Chapter 197

In the second half of the second quarter, the Pistons launched a counterattack under the leadership of Greg Monroe, who hit two of his first two shots after entering the game, bringing the score to 46-all. Then, McGrady stepped up, scoring 5 points in a row, and together with Greg Monroe they created a 9-4 run that helped the Pistons take the lead by 5 points. However, the good fortune didn’t last long. James Posey, who replaced Andre Iguodala, was in poor form today and couldn’t stop “The Lama” Odom, allowing him to repeatedly penetrate the Pistons’ paint and score, instantly wiping out the Pistons’ lead and putting them behind the Lakers 52-55. “The Beast” had a breakout performance in the final quarter of the previous game, while Lamar Odom was at his usual best. In this game, although “The Beast” didn’t have the same stunning performance as before, he was still quite good; meanwhile, “The Lama” Odom suddenly exploded at the end of the second quarter, helping the Lakers take the lead. It must be said that the Lakers have had quite a few lucky players in their last two games. At this moment, only 11.1 seconds remained before the end of the first half. In those final 11.1 seconds, the Pistons had the ball, with Zhou Yi in control. In fact, one reason the Lakers were able to take the lead earlier was that Zhou Yi was taken off the court to rest—he didn’t enter the game until just over three minutes before the end of the first half. The Lakers used a full-court man-to-man defense to prevent Zhou Yi from easily crossing half-court. But could Zhou Yi, with his excellent dribbling skills, fast speed, and a full season of NBA experience, make mistakes due to Kobe’s one-on-one pressure? Of course not. In fact, such one-on-one pressure was exactly what he expected. Zhou Yi deliberately showed a seemingly fake flaw to lure Kobe into trying to steal the ball, then, as Kobe tried to steal it, he turned right and dribbled, easily bypassing Kobe and reaching his top speed in the shortest time possible, charging toward the Lakers’ paint. With Kobe’s defense failing, Derek Fisher and Ron Artest quickly abandoned their original defenders and rushed to double-team Zhou Yi. They blocked him as he entered the paint—well, just Zhou Yi. The ball left him the moment he stepped into the paint and flew straight toward McGrady. “Good pass,” McGrady said as he caught Zhou Yi’s pass steadily, then quickly adjusted his stance and shot the ball.

As the ball left his hands, the timer read 2.3—only 2.3 seconds remained in the first half. With a clang, McGrady’s shot missed, bouncing off the rim. Just as everyone thought the first half was over, a figure rushed into the Lakers’ penalty area, leaped high, and, despite Paul Gasol also jumping to grab the rebound, gently tapped the ball with his finger before sending it soaring back toward the basket. With a swish, the ball went through the net. The whistle signaling the end of the second quarter sounded at that moment. “Amazing!” “Fantastic!” “Incredible!” … Pistons fans cheered loudly for Zhou Yi—his shot was truly spectacular. He pushed past Paul Gasol and got the ball into the basket. “Ah…” Zhou Yi swung his arm forcefully, letting out a low growl at the same time. That shot was also his response to the unfair call by the referee earlier; his anger hadn’t diminished at all, but it was suppressed deep inside, transformed into a fighting spirit. He was determined to fight to the end, to give it his all. He didn’t know if he could lead his team to victory, but he knew that as long as he was there, he would do his utmost to win honor for his team and earn respect for himself—becoming a superstar like Kobe, someone even the referees had to take into account. This was Zhou Yi! Chapter 433: The Outcome Is Still Uncertain! 54:55—The Pistons ended the first half trailing by one point, thanks to Zhou Yi’s last-second free throw. “Ladies and gentlemen, the first half is over. The Pistons are down 54:55. Coach Zhang, what do you think of the first half performance of both teams?”

“In the first half, both teams performed very well offensively, but not so well defensively. After all, their shooting percentages were around 55% each. Yet, the Pistons and Lakers are teams that are stronger defensively. However, their performance in the second half was completely the opposite. If they continue playing like this, the players on both teams will definitely run out of energy. I think, whether for this game or the ones to come, the coaches of both teams will surely make adjustments in the second half to slow down the pace of the game. Only this style of play is truly suitable for them…”