Chapter 209

In the fourth quarter, led by the returning Zhou Yi, the Pistons fought back hard, attacking the Lakers’ basket relentlessly. Yet the Lakers remained unfazed by the Pistons’ onslaught, continuing to attack and defend methodically while maintaining a high shooting percentage. As a result, no matter how fiercely the Pistons attacked, they couldn’t tie or take the lead, staying in the red throughout.

Chapter 445: Overtime Again, a Fierce Battle

With four minutes left in the game, the Pistons, unable to catch up in the score, gradually lost their composure and made frequent careless mistakes. If not for the Lakers’ shooting percentage also dropping at that moment, the Pistons would surely have been behind by double digits.

In the final three minutes, Spencer Hawes, who had been quiet throughout the first three quarters under Andrew Bynum’s pressure, suddenly erupted. He first scored 4 points with a hook shot and a free throw after receiving a pass from Zhou Yi, then grabbed a rebound in the front court and drove to the basket, forcing Andrew Bynum into a foul, completing a 2+1 play. This helped the Pistons score a 7-2 run, bringing the score to 102:105 and instantly boosting their morale.

Later, with 1 minute and 43 seconds left in the game, Zhou Yi scored another three-pointer with help from Greg Monroe, bringing the score to just one point apart, pushing the Pistons’ morale to its peak. At the same time, the emotions of all Pistons fans reached their highest point as well. The fans cheered, calling out Zhou Yi, Greg Monroe, and other outstanding Pistons players—because the Pistons brought them passion, joy, and excitement!

But just as people thought the Pistons might turn the game around, the Lakers’ power forward drove to beyond the three-point line and scored a crucial three-pointer. Then McGrady’s three-pointer missed, allowing Andrew Bynum to grab a rebound in the back court and pass it to Kobe, who had already entered the Pistons’ half. After catching the ball, Kobe launched a fast break and easily scored 2 more points with a three-step layup, changing the score to 109:115, putting the Pistons 6 points behind again.

Suddenly, the shadow of defeat loomed over all the Pistons players and fans. They were terrified of losing this game.

In the final moments, due to the intense effort throughout the game, both the Pistons and Lakers players had little energy left.

However, among them, there are still those with abundant physical strength. Zhou Yi had been taking some time to rest and didn’t play at all in the third quarter, so his energy was still at its peak. It could be said that he now had to unleash all his strength to save the Pistons. Fifty-six seconds before the end of the game, Zhou Yi dribbled to the center just outside the three-point line, facing the basket directly. His eyes were fixed on the basket ahead, as if Kobe beside him were completely transparent, with no weaknesses at all. Yet even though Zhou Yi deliberately showed vulnerabilities, Kobe didn’t dare act rashly. He knew it was a critical moment—Zhou Yi wouldn’t be stupid enough to deliberately expose weaknesses for him, and even the slightest carelessness could lead to a fatal mistake. Zhou Yi took a deep breath, gradually speeding up his dribbling rhythm, signaling that he was about to attack. Every cell in Kobe’s body began to pulse in rhythm with the dribble, ready to confront Zhou Yi at any moment. Zhou Yi shifted his gaze to the left. After noticing this slight movement, Kobe assumed Zhou Yi intended to break through from the left, so he shifted his body slightly to the left. At the same time, Zhou Yi launched his breakthrough. He suddenly stepped right, breaking through from the right. “Don’t think you can get past so easily!” Kobe moved immediately, following Zhou Yi’s steps and blocking his path. But Zhou Yi suddenly changed direction, shifting sideways to appear ready to break through from the left. Kobe followed him again, but his balance was already compromised. Zhou Yi gritted his teeth, pulled his left hand holding the ball sideways, shifted his body to the right, and once again changed direction and broke through, returning to the right side. “Damn it!” The series of difficult directional dribbles left Kobe unable to keep up with Zhou Yi. His balance failed, and he almost fell to the ground. By the time he regained his footing, it was already too late to catch up—Zhou Yi had already crossed the free-throw line. At that moment, there was no one inside the Lakers’ paint, and Andrew Bynum, the only player close to Zhou Yi, was nearly two meters away and running toward the paint. But could Andrew Bynum really stop Zhou Yi, who had reached his top speed?

“Ah~~~” With a loud roar, Zhou Yi leaped high as soon as he entered the penalty area and glided toward the basket like a glider. In mid-air, Zhou Yi raised his right hand holding the ball, while Andrew Bynum jumped from behind, raising his left hand to try and block him. But Andrew Bynum had just recovered from an injury, and his stamina wasn’t as good as it was at the start of the game. As a result, the height he could reach wasn’t as high as Zhou Yi’s, whose strength and speed far surpassed his own. Thus, Andrew Bynum’s outstretched hand only waved uselessly in the air as he stared in shock at Zhou Yi approaching the basket. With the basket right in front of him, Zhou Yi gritted his teeth and swung his right hand, holding the ball, like a sharp and heavy axe, at the basket. “Bang!” It was a simple, decisive, and powerful dunk. Zhou Yi had not only dodged Kobe but also completed a dunk right in front of Andrew Bynum! “So amazing, absolutely unstoppable!” Even though Andrew Bynum was no longer the top center once revered as the “Emperor” and drafted first overall into the NBA in his college days, he was still a key player in the paint. Good heavens! Was Zhou Yi really Chinese? Was he truly an Asian? Immediately, thunderous cheers filled the entire stadium—no, every Chinese fan watching the game was shouting, all ecstatic over Zhou Yi’s performance. Yet, the Chinese fans seemed to be celebrating a bit too early, as the game wasn’t over yet. “44, 43, 42” Kobe drove forward, but Zhou Yi kept pestering him, preventing him from easily carrying the ball to the front court. “41, 40” Unable to fully showcase his skills with Zhou Yi constantly surrounding him, Kobe had no choice but to pass the ball. “39, 38” Derek Fisher made a mistake after receiving the ball and was stripped by Andre Iguodala, who suddenly rushed in. “37, 36, 35” Iguodala, Zhou Yi, and McGrady launched a fast attack, rushing into the Lakers’ half-court, creating a three-versus-two situation against Kobe and Derek Fisher. “34” Iguodala passed the ball to Zhou Yi, who drove into the Lakers’ penalty area. “33” Zhou Yi took three big steps and jumped, with Kobe right behind him. “32”

After Zhou Yi jumped, he didn’t force his way to the basket but flicked the ball back to McGrady, who was positioned at the top of the key outside the three-point line.
“31”
Upon catching the ball, McGrady quickly adjusted his stance and shot it immediately.
“30”
The basketball soared through the air, and every fan in the arena’s heart pounded fiercely with each bounce, holding their breath as if afraid their own breathing might disrupt the ball’s trajectory.
“29”
“Swish!”
A satisfied smile appeared on McGrady’s face as his index finger pointed straight upward—he had scored that crucial three-point shot!
117:116, the Pistons closed the gap to just one point again.
“28”
The crowd erupted in enthusiastic cheers; they were extremely excited by the Pistons’ unyielding spirit in those final moments.
“27”
The Lakers took possession, and the Pistons quickly retreated to the backcourt to defend against their attack.
“26, 25… 21, 20”
Kobe carefully dribbled across half-court, guarding the ball and hesitating to attack, staying just outside the three-point line to waste time.
“19, 18, 17”
As time passed, the fans grew increasingly anxious and panicked. Some couldn’t hold back and started shouting for Kobe to attack sooner.
“15, 14”
In the last fourteen seconds, Andrew Bynum rushed out to set a screen for Kobe.
“13”
Seizing the opportunity with Zhou Yi blocked by Bynum, Kobe accelerated and used his speed to drive straight into the Pistons’ paint.
“12, 11”
The other Pistons players rushed back to help defend, but this time Kobe didn’t force his way to the basket—he chose the best offensive move. He stopped abruptly at the free-throw line and jumped to shoot.
“10”
It was a high-arcing mid-range shot, and both the Pistons players, the Lakers players, and all fans watching the game held their breaths at the sight of it.
“9”
“Swish!” A crisp, familiar, yet heart-wrenching sound of the basketball hitting the rim echoed.
The Pistons players and fans’ spirits sank at that sound. But neither the fans nor the Pistons players gave up, knowing they still had a chance to turn the game around.
119:116, with 9 seconds left.

