Chapter 19

The second quarter began, with the Pistons taking the first offensive play. Halfway through the quarter, Zhou Yi immediately passed the ball to Posey, who was positioned at the 45-degree angle on the right wing outside the three-point line. After catching the ball, Posey held it to his right side, bending down in preparation to break through. Defending Posey was Bruer, number 11, who often guarded the opponent’s best outside shooter. His excellent footwork, quick reflexes, and experience in anticipating his opponent’s next move made him a constant threat along the passing lanes. Posey passed the ball to Zhou Yi, who was cutting inside, and Zhou Yi drove toward the basket. Faced with Gibson coming over to help defend, Zhou Yi did not attempt to score but instead chose to pass. He cleverly fed the ball under Gibson’s arm. Hansbrough, who received the ball, tapped it sharply into the basket. It seems that being tall has its advantages—at least it saves effort when dunking. With this exciting opening dunk, the Pistons scored 6 points in a row, giving their opponent a 6-0 run. Everything seemed to be going smoothly; the Pistons’ offense was quite fluid, at least for now. In the subsequent attacks, the Pistons made three consecutive shots, gradually closing the score gap. Meanwhile, the Bulls failed to score several times, giving the Pistons a great opportunity. Kuster, standing on the sidelines, felt much more relaxed. At this point, the team’s offense was clearly much better than in the first quarter. Aside from Posey struggling somewhat against the strong defender Bruer, resulting in a low shooting percentage, the rest of the players were in excellent form. Zhou Yi did a great job controlling the pace of the game; when facing Watson’s defense, he could always use his breakthroughs to cause significant damage to the Bulls. The Pistons’ first score of the second quarter came from his clever pass after breaking through. Their two interior players, Durham Porter and Hansbrough, also performed well, especially Durham Porter, whose defense effectively restricted the Bulls’ interior players. With 8 minutes and 43 seconds left in the second quarter, the game went into an official timeout, at which point the Pistons were only 6 points behind their opponent. Kuster was very satisfied with the players’ performance and did not hesitate to praise them. Soon, the timeout ended and the game resumed.

Daye shot a mid-range jump shot from an open position, and the ball bounced high off the backboard. Several tall players near the basket jumped to grab the rebound, but at that moment, the referee’s whistle blew. Thomas was called for a foul for pushing someone while trying to get the rebound. Thomas yelled in frustration and argued with the referee, but he failed to change the call from the unyielding referee. Worse still, he paid the price for his irrational behavior with a technical foul. As a result, Sibudu had no choice but to replace Thomas with Ömer Aşık, and Thomas left in anger toward the bench. The Bulls, who originally had an advantage at the paint, now saw that advantage vanish as the Pistons took control there.

Zhou Yi felt no real pressure facing Watson’s defense. After receiving the ball, he used two quick changes of direction to get past Watson’s defense. First, he scored with a layup, then hit a three-pointer right in front of Watson. In less than a minute, he had scored 5 points. Another player who came in as a substitute, Austin Daye, was also hot, scoring two consecutive three-pointers that forced the Bulls to take an early timeout.

After the timeout, the Bulls brought backRoss, while Buzer and Noah continued to rest on the bench. However, Gibson was replaced by Brian Scalabrine, and Royle Dun replaced Kyle Korver.

On the Pistons’ side, Durham Porter was replaced by Monroe, and Posey was replaced by Summers.

The game continued with the Bulls in possession, with Derrick Rose handling the ball. Back in the game, Rose continued his dominant performance. Not only did he have a solid shooting touch from outside, but he also repeatedly penetrated the Pistons’ defense to score. In just two minutes, he scored 7 points through drives and shots, single-handedly helping his team hold off the Pistons’ counterattacks.

In just a few minutes, the situation on the court changed dramatically. The Pistons had once narrowed the score and were even close to taking the lead, but thanks to Rose’s continuous attacks, the score gap widened again.

Zhou Yi was a fighter who grew stronger when faced with strong opponents. Especially after sensing Rose’s strength, his fighting spirit was quickly ignited. Driven by his competitive nature, he received a pass from Daye, pretended to drive, and as Rose shifted his weight, he launched a jump shot that sank with a “swish.” Zhou Yi clenched his fist.

