Chapter 106

With 5 minutes and 51 seconds left in the fourth quarter, after Zhou Yi scored twice in a row, the score stood at 115:100. Guided by Zhou Yi, the Pistons gradually regained control of the game. As the game neared its end, the Suns’ chances of winning grew slimmer. Especially after the Pistons’ timeout, their defense improved significantly, and Zhou Yi’s consecutive scores further dampened the Suns’ offensive momentum. Seeing the Pistons stabilize the situation, Steve Nash’s expression grew increasingly stern, his eyes flashing with coldness. The Suns now had only two timeouts left. Despite being extremely anxious, Alvin Gentry tried to stay calm. The two timeouts needed to be used at the most opportune moments, but the situation on the court couldn’t be resolved with just two timeouts. If Steve Nash and his team could turn the crisis into an opportunity, these timeouts could become a key factor for the Suns to turn things around; otherwise, they would be useless. Steve Nash quickly drove the ball across half-court and encountered Zhou Yi again. Seeing Zhou Yi’s tense defensive stance, Steve Nash smiled slightly. The more critical the game became, the more relaxed Steve Nash seemed. After several feints, Zhou Yi remained unfazed. It seemed Steve Nash had eyes at the back of his head—he accurately passed the ball to Goran Dragic, then stepped forward to block Zhou Yi on the right side. Seizing the opportunity created by Steve Nash, Goran Dragic didn’t hesitate and quickly shot, but unfortunately, his force was too weak, and the ball bounced high in front of the basket. Grant Hill spread his arms wide, holding Andre Iguodala back, and managed to score a difficult rebound basket. On the Pistons’ offense, Greg Monroe caught a brilliant pass from Zhou Yi, charged against Channing Frye, and attempted a backdoor jump shot—unfortunately, it fell short, and Channing Frye secured the rebound. With the referee’s whistle, Zhou Yi got up from the floor. He had just drawn a personal foul on Steve Nash by positioning himself well. The Suns were now in the driver’s seat, and this personal foul dealt a significant blow to their morale, especially since only 3.5 minutes remained in the game. The Suns were still 13 points behind. Unless the Pistons made any mistakes, the game was practically over.

Maddie didn’t exert enough force on his shot; the ball hit the front of the rim. Marcin Gortat leaped up, easily grabbed the rebound, and passed the ball quickly out of the paint toward the Pistons’ half. Steve Nash, who had been waiting on the other side, saw the pass, made a quick judgment, and rushed toward the Pistons’ basket. As he had guessed, Gortat’s pass had enough force to reach the free-throw line, giving him enough time to get away from Zhou Yi. Zhou Yi tried his best to chase after him, but to his disappointment, Steve Nash moved faster, so despite his speed advantage, he couldn’t catch up. Steve Nash caught the ball firmly and maintained a slight lead over Zhou Yi, easily scoring a layup. What frustrated Zhou Yi even more was that, in an attempt to disrupt Nash’s shot, he kept chasing after him. But when he reached the basket, he lost his balance and collided head-on with Nash. The referee didn’t hesitate and called a defensive foul. Zhou Yi didn’t argue with the referee—after all, the collision was obvious, and the call was justified. He just felt frustrated, as he hadn’t intended to foul at all; it was simply due to losing his balance. If he had known the outcome, he would have tried to bring Nash down earlier, at least to prevent an easy three-point shot. Free throws are Steve Nash’s most reliable scoring method. Even when his form is poor, he rarely misses them. In regular season games, Nash’s free-throw success rate is as high as 91.2%, ranking second in the league, only behind Zhou Yi. For the Suns’ players, exhausting themselves trying to defend the Pistons has become a fatal flaw. So in this game, John Kuester kept pressing the Suns hard in the first half, hoping to secure a victory early in the first three quarters.

Against the Suns, John Kuester’s plans worked perfectly in the first half. However, led by Steve Nash, the Suns clung tightly to the score, keeping their hopes of turning the game around alive. Just as Steve Nash’s stamina was running low, something John Kuester really didn’t want to see happened. The other Suns players, as if waking from a slumber, showed an unstoppable fighting spirit, gradually narrowing the gap until Steve Nash returned to the court. But now, the Suns’ fatigue finally showed.

Even knowing this, John Kuester still didn’t call a timeout. Both teams now had only two timeouts left, and those few opportunities had to be used wisely. In his view, although the Suns showed strong momentum in their comeback, all they could hope for in the remaining time was a miracle.

Zhou Yi took control and organized the offense. What the Pistons needed now was stability. After halftime, Zhou Yi passed the ball to Andre Iguodala in the corner. After receiving the ball, facing Grant Hill’s defense, Iguodala feinted twice before breaking through to the baseline. Suddenly, he stopped abruptly and shot a jump shot. With a swish, the ball went straight into the basket. The crowd erupted in enthusiastic cheers—Iguodala’s shot was crucial.