It was the Pistons’ turn to play, and John Kuester didn’t call a timeout. He knew there was enough time left for the players to organize an attack, and there were at least two players on the court who could take the final shot.
“8”
McGrady had the ball, and the Lakers used a full-court press to prevent him from moving freely.
“7, 6, 5”
With support from Zhou Yi and Andre Iguodala, the ball reached the Lakers’ half-court. When McGrady rushed to the front court, Zhou Yi, who still had the ball, passed it to him.
“4, 3”
McGrady drove with the ball, reached the top of the three-point arc, and immediately jumped to shoot, with two Lakers players in front of him.
“2”
Instead of forcing the shot, McGrady pulled back his hands and passed the ball to Zhou Yi, who had been waiting at a 45-degree angle on the right side of the three-point line.
“1”
There was no time to think. Zhou Yi caught the ball and immediately jumped, using his wrist to shoot the ball. In front of him was another Lakers player, Paul Gasol, who rushed over to try and block the shot.
“0”
“Ding~~~” The final buzzer sounded, and at that moment, the ball flew toward the basket.
The ball flew toward the basket, slowly, slowly approaching it, carrying the outcome of the game toward it.
“Swish!” A clear, crisp sound of the ball hitting the net.
Silence, then more silence…
“Wow~~~” Wild cheers erupted throughout the entire court.
Fans were shouting, clapping, high-fiving, hugging, and some even shed tears of emotion.
Because Zhou Yi had made it—he had scored that crucial three-point shot! That shot sent the game into overtime and gave the Pistons a chance to win again.
“Great!” Zhou Yi swung his right fist vigorously, his face filled with excitement and joy, because he had succeeded in scoring that vital three-point shot!
The Pistons’ players rushed to Zhou Yi’s side, surrounding him with happy smiles.
The Pistons’ fans and players were celebrating, but the Lakers weren’t happy—they had lost a victory they thought they had secured and now had to continue playing overtime against their opponents.
Players from both teams returned to their respective benches to rest for a few minutes before facing each other again.
Soon, the break ended, and both teams returned to the court.

Greg Monroe and Greg Andrew Bynum jump for the ball, with Monroe winning it and the Pistons gaining possession.
It’s Zhou Yi who controls the offense for the Pistons, rather than Will Bynum. Zhou Yi is still on the bench resting; although he’s had enough time to rest, he used a lot of energy in the fourth quarter trying to help the team catch up. So, John Kuester wants Zhou Yi to rest a bit longer so he can lead the team to a victory in the final minutes.
The Pistons’ offense fails, and the Lakers secure the defensive rebound.
Kobe holds the ball at the top of the key and passes it to Paul Gasol inside.
Paul Gasol goes one-on-one with Greg Monroe and hits a beautiful backdoor jump shot, scoring 2 points for the Lakers.
Paul Gasol can be considered the most consistent player on the Lakers, with his mid-range shots and backdoor jump shots always being highly praised by fans.
Andrea Iguodala tries to drive hard with the ball but ends up trapped in a double team. With no other choice, he passes the ball, and Tracy McGrady takes a mid-range jump shot.
With a thud, McGrady’s shot misses, and Kobe grabs the defensive rebound.
The Lakers take advantage of this opportunity to launch a fast break, with Derek Fisher scoring inside.
After the Lakers take a 4-point lead, John Kuester calls a timeout to bring in Zhou Yi.
John Kuester isn’t anxious; even though the Pistons are behind by 4 points, he isn’t under much pressure and doesn’t scold the players. He simply says, “You all did pretty well just now, but we’re still behind by 4 points. It’s not entirely your fault.”
“Greg, your defense was great today—very aggressive. And Andrea, your defense was good too. You need to be more aggressive like this in the future…” Hearing this, Greg Monroe and Andrea Iguodala feel a bit ashamed, knowing it was during their time on the court that the Lakers took the lead.
At this point, John Kuester looks over at Zhou Yi. Zhou Yi puffs out his chest and says, “I’m ready…”
With three minutes left in overtime, Zhou Yi returns to the court.
Kobe is also on the court, and he frowns slightly upon seeing Zhou Yi enter—their rivalry is well-known.
Zhou Yi steps onto the court with a smile, and the Pistons regain possession.

During Zhou Yi’s absence, the Pistons fans suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of loss, as if something was missing. It wasn’t until Zhou Yi stepped onto the court that they realized, “Ah, that’s it—something is always missing when Zhou Yi isn’t on the court.” So when they saw him return, they started clapping enthusiastically, trying to express all their love for him and the team through their applause. Zhou Yi waved slightly as a greeting before jogging onto the court. The Pistons players on the court now were Zhou Yi, McGrady, Andre Iguodala, and Greg Monroe. Zhou Yi controlled the ball and moved across half-court, with Kobe starting to defend him from a short distance away. Zhou Yi tilted his body slightly, pressed against Kobe, and with a strong push, managed to push him aside. Kobe was filled with confusion—how could Zhou Yi’s physical condition be so terrifyingly strong? Pushed by Zhou Yi, Kobe immediately created some space. Zhou Yi took advantage of this, pushed forward, stepped forward with his right foot, and his speed suddenly increased as he accelerated past Kobe effortlessly. Kobe tried to reach out with his right hand to block Zhou Yi, but his speed was nowhere near fast enough to keep up. Moreover, Kobe’s stamina was nearly exhausted, while Zhou Yi still had plenty left. In the blink of an eye, Zhou Yi was left behind, his figure disappearing into the distance. Zhou Yi accelerated with a few big steps, reaching his peak speed. In just about a second, he was already outside the three-point line, then suddenly jumped up for a jump shot. This shot caught everyone on the Lakers team off guard—Zhou Yi’s sudden jump shot left them no time to defend. And Zhou Yi had no intention of letting them prepare; he simply jumped high, the basketball passing through his fingertips as it went in! “Swish!” It was decisive. Right from the start, Zhou Yi narrowed the score gap with a three-point shot, leaving the Lakers only one point behind. Chapter 446: Champion, Zhou Yi’s First FMVP By the time Kobe reached near the three-point line, it was already too late. Zhou Yi had already made his three-point shot and stepped back, raising his proud right hand high. Kobe smiled bitterly—it seemed his attempt to defend Zhou Yi alone was a mistake, because once Zhou Yi’s speed was unleashed, no one could claim they could catch up to him.