Rose, of course, wouldn’t show weakness. He turned around, used Scara-Bryan as cover, caught the ball, and shot—once again, the basketball passed through the hoop. After scoring, Rose shook his head at Zhou Yi, clearly saying, “I scored another one. Now it’s your turn!”
The ball came to Posey’s hands. Before he could make the next move, the annoying Brewer stuck close to him. His arms, seemingly forged of steel, kept swaying in front of Posey, trying to snatch the ball from his grasp. But Posey’s years of experience weren’t in vain. He stepped forward, suddenly changed direction, and blocked Brewer behind him.
Posey was very patient, thanks in part to his experience. After feinting, he tried to break through along the baseline. But Brewer didn’t give up; he closely followed Posey’s movements, preventing him from shooting. At that moment, Rolle Dun came over to provide additional defense, and Posey seemed about to be trapped between two opponents. Pierce patiently searched for his teammates when suddenly a blue figure appeared near the corner. Without hesitation, Posey passed the ball to him.
After circling around Rose twice, Zhou Yi finally reached the corner. At that time, Rose was being blocked by the big man Monroe, leaving him unguarded. Posey passed the ball just in time. Zhou Yi shot without any adjustment, and the net made a “swish” sound—the sound of the basketball rubbing against the net was absolutely beautiful!
Chapter 97: Head-to-Head Clash
“James, great pass!” Zhou Yi gave Posey a thumbs up, who responded with a victory gesture.
Zhou Yi scored another point. Now everyone on the court could see that he and Rose were in a fierce competition. Although Kuster emphasized playing inside more, as the Bulls’ interior strength wasn’t very good at the moment, and Monroe and HansBru of the Pistons had strong offensive skills that could deal heavy damage to their opponents, Kuster wasn’t dissatisfied now. He valued Zhou Yi highly and wanted to see how he would perform against the league’s rising superstar, Rose. Thus, the game instantly turned into a duel between Zhou Yi and Rose.
Rose attacked again with the ball. This time, the shrewd Rose only feinted a shot, then rushed to the basket when Zhou Yi jumped to block, slamming the ball through the hoop through the gap in HansBru’s defense. An announcer on the sidelines immediately praised him without reservation.

At this moment, Zhou Yi’s expression remained calm, his heart untouched by turmoil. After catching the ball, facing Ross who was focused on defending him, Zhou Yi made consecutive feints to break through, but Ross didn’t budge. Suddenly, Zhou Yi took a big step forward, bursting with unprecedented speed in an instant, then executed an extremely exaggerated crossover to get past Ross’s defense. Though Ross tried his best to chase after him, Zhou Yi had already rushed toward the basket, leaving only his blue silhouette behind.

Zhou Yi jumped right at the spot just inside the free-throw line. His body glided through the air as he tightly held the basketball in his right hand. At that moment, he resembled an eagle soaring in the sky, spreading its wings and flying high.

Scarlai and Asik tried to cover Zhou Yi, but even as they jumped desperately, they failed to reach the ball. The sudden burst of strength from Zhou Yi allowed him to jump so high that their attempts to cover him only reached his elbows.

The basket groaned as Zhou Yi slammed the ball through it. That soaring figure numbered 37 left Chicago’s fans in brief silence.

The two commentators responsible for the broadcast were the first to recover. One of them shouted “Good shot!” twice before turning to the other and asking, “My friend, you just praised Ross’s dunk highly. So what do you have to say about this amazing dunk?”

The commentator who had just praised Ross’s dunk seemed a bit embarrassed. After praising Ross, he hadn’t expected this rookie to deliver an even more spectacular performance. After thinking for a moment, he suddenly said, “I think we’d better watch for any more amazing moments—we can’t miss out on any highlight.”

As soon as he said that, the commentator who had asked the question burst into laughter, while the other just smiled awkwardly before focusing his gaze back on the court.

Ross carried the ball across half-court and quickly passed it to Rolando Blackman, then started moving swiftly. The Bulls’ playing style was simple: create scoring opportunities through frequent movement and aggressive positioning. The departure of Noah and Buzer left a huge gap in the team’s interior play. Since there was no one to fill their roles, they opted for a smaller lineup, a style the Bulls excelled at, especially under Ross’s leadership.

