rest of the second quarter, both teams entered a tight battle. The Heat players played aggressively on defense, preventing their opponents from expanding their lead. The Pistons eventually ended the first half with a 9-point advantage, 76-67.

The Heat players were still satisfied with this result. They returned to their seats chatting and laughing, except for a few like Dwyane Wade, who looked serious, sitting on the bench out of breath as they quickly replenished the water lost from their intense exertion. Most of the Heat’s scoring opportunities came from these players, while the Pistons’ defense against them and LeBron James grew stronger.

At the end of the first half, the Pistons led the Heat 9-76. Although they still held a 9-point advantage, it was nowhere near as significant as their dominant lead in the middle of the second quarter.

Especially their morale, which was high earlier, began to dip toward the end of the second quarter. Mike Bibby of the Heat, acting as the team’s backbone, held off the Pistons’ repeated attacks. Under Dwyane Wade’s leadership, the Heat players gradually regained their composure, with Wade hitting two consecutive three-pointers in the final moments.

As the Heat’s morale rose, the Pistons’ morale naturally dropped. Yet even so, John Kuester did not criticize his players. He believed in them and thought they could overcome this tough period, especially with Zhou Yi around.

Although the Pistons didn’t perform well toward the end of the second quarter, they still controlled the game. Zhou Yi also didn’t have a great performance in the last two minutes of the quarter, but an ESPN columnist still chose him for an interview.

It was Zhou Yi who revitalized the team’s offense in the middle of the second quarter, giving the Pistons new energy. Clearly, victory was within reach for the Pistons as long as Zhou Yi could perform normally.

Moreover, since the Heat sacrificed much of their energy defending the Pistons and relied heavily on fast breaks, their stamina would inevitably be an issue. In the critical battle of the second half, stamina would become a fatal factor for the Heat.

In the first half, the Pistons had nine players on the court. Even Zhou Yi, who played the most minutes, only sat on the bench for a little over five minutes. On the Heat’s side, all five starters played almost the entire first half, with Chris Bosh being the exception—he missed a quarter after getting injured at the start of it.

Zhou Yi was also exhausted from playing such a long time. Out of breath, he told an ESPN reporter, “As everyone saw in this game, it’s going to be one of the toughest matches we’ve had since the playoffs. The Heat are an excellent team; their offensive power is unmatched in the league, and they do a great job with zone defense. Especially with three great leaders—LeBron, Dwyane, and Chris. Although we’re up by 9 points now, it won’t be easy to win this game. In the second half, we have to give it our all. Maybe we’re not as strong offensively as the Heat right now, but in terms of fighting spirit, I don’t think we’ll lose to anyone. Our performance in the middle of the second quarter proved that. As long as we can maintain this level of performance in the second half, victory is within reach.”

After saying all that in one go, Zhou Yi rushed into the locker room. John Kuester would surely make some arrangements for the second half. The Heat players also rushed into their locker room. Eric Spolstra looked frustrated. Although they narrowed the score gap to single digits toward the end of the second quarter, their key players were all extremely tired. At least a few starters needed enough rest; otherwise, they’d all be exhausted before the game was over.

Right now, Eric Spolstra is facing a huge challenge: figuring out how to arrange rest for his players. It’s extremely difficult for the Heat right now. Dwyane Wade and LeBron James are the hardest to manage—they’re essential for the team right now. Dwyane Wade and LeBron James are the backbone of their outside offense, and no one else in the team can replace their role in holding the opponent at bay. It was their outstanding performance on the perimeter that allowed the Heat to narrow the score gap to single digits toward the end of the second quarter. Yet, they’re also the players who need rest the most. Once the game reaches its critical moments, they’re the ones the team needs most.