Chapter 171

In the third quarter, they built on their momentum and continued to widen their lead. At the start of the quarter, Greg Monroe and Zhou Yi took turns shooting from inside and outside, scoring 9 points in a row to give them a 20-point advantage at 74-54. The gap between the two teams reached 21 points at one point, with the Pistons leading 86-65. As the third quarter progressed, the Bulls failed to narrow the gap and even faced the risk of it widening further, prompting Tom Thibodeau to call a timeout. He switched to his starting lineup, which was the Bulls’ strongest offensive unit and also quite strong defensively. Against teams like the Pistons and Spurs that relied heavily on defense, the Bulls’ defense appeared weak, but against a relatively new team like the Pistons, this level of defense was sufficient. Once Derrick Rose came on court, Zhou Yi focused most of his defensive efforts on him. When the Bulls’ offense struggled, Derrick Rose was the most likely player to break through the deadlock. His three-point shooting hadn’t been strong before, but it had become his strength this season—his consistent shooting was a nightmare for any team. In short, with a player like Derrick Rose on the court, you couldn’t afford to slack off in defending him at all. It seemed the Bulls had run out of luck from the previous game; so far in this match, their scorers couldn’t find their rhythm, hitting only two of 14 three-point attempts, with an overall shooting percentage of 41.6%, far lower than the Pistons’ 52.4%. Just before halftime, Derrick Rose quickly passed the ball. Fans who watch the Bulls know that although he’s one of the league’s top guards, he doesn’t hold the ball for long. Compared to players who prefer to keep the ball in their hands, this is undoubtedly a much smarter approach. The Bulls’ players all have the ability to score quickly—once the ball gets to them, the chances of scoring increase. Moreover, when they don’t have the ball, the opposing players’ defense loosens up. Several of the Bulls’ players also have decent passing skills, so as long as he runs to his position in time, the ball is quickly passed to him.

The Pistons made this mistake this time—seeing that Derrick Rose didn’t have the ball, their main focus shifted to the player holding it. Zhou Yi concentrated on organizing the offense, so he naturally couldn’t stay right behind him all the time. Moreover, he was quite satisfied with the Pistons’ current defensive switching speed. Unfortunately, it seemed he temporarily forgot that Derrick Rose’s shooting speed is also renowned in the league.

Carlos Boozer’s attempts at strong inside play failed, so he cleverly passed the ball away. Derrick Rose caught the ball at the baseline, hesitated for no moment, leaped easily, and with a slight shake of his right wrist, the ball dropped through the net. When Carlos Boozer passed the ball, McGrady already sensed his intention and quickly defended back—his reaction was swift, and his speed was remarkable. Yet before he could get into position, Derrick Rose calmly took a three-point shot.

Zhou Yi gently tapped his shoulder and whispered in his ear, “Tracy, don’t take it to heart. Just be more careful next time.”

With Derrick Rose’s three-point shot going in, McGrady seemed somewhat disappointed. Zhou Yi noticed the sadness on his face while defending back and softly comforted him as he passed by.

With Derrick Rose on the court, the Bulls’ offensive power was maximized. Two consecutive clever passes helped the Bulls score a 7-0 run. At critical moments, the Pistons played tougher defense and were more decisive in their attacks. Greg Monroe also expanded his movement in the paint, no longer sticking to the tight space under the basket. The Bulls’ reliance on quick small-ball attacks significantly reduced the importance of positioning for their interior players.

Although Zhou Yi’s drive-and-kick attempt didn’t succeed, it wasn’t fruitless. During the drive, he forced Carlos Boozer into a blocking foul, earning him two free throws. For Zhou Yi, free throws were undoubtedly a way to boost their score.

Though Greg Monroe’s fake move led to Carlos Boozer committing a defensive foul, the ball still somehow found its way into the basket—a successful three-point shot. Faced with the Bulls’ strong offense, Zhou Yi and Greg Monroe’s free throws stabilized the situation and widened the score gap. By the end of the third quarter, the Pistons led 98-79.

In the final quarter, the Bulls failed to find their rhythm in quick attacks, eager to close the gap, but made mistakes after mistakes in those attempts. The Pistons took advantage to score a 8-2 run.

With eight minutes left in the game, the Pistons led by 24 points, 109-85. The Bulls launched a final attack, but the Pistons never gave them a chance. Their meticulous defense thwarted the Bulls’ fast breaks time and again, allowing them to defeat the Bulls 124-97 and tie the series 1-1. This victory was crucial for the Pistons.