Interchanging moves, cutting to the basket, Raul Dunleavy passed the ball toRoss in time, who easily drove to the hoop and scored despite the defender’s follow-up. The Bulls still held an advantage; their defense made it difficult for the Pistons to score. Now, the Pistons relied more on Zhou Yi’s individual efforts to keep up the score. Another player who could score was Monroe, the rookie who had performed well in the previous game and attracted a lot of attention. At this moment, Monroe stepped up against Scara-Bryan; he not only kept pulling up for mid-range shots near the free-throw line but also used his agile feet and strong physique to score inside. His sudden bursts greatly reduced Zhou Yi’s pressure. With Asik providing coverage,Ross easily drove to the paint and scored 2 more points with a step-back jump shot. On the Pistons’ side, Daye caught the ball and quickly passed it back; with Posi’s screen, Zhou Yi cut to the basket again. However, instead of forcing a jump, he tricked Scara-Bryan into jumping first, then leaped as Scara-Bryan fell, throwing the ball decisively just as Scara-Bryan’s hand reached for it—unfortunately, the ball bounced off the rim. But he got something else: the referee promptly called a foul on Scara-Bryan. Zhou Yi took a deep breath and made both of his hard-earned free throws. Time passed by, and the score was now 47:40, with the Bulls still leading by 7 points. With only 5 minutes and 3 seconds left in the first half, both teams’ starters came on one after another. Naturally, Zhou Yi was replaced by Bynum—not because Kuster really wanted to replace him, but because Kuster was concerned about Zhou Yi’s stamina. After all, in the previous game yesterday, Zhou Yi had shown signs of fatigue, and after the long journey today, his stamina was limited, so Kuster took some time before deciding to replace him. In the confrontation withRoss, Zhou Yi was in no way at a disadvantage, which pleased Kuster greatly. If it weren’t for concerns about Zhou Yi’s stamina, Kuster would have let him play the entire second quarter.

Kuster looked at Zhou Yi, who was still breathing heavily, feeling a bit disappointed. He was quite satisfied with Zhou Yi’s performance so far. His impressive shooting percentage of 5 out of 7 attempts was astonishing. Although basketball is considered a team sport, it’s an undeniable fact that NBA coaches prefer star players’ performances—of course, this is on the basis of the whole team performing well. Today, Zhou Yi did just that. He not only scored 12 points but also provided 6 assists and 3 rebounds. It’s worth noting that Zhou Yi had only played for about 11 minutes, and he didn’t score in the first quarter; all his points came in the second quarter. Moreover, under Zhou Yi’s leadership, the Pistons managed to keep the score difference within 10 points, making it possible for them to catch up. Any coach would surely appreciate a player who can both attack and defend. However, Kuster was also concerned about Zhou Yi’s stamina. He had already shown signs of exhaustion after playing less than 12 minutes—how could he handle a long season like this? Kuster decided to talk to Zhou Yi about this issue after the game.

After both teams switched players, the game continued!

Chapter 98: Strike at the Weak Point

At this point, the lineups on the court were as follows: Pistons – Big Ben, Monroe, Prince, McGrady, and Bynum; Bulls – Noah, Buzer, Royle Dun, Kovac, and Rose.

After receiving a pass from Rose, Buzer growled loudly, slammed the ball hard into the ground, then leaned back, using his strong body like a bulldozer to push toward Monroe behind him. Fortunately, Monroe had exceptional physical skills; if it had been anyone else, they would have been pushed out of position by Buzer’s force, leading to an easy dunk. Although Monroe struggled to hold his ground, he managed to stay in position. Seeing that his plan didn’t work, Buzer quickly changed tactics, using his strong elbow to pressure Monroe while throwing a quick hook shot with his right hand to score.

With a “thud,” after Prince’s mid-range jump shot missed, Noah grabbed the rebound and quickly passed it to Rose. At this point, the Bulls focused on scoring inside the paint, thanks to their two powerful players, Buzer and Noah. If they performed well, it would naturally reduce the pressure on Rose, allowing him to conserve energy for a better performance in the second half.

Buzer pressured Monroe, and although Darbon and Prince provided occasional help defense, they were also under heavy burden, so Buzer easily gave the rookie Monroe a lesson. On the Pistons’ side, McGrady served as the offensive leader; it was still quite difficult for Kovac to defend him. McGrady scored 8 points in a short time using mid-range shots and consecutive layups.

