Chapter 105
Nearly 5 minutes had passed in the fourth quarter when both teams began to substitute in their starting lineups. By the time Zhou Yi and the others came on, the Pistons still led by double digits. Under Goran Dragic’s intense defense, Zhou Yi slowly moved the ball across half-court. Over that short distance, Goran Dragic tried several times to make a steal but failed. Zhou Yi had some experience in stealing the ball from Dragic and knew exactly when to do it. Against such a player, one had to be very cautious—any hasty move would give the opponent an easy chance to get away. He also knew that once he lost his position, he wouldn’t be able to keep up with Zhou Yi’s speed.
Steve Nash saw him cross half-court and immediately went to double-team him. Unexpectedly, this left Jody Mikos unguarded. Zhou Yi cleverly passed the ball to him, who quickly broke through down the middle and scored from the free-throw line. Ervin Gantley smiled bitterly. He had prepared himself to double-team Zhou Yi, but what happened was more a result of a flaw in the team’s switching defense rather than Steve Nash’s mistake.
Steve Nash orchestrated the offense, making a brilliant pass to Channing Frye inside. Although Frye often stayed on the perimeter, he had solid skills for attacking inside. Frye pushed past Tyler Hansbrough and then threw up a reverse layup. Despite being disturbed by Hansbrough, the ball still made it into the basket. Ben Gordon’s shot missed, and Tyler Hansbrough, blocked outside, watched helplessly as Marcin Gortat grabbed the rebound.
During this period, although the Suns were running low on energy, they showed strong ability to switch defenses, using two players to contain Zhou Yi. Although Zhou Yi could still move the ball with ease, he couldn’t break into the opponent’s paint anymore, nor could he organize effective attacks. The Suns’ quick defensive switches also didn’t give the Pistons an advantage; their several attempts at scoring were half-hearted. In three minutes, they managed only three points from free throws. Meanwhile, guided by Steve Nash and Goran Dragic, the Suns’ attacks flowed smoothly, leading to a 7-3 run.
John Kuester called a timeout in a timely manner. With Zhou Yi unable to perform, the team’s offense suffered a major setback. John Kuester didn’t blame them excessively. Given the lead of nearly 20 points, it was completely understandable for the players to slack off for a moment. The excellent performance earlier was thanks to Zhou Yi’s individual skill. In fact, up to this point in the fourth quarter, the players hadn’t really entered their rhythm and hadn’t shown the team’s true strength.
Chapter 288: Iguodala Steps In to Save the Day
“Facing a strong team like the Suns, even though we’re ahead, we still need to give it our all. Their defense has tightened, and their offense has become very smooth. To get the ball into the basket, we must put in more effort than before. The fourth quarter has just started, and it’s understandable that everyone isn’t in their best form yet. But this is a very important game. You need to quickly get into your rhythm. Only by playing to our best can we hope to bring victory to the home fans.” John Kuester knew they were a bit nervous due to the Suns’ previous comeback spirit. Overblaming them would only add to their pressure. Only with a positive mindset could they perform well. In reality, the team wasn’t at a disadvantage in terms of the game situation.
Play resumed, with the Pistons in possession. Zhou Yi drove with the ball and made a beautiful bounce pass to Greg Monroe inside. Instead of forcing a shot, Greg Monroe stepped back, quickly passing the ball back to Zhou Yi on the outside. He then quickly blocked Steve Nash from coming in to help defend. With such a great opportunity, Zhou Yi stretched out his arms, and the ball arced gracefully through the air.
“Swish”—that crisp sound made all the Pistons fans’ hearts tremble. Zhou Yi let out a shout. He had been almost frozen by the opponent for those few minutes, watching the score get closer step by step. His anxiety was obvious, and his frustration was fully unleashed with that shot. That shot revitalized Zhou Yi. Andre Iguodala’s help defense also gave him many opportunities. The team’s possession returned to his hands, and there was a gap in the Suns’ double-team. Zhou Yi, who had performed poorly for several minutes earlier, was now gradually taking control of the team’s rhythm. Steve Nash began to shift his defensive focus to Zhou Yi.
Steve Nash alone couldn’t defend Zhou Yi. Relying on his explosive power, Zhou Yi broke through again, stopped abruptly at the midcourt, and hit a jump shot. Realizing his defensive mistake, Steve Nash immediately rushed forward to surround Zhou Yi, who was holding the ball, but unexpectedly, Andre Iguodala had already blocked his path. That brief moment was more than enough for Zhou Yi. With consecutive changes of direction, and as Goran Dragic prepared to deal with his breakthrough, he passed the ball backward to McGrady at the baseline. With no defenders around, McGrady took a deep breath, stretched his arms, and shot the ball in his usual rhythm.