With two home games ahead for the Bulls, if the Pistons seize the opportunity, making it to the Western Conference Finals is not out of the question. Moreover, the second game helped the Pistons find an effective strategy against the Bulls: defense. Unlike the Lakers, the Pistons had players capable of supporting the team both inside and outside the court, giving them more options in terms of tactics. At that time, the entire Pistons team was unusually united, and they gained a lot from the first two games of the second round.

For the 2010-2011 NBA regular season awards, the NBA league announced the winner of the Best Defensive Player award on the 9th. Dwight Howard of the Magic received this honor, and notably, it was Howard’s third consecutive year winning this title.

The day after the game, early on the 12th in Beijing time, the NBA league announced the Best Defensive Team of the season. Howard, who had just won Best Defensive Player, led the first team. Zhou Yi and Greg Monroe of the Pistons were both selected for the second best defensive team.

The players on the first team were: Dwight Howard of the Magic, LeBron James of the Heat, Kevin Garnett of the Celtics, Kobe Bryant of the Lakers, and Rajon Rondo of the Celtics.

The players on the second best defensive team were: Tyson Chandler of the Bulls, Greg Monroe of the Pistons, Tony Allen of the Grizzlies, Zhou Yi of the Pistons, and Chris Paul of the Hornets.

Among all the awards, the Best Defensive Team selection is the most stringent, with a player’s individual performance playing a decisive role. It’s not enough to simply have a good team record or be a famous player to be selected. For example, Zhou Yi, who was the regular season MVP and set multiple career highs this season, only received one vote in the Best Defensive Player voting.

Over the past half month, the Pistons have reaped many awards in the regular season competitions, with no other team in the league able to compare to them. Although the final major award, the All-Star Team selection, has not yet been announced, based on previous online votes from various media outlets, it is likely that Zhou Yi will be included in the Pistons’ team.

The third game between the Pistons and Bulls is scheduled for the 12th, and on that day, the Pistons flew to Chicago via special plane. The game officially started at 7:30 p.m. That day. After warming up, both teams returned to their benches. After giving instructions to their players, the starting players from both teams stepped onto the court.

The Pistons’ starting lineup was: center Ben Wallace, power forward Greg Monroe, small forward Andre Iguodala, shooting guard Tracy McGrady, and point guard Zhou Yi. The Bulls’ starting lineup consisted of center Joakim Noah, power forward Carlos Boozer, small forward Ron Artest, shooting guard Keith Bogans, and point guard Derrick Rose.

With the referee’s whistle, the game began.

Chapter 398: Semi-Finals, Against the Bulls (4)

As the orange basketball rose higher, Greg Monroe and Carlos Boozer leaped up. These two top-tier power forwards were destined to engage in a fierce battle from the start of the game. With two “thwack” sounds as the ball made contact, it came to a halt mid-air in their hands—such a sudden shift from motion to stillness was astonishing. Yet human strength has its limits; after briefly hovering, both players quickly descended back to the ground with the ball.

Although Greg Monroe had a slight advantage and managed to take the ball away from Carlos Boozer, it landed on the ground between them. Andre Iguodala seized the opportunity, picked up the ball, and quickly passed it to Zhou Yi, then rushed inside the paint. By then, the Bulls’ players hadn’t reacted yet. Despite Derrick Rose’s top-tier speed, there were too many players gathered near the midcourt, making it difficult for him to move quickly. All he could do was watch as Andre Iguodala easily scored by dunking after receiving the pass from Zhou Yi.

On the Bulls’ offense, Derrick Rose used his teammates’ screens to break into the Pistons’ paint and scored with a beautiful scorpion flick dunk.

Play switched between offense and defense.

Zhou Yi quickly brought the ball across half-court, with Derek Rose guarding him. Although he didn’t dare take his defense lightly, Zhou Yi remained relatively calm. Derek Rose was an excellent defender, but his intimidation factor wasn’t very strong against players like Zhou Yi. Still, Rose’s defense couldn’t be ignored—he had top-tier speed in the league and was known for his tenacity. His close marking and speed were a real hassle for any player trying to break free. Instead of forcing a breakthrough, Zhou Yi swiftly passed the ball to McGrady. Against a team like the Bulls, tactics and playing styles had to change—flexible passing, active movement from perimeter players, and demands for speed from interior players. Although Ben Wallace returned for this game, John Kuester didn’t start him but continued to use Samuel Dalembert. The Bulls’ interior was strong and highly flexible. If Big Ben were used alongside Greg Monroe, they might not necessarily pose a threat; on the other hand, using Samuel Dalembert could enhance both offense and flexibility. McGrady lofted the ball into the paint, where Greg Monroe tried to go one-on-one but was stopped by Carlos Boozer. Joakim Noah grabbed the defensive rebound and passed it to Derek Rose. On the Bulls’ next attack, Rose pushed his speed to the limit, forced his way through, and made a clever pass to Ron Artest, who easily scored. Zhou Yi took a deep breath—he had been chasing Derek Rose and was a bit out of breath. After crossing half-court, Zhou Yi didn’t hold onto the ball and handed it back to McGrady. McGrady feinted, broke through the Bulls’ defenders, and hit a mid-range jump shot, helping the Pistons tie the score. The teams switched sides. The Bulls’ next attack failed, and Zhou Yi grabbed the rebound before advancing toward their half-court. After breaking through, the ball was quickly passed to Andre Iguodala at the baseline; his three-point attempt missed, and Greg Monroe easily grabbed the rebound. Leaning against Carlos Boozer, he slowly moved toward the three-second line. Carlos Boozer looked extremely frustrated—though he was a top-tier power forward, physical confrontation had never been his strength.