However, McGrady was now pondering something. After glancing at Buzer and Noah, a slight smile appeared on his lips. With Monroe providing a screen, McGrady easily drove inside. Surprisingly, he didn’t opt for a mid-range shot this time. Within his three-step range, there wasn’t a single opponent. Given his shooting speed, he could have easily chosen a jump shot—after all, he had just completed two mid-range shots. But he didn’t; instead, he continued to drive quickly toward the paint.

Buzer was already on high alert. Having allowed McGrady to score twice inside just moments earlier, he felt somewhat embarrassed. But after all, it was McGrady’s fast break, and he hadn’t been guarding the basket himself, so it was understandable. Unexpectedly, McGrady seemed to disregard him so much, trying to single-handedly break through the defensive barrier formed by him and Noah. Anger surged in Buzer’s heart, and he shouted, “Tracy, come at me!”

McGrady and Buzer could be considered old rivals. After all, Buzer had once teamed up with Deron to prevent McGrady and Yao Ming’s Rockets from advancing past the second round of the playoffs. Seeing Buzer so agitated, McGrady found it somewhat amusing, though he didn’t show it on his face.

“Buzer’s skills are among the best in the league. If we don’t contain him, the Pistons’ chances of winning are slim, especially with the interior duo of him and Noah, who remain a huge threat to the Pistons. The only solution is to keep him in check. Buzer already has two fouls on him. If he gets another one, he’ll likely have to return to the bench. Even if Syberd keeps him on the court, he’ll be cautious and hesitant, and the balance in the paint will tip back in favor of the Pistons,” McGrady thought, glancing at Buzer again with a cold smile. At that moment, McGrady seemed to have reverted to that cold-blooded killer once more.

Maddie still maintained his speed during his drive. To many, his move was undoubtedly reckless—after all, he had already had a good opportunity to attack but chose not to act instead rushing straight toward Busemer under the basket. Although Busemer’s defensive skills weren’t outstanding, such an obvious offensive intent was a major mistake; even the Pistons’ head coach Kuster frowned at that moment. Beside Busemer was Noah, who had a fierce playing style and exceptional defensive abilities. With these two strong defenders guarding the basket, it was absolutely unwise for Maddie to launch such a forceful attack.

Just as he was about to enter the three-second zone, Maddie suddenly jumped up. This abrupt leap didn’t seem unnatural at all. Driven by the momentum of his forward motion, Maddie gradually closed in on Busemer under the basket.

Busemer didn’t lose his composure because of Maddie’s recklessness. His reputation in the league stemmed not only from his strength but also from his calmness in critical moments. Interior players are the last line of defense for a team, and besides having strong defensive skills, staying calm is equally important. As Maddie changed positions in mid-air, Busemer adjusted his defensive stance accordingly, while his lower body remained firmly planted on the court—any movement would only work against him, risking a defensive foul. Defending under the basket is extremely difficult; even the best players can’t cover everything. But under any circumstances, interior players must possess a certain presence, an aura that overwhelms their opponents and exerts strong pressure on attackers.

Noah also adjusted his position, standing behind Busemer, ready to fill in any gaps in Busemer’s defense.

Busemer took a deep breath. He had completely blocked Maddie’s shooting angle. As long as Maddie tried to shoot, he would surely deliver a block he’d never forget. As an excellent interior player, he had absolute confidence—especially since Maddie jumped quite far, and such a long aerial glide would surely make his shot less precise.

He couldn’t help but admire his opponent’s sophisticated defense, which had almost sealed off his shooting route. But Maddie wasn’t someone who gave up easily. At the moment their bodies were about to touch, he suddenly tightened his upper body and, by a narrow margin, slipped through Busemer’s arms.

However, the crisis hadn’t truly ended. His strength was nearly exhausted, and behind Buzer, Noah watched intently. Seeing McGrady dodge in mid-air, he secretly admired him—such outstanding physical abilities were rare in the NBA. Especially his timing in dodging was far beyond what most people could achieve. Even though McGrady wasn’t as strong as before, his skills still left a deep impression. But admiration aside, he would never show the slightest hesitation in a game due to respect for his opponent.

Noah leaped up, his massive hand swinging toward McGrady’s right hand holding the ball. McGrady used the strength of his core to lift his body two inches, quickly passing the ball to his left hand. With a “slap,” as soon as he switched hands, Noah slammed his right hand on McGrady’s hand, causing him to lose balance. Using his last bit of strength, he threw the ball high behind him—McGrady wasn’t sure if this shot would work.

