Chapter 100

The second quarter began quickly, with the Pistons starting in this lineup: Will Bynum, Ben Gordon, Andre Iguodala, Charlie Villanueva, and Samuel Dalembert. The Suns, on the other hand, started with Robin Lopez, Channing Frye, Grant Hill, Michael Petrus, and Goran Dragic.

Channing Frye had rested in the locker room for almost an entire quarter and now seemed fine. The Suns went out with a near-starter lineup at the start of the second quarter, clearly determined to turn the game around.

The ball went to the Suns first. Goran Dragic quickly drove the ball into the middle of the court. As he glanced at his teammates, Will Bynum appeared beside him like a ghost, his large black hand aiming at the ball in Dragic’s hands. Dragic was slightly startled but quickly turned to avoid the steal.

Grant Hill, covered by his teammates, immediately positioned himself just outside the three-point line at the baseline. Dragic spotted him and quickly passed the ball. After catching it, Hill adjusted briefly before shooting—swish—the ball went through the net.

Will Bynum took the ball at the baseline and slowly moved toward the Suns’ half. Shortly after crossing half-court, Goran Dragic charged at him. Bynum frowned slightly; the Suns 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, Grant Hill stuck close to him, with Michael Petrus also watching Iguodala closely from the other side. Iguodala tried to break through, but Hill clung to him like a parasite, a defense that left Iguodala uncomfortable.

Suddenly, Hill reached out and stole the ball from Iguodala, then passed it to Dragic. After catching it, Dragic 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 Suns’ defense was very different from before. The Suns were playing intense defense while still not giving up on fast breaks.

Will Bynum held the ball and suddenly accelerated after crossing half-court, charging toward the Suns’ paint. Although Dragic was slender, he still 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 Michael Petrus and missed; Grant Hill secured the rebound at the back court. After grabbing the rebound, Grant Hill immediately passed the ball to Goran Dragic, then rushed desperately toward the Pistons’ half-court. The Suns 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, Goran Dragic shot a three-pointer that actually went in. 38:43 — the Suns narrowed the score to 5 points. In a short time, the Suns scored an 8-0 run and even caught up in the score. Seeing this, John Kuester immediately called a timeout. “Guys, I think you can feel it too. Yes, the Suns have tightened up their defense, but this kind of defense built by sacrificing stamina can only help them temporarily. After all, they’re not a team good at defense. If they keep relying on sacrificing stamina to strengthen their defense, they’ll suffer the consequences in the fourth quarter. Guys, we’re different from them. 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 Suns also had Vince Carter come in to replace Michael Petrus. The game continued, with the Pistons in possession. Zhou Yi organized the offense, connecting with McGrady across the 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. Grant Hill pulled up to the free-throw line to block, and the moment he got the ball, he passed it back quickly to Vince Carter on the weak side. Fortunately, Zhou Yi’s counter-defense was timely — before Carter could shoot, Zhou Yi appeared in front of him like a ghost. With his amazing burst of speed, he overtook Carter, his fingertips lightly touching the ball. Although the block wasn’t very strong, it was enough to slightly change the ball’s trajectory.

Channing Frye 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 Channing Frye, watching helplessly as Robin Lopez secured the rebound and passed the ball to Goran Dragic in the middle of the court. The closest Pistons player was Andre Iguodala, but with his speed, he could only watch as Goran Dragic raced past him 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 Suns would take control. Charlie Villanueva’s pass was almost intercepted by Vince Carter, 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 Suns 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, Goran Dragic’s heart trembled, unable to relax even for a moment. Watching Zhou Yi ready to strike, he knew Zhou Yi’s attack could be completed in the blink of an eye. Suddenly, Zhou Yi appeared on Dragic’s right side in an instant, blocking him and rushing toward the Suns’ basket. Once Zhou Yi accelerated at full speed, Vince Carter couldn’t catch up, not even commit a foul, and could only watch as Zhou Yi dived into the basket. Inside the Suns’ basket, there were two big players who had already prepared to defend after Zhou Yi passed by Goran Dragic. 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.

