Chapter 140

In the second half of the third quarter, the Pistons brought in their bench players. By this point, the Pistons were already leading the Jazz by 18 points, with the score at 88:70. Just ten seconds after Ben Gordon entered the game, he scored for the Pistons. He received a pass from Will Bynum at the baseline and hit a three-pointer. After the Pistons substituted Zhou Yi, Tracy McGrady, and Greg Monroe, their scoring intensity didn’t decrease at all; instead, they played even more smoothly. Under the leadership of Andre Iguodala, the Pistons scored from multiple sources, especially Ben Gordon. With Ben Gordon as a reliable scoring option, the Jazz’s defensive strategy had to change—trying to double-team Iguodala was proving difficult for them. Unexpectedly, it was Ben Gordon who benefited the most. Though passing isn’t Ben Gordon’s strongest skill, he is utterly selfless on the court, influenced by Zhou Yi and McGrady. When Andre Kirilenko rushed out to defend him, he immediately passed the ball to Taylor Hansbrough. Hansbrough charged at Memet Özker, then turned and took a backdoor jump shot. “Swish”—the ball went through the net. The Jazz played a very physical style, especially under LaGarda Bell’s tough defense. This was true not only in defense but also in offense, which is why they are considered one of the toughest teams in the league. However, the Pistons’ young players weren’t afraid of the Jazz’s brutality. Even more surprisingly, they played even more aggressively than the Jazz, especially when Zhou Yi was on the court. This was evident from his earlier clever pass to Spencer Hawes, who then completed a dunk in retaliation for Al Jefferson’s provocation. By the end of the third quarter, the Jazz hadn’t narrowed the gap; instead, the lead grew even larger. The score was now 99:77, with the Pistons leading by 22 points. Unless something miraculous happened, it seemed the Pistons had the game won. John Kuester sat in the Pistons’ bench area, beaming with joy. Still, he didn’t dare to relax even a bit. Jerry Sloan is a legendary coach in the NBA. Although he’s never led a team to a championship, no one doubts his coaching skills. Therefore, at the start of the fourth quarter, John Kuester still sent out his starting lineup, but considering McGrady’s health, he decided to have him rest on the bench.

In the fourth quarter, the Pistons’ lineup was: Samuel Dalembert, Greg Monroe, Andre Iguodala, Ben Gordon, and Zhou Yi. The Jazz’s lineup was: Al Jefferson, Paul Millsap, Andre Kirilenko, CJ Miles, and Deron Williams.