“Whoosh!” Before he hit the ground, an inspiring voice came from above, filling him with excitement. It seemed the goddess of luck was on his side. “Ding!” The referee’s whistle blew—the shot counted, and a free throw was awarded. But the referee’s whistle was quickly drowned out by the crowd’s cheers. McGrady’s amazing performance had already thrilled the entire arena—perfect mid-air dodging, exceptional aerial skills, especially that last three-point shot. It was a great goal. Even though McGrady was the opponent, the fans still gave this former league star thunderous applause.

Only McGrady knew that luck played a big role in that shot. But basketball is full of luck, and he was fortunate to have it on his side at critical moments. “An amazing shot! An incredible shot! In front of over 20,000 fans, McGrady scored an unbelievable goal—perfect dodging, amazing aerial skills!” one commentator shouted excitedly.

Amid the crowd’s screams, McGrady easily made the free throw, scoring another point. McGrady’s goal was to pressure the opponent’s inside players into fouling, so that Buzer and Noah would be forced to leave early, giving the Pistons’ inside players an advantage. It had to be said that McGrady’s ability to read the game was superior.

Rose took control of the ball, ignored Bynum’s defense, and tried to shoot immediately. But Bynum’s defensive skills were formidable, and due to his interference, Rose’s shot missed.

After grabbing a defensive rebound, Darbon immediately passed it to Bynum, who then dribbled past the half-court line and handed it to McGrady. It was almost a repeat of the previous move, but McGrady didn’t jump forcefully; instead, after luring Busemer to jump, he leaped as Busemer fell, and promptly threw the ball as Busemer’s hand reached for it. Unfortunately, he didn’t have the same luck as before, but he still managed to achieve his goal—the referee promptly called a foul on Busemer. It was then that Bulls head coach Silađan Šipčić seemed to wake up from his daze. McGrady’s unusual aggressive play was aimed at their own Busemer and Noah. With three fouls already on him, Busemer had no choice but to be substituted by Šipčić—poor Busemer had only been on the court for 3 minutes. Šipčić gave McGrady a cold look; though annoyed, he couldn’t hide his admiration. “The team should have signed him back in the summer… Sigh…” Chapter 99: Hidden Dangers Although Busemer was substituted, the Bulls still had Noah, with rookie Gibson playing alongside him in the paint. The Pistons had an advantage in the paint, but not a significant one. McGrady took to the free-throw line and made both shots. In the last two minutes of the first half, the Pistons launched a fierce counterattack, but the Bulls’ attacks were even more intense and brutal. Monroe gave Noah, who had just entered the game, a tough start—after grabbing position, McGrady dribbled over to him, passed the ball to him, and continued toward the baseline, drawing the defense away. Monroe feinted left, quickly cut right, leaving Noah behind, then jumped and delivered a one-handed dunk. Seeing an opponent deliver a dunk to him right after he entered the game, Noah was naturally furious. In the subsequent attack, Noah rushed to the basket and reached for the ball fromRoss. AlthoughRoss was the leader of the team, Noah was also extremely important to them. PerhapsRoss was also tired, so when he saw Noah reaching for the ball, he handed it to him without hesitation. After getting the ball, Noah leaned on Monroe and dribbled desperately toward the basket. No matter how strong Monroe was, he couldn’t withstand the enraged Noah, who gradually backed away. The basket got closer and closer to Noah, almost within his reach. Eager to return the dunk over Monroe’s head, Noah lifted his hand—only for the ball to disappear. A blue figure in jersey number 1 rushed toward their own basket with the missing ball, withRoss following closely behind.

This time, McGrady wasn’t planning to pass the ball either. He was eager to compete with Rose, the rising superstar of the new generation. Slowing down slightly, the “Son of Chicago” blocked McGrady’s path. McGrady accelerated again toward the basket, moving like a willow branch swaying in the wind—unpredictable. The basketball seemed to be part of his body, bouncing dynamically between his right hand and the floor, changing frequency constantly. As soon as he reached the free-throw line, he leaped with the ball in his right hand, soaring toward the basket. Rose also jumped after McGrady took off, trying to block all of his offensive angles. McGrady pulled the ball back with his right hand and passed it to his left, using his waist strength. With his body leaning forward almost parallel to the ground, losing balance, he dodged Rose’s outstretched hand that was almost covering McGrady’s head. The basketball traced a small arc before falling into the basket. As the ball went in, McGrady fell to the floor as well.