As a result, the home crowd poured their cheers wholeheartedly into Zhou Yi, who could restore their pride.
In terms of offense and defense, Kobe excelled at timing his moves; in the blink of an eye before Zhou Yi could react, his basketball had already broken through numerous obstacles and reached Paul Gasol’s hands. Gasol immediately jumped and scored a layup.
The Lakers took a 3-point lead again.
The scores of the two teams were closely matched. Once again, Zhou Yi took charge. Observing the situation, he realized their team had three players with strong offensive abilities: himself, McGrady, and Andre Iguodala.
Zhou Yi knew his main task and goal now was to widen the score gap. The tactics he could use included breaking through, passing the ball, and attacking personally—in short, getting the whole team to score while also focusing on defense.
Zhou Yi slowly controlled the ball in his hands and tried to approach Kobe. Kobe, having just suffered a setback, didn’t want Zhou Yi to get close, so he took measures to prevent Zhou Yi from using his body to drive past defenders and score.
Zhou Yi tried to accelerate tentatively, and Kobe quickly kept up. Zhou Yi knew that if he stubbornly rushed into the paint, he would likely get a charge. So after suddenly stopping, he didn’t move again but stared at Kobe, then slowly brought the ball back beyond the three-point line.
Kobe naturally followed. Zhou Yi’s three-point shooting was extremely accurate, forcing Kobe to be cautious.
Zhou Yi couldn’t help but laugh slightly at Kobe’s serious expression. Then he changed direction with the ball in front of his body, quickly passed it to the left, and stamped his left foot hard on the ground!
“Whoosh!”
It was as if the loudest wind sound could be heard; Kobe even saw Zhou Yi’s figure gradually blurring in his vision.
Kobe was shocked. He hadn’t expected Zhou Yi to show his fastest speed at all during the game. This made him a bit panicked, but his body instinctively started to defend.
However, Zhou Yi’s target wasn’t on his right side either. After dribbling behind his back, he brought the ball back to his right hand, then accelerated again by shifting his weight, breaking free from Kobe’s defense and breaking into the paint.
Facing the defense of the Lakers’ two strong interior players, Zhou Yi jumped and scored a layup using a two-handed windmill move, even managing to draw a foul from one of the defenders at the last moment.
The basketball flew into the hoop.
Zhou Yi made both free throws, and the scores of the two teams were tied again.

Derek Fisher was in poor form today, especially under the Pistons’ intense defense, making it extremely difficult for him to control the ball. This might be related to Fisher’s age, but the bigger issue was Zhou Yi’s pressuring defense. Although Zhou Yi mainly guarded Kobe, he also spent a lot of time focusing on Fisher or helping to defend him, which frustrated Fisher greatly. A struggling point guard has a significant impact on a team’s offense. Although the Lakers’ main playing style revolves around Kobe and Paul Gasol, the center position can never be ignored. Paul Gasol took the ball to the high post, raised it high above his head with his right hand, used his back to push against Greg Monroe, and gently threw the ball, sending it softly toward the basket. With Monroe held in place by Gasol, Andre Iguodala leaped high, trying to catch the ball mid-air, but his jump seemed a bit slow. Kobe, the “Little Flying Man,” darted in at an angle, caught the ball, and scored two points with a one-armed thundering dunk. Zhou Yi’s skilled ball-handling near the free-throw line kept the Lakers’ defenders from making any moves, prompting Kobe to quickly close in for a double-team. Seeing Kobe’s calm demeanor, Zhou Yi suddenly leaned forward. Kobe didn’t dare relax—behind him was the three-second zone. If Zhou Yi entered that zone, the Lakers’ defense would be in a very disadvantaged position. He focused intently; it wouldn’t be easy for Zhou Yi to get through in such a crowded paint, and his biggest concern was getting fouled. With a swift motion, Zhou Yi pulled the ball to the left like lightning and quickly broke through. Kobe reacted quickly to cover him. As the two struggled, Paul Gasol tried to attack from behind, but unexpectedly, Zhou Yi emerged from the crowd and threw a quick shot at the basket. Almost simultaneously, the referee signaled that Kobe had pushed him from behind—the shot counted, and an additional free throw was awarded. Kobe rushed forward to argue, claiming it was just normal defensive action and no pushing. But from the referee’s perspective, he believed Kobe was indeed guilty of a foul and wouldn’t change the decision easily. Kobe looked angry. Seeing the ball bounce on the floor, he grabbed it and smashed it down, muttering something under his breath. But he didn’t expect that his action would bring him trouble.

“Ding.” Under everyone’s watchful eyes, the referee surely wouldn’t let him off easily and immediately called a technical foul. Watching Kobe still looking resentful, Zhou Yi smiled before starting to take free throws. The first free throw went straight through the net, while the second, as a result of the technical foul, bounced twice off the rim before barely falling in. Taking advantage of a dead ball, the Lakers replaced Derek Fisher with Steve Blake. As Zhou Yi stepped back to defend, Kobe quickly drove past half-court, skillfully maneuvering outside the three-point line while observing the Lakers’ players’ movements. “Hmph,” Zhou Yi grunted in frustration. With one of Kobe’s sudden changes of direction, Zhou Yi tried to slide in to defend but ended up crashing into Kobe instead. An opening appeared at the three-point line, and Kobe didn’t hesitate—he jumped, twisted his wrist, and shot. It was a textbook three-point shot, sinking cleanly as his fifth three of the game. Despite Zhou Yi’s continuous changes of direction, Kobe remained unfazed. After five finals games, he had developed a good strategy for defending Zhou Yi. Zhou Yi’s driving skills were undoubtedly among the best in the league, a perfect blend of speed and technique. It was hard to defend him solely with skill, but Kobe’s physical strength gave him the advantage to limit Zhou Yi’s drives. Kobe raised his arms high, fully focused on dealing with Zhou Yi’s lightning-fast starts. “Thwack.” With his body fully tilted to the right, Zhou Yi pulled his right hand behind his back and gently shook his wrist. The ball bounced off the floor and actually passed right under Kobe’s legs. Surprised by being bypassed like that, Kobe froze for a moment. Zhou Yi quickly straightened his body back and pressed tightly against Kobe’s side. Following Kobe’s body, Zhou Yi spun and appeared directly to his right. Although Zhou Yi was inferior to Kobe in terms of physical strength, he likely had an edge in sudden explosive power—especially since Kobe’s explosive ability wasn’t what it used to be. Using the tremendous rebound force from the physical confrontation, Zhou Yi launched himself forward, flying almost at a 45-degree angle in the air as he gently pushed the ball forward with his hands. Kobe promptly raised his right hand. He had indeed made a slight move earlier, but it was purely an instinctive reaction. With such minimal force, it was impossible to knock Zhou Yi flying.

But he didn’t expect Zhou Yi to be so smart. With a quick leap, he not only gained space to shoot but also exaggerated his movements to the extreme. His earlier moves had been very subtle, yet in such games, the calls tend to favor the attacker, especially in ambiguous situations, with the advantage going to the player holding the ball.
“Swish”—the ball flew gently and landed steadily in the net.
Zhou Yi’s playing style today was clever; he left the responsibility of organizing the offense to McGrady, while he himself focused on running without the ball, seizing opportunities to deliver a fatal blow to his opponent.
So far, the Lakers seem unable to deal with Zhou Yi. Assigning a dedicated defender to him hardly poses a threat. But if they try double-teaming, the Pistons don’t have possession of the ball at that moment, so it seems ineffective. Moreover, besides Zhou Yi, the Pistons have many other excellent scorers.
As long as the Pistons can maintain their current strategy, the Lakers will face a very tough game.
Free from the burden of organizing the offense, Zhou Yi appeared extremely relaxed. His cheerful figure could be seen all over the court. Without perfect passes or dazzling breakthroughs, he seemed to just keep running throughout the third quarter—inside and outside the paint, moving without pattern, tearing apart the Lakers’ defense.
Phil Jackson watched Zhou Yi’s agile movements helplessly. No one, not Derek Fisher or the veteran players, had the ability to guard him effectively; Kobe was the best choice.
With no other option, Phil Jackson simply allowed Zhou Yi to attack freely, focusing the defense on the other Pistons players. Without possession in Zhou Yi’s hands, his threat was greatly reduced. After all, he never believed that individual skill alone could overcome an entire team.
It was because of the Lakers’ indulgence that Zhou Yi’s scoring kept rising. But to Phil Jackson’s frustration, as Zhou Yi scored more and more, his other stats also increased. He didn’t need much time with the ball—just drawing defensive passes from the Lakers was enough to create numerous scoring opportunities.
“Swish”—under the fierce defense of “The Beast” Aaron Asthon, Zhou Yi scored another three-pointer.
Ron Asthon gritted his teeth and glared angrily at Zhou Yi. He had been guarding him all this time, yet it hadn’t had much impact, which angered The Beast greatly.
Phil Jackson adjusted his glasses and immediately called a timeout.