The Suns attacked again. Steve Nash used his teammates’ screens to shoot from just outside the right-wing three-point line. Again, with a swish, the ball landed in the net. People couldn’t help but admire Steve Nash’s composure; he remained so steady at such a critical moment. Thanks to this three-point shot, the Suns tied the score at 111–122, only 11 points behind the Pistons. With 31 seconds left in the game, the Suns’ hopes grew again.

John Kuester called a timeout to stabilize the situation on the court. After the timeout, Zhou Yi was replaced by Will Bynum, as his stamina was also running low. Will Bynum took control, accelerated as he reached the top of the key, and made a behind-the-back pass to Andre Iguodala, who was waiting nearby. Grant Hill immediately rushed over to stop him. But Iguodala shot very quickly, releasing the ball just before Hill could reach him. The ball traced a beautiful arc through the air before firmly landing in the basket. “Wow…” The entire arena was in an uproar.

At a critical moment, Andre Iguodala hit two consecutive shots, helping the Pistons hold their ground. His value was fully demonstrated at that instant.
Chapter 289: The Three Giants Shine, Securing Two Home Wins
The game continued fiercely. The Suns’ counterattacks remained intense, but the Pistons’ strength meant they couldn’t afford to lose this match at home!
After driving across half-court, Andre Iguodala passed the ball to Zhou Yi right away. Upon receiving it, Zhou Yi immediately bent down to protect the ball, ready to break through.
Goran Dragic watched the young man with yellow skin intently, his expression unusually serious. He bent down and spread his arms, getting into a defensive stance.
Dragic didn’t look down on Zhou Yi just because he was a rookie. He knew Zhou Yi was by no means inferior to those star players. In fact, in Dragic’s eyes, Zhou Yi was already a superstar—a player who could give anyone headaches. So, his defensive attitude toward Zhou Yi was the same as when facing superstars like Kobe.
Zhou Yi remained calm and sent a glance toward Greg Monroe in the paint. Upon receiving that look, Greg Monroe, who was competing for position with the Suns’ center near the basket, immediately gave up what he was doing and rushed out beyond the three-point line to set up a pick-and-roll for Zhou Yi.
With Greg Monroe blocking his path, Zhou Yi quickly seized the opportunity. He drove the ball to the right, moving out of Dragic’s defensive range. At the same time, he gathered the ball, jumped, and shot.
However, he was still nearly a meter away from the three-point line.
A super-long-distance three-point shot?
That question arose in everyone’s mind. They didn’t understand why Zhou Yi would choose to shoot from such a distance—he could have scored more reliably by breaking through.
Filled with doubt, everyone watched the basketball flying through the air. It wasn’t until the ball approached the basket that their confusion was completely resolved…

The ball approached the basket, but its flight path deviated completely from it, heading straight for the backboard! Just as everyone thought Zhou Yi had missed the three-point shot due to an forced attempt, a figure in the Pistons’ white No. 1 home jersey suddenly rushed into the paint and, as the ball was about to hit the backboard, leaped high, caught the ball in mid-air with his right hand, and slammed it into the basket!
“Thud!” A passionate and dominant one-handed dunk was completed!
“Roar~~~” After landing, McGrady didn’t even look at Robin Lopez standing beside him. After taking a deep breath, he let out a beast-like roar into the sky.
Upon hearing this roar, the Pistons’ fans felt their blood boil instantly, the excitement spreading throughout their bodies, making their blood surge wildly.
“Tracy~~~ McGrady~~~” A thunderous roar filled the arena as all the fans went wild, ecstatic, and thrilled!
Full of passion, wild excitement! Infinite enthusiasm, infinite passion!
John Kuester felt the intense atmosphere on the court and smiled in satisfaction and amazement: “Heh, it seems the outcome of this game is already decided…”
Zhou Yi silently watched McGrady running back to the backcourt with Andre Iguodala, high-fiving each other in celebration. With a slight smile, he murmured, “It seems this trade really freed McGrady! Andre Iguodala’s arrival has brought new vitality to the team.”
Steve Nash looked serious—the situation was very unfavorable for the Suns right now.
Steve Nash controlled the ball and steadily advanced toward the Pistons’ half-court. After crossing half-court, he suddenly accelerated and rushed into the Pistons’ paint.
Zhou Yi stuck closely to Steve Nash, blocking his shooting and passing angles. But Steve Nash still managed to pass the ball, and it was a very smooth pass.
Grant Hill received the pass from Steve Nash and shot from beyond the three-point line. With a “swish,” the ball went through the net.
The Pistons failed to score on their attack, but Steve Nash grabbed the rebound in the backcourt and launched a full-court attack, coordinating perfectly with Robin Lopez.
Steve Nash assisted Robin Lopez in a one-handed dunk after a alley-oop.
Zhou Yi missed his three-point shot, but the power forward Greg Monroe grabbed the rebound in the frontcourt and scored with a one-handed dunk.