All the spectators were stunned by McGrady’s amazing performance. Was this the limit of human flexibility? Had the once dazzling McGrady returned?

Rose, who had landed, also stared in disbelief at the ball still bouncing on the floor before finally coming to his senses. He walked over to McGrady, who was still on the ground, extended his hand, and helped him up. “Your skills are still as strong as ever. I regret not persuading the team to sign you last summer.”

McGrady smiled slightly and replied, “It’s too late now. But in the future, the NBA will be yours.”

Rose smiled calmly, took the ball from Kovac, and headed toward the opposing half-court. McGrady quickly returned to his own half-court, getting into position for defense.

As McGrady settled into position, a faint trace of pain crossed his face for a brief moment—so quickly that almost no one noticed. But two people caught this detail.

With less than a minute left in the first half, Kuster didn’t substitute McGrady, though his eyes remained fixed on him, worried that something might happen again. One of those who noticed McGrady’s unusual behavior was Kuster.

“Tracy, please don’t get hurt,” Zhou Yi murmured to himself.

Rose moved slightly, tricking the somewhat tired Bynum, and cut in from the right like a sharp blade. Facing Prince, who came to help defend, he passed the ball behind his back, and it landed in the hands of Raul Dunleavy, who was unguarded. Without hesitation, Raul shot immediately. Under the basket, Noah, Monroe, Gibson, and Big Ben were fighting fiercely to get the best position for a rebound. With a “bang,” the ball hit the rim and bounced back toward McGrady, who was standing near the free-throw line. Taking a step with all his strength, he jumped and secured the defensive rebound. At that moment, pain appeared on McGrady’s face again, but he lowered his head briefly, unnoticed by most except for Kuster, who had been watching his every move, and Zhou Yi.

McGrady didn’t dribble; instead, he took a deep breath and passed the ball to Bynum. Time was running out—just enough for the Pistons to make one last attack. As they approached the three-second line, Bynum tried to change direction to get rid of Rose, but failed. So he passed the ball to Prince. Prince stepped forward quickly, pushed Raul Dunleavy aside, then stopped abruptly and shot—a shot that went in. The Bulls still had 3 seconds left. After receiving the ball, Rose rushed toward the Pistons’ half of the court. By the time he reached the middle, he shot quickly. As the ball left his hand, the buzzer signaling the end of the first half sounded. Rose’s shot didn’t catch the attention of all the fans in the arena—it wasn’t a game-winning shot, and it was too far from the basket; success would depend on luck. Still, many fans watched closely as the ball spun in the air, including Rose. At the moment he shot, he felt like it would go in.

With a “whoosh,” the entire arena erupted. “That shot is incredible—a last-second three-pointer. Derek’s touch is amazing, and he’s so lucky,” one commentator exclaimed, staring at number 1 in white.

The first half was over, with the Bulls still leading the Pistons 58-51 by 7 points. The best performer for the Bulls in the first half was naturally Derrick Rose, who scored 24 points, delivered 8 assists, and grabbed 5 rebounds. The Pistons’ players performed fairly evenly, but if one had to pick the best, it would be Tracy McGrady—his efforts helped prevent the opponent from widening the score gap. Of course, Monroe and Zhou Yi also made significant contributions. McGrady played for 12 minutes and 11 seconds in the first half, scoring 16 points, 3 assists, and 4 rebounds with high efficiency, hitting 6 out of 7 shots.

After McGrady went to the bench, Kuster approached him and whispered, “Don’t play in the second half.” McGrady just glanced at Kuster, nodded, with a hint of sadness in his eyes. After performing so well, his knee injury was starting to show again…

Seeing McGrady’s dejected look, Zhou Yi felt sad and sat down next to him, saying softly, “Tracy, everything will be fine.” McGrady looked at Zhou Yi in surprise, smiled slightly, and said nothing. Zhou Yi could only sigh inwardly and sit silently beside him.

“I must become stronger to help McGrady reach that level sooner. Stronger, stronger—I have to get stronger!”

Chapter 100: The Desire to Grow Stronger

Seeing McGrady’s sad expression, Zhou Yi’s desire to grow stronger became even more intense. At that moment, he clenched his fists, his dark eyes filled with growing determination.