Maddie passed the ball to Zhou Yi at the baseline. Using Andre Iguodala’s screen, he broke free from his defender with a reverse move and quickly cut toward the basket. Zhou Yi raised his hands high, startling Kobe, whose defense had relaxed slightly. He quickly tried to close in, but Zhou Yi’s movements were seamless—his wrist twitched lightly, and the ball flew over Kobe’s head. “Rebound!” Kobe roared. From his angle, he thought Zhou Yi’s shot had some issues; it surely wouldn’t go in. But the ball didn’t hit the rim, so there was no rebound. Zhou Yi had been almost inactive in the first part of the fourth quarter, but his movement without the ball had torn holes in the Lakers’ defense, finally giving Maddie space to operate from outside. Zhou Yi drove fast with the ball, with Samuel Dalembert pulling up high to set a screen for him, allowing Zhou Yi to quickly cut toward the basket. But just as Zhou Yi was about to attack the basket, Andrew Bynum closed in. Instead of panicking, Zhou Yi casually threw the ball upward toward the backboard. With a clang, the rim groaned. Greg Monroe slammed the ball through the basket, then landed and high-fived Zhou Yi before retreating to defend. Steve Blake steadied the pace, suddenly accelerated with a drive, and used a sudden behind-the-back dribble to create space for himself, shaking Zhou Yi off. Andre Iguodala quickly came over to help defend, and Steve Blake decisively passed the ball to Ron Artest nearby. Artest made a long pass to Kobe at the corner. Kobe caught the ball and shot—swish! The ball went in! On the Pistons’ side, Andre Iguodala’s three-point shot missed. Andrew Bynum secured the defensive rebound and passed it to Kobe. Kobe’s shooting form seemed to heat up suddenly as he drove the ball across half-court. He forced his way through and then stopped abruptly in front of Andre Iguodala to take a jump shot—again, it went in. After the shot, Kobe roared. The home crowd, seeing Kobe go wild, cheered excitedly. Zhou Yi organized the offense, moving back and forth outside the three-point line, while Steve Blake tried his best to defend him. So, Zhou Yi couldn’t find an opportunity for a while. A bounce pass sent the ball to Samuel Dalembert at the basket. Dalembert shook himself off a couple of times, then turned and took a backspin jump shot—clang, it missed.

But Greg Monroe jumped up suddenly, pointed with his finger, and pushed the ball back into the basket. The Lakers gained possession, and Paul Gasol passed the ball to Steve Blake. After driving past half-court, Steve Blake drove to the paint and passed the ball to Andrew Bynum. Andrew Bynum hesitated, his layup missed, and the Pistons secured the defensive rebound. McGrady broke into the Lakers’ paint, with Ron Artest coming to defend him. McGrady passed the ball to Andre Iguodala behind him. Andre Iguodala took the ball and immediately shot—a three-pointer that also hit! Seeing the score gap widen and the game nearing its end with the championship about to go to someone else, the enraged Kobe roared like a beast, charging straight into the paint! At that moment, Zhou Yi tried to defend, but Kobe also moved into the paint and scored a layup. However, such intense exertion left Kobe out of breath and unable to calm down. Zhou Yi didn’t care at all; he controlled the ball, drove past half-court, attracted double-teaming, and passed the ball to the outside, where McGrady immediately hit a jump shot! With the three-pointer, the Pistons still led by five points! Then, after the Lakers failed to make a jump shot after gaining possession, Zhou Yi scored on a fast break… … With only 12.4 seconds left, the fans in the arena seemed to go mad—they screamed frantically, not wanting to see their home team lose and give up the championship. Now, the Lakers were 4 points behind the Pistons. It was Kobe who had the ball; his eyes were blood-red as he kept passing the ball back and forth between his legs. “I can’t believe it, I can’t believe it, I can’t believe it!” Kobe’s voice was hoarse as he pushed past Zhou Yi with all his strength. Though knowing the shot couldn’t turn the game around, Zhou Yi still rushed into the paint and smothered Kobe’s ball. It was over! With only 1.8 seconds left, Zhou Yi caught the pass and held it tightly, using up that time! Then, as if a powerful bomb had been dropped throughout the arena, there was a loud boom—the entire arena shook as if on the verge of being torn apart into meaningless fragments! All his teammates rushed over wildly and hugged Zhou Yi. Zhou Yi raised his arms high, his face filled with the expression of a winner, illuminated by the bright lights!

“Zhou Yi, Zhou Yi, Zhou Yi…” The cheers from the Pistons fans grew louder and louder; many long-time fans couldn’t help but shed tears. John Kuester also couldn’t contain his excitement and rushed to join Zhou Yi and the others in celebrating. At that moment, everyone was cheering wildly, and no one noticed anything else. Zhou Yi was surrounded by everyone; tears streamed down his face unnoticed. Hugging McGrady and Greg Monroe beside him, he spoke incoherently, tears pouring down: “Tracy, Tracy… We did it! We really did it!”
“Yes, we did it,” McGrady said, also speaking incoherently, unable to stop his tears.
The stars in the sky seemed to dim for Zhou Yi and his teammates, while only the lights in the basketball arena shone brightly.
When it came to the award ceremony, Zhou Yi, as expected, won the Finals MVP. He averaged 34.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, 13.2 assists, 3.6 steals, and 1.8 blocks throughout the Finals, becoming the brightest star among everyone.
At that moment, the Purple and Gold team members were all filled with sorrow, especially the player in jersey number 24. He walked over to Zhou Yi dejectedly, shook his hand, and said in a somewhat desolate tone, “Congratulations, Zhou. You’re an outstanding player. But next season, we will definitely defeat you.”
“Thank you, Kobe. You’re one of the players I admire the most. I look forward to facing you again,” Zhou Yi said sincerely.
Immediately afterward, Kobe and McGrady, those old friends, hugged each other tightly.
“Tracy, congratulations! Really, congratulations! You finally got what you wanted,” Kobe said, patting McGrady’s back.
“Mm, yes,” McGrady replied, too excited to know what to say.
After that, the Pistons players gathered together to celebrate their outstanding achievements. This moment belonged to them.
Chapter 447: The Start of the 2011-2012 Season
The 2010-2011 season came to an end. The Pistons, as the season’s underdogs, won the championship, surprising many people.
By now, everyone admitted that the Pistons’ strength was extremely formidable.
Half a month after the end of the 2010-2011 season, the Pistons’ veteran center, Samuel Dalembert, announced his retirement at the Palace of Auburn Hills, which was a joyous moment for everyone.