Elvin Gentry could finally relax, with his heart no longer in suspense. 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 Elvin Gentry 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 took advantage of Villanueva’s obstruction to easily score. Due to a passing mistake by the Suns, 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, Elvin Gentry called another timeout. After the timeout, Steve Nash replaced Goran Dragic, the Pistons’ Charlie Villanueva was replaced by Greg Monroe, and Jody Mikos replaced McGrady. Steve Nash and Grant Hill created a mismatch that gave them a chance for a three-pointer, but the shot missed the basket. Greg Monroe immediately pushed Channing Frye out of the way under the basket and easily secured the rebound.

“After being down 8-0 at the start by the Suns, it seems the Pistons found their rhythm again after 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 Heli.

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 next few attacks, it seems the Suns’ players can’t find their offensive 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 to the Suns with an 8-2 scoring run. Hopefully, the Pistons can maintain this excellent form in the upcoming games,” Zhang Heli explained calmly.

John Kuest was naturally very satisfied with their performance just now, especially Zhou Yi, whose play had improved significantly during this period. Andre Iguodala’s three-point shots also disrupted the Suns’ defense, reducing the pressure on Zhou Yi from the outside.

Chapter 284: Unexpected Turnings

Zhou Yi’s mid-range shot missed, and the rebound was secured by Grant Hill.

Steve Nash made several attempts to test Zhou Yi, but he remained unfazed. Steve Nash couldn’t help but sigh as time passed, and he had no choice but to pass the ball to Vince Carter.

Zhou Yi was always very composed, a calm and highly skilled player. Offensively, he knew how to leverage his strengths to attack his opponents. Defensively, he was among the best guards.

When Vince Carter saw Andre Iguodala ahead of him, he used several feints, shifted his weight, and rushed forward.

Andre Iguodala looked serious. Observing Vince Carter’s moves, he calmly stepped back, easily stopping Vince Carter from moving. His dark right hand shot out like lightning, gently pushing from Vince Carter’s right side.

It seemed Vince Carter was cooperating with Andre Iguodala’s move. As Andre 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.

Vince Carter 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 Andre Iguodala’s body, and stepped forward to regain control of the ball.

Seeing Vince Carter’s composure, Andre Iguodala’s eyes showed admiration.

“Truly a veteran with extensive experience!”

But Andre Iguodala wasn’t easy to deal with. He quickly regained his position, and Vince Carter held the ball close to his chest.

Watching what had just happened, Steve Nash quickly rushed back to support Vince Carter. Using Vince Carter’s body as cover, Steve Nash accelerated and easily passed past Andre Iguodala.

At the moment Steve Nash broke through, Jody Meeks quickly closed in.

Just past the free-throw line, Steve Nash’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. Nash 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 up in haste, but the ball had already flown over his head. With a crisp swish of the net, the Suns’ bench erupted in celebration; the score was now 47:56, with only a 9-point difference left. Ervin Johnson replaced Vince Carter because of his ability to break through defenses. Nash’s breakthroughs had already weakened the Pistons’ defense, and adding Vince Carter would amplify that effect. But Andre Iguodala wasn’t McGrady, and Vince Carter’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 Suns’ 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 Suns’ morale clearly dipped. Grant Hill caught the ball at the baseline and quickly drove it into the middle of the court. Steve Nash rushed forward to support him, skillfully controlling the ball with his right hand while using his left to direct his teammates’ movements. The Suns’ interior players weren’t fast, so one of Nash’s key tasks was to control the pace of the game—only by doing so could the Suns increase their chances of winning. Nash suddenly dipped his body, and Zhou Yi’s gaze sharpened as he became highly focused. Yet instead of breaking through, Nash passed the ball to Grant Hill on the right, quickly slipping past Zhou Yi.

The Pistons’ switch defense changed speeds extremely quickly. As soon as the ball reached him, Jody Meeks appeared right in front of him. Grant Hill was shocked and struggled with the details of handling the ball. To avoid Jody Meeks’ aerial interception, he passed the ball so high that it had to be caught by Steve Nash mid-air.

