Chapter 139

In the middle of the second quarter, key players like Zhou Yi returned to the court. With another three-pointer scored by Zhou Yi, Jerry Sloan finally lost his patience and called another timeout. Sitting on the bench, Zhou Yi took a deep breath—he had been extremely lucky with that three-pointer; he had completely lost his balance, and the feel of the shot wasn’t great either, but thankfully it still went in. The playing style used earlier had put unprecedented pressure on Zhou Yi; constantly forcing attacks from outside was a huge test for the players’ mental strength. Throughout the game, Zhou Yi had been holding his breath. With a swish, Greg Monroe outmuscle the Jazz’s interior players and easily grabbed an offensive rebound. As the Jazz shifted their defensive focus outward, Greg Monroe had more room to operate, especially without the interference of Andre Kirilenko, who acted like a giant obstacle. Whether in offense or defense, Greg Monroe felt liberated. After landing, Greg Monroe suddenly used his back strength to push Al Jefferson out of the paint. With his strong physique, he leaped high and, without hesitation, raised the basketball against Paul Millsap’s defense. Swish—Greg Monroe’s free throw went in; it was already his second offensive rebound in a row. Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson simply couldn’t stop Greg Monroe, who was in top form. Watching Greg Monroe dominate under the basket, Andre Kirilenko moved a bit closer to the paint, but the Pistons’ continuous passes from outside ended with McGrady hitting a mid-range shot. 56:46—4.1 seconds before half-time, the Pistons finally widened the score gap to double digits. With LaGara Bell’s three-pointer missing, the first half came to an end. An ESPN reporter approached Zhou Yi, the most outstanding Pistons player in the first half, and the attractive reporter naturally turned to him. “Zhou, you managed to overwhelm the league’s toughest team, the Jazz, at home today. What do you think is the team’s biggest strength?” Zhou Yi wiped the sweat from his forehead, took a few deep breaths, and said, “Before this game started, we conducted a thorough analysis of the Jazz’s playing style and made proper preparations. Most importantly, the team is more united than ever. I’m not surprised at all that we were able to take a double-digit lead in the first half.” Zhou Yi answered a few more questions from the reporter before heading straight to the locker room.

In the first half, Zhou Yi expended a lot of energy. Although Deron Williams’ defense wasn’t as strong as that of top stars like Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul, or Derrick Rose, he compensated with his physical strength. Coupled with LaGarda Bell’s off-ball defense, Zhou Yi had a tough time in the first half.

Fortunately, McGrady helped share some of the pressure, as his explosive play forced LaGarda Bell to pay more attention to him.

The team’s lead didn’t cause John Kuester to lose focus; he was well aware of the team’s current situation. The reason the Jazz were held back in the first half was mainly because the pace of the game was under the Pistons’ control.

The Jazz were in a completely passive position both offensively and defensively. But with coach Jerry Sloan’s shrewd nature and extensive experience, he must have noticed this already. There would surely be changes in the second half—how to withstand the opponent’s counterattacks was the immediate challenge for the team.

However, when he saw Zhou Yi and McGrady walking back to the locker room side by side, John Kuester’s mood relaxed instantly.

After spending most of the season together, they had developed a great chemistry. Their “Golden Duo” title was well-deserved, and what was even more remarkable was their selflessness.

In the first half, the biggest threat to the Jazz came from the Pistons’ outside shooting. Their terrifying 8-of-13 three-point shooting rate drove Jerry Sloan almost crazy from the sidelines. Deron Williams’ strong physique was useful in offense but not so much in defense. Especially Zhou Yi’s playing style involved avoiding direct confrontation, making it difficult for the Jazz’s outside players to get a grip on him.

As soon as Zhou Yi brought the ball past the midcourt, he saw three key Jazz players inside the three-point line, watching him intently. He smiled slightly, lofted the ball high into the paint, and it easily landed in Greg Monroe’s hands.