In the summer of 2011, nearly 25 out of the 30 NBA teams were actively seeking trades and reinforcements to prepare for the 2011-2012 season. Meanwhile, Zhou Yi, the focus of the world’s basketball scene, went on a trip to the Maldives with Mo Keer. However, Zhou Yi returned to Detroit after just two weeks to work on his personal training. Only those who knew him well understood that he was an impatient person, a true “self-mutilator.”
…
Four and a half months later, the 2011-2012 season officially began. In the preseason games of the new season, almost all of the Pistons’ key players were held out, so their win rate in the summer leagues was just over 50%. In their first regular-season game, the Pistons faced the Miami Heat, who had three star players. The Heat also made aggressive moves this summer, acquiring Houston Rockets’ one-on-one defense specialist Sean Battier to strengthen their overall defensive capabilities.
Before the new season started, the Detroit Pistons, Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls, and Los Angeles Lakers were considered the top contenders for the championship. The game between the Pistons and Heat attracted the attention of countless fans and was broadcast nationwide. It was set to take place at the Palace of Auburn Hills at 7 p.m. on October 27. Before the game, the Pistons held a championship ceremony. The Palace of Auburn Hills was packed to capacity, with even the aisles filled with people. Ticket prices for the game soared to $2,000 each. After the championship ceremony, the game was about to begin. As the game was about to start, the starting players from both teams entered the court, and the large screens displayed their starting lineups.
For the home team, the Pistons: point guard Zhou Yi, shooting guard Tracy McGrady, small forward Andre Iguodala, power forward Greg Monroe, and center Samuel Dalembert.
For the away team, the Heat: point guard Mike Bibby, shooting guard Dwyane Wade, small forward LeBron James, power forward Chris Bosh, and center Joel Anthony.
“Ding!”
The whistle blew, and this highly anticipated game officially commenced.

The result of the jump ball was obvious—Chris Bosh used his experience to push Greg Monroe aside and passed the ball to LeBron James. LeBron James used his broad frame to firmly control the ball before passing it to Mike Bibby. Mike Bibby took control of the ball and moved into the Pistons’ half-court. He passed the ball back to James, who attempted a mid-range jump shot, but it fell short; Greg Monroe grabbed the rebound and passed it to Zhou Yi. Zhou Yi controlled the ball and slowly advanced into the Heat’s half-court. He broke through from the left wing, struggling to get past Mike Bibby. Seeing Mike Bibby get past defense so easily, Chris Bosh shook his head and headed in Zhou Yi’s direction to help Mike Bibby temporarily block him. “Greg!” Zhou Yi shouted. “Damn it,” Chris Bosh growled, turning around hastily and running toward Greg Monroe. But the expected pass didn’t happen, causing Chris Bosh to frown, and even Greg Monroe grew puzzled. However, after seeing Zhou Yi’s next move, the confusion on Greg Monroe’s face disappeared, replaced by admiration. Meanwhile, Chris Bosh’s expression darkened upon seeing Zhou Yi’s action, muttering that the guy was too cunning. After calling out to Greg Monroe, Zhou Yi intended to pass the ball to him. But Chris Bosh reacted too quickly, returning to defend Greg Monroe. With a wry smile, Zhou Yi realized he was open and shot without hesitation. The ball swished through the net, scoring 2 points. Zhou Yi waved his arm and rushed toward the Pistons’ half-court. The Heat had Dwyane Wade in control of the ball; after breaking through, he passed it to Chris Bosh inside. Greg Monroe trapped Chris Bosh in place, who quickly spun around, using his supporting foot as an axis, swayed slightly, then swiftly brought his moving foot back to start moving again. By then, Greg Monroe’s balance was disrupted, and he couldn’t stop Chris Bosh’s progress. Chris Bosh scored 2 points for the Heat with an easy layup. On the Pistons’ offense, Tracy McGrady took the ball to the top of the key and attempted a three-pointer, but it missed. Greg Monroe held Chris Bosh behind him, allowing Samuel Dalembert to grab the offensive rebound.

Samuel Dalembert attempts a free throw, but it seems today’s basket is against the Pistons—his shot from above also misses, with the ball bouncing off the rim and being grabbed by LeBron James.
On the Heat’s offense, LeBron James drives and takes a jump shot. To the delight of the home crowd, his shot also misses, and Zhou Yi secures the defensive rebound.
Zhou Yi drives past the opponent’s three-point line, not holding the ball for even a second before quickly passing it to McGrady. Faced with Wade’s defense, McGrady immediately takes a jump shot, which bounces off the backboard. Samuel Dalembert grabs the offensive rebound and attempts a free throw, but it also misses, with Chris Bosh protecting the defensive rebound.
Mike Bibby receives a pass from Chris Bosh and quickly drives across half-court. Seeing LeBron James looking his way, Mike Bibby honestly passes the ball back. Hearing the cheers, the Heat players become even more motivated.
LeBron James holds the ball, looking at Andre Iguodala in front of him with a smile. Using a crab-like crossover step, he shakes off Andre Iguodala and cuts straight into the Pistons’ paint, then leaps for a powerful dunk.
Dominant—absolutely dominant!
Andre Iguodala watches as LeBron James deliberately bumps into him, his fighting spirit flaring. Next to Andre Iguodala stands another person whose fighting spirit is no less intense—perhaps even greater—this person is Zhou Yi!
Thinking of his last encounter with LeBron James and seeing his arrogant behavior just now, Zhou Yi’s fighting spirit is stronger than ever against any opponent he’s faced before.
Zhou Yi looks at Andre Iguodala and nods at him.
The Pistons attack—Greg Monroe grabs the ball inside and turns to attack. But Chris Bosh blocks his path tightly.
Greg Monroe suddenly passes the ball, and Zhou Yi has already cut into the paint. With both man and ball in position, Zhou Yi catches the ball and rises to dunk, aiming to respond to LeBron James’ previous dunk and intimidate the Heat.
“Not happening,” says Mike Bibby, who catches up from behind and tries to block the shot.

Zhou Yi turned a deaf ear, pushed his speed to the limit, pushed off the ground with both feet, and leaped upward. At that moment, Mike Bibby also jumped up. Zhou Yi had intended to dunk with one hand, but with Mike Bibby’s interference, it was difficult to complete the dunk. Fortunately, Zhou Yi grabbed the basketball with both hands and slammed it hard into the basket.
The ball went in, and the dunk also resulted in a defensive foul by Mike Bibby, earning a free throw!
It was a stunning dunk, and immediate loud applause and cheers filled the Auburn Hills Palace.
Zhou Yi scored the free throw, and two plus one was achieved!
LeBron James glared at Mike Bibby, took control of the ball, and advanced toward the Pistons’ half-court. Andre Iguodala was still in his path.
This time, neither of them spoke, but the tension between them was palpable. LeBron James drove with the ball and passed it to Chris Bosh at the high post.
Chris Bosh took the ball and attempted a mid-range shot, but it missed, and he grabbed the offensive rebound. Just as he was about to launch another attack, the ball was snatched away from him.
Chris Bosh looked closely and saw that a player in a No. 37 jersey with black hair and yellow skin had stolen the ball. Frustrated, he rushed back to defend.
After stealing the ball, Zhou Yi swiftly drove with it toward the opponent’s half-court. Just past the half-court line, he saw Tracy McGrady already at the opponent’s basket, making a upward gesture at him.
Zhou Yi understood immediately. Without even looking at LeBron James rushing toward him, he threw the ball straight toward the basket. LeBron James had already noticed the “communication” between McGrady and Zhou Yi, so he didn’t stop when he reached Zhou Yi and rushed straight toward McGrady to prevent the alley-oop.
But LeBron James was still a step too late. Not only did he fail to stop the alley-oop, but he also became part of the backdrop for this stunning play.
As the ball approached the basket, McGrady jumped up, caught the ball, and dunked it with both hands in a dominant and seamless motion, without any hesitation.
“Wow… T-MAC… T-MAC… T-MAC…”
Enjoying the fans’ enthusiasm, McGrady slowly backed away toward his own half-court.
LeBron James took the ball from Dwyane Wade and advanced toward the Pistons’ half-court.
After controlling the ball in the Pistons’ half-court and observing the situation, he passed the ball to Dwyane Wade.

