Chapter 132

In the third quarter, the Pistons’ backcourt strength was significantly reduced due to the absence of Zhou Yi. Without their team catalyst, they made continuous mistakes and their shooting percentage plummeted. In contrast, the Trail Blazers’ Brandon Roy had a stellar performance in the third quarter, scoring 13 points on 6 out of 7 attempts within six minutes, helping his team pull ahead with a 17-8 run. Later, “The Big Emperor” Greg Oden also repeatedly scored against Spencer Hawes, and the rest of the Trail Blazers followed their two stars’ lead, raising their overall shooting percentage to around 50%. At a critical moment, if McGrady hadn’t stepped up, hitting two three-pointers and scoring inside, the lead might have widened to double digits. By the end of the third quarter, the score was 87-82, with the Trail Blazers leading the Pistons by 5 points. “Ladies and gentlemen, the third quarter is now over. The Pistons didn’t perform well in this quarter, with a shooting percentage of only 37.4%, compared to the Trail Blazers’ 49%, nearly 12 percentage points higher. The Trail Blazers now lead 87-82. If the Pistons don’t improve their shooting percentage in the fourth quarter, they are likely to lose this game. Also, Zhou Yi, who wasn’t on the court in the third quarter, should return in the fourth quarter, and we’ll surely see another epic showdown between him and Brandon Roy. Stay tuned; after the ad, we’ll continue to broadcast the final quarter of the game…” The break passed quickly, and as the whistle blew for the start of the fourth quarter, both teams returned to the court. Among the Pistons’ players was Zhou Yi, playing despite being injured.