Greg Monroe bent his left elbow slightly to push back against Carlos Boozer, creating space between them, before easily launching a hook shot that scored. Letting out a sigh of relief, Monroe wiped the sweat from his forehead—unexpecting that Boozer had quite a bit of strength. Just a short distance of two or three steps had taken a toll on him, and the feel of his final hook shot was off. Fortunately, luck was on his side as the ball bounced a few times off the rim before finally going in.

Boozer moved to the perimeter to set a screen for Derrick Rose. Under Zhou Yi’s defense, Derrick Rose wasn’t as effortless as in previous games. Especially when trying to break through, he seemed close to success several times, only for Zhou Yi to mysteriously appear in front of him. After several failed attempts, he relied more on his teammates’ screens. Derrick Rose quickly broke through to the three-second area, but Greg Monroe was already waiting inside. Seeing no good shooting opportunity, and given Derrick Rose’s playing style, he naturally wouldn’t shoot so easily. With a slight flick of his wrist, the ball quickly found its way to Carlos Boozer’s hands. By then, Monroe had already switched to guarding Derrick Rose, and the other Pistons players hadn’t yet had time to cover. He stretched out his arm and easily dunked the ball.

Zhou Yi passed the ball long into the paint, where Monroe used a convincing fake move to easily deceive Carlos Boozer, sending the ball through the net. Derrick Rose passed to Keith Bogans, who hit a three-pointer from the right wing. After a Pistons turnover, Derrick Rose, Carlos Boozer, and Keith Bogans took advantage in a 3-on-2 situation, with Derrick Rose finishing with an inside shot. Zhou Yi suddenly jumped from just a meter outside the three-point line and scored. The three-pointer was very sudden—Derrick Rose hadn’t expected him to shoot from such a distance, especially since it was the playoffs, not regular season. Perhaps inspired by the MVP ceremony before the game, the Pistons performed exceptionally well in the first quarter, hitting 15 out of 22 shots for 41 points. Although the Bulls weren’t as efficient, hitting 11 out of 23 shots was still quite solid. Moreover, the Bulls earned several free throws in the first quarter, with both Derrick Rose and Carlos Boozer pulling off 2+1 plays, falling behind the Pistons 35–41.

The two point guards also performed admirably in the first quarter. Zhou Yi lived up to his status as regular-season MVP, hitting 4 out of 6 shots to score 11 points and provide 4 assists; meanwhile, Derrick Rose hit 5 out of 7 shots for 12 points, though he only had 3 assists and 2 steals.

Among the other players, the Pistons had seven scorers, with Zhou Yi leading with 11 points; on the Bulls’ side, several starters also scored, with Derrick Rose’s 12 points being the highest in the game.

The fans at the Auburn Hills Palace were undoubtedly the happiest, as they witnessed one of the best scoring battles so far in the playoffs.

John Kuester had nothing to say about the players’ performance on the court—they were definitely at the top level. However, the Bulls’ strong scoring lineup found their rhythm from the start, excelling both inside and outside the paint. Kuester had prepared for a fierce scoring battle, anticipating the opponent would score heavily, but 35 points in just the first quarter was still hard for him to accept.

Still, he was quite pleased with his team’s offense, as scoring 41 points in a single quarter showed that their offense was flowing smoothly without any issues.

After encouraging the players a bit, John Kuester insisted on continuing the intense battle. As long as they maintained their lead in the second quarter, and given the Bulls’ exhaustion after seven tough games, the Pistons would have the chance to win the game.

In the second quarter, the Bulls made adjustments to their lineup, with CJ Watson and Ronnie Brewer replacing Derrick Rose and Rolando Blackman, respectively. On the Pistons’ side, Ben Gordon replaced McGrady.