Dwyane Wade changed direction and feinted a break to the left. Seeing Tracy McGrady move leftward, he quickly pulled the ball back, jumped up, and shot. With a clang, it was a miss—the ball bounced out of bounds. However, it was touched by Andre Iguodala as it left the court, so the Heat still had possession.

Chris Bosh inbounded from the baseline as the Heat continued their attack, though little time remained.

LeBron James carried the ball and pushed his way past Andre Iguodala, using his superior strength to force his way through and shoot. But Iguodala’s long arms were no joke; despite his attempts to disrupt, the shot missed and went awry.

At the basket, Joel Anthony and Samuel Dalembert, along with Chris Bosh and Greg Monroe, were all jostling for position. Several big men were ready to fight for the rebound.

Meanwhile, Dwyane Wade, who had been tangled up with McGrady on the perimeter, suddenly broke free, accelerated into the paint, jumped high, caught the ball with one hand, and slammed it hard into the basket.

With a clang, the expected image of the ball going through the net didn’t appear. Instead, everyone saw Dwyane Wade throw the ball so hard that it flew out. Zhou Yi, standing at the free-throw line, miraculously caught the rebound.

At the sight of this funny moment, the crowd erupted in laughter.

“Damn!” Dwyane Wade cursed.

Although the shot didn’t go in, everyone had to admire Dwyane Wade’s extraordinary jumping ability and explosive power.

The offense and defense switched.

After carrying the ball past half-court, Zhou Yi broke through from the right wing. Seeing an opportunity for McGrady, he quickly passed the ball to him. McGrady caught it and immediately shot—a swish—as the ball went through the net.

After the shot, McGrady gave Dwyane Wade a casual glance.

LeBron James, seeing this, chuckled and said to Dwyane Wade, “Dwyane, that old guy Tracy is really fired up today. We need to show some strength—otherwise, we might actually lose this game, and that would be a huge embarrassment.”

“No problem. I’ll give it my all from now on,” Dwyane Wade replied with a nod.

The Heat attacked.

Dwyane Wade drove the ball beyond the Pistons’ three-point line and signaled Chris Bosh to come in for a pick-and-roll. Seeing this, Chris Bosh rushed over to act as a human shield.

Dwyane Wade cut past Chris Bosh, while McGrady was blocked by him. LeBron James also cut past Chris Bosh and headed toward the basket. Dwyane Wade passed the ball forward, and LeBron James stepped over the free-throw line, ready to lay it in. At that moment, Greg Monroe released Chris Bosh, who rushed in to help, while Samuel Dalembert took his position, ready to block LeBron James. But then LeBron James flipped his wrist and passed the ball. Chris Bosh caught it. Chris Bosh, who had just completed the pick-and-roll, had already run back to the basket and was left unguarded; after receiving the pass from LeBron James, he immediately dunked. The trio of the Heat played in perfect coordination. Zhou Yi drove past Mike Bibby, drawing Dwyane Wade’s defense, then made a bounce pass to McGrady, who was cutting toward the basket from the middle. After catching the ball, McGrady immediately executed a one-handed dunk; the ball went in, and Joel Anthony, standing under the basket, could only serve as a backdrop to Zhou Yi and McGrady’s perfect teamwork. “Ding,” said the Heat’s head coach Erik Spoelstra, calling a timeout in frustration. The Pistons led the Heat 11-6 by 5 points, and loud cheers filled the arena—these cheers were for Zhou Yi. Although frustrated by the Heat’s poor performance earlier, Erik Spoelstra couldn’t get angry with LeBron James and the others, so he patiently explained tactical issues to them. The timeout ended, and play resumed with the Heat’s offense. Mike Bibby was replaced by Mario Chalmers, who now held the ball. The Heat’s center, Joel Anthony, was also substituted out by veteran “Big Z” Zydrunas Ilgauskas. After half a court pass, Mario Chalmers passed the ball to LeBron James. James grabbed the ball with one hand, staring intently at Andre Iguodala—his previous offensive attempt had been blocked by Iguodala, so James had to be cautious. Otherwise, he might end up looking as embarrassed as Dwyane Wade had just done. James took big steps and suddenly rushed toward Iguodala’s left side. Iguodala pressed James’s waist with his left hand and raised his right hand high. James pulled back sharply, raised the ball high with both hands, and jumped. Iguodala rushed to block it, but James didn’t shoot; instead, he threw the ball high to Big Z. After catching it, Big Z turned and hit a beautiful hook shot, scoring the point.

The entire crowd booed LeBron James, who, upon hearing the boos, turned his grim face and ran back to his own half of the court. Zhou Yi glanced at the arrogant LeBron James and drove the ball into the Heat’s half. Andre Iguodala rushed to an open spot, and Zhou Yi quickly passed the ball to him; he caught it and shot. “Clang” — it was a miss, and Dwyane Wade grabbed the defensive rebound. After grabbing the rebound, Dwyane Wade didn’t pass it but instead drove quickly toward the Pistons’ half. Big Z was in position, ready to grab a rebound if his teammate missed a shot. Unexpectedly, Dwyane Wade passed the ball directly to him when he saw Big Z in position, something even Big Z himself didn’t expect. Big Z faced Samuel Dalembert and played one-on-one at the low post. Sensing Samuel Dalembert’s strong physique and solid defense, Big Z didn’t try to take too much credit and instead lured Samuel Dalembert away, passing the ball to Chris Bosh. Chris Bosh caught the ball, turned, and was about to lay it in, but Greg Monroe was perfectly guarding him. Seeing Greg Monroe’s youthful vigor, Chris Bosh grew angry; he flipped his wrist and made a cross-pass, and Dwyane Wade, lurking outside the three-point line at the corner, caught the ball with no one around him as the others had already moved to other positions. Dwyane Wade adjusted slightly after catching the ball and then shot, hitting it. Chapter 448: A Strong Start to the New Season (Part 1) The Pistons attacked. The ball was in McGrady’s hands, with Dwyane Wade watching closely. McGrady slowly controlled the ball, then suddenly accelerated, changed direction, stepped forward, and turned — all in one smooth motion. By the time he turned back, the ball was gone, flying straight toward Zhou Yi at the top of the key. Mario Chalmers was blocked by Greg Monroe, so he couldn’t keep up with Zhou Yi, meaning Zhou Yi was now completely open. Zhou Yi jumped, flicked the ball with his right hand, and it shot straight toward the basket. “Clang, clang, clang” — the basketball bounced inside the rim before reluctantly falling through. It was a three-point shot. Zhou Yi bumped into McGrady and then stepped back together to defend. In this back-and-forth battle, both teams showed fierce determination; although it was only the first quarter, the tension was high. With 3.5 minutes left in the first quarter, both teams switched to their bench players for rotations.