Glancing briefly at the basketball above him, Steve Nash acted swiftly, maintaining his top speed. Zhou Yi had already anticipated his breakthrough route and even planned his next move as soon as he saw the pass. The only thing unexpected was that Steve Nash ignored the ball above him. After all, there were no players on the Suns’ right side of the paint, and given the ball’s trajectory, it would definitely cross the baseline without any interference from the Pistons.

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, Steve Nash quickly closed in, pressed against him with his back, and used his agile movements to slip past Zhou Yi’s right side effortlessly. Zhou Yi was shocked and rushed forward to cover the gap, but Steve Nash wouldn’t let him do so easily. As he broke through, he leaped up and easily grabbed the ball.

Under the gaze of all the fans, Steve Nash 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, Steve Nash 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 Suns’ frontmost player had only just reached the midline. Andre Iguodala caught the ball effortlessly, used his amazing jumping ability, and executed a stunning battle-axe dunk to help the Pistons score another 2 points.

Andre Iguodala’s awareness of fast breaks was exceptional—second only to Zhou Yi among the Pistons’ five starting players. Looking at Iguodala, who was just two steps away, Steve Nash remained highly focused. Among the Pistons’ starters, Iguodala’s overall strength was likely second only to McGrady and Zhou Yi.

Steve Nash’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 Steve Nash’s actions.
Steve Nash leaned forward, only to be pulled back forcefully; his entire body weight leaned heavily on 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 Nash’s intention, he was unable to react in any other way at that moment.
Jody Meeks watched helplessly as the ball flew past him—just two steps away from where he could have reached it. Nash’s passing was always frustrating.
Nash’s pass was perfect; Robin Lopez caught the ball easily, skillfully controlling it with his right hand while pressing Samuel Dalembert tightly against him, slowly making their way toward the basket.
Robin Lopez roared, pressing down hard with his right hand. As the ball moved up and down, his entire body exerted tremendous force, forcing Samuel Dalembert to retreat two steps as well.
Before Samuel Dalembert could regain his position, Robin Lopez 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 replaced by Ben Wallace.
“Bang”—Robin Lopez’s free throw seemed too forceful, hitting the back of the rim and bouncing right back out. Ben Wallace easily grabbed the rebound.
Robin Lopez waved his right hand in frustration and quickly returned to defense. The Pistons’ speed left no time for him to dwell on his mistake.
Faced with Nash’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. Grant Hill was the defender assigned to Iguodala.
Without hesitation, Iguodala caught the ball and immediately shot a three-pointer over Grant Hill’s head.
“Swish”—the ball went through the net, leaving the prepared Grant Hill 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 Suns’ 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 rushed toward the Suns’ half of the court. At that moment, only Steve Nash was left in the Suns’ half, resulting in a three-on-one situation. Steve Nash couldn’t help but take a deep breath—how could he defend against this? Right in the middle was Andre Iguodala, with Zhou Yi and Jody Meeks on either wing. Steve Nash’s gaze flickered between the three of them as he quickly backed away. Just as Steve Nash crossed the free-throw line, Andre Iguodala, while in motion, gently threw the ball, which easily landed in Jody Meeks’ hands. Steve Nash had no choice but to shift his position to the left. 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 Steve Nash’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 Steve Nash 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 Steve Nash rushed at him quickly. Seeing Steve Nash approaching, a faint smile appeared on Zhou Yi’s lips. With a slight motion of his right hand, the ball lightly flew over Steve Nash’s head. Steve Nash 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 swung his right hand hard, sending the ball toward the basket. The moment Jody Meeks’ right arm struck, a lightning-fast figure appeared from the side, startling him. 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 Steve Nash 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. Steve Nash’s block just now was truly astonishing; despite his opponent gaining the upper hand, Nash reversed the situation by forcing the ball back into the basket. No one expected such tremendous explosive power to reside in Nash’s slender frame. Amidst the cheers of the fans, the two struggling players separated. Zhou Yi and Andre Iguodala helped them up. After lifting Steve Nash, 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,” Steve Nash replied 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 took his place on the court. Although Jody Meeks’ injury didn’t significantly impact the Pistons, it did affect their lineup. The entire team hoped it was just a minor injury and that he could play in upcoming games. Once McGrady entered the court, the game resumed, with the Suns gaining possession. Chapter 285: Tenacious as the Suns (Part 1) Channing Frye’s first shot missed, and after grabbing an offensive rebound, his second attempt was disrupted by the opponent. Meanwhile, Steve Nash was inside the paint, and his drive pass created an opportunity for Channing Frye. Yet Frye hesitated before shooting, and Greg Monroe saw through 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 Suns were struggling offensively. Their attacks mainly focused on Steve Nash and Channing Frye—Nash made only one of two shots, and Frye made one of three attempts, though he converted both free throws. All four attempts by the other players missed. Elvin Gentry immediately called a timeout. The Suns’ problems weren’t just offensive; their defense was also flawed, especially in switching defense, as they couldn’t keep up with the opponent’s fast breaks. Additionally, Zhou Yi’s playmaking allowed the Pistons to frequently launch mismatched attacks—McGrady going one-on-one with Grant Hill, and Andre Iguodala attacking Steve Nash from a mismatched position—creating a severe disadvantage for the Suns.