At that point, only Memet Özku was left under the basket. Despite his excellent offense and smooth touch, Memet Özku’s defense was weak—his defensive awareness and lateral movement were slow, allowing agile centers and power forwards to easily bypass him. He also couldn’t quickly react to players breaking inside. With limited reach, his blocking was minimal. He posed no threat at all to Greg Monroe.

He pressed his back tightly against Memet Oku to gauge the strength of his opponent behind him. When he felt the rebound force on his back and buttocks, he immediately bent his left arm and used his elbow to push off, executing a smooth lateral move and scoring easily by brushing past the defender.

Al Jefferson demanded the ball at the top of the key, and Deron Williams tossed it inside. Al Jefferson then pushed hard backward, pushed aside Spencer Hawes, and finished with a powerful two-handed dunk. After scoring, Al Jefferson pounded his chest and even sneered at Spencer Hawes twice. His actions enraged the home crowd, who immediately began booing Jefferson.

Greg Monroe took the initiative to get the ball at the low post, widening the gap in the Jazz’s front line and creating a one-on-one situation between Greg Monroe and Al Jefferson.

Zhou Yi hesitated not for a moment, but his defender was Andre Iguodala—slim build with an extremely long reach, practically like a giant bat. Zhou Yi didn’t dare pass from a high altitude, as Iguodala’s terrifying explosive power meant the ball could easily be snatched from the air if it wasn’t thrown high enough.

However, the opportunity at the low post was fleeting. Despite Iguodala’s tight defense, Zhou Yi still saw a good passing route. He shook his upper body several times, suddenly stepping half a step to the right. Iguodala immediately became highly focused; he had already seen Zhou Yi’s starting speed—often capable of completing the whole movement in an instant.

As he moved his body, he switched the ball to his left hand. As he redirected it, Zhou Yi suddenly reached forward, and the ball bounced right under Iguodala’s legs. This move had been used many times before, specifically against players with strong one-on-one defense skills—Shawn Battier had also fallen for it.

Feeling the breeze as the ball passed under his legs, Iguodala quickly turned to react, but Zhou Yi’s pass had enough force. It quickly reached Greg Monroe, who caught the ball bouncing in front of his knees. He suddenly spun around, using tremendous strength to push Al Jefferson out of the paint, rose high, and dunked the ball hard into the basket.

“Great job!” Seeing Greg Monroe avenge him, Spencer Hawes excitedly rushed over and high-fived him.

“I’ll let you get one back in a moment too,” Zhou Yi whispered beside Spencer Hawes as he passed by.
Hawes was momentarily stunned upon hearing this, then broke into a bright smile and nodded firmly at Zhou Yi.
Jerry Sloan was on the verge of losing his temper. The Pistons’ three core players had completely outmaneuvered the Jazz. With the team’s defense focused on the interior, Zhou Yi and McGrady kept shooting threes from outside. Once the defense shifted to the outside, Greg Monroe’s power plays under the basket left no one to stop him.
Seeing victory slip away, no matter how composed the head coach was, his expression turned grim as he fidgeted in his seat on the bench, constantly discussing strategies with his assistants. Unfortunately, nothing improved on the court.
Zhou Yi drove with the ball, and Spencer Hawes stepped up to set a screen for him. Zhou Yi gave Hawes a look, slightly lifting his lips. Hawes, not being stupid, immediately understood and rushed back toward the basket.
After Hawes reached the paint, Zhou Yi threw the ball high above the basket, waiting to see if Hawes could seize the opportunity.
Of course, Hawes wouldn’t miss this chance to avenge himself. As Zhou Yi threw the ball, he leaped high, caught it in mid-air over Al Jefferson, and then slammed it home with both hands.
“Ah!” “Thud!” First came a roar, followed by the creak of the basket.
“Wow…” The arena erupted in enthusiastic applause and cheers.
That alley-oop was incredibly satisfying. Hawes landed and met Al Jefferson’s gaze, his eyes filled not with fear but with unyielding fighting spirit.