After some time, the second half was about to begin, and the players from both teams headed onto the court. The lineups for the second half were somewhat unusual—both teams used two starters along with three bench players.

Pistons: Durham Porter, Villanueva, Hansbrough, Monroe, and the tall Bam Adebayo; Bulls: Noah, Kurt Thomas, Royle Dun, this year’s rookie James Johnson, and CJ Watson.

Hansbrough stood at the baseline to pass the ball to Adebayo, while Durham Porter and Noah joked around while positioning themselves in the paint. CJ Watson was tasked with defending Adebayo; both had entered the NBA around the same time and played the same position. Although Adebayo entered the NBA a few years earlier than Watson, he actually started his NBA career a year later than Watson.

Bynum was frustrated in the first half, so he mostly ended up facing the formidable Rose on the court. Now, facing Watson, who was guarding him, Bynum’s mood improved instantly—he thought to himself that he could finally show what he could do.

Facing Bynum’s defense, Watson didn’t dare be careless. Seeing CJ Watson standing just a meter in front of him, Bynum smirked, lowered his center of gravity, and drove straight into the paint with the ball in his right hand from Watson’s left.

Bynum was thrilled. “Kid, though I haven’t been in the league as long as you have, I’ve played for much longer and have more experience. My speed may not be on par with guys like Rose or Wade, but it’s still good—mine is definitely faster than yours, right?”

Bynum stretched out his hand to support his seemingly weaker frame and quickly shifted sideways to chase after his opponent. He accelerated to his peak speed in two steps, then suddenly stopped with his left shoulder pressing against Watson’s not-so-muscular chest. He spun sharply with the ball in his left hand, passing by Watson like a black whirlwind from the right.

Watson weighed only 175 pounds, about 10 pounds less than Bynum, so he was more agile. Although he was retreating, Watson used his excellent agility to make a smooth lateral move, still staying in front of Bynum. Bynum tried a few feints and changes of direction but still couldn’t break through Watson’s defense.

With no other choice, Bynum brought the ball out of the three-second zone. He looked up at his teammates and saw Monroe rushing out of the paint. Just as he was about to pass, Noah was already close behind. Bynum turned his head and his eyes lit up—Villanueva had used Monroe and Noah’s bodies to create a screen, allowing him to get past James Johnson, who was guarding him, and enter the paint. Without delay, Bynum pulled back sharply, increasing the distance between himself and Watson to half a meter before throwing the ball high. As soon as Villanueva saw Bynum pull back, he knew his chance had come. He crouched slightly, pushed off forcefully, and jumped sideways toward the basket. In mid-air, he caught the ball thrown high by Bynum, passed it to his right hand, pulled back sharply, and soared toward the hoop like a glider before slamming it home.

“Nice,” Zhou Yi, sitting on the bench, couldn’t help but praise the coordination between Bynum and Villanueva.

Watson passed the ball to Thomas, who, with his back to Hansbrough, sensed Hansbrough’s position with his body, then lowered his waist and used his tall frame and strength to push through Hansbrough as he drove slowly toward the basket. Although Hansbrough was stronger than Thomas, his strength seemed insignificant against the equally muscular, battle-hardened veteran with 15 years of NBA experience—Thomas, who was calm and determined. Hansbrough could only slightly slow Thomas down, not stop him. Eventually, Thomas reached the basket, stopped driving, and held the ball tightly in his hands. Seeing this, everyone thought the same thing—he was about to dunk. A dunk? Impossible! Monroe rushed to Thomas’s side and, along with Hansbrough, trapped him so he couldn’t dunk. Seeing Monroe coming to defend him as well, Thomas smiled slightly, suddenly raised the ball high, and without looking back, gently passed it backward to Noah behind him. Unguarded, Noah leaped lightly and easily dunked the ball into the basket. “Yeeeh~~~” With Noah’s score, the crowd erupted in excited cheers once again. After controlling the ball and moving halfway across the court, Bynum immediately passed it to Villanueva. After catching it, Villanueva ignored James Johnson in front of him, jumped abruptly from 1 meter away from the three-point line, and shot. Johnson, unprepared for Villanueva’s sudden move, could only helplessly watch the ball fly high, praying to God not to let it go in. But it seemed God was on the Pistons’ side that day—the shot went through cleanly! Soon, 4 minutes and 18 seconds into the third quarter, both head coaches made further lineup changes. For the Pistons, Prince replaced Villanueva, Big Ben replaced Darlempt, and Posey replaced Hansbrough; for the Bulls, Rose replaced CJ Watson, and Buzzer replaced Kurt Thomas. Rose controlled the ball and quickly passed it to Buzzer after moving halfway across the court. Buzzer dribbled with his right hand, focusing his strength on his left shoulder, constantly pushing against Monroe behind him as he moved step by step toward the basket. Faced with Buzzer, who was in high spirits after getting plenty of rest due to an early foul, Monroe fought tenaciously to defend the area around the basket.