Ervin Gantley seems to lack determination; the current Suns lineup is already their strongest, and the Pistons’ fast breaks are something the Suns are completely unprepared for. After the timeout, the Suns simply replaced Grant Hill with Michael Pittman Jr. Grant Hill wasn’t performing well either—both of his attempts missed, and he was hesitant in attacking while also failing to defend effectively; he was completely off form today. Michael Pittman Jr. had a good game today, showing confidence and a tenacious fighting spirit, 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 shots with rebounds for second-chance attacks often catches opponents off guard; three-point shooting is particularly his forte. Once play resumed, the Pistons’ offense remained fierce, with players like Zhou Yi repeatedly attacking the Suns’ basket, while the Suns’ offense also improved significantly. 74:58—the Pistons widened their lead further. Steve Nash slowly drove the ball across half-court. The pace of the game had been slow earlier, which suited the Pistons well, while the Suns were forced to chase, putting them in a very passive position. Fortunately, Michael Pittman Jr. performed well, preventing the score from widening any further. Steve Nash skillfully controlled the ball, using his finger to direct his teammates’ movements. “A 16-point gap isn’t a huge problem, and half-court isn’t over yet. In the past, under such circumstances, the Suns would hardly have a chance to turn things around. But with Steve Nash around, the Suns still have a good chance. His role for the Suns is obvious,” explained Zhang Li. The Suns were very active on offense. After the timeout, the biggest change for them was the increased enthusiasm of their players, who were more proactive in moving around the court. Michael Pittman Jr. cleverly pulled to the outside to set a screen for Steve Nash, blocking Zhou Yi’s path. In that instant, Steve Nash made a lightning-fast breakthrough, disappearing from Zhou Yi’s sight 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 Steve Nash’s overwhelming speed advantage.

All that stood in Steve Nash’s way at this point was Andre Iguodala’s astonishing athletic talent, especially his powerful attacking skills. However, his speed was not as strong as Nash’s, and a guard with Nash’s sharp breakthrough ability and agile movement was his natural enemy. Iguodala quickly broke free from Michael Pietrus and slipped in between them.

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

Nash 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 bounced up swiftly. His entire body rose diagonally from the baseline, tilted at a 45-degree angle in the air.

Maddison also rushed over quickly, using his body to block Nash’s shooting space. To his relief, Iguodala arrived in time—Nash’s decision was undoubtedly foolish.

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

There was no one in front of Pietrus. With no defender, 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 Suns narrowed the score gap to 13 points again.

“Steve Nash’s passing is truly delightful, along with his outstanding game sense,” the commentator praised. “He didn’t deliberately watch his teammates’ positions, yet under such circumstances, he still managed to deliver the ball precisely to Michael Pietrus’s hands.”

Nash’s breakthrough earlier had already drawn most of the Pistons’ attention. The timely pass gave Pietrus a great shooting opportunity.

Twenty seconds later, Nash was almost in the same position, using the same method to pass the ball to Vince Carter, who scored his second three-pointer.