Except for LeBron James, Mario Chalmers, and D-Wade, all the Heat players were substituted out, with Mike Miller and “Uncle Joe” Jwan Howard coming in. On the Pistons’ side, everyone except Andre Iguodala and Tracy McGrady was replaced; Samuel Dalembert, James Posey, and Will Bynum came in as substitutes. As soon as James Posey entered the game, he used his extensive experience to shoot a three-pointer over Mike Miller. “That’s accurate,” Zhou Yi said, taking a sip of his drink and smiling at Greg Monroe. “Yeah, James’ experience will be a huge help to us,” Greg Monroe replied, also grabbing a drink, saying something to Zhou Yi, then drinking it in large gulps. The Heat failed to score on their offense, and James Posey grabbed a defensive rebound and passed it to Will Bynum. Will Bynum turned around and, using a rotating defense, shot a three-pointer over Mario Chalmers. “Wow, Will is pretty accurate too, haha…” Zhou Yi laughed loudly after seeing Will Bynum score a three-pointer. Greg Monroe also laughed, squinting as he watched the game. The Heat’s offense failed again, and McGrady grabbed a defensive rebound, leading to a fast break and a successful layup. The Heat played very poorly today, not only offensively but also defensively. Otherwise, how could the Pistons easily score two three-pointers in a row? Eric Spoelstra shook his head as he watched the game. LeBron James once again took on Andre Iguodala alone, broke through to the basket, changed hands, and scored a layup, also drawing a foul on McGrady. Seeing McGrady get a foul and considering he had already played nearly ten minutes, John Kuester decisively substituted McGrady out with Charlie Villanueva to let him rest. LeBron James made his free throw. On the Pistons’ side, Andre Iguodala used a pick-and-roll to score 2 points with a mid-range shot, responding to LeBron James. Later, Mario Chalmers’ three-pointer missed, and Chris Bosh grabbed an offensive rebound, passed it to the perimeter, and LeBron James shot again, finally hitting a three-pointer. Will Bynum broke through and hit a backdoor jump shot in front of Mario Chalmers. In the last three and a half minutes, both teams’ mostly substitute lineups played well, though the Pistons stood out more. With the whistle blowing, the first quarter came to an end.

The score was 26:18, with the Pistons leading by 8 points for now. The Pistons’ players sitting on the bench excitedly waved at their teammates coming toward them, while the Heat side was relatively quiet, even subdued. “Play harder from now on—no more defensive mistakes,” LeBron James said, trying to suppress his anger. Though he kept his anger in check, his words still carried a strong hint of frustration. “LeBron’s right. We need to show intensity and definitely not lose to them,” added Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra. On the Pistons’ side, the atmosphere was very positive, with head coach John Kuester smiling as he explained tactics to his players. “Keep playing like this—play as a team. Even though they have superstars like LeBron and Dwyane, as long as we play as a team, we’ll definitely win,” Kuester added. “Understood,” the Pistons replied in unison. Kuester then outlined the tactics for the second quarter, with all the players listening attentively. “Alright, let’s go, guys,” Kuester said as the time approached. “Go, go, go!” the Pistons encouraged each other. With the referee’s whistle, the second quarter began, and the Heat gained possession. LeBron James played the entire first quarter and was now replaced by James Jones, while Chris Bosh stepped in to lead the bench players on the court. The Pistons also made some adjustments to their lineup: point guard Will Bynum, shooting guard James Posey, small forward Austin Daye, power forward Taylor Hansbrough, and center Samuel Dalembert. Mario Chalmers drove with the ball, attempted a quick stop-and-shoot, but missed; Chris Bosh grabbed the offensive rebound. Taylor Hansbrough raised his right hand to push against Chris Bosh. Chris Bosh suddenly drove with a reverse layup, catching Taylor Hansbrough off guard. The ball went in, and Chris Bosh stepped back triumphantly. On the Pistons’ offense, James Posey assisted Will Bynum, who scored with a layup.

The two teams continued to back and forth, and at 4:31, the Pistons called a timeout to bring in their starting lineup. By this point in the second quarter, led by Chris Bosh, the Heat had narrowed the gap to 34-30, only 4 points behind the Pistons. The 20-second timeout ended quickly, and the Pistons substituted Zhou Yi for James Posey, Charlie Villanueva for Austin Daye, and Greg Monroe for Samuel Dalembert. The Heat, of course, also brought in their starting lineup. LeBron James drove into the Pistons’ half, with Charlie Villanueva closely following. Glancing at Villanueva, LeBron sneered and darted past him from the left. Villanueva shifted his weight in that direction, but as he did, LeBron pulled the ball back and took a jump shot. With a swish, the ball went in, reducing the Heat’s deficit to 2 points. Without even looking at Villanueva, LeBron turned and ran back to his own half. Will Bynum had the ball, defended by Dwyane Wade. After crossing half-court, Bynum passed to Zhou Yi. Facing Mike Bibby, Zhou Yi used a crossover to get past him. But Dwyane Wade quickly closed in, while Mike Bibby shifted to defend Bynum. Zhou Yi accelerated suddenly, breaking toward Dwyane Wade’s right side. Dwyane Wade didn’t dare take chances—his earlier encounter with Zhou Yi had made him take him seriously. He quickly stepped back, shifting his weight to the right. But Zhou Yi suddenly executed a crossover, breaking in the opposite direction, causing Dwyane Wade to stumble. However, just as Zhou Yi rushed toward the basket, he lost control of the ball. Dwyane Wade retrieved it, allowing the Heat’s Mike Bibby to score on a fast break and also draw a defensive foul on Will Bynum. Zhou Yi stood in the middle of the court with his hands on his hips, frustrated, watching Mike Bibby take the free throw. Mike Bibby attempted a second free throw but missed it. Fortunately, it didn’t go in; otherwise, the Heat would have taken a 1-point lead. The Pistons attacked, and Will Bynum, perhaps provoked by Mike Bibby’s earlier taunt, threw up a three-pointer right at Bibby’s face—37-34.

Watching Mike Bibby look annoyed, Will Bynum was overjoyed. Dwyane Wade asked LeBron James to set a screen for him, then shot without hesitation once he found space. The ball went in—37:36! John Kuester shook his head as he saw Will Bynum unable to contain Dwyane Wade, and quickly replaced Bynum with Tracy McGrady, then Charlie Villanueva with Andre Iguodala. Zhou Yi accelerated, using nothing but speed to bypass Mike Bibby in one step. After passing Bibby, Zhou Yi felt no joy, as Dwyane Wade was already right in front of him. Zhou Yi pretended to drive but actually passed the ball to McGrady behind Dwyane Wade. After catching the ball, McGrady charged to the basket, pushing Joel Anthony aside to score, and also drew a foul on Joel Anthony. McGrady’s quick coordination with Zhou Yi earned cheers from many fans, including those who had previously supported the Heat’s “Big Three.” “Heh, Zhou still works best with Tracy!” said one of John Kuester’s assistant coaches. “Yeah, their chemistry is getting better and better. It seems they really have a chance to become the Pistons’ backcourt duo,” said John Kuester, smiling as he watched Zhou Yi and McGrady celebrate. The assistant coach nodded in agreement. While McGrady was taking free throws, Pistons head coach John Kuester quickly replaced Taylor Hansbrough with Samuel Dalembert. In nearly 7 minutes on the court, Hansbrough had scored 4 points, grabbed 3 rebounds, and blocked 1 shot, fulfilling his role well. Meanwhile, the Heat replaced Joel Anthony with Big Z while McGrady was taking free throws. McGrady made his free throws, including the second attempt. The Heat attacked. Chris Bosh took a jump shot near the free-throw line after receiving a pass from LeBron James, but missed. McGrady outmuscleled the big men inside to grab the rebound. Just as McGrady was about to get the rebound, Zhou Yi rushed wildly toward the Heat’s half-court. McGrady dribbled twice, saw Zhou Yi already deep in the Heat’s half, and threw the ball forcefully forward. “Swish!” Zhou Yi scored with an easy layup! The entire arena erupted, and Zhou Yi smiled as he headed back to the Pistons’ half-court.