Buzer quickly turned, stepped forward, and shielded Monroe behind him before leaping high. He paused forcefully in mid-air before suddenly driving the ball hard into the basket.
…
After Prince’s jump shot missed, Noah grabbed the rebound in the backcourt and passed it toRoss.
“Rose drives with the ball.，back-to-back dribbling，knocked Bynum aside to create some space，besidePrincedefense，passed to the nearby Roel Dun·Dun！passed to the nearby Roel Dun·Dun，becausePrincein defense of Roel，so Roel·Dun was left open.，shooting！good shot！” The commentator on site exclaimed excitedly as he watched the game. By now, the match had reached a fierce intensity—it was the last three minutes of the third quarter.
“The Pistons are making another substitution. The player entering the court is the Chinese teenager Zhou Yi. Bynum is taken off the court, and Daye replaces Posi. Strangely, McGrady hasn’t appeared on the court since the end of the first half. Could it be that Coach Kuster wants him to play in the fourth quarter?”
McGrady, sitting on the sidelines, looked upset upon hearing the commentator’s words. Zhou Yi glanced at McGrady and headed toward the court.
Thinking of McGrady’s disappointment, the Pistons’ current slump,Ross’s dominance, and the expectations of his parents and Blake, Zhou Yi clenched his fists.
“I must get stronger!”
Chapter 101: Intense Battle (Part 1)
Zhou Yi’s breakthrough speed was fast. Although it was slightly slower thanRoss’s, it wasn’t impossible to reachRoss’s speed with consistent training. Moreover, Zhou Yi had another advantage in his breakthroughs: stability.
When Monroe in the paint created an opening, Zhou Yi had already passed the ball. Monroe had excellent reflexes, dodging Buzer’s large hands. With a slight pull, the ball grazed the backboard and went in.
“Fast speed, steady dribbling, broad vision, and the ability to control the pace of the game.” Seibertu, sitting in the head coach’s seat, watched Zhou Yi on the court. He had been paying attention to Zhou Yi since his first preseason game, after all, the Pistons and Bulls were in the same conference.

The other teams in the same division: the Cavaliers, without LeBron James, are likely to finish last in the new season; the Pacers have yet to establish a clear core player, with Danny Granger being the only one holding the team together and not delivering much; the Bucks are doing okay but are still in a rebuilding phase, with Giannis’s return still a long time off. As a result, Sabonis doesn’t take any of these teams seriously—except for the Pistons, who make him wary and unable to slack off even a bit. In fact, the Pistons’ strength isn’t much greater than that of the Bucks or Pacers, but since the start of the new season, Sabonis has inexplicably focused on them, seeing them as strong contenders for the Central Division title. He can’t understand why he feels this way, and the origin of this feeling lies with Zhou Yi—it was after Zhou Yi joined the NBA that he began to feel this way.

Therefore, he’s eager to see what kind of talent Zhou Yi really is. After watching the first half and their recent matchup, Sabonis determined that Zhou Yi’s playing style is similar to that of one of the NBA’s top point guards, Chris Paul. Although his skill level is far from Paul’s, he still can’t be underestimated.

However, the biggest difference between Zhou Yi and Paul is that Zhou Yi prefers to pass the ball, despite having a solid offensive ability.

“His defensive awareness is also excellent,” Sabonis said to himself, watching Zhou Yi on the court.

Zhou Yi broke through to the inside again, drawing a double-team from the opponent, then passed the ball to the outside. Daye, who had just scored a three-pointer thanks to Zhou Yi’s clever pass, was now full of confidence. As soon as he received the ball, he shot a three-pointer, which actually went in. It seems this guy is becoming more confident with each game.

With that three-pointer, the Pistons took a 11-4 lead over the Bulls. Following this mini-run, the Pistons closed the gap to 75-78, only 3 points behind their opponent.