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

Two consecutive three-pointers reinvigorated the atmosphere on the Suns’ bench, lifting the players who had seemed frustrated earlier and filling them with enthusiasm. Coach John Kuester also became anxious and started directing from the sidelines, but only after being persuaded by the referee did he return to the bench. At least for now, the Suns held an advantage on the court.

In the rest of the second quarter, both teams entered a tight battle. The Suns’ players played aggressively defensively, preventing the opponent from expanding their lead. The Pistons eventually ended the first half leading by 9 points, 76-67.

The Suns’ players were still satisfied with this result. They returned to their seats chatting and laughing, except for Steve Nash, whose expression was serious. He sat on the bench, out of breath, quickly rehydrating after exerting himself heavily during those few minutes. Most of the Suns’ scoring opportunities came from Nash’s drives and passes, and the Pistons’ defense against him grew stronger by the moment.

At the end of the first half, the Pistons led the Suns 76-67 by 9 points. Although they still held a 9-point lead, it was nowhere near as substantial as their dominant advantage in the middle of the second quarter.

Especially their morale, which had been high, began to dip toward the end of the second quarter. Steve Nash, however, acted as the backbone of the Suns, holding off the Pistons’ repeated attacks. Under his leadership, the Suns gradually regained their composure, particularly Vince Carter, who hit two consecutive three-pointers in the final moments.

As the Suns’ morale rose, the Pistons’ morale naturally declined. Yet even so, John Kuester did not criticize his players. He believed in them and trusted that 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 as the subject of an interview.

It was Zhou Yi who revitalized the team’s offense in the middle of the second quarter, helping the Pistons regain their momentum. Clearly, victory was within reach for the Pistons—as long as Zhou Yi could perform at his best.

Moreover, by sacrificing most of their energy to defend against the Pistons and always playing fast breaks, the Suns will surely face energy issues. In the crucial second half, energy will become a fatal factor for the Suns.

In the first half, the Pistons had nine players on the court. Even Zhou Yi, who played the most minutes, only rested on the bench for a little over five minutes. On the Suns’ side, apart from Channing Frye, who was injured at the start of the first quarter and missed an entire quarter, the other four starters played almost the entire first half.

Zhou Yi was also exhausted after playing such a long time. Out of breath, he told an ESPN reporter, “As everyone can see from this game, it’s going to be one of the toughest matches we’ve had this season. The Suns are an excellent team; their offensive power is unmatched in the league, and they do a great job with switching defenses. Especially with a great leader like Steve Nash. 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 Suns 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 already shows that. As long as we can maintain this level of performance in the second half, victory is within reach.”

Chapter 286: Tenacious Like the Suns (Part 2)

After saying so much in one go, Zhou Yi rushed into the locker room. John Kuester would surely have some plans for the second half.

The Suns’ players also rushed into the locker room. Ervin Gantley 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, before the game was over, the entire team would be completely exhausted.

Right now, Elvin Johnson is the biggest headache. Figuring out how to rest the players is extremely difficult for the Suns. Vince Carter and Steve Nash are the hardest to manage, as the team cannot afford to do without them. Vince Carter is the key to their outside offense; his ability to draw defense is irreplaceable at the moment. It was his outstanding performance from beyond the arc that allowed the Suns to narrow the score gap to single digits in the second half. Steve Nash, on the other hand, is the engine of the team’s offense. Without him, the Suns are like a sports car without an engine—beautiful and new, but unable to move forward.

Yet these two are also the players who need rest the most. When the game reaches its critical moments, they become the most essential players for the team.

Seeing Elvin Johnson’s troubled expression, Steve Nash naturally understood his dilemma. He stepped up to him and said, “Coach, there’s no need to hesitate. We’ve come this far; we have to go all out. If we give the Pistons any breathing room, our current lineup simply can’t match their strong offensive power.”

Vince Carter and the other players also expressed their determination firmly. Seeing their resolve, Elvin Johnson was very inspired, but he still hesitated, saying, “I’m just worried your stamina won’t hold until the end of the game. As we get better, the Pistons will definitely tighten their defense against you, and their defensive intensity is truly immense. The games ahead will only get more intense.”