LeBron James drove with the ball and passed to Mike Bibby, who cut to the basket but missed his layup. Zhou Yi, who was following him, secured the defensive rebound. Andre Iguodala’s mid-range shot from the free-throw line missed, and Greg Monroe jumped high to putback the ball into the basket, also drawing a foul on Chris Bosh. Chris Bosh angrily rushed at the referee, trying to argue that Greg Monroe had pushed him while grabbing the rebound, but the referee ignored him. Then, Chris Bosh went at Greg Monroe, exchanging harsh words. Greg Monroe took a free throw, but it missed, and Chris Bosh grabbed the defensive rebound. Mike Bibby drove with the ball and passed to Dwyane Wade in the corner. Wade stepped back beyond the three-point line and shot a three-pointer, which actually went in. The Heat players cheered, and the Heat fans in the stands applauded enthusiastically in support. On the Pistons’ side, McGrady and Greg Monroe set up a pick-and-roll, then passed to Greg Monroe, who was running back to the basket. Greg Monroe caught the ball and jumped straight up for a powerful dunk. The Heat’s Dwyane Wade and Mike Bibby played alongside three bench players, while the Pistons’ McGrady and Andre Iguodala also played with three bench players. The two-and-a-half-minute game ended quickly, and during that time, McGrady of the Pistons and Dwyane Wade of the Heat seemed to be competing fiercely, both performing exceptionally well, almost giving their all. In that short period, McGrady scored 6 points, 1 assist, and 1 block, while Dwyane Wade scored 8 points with 2 blocks. At the end of the first half, the score was 55-48, with the Pistons still leading by 7 points. LeBron James scored the most points for his team in the first half with 15 points, along with 4 rebounds and 3 assists, but he also made 2 mistakes. Dwyane Wade scored 14 points, but his shooting percentage was low, hitting 4 out of 11 attempts. The third member of the Heat’s “Big Three,” Chris Bosh, scored 10 points and added 7 rebounds. The Heat’s “Big Three” combined for 39 points, accounting for most of the team’s total score, while the other players scored only 9 points.

On the Pistons’ side, the top scorer and the highest scorer in the game was McGrady, with 17 points, along with 4 rebounds and 4 assists. Zhou Yi scored 12 points and provided 5 assists. Besides McGrady and Zhou Yi, who both scored in double figures, another player also reached double digits—James Posey. He hit three three-pointers in the first half and added a two-point shot for a total of 11 points.

During the halftime break, numerous media reporters interviewed both teams. The main focus of the interviews was, of course, the violent altercation that occurred in the second quarter, while the second focus was the confrontation between the two teams’ star players.

Soon, the second half began. Both teams started with the same lineups as at the start of the first quarter, with no changes.

With a “ding,” the third quarter commenced. The Heat took control of the ball and launched their first offensive wave of the quarter. Mike Bibby handled the ball, drove half-court, and passed it to Dwyane Wade. After receiving the ball, Dwyane Wade took a tentative step forward before suddenly accelerating and breaking toward McGrady’s left side. McGrady stayed close to Dwyane Wade, trying to block his path.

Dwyane Wade pushed McGrady hard, then suddenly stepped back and took a jump shot—making the shot. McGrady frowned, clearly finding it difficult to defend Dwyane Wade.

Zhou Yi took control of the ball, steadily advanced to the front court, and passed it to the interior player Greg Monroe. Naturally, Greg Monroe’s defender was the former “Dragon King” Chris Bosh. When Greg Monroe and Chris Bosh faced each other, they exchanged trash talk. However, since both had already been warned by the referee, their trash talk remained relatively mild.

Greg Monroe sneered, leaned against Chris Bosh, pushed hard backward, then suddenly turned and pretended to take a backboard jump shot. But just as Chris Bosh closed in, he flipped his wrist and passed the ball. Zhou Yi caught the ball and cut toward the basket from the middle. Chris Bosh was deceived by Greg Monroe and jumped up, while Joel Anthony was also distracted by Samuel Dalembert. So, for Zhou Yi, the basket was almost empty. But behind Zhou Yi was Mike Bibby. Therefore, it wasn’t easy for Zhou Yi to attack the basket either.

After Zhou Yi rushed to the basket, he didn’t do what people expected—no dunk or slam dunk, not even a shot. Mike Bibby, who was behind him, also rushed over, keeping a close eye on Zhou Yi to prevent him from attacking under the basket. At that moment, Greg Monroe, who had earlier tricked Chris Bosh into jumping, rushed in front of Chris Bosh, and Zhou Yi naturally passed the ball to him. “Oh no…” Chris Bosh muttered upon seeing this, then turned and charged toward Greg Monroe. But Greg Monroe didn’t hesitate at all and immediately jumped up for a one-handed dunk. Chris Bosh and Mike Bibby were completely left in the background. Although this whole thing took some time to unfold, it happened in an instant. All the fans in the arena were deeply shocked by this play, and they couldn’t help but praise Zhou Yi’s ability to control the game. If Zhou Yi had attacked on his own earlier, his chances of success would have been high, but so would the chances of failure due to Mike Bibby’s interference. Instead, Zhou Yi connected with Greg Monroe, allowing him to break through Chris Bosh’s defense and increase the chances of success significantly. It’s truly amazing how calm and strategic Zhou Yi was. Chapter 449: A Great Start to the New Season (Part 2) Chris Bosh snarled at Greg Monroe in anger, then glared at Zhou Yi, the one who started it all, before going to set up a play at the baseline. “Chris, don’t worry about it. We’ll get it back,” LeBron James said after glancing at the furious Chris Bosh. “Mm,” Chris Bosh replied. LeBron James drove across the court without passing, choosing to attack on his own. After signaling for Chris Bosh to set up a pick-and-roll, LeBron James suddenly accelerated, shedding Andre Iguodala like a tiger out of its cage and heading straight for the basket. Seeing Andre Iguodala being left behind by LeBron James, Greg Monroe quickly released Chris Bosh and had Samuel Dalembert help defend against him, then rushed forward to cover LeBron James. Faced with LeBron James’ attack, Greg Monroe showed no sign of backing down.

LeBron James saw Greg Monroe’s defensive stance, smirked, then leaped upward like an eagle spreading its wings. Holding the ball in one hand, he moved with the confidence of a king who could crush any obstacle in his path, almost as if he were riding Greg Monroe to dunk the ball into the basket. After completing that fierce dunk, LeBron James landed and raised his arms, seemingly listening to the cheers from the crowd. But there were no cheers—only loud, deafening boos. The teams switched sides, with the Pistons taking over offense. McGrady played one-on-one against Dwyane Wade and passed the ball to Greg Monroe, who was near the free-throw line. Monroe caught the ball and shot, scoring right off the backboard. As time passed, 6 minutes had already gone by in the third quarter, yet the score remained close: 69-67, with the Pistons still leading by 2 points. Although the Pistons held a 2-point advantage, they showed no signs of complacency. Perhaps LeBron James’ dunk had boosted the Heat’s morale, as the Pistons reduced their earlier 7-point lead to just 2 points in those few minutes. Thus, the battle between the two teams remained fiercely close. Mike Bibby drove to the basket, and Zhou Yi suddenly found an opening to steal the ball. Unfortunately, though he succeeded in stealing it, the ball hit Mike Bibby’s hand, and the referee immediately called a foul on Zhou Yi. John Kuester checked the time—there were still over 4 minutes left in the third quarter, so it was time to bring in the bench players for rest. So, John Kuester took the opportunity to switch to his reserve lineup. Seeing the Pistons bring in their substitutes, the Heat also replaced their starters to prepare for the intense battle in the fourth quarter. Now, everyone knew this game would be a tough, fierce fight, with the fourth quarter being the most critical part of it. In the last 4 minutes of the third quarter, the bench players played even more aggressively, signaling that the final quarter would be even more intense and brutal.