Chapter 210

At the end of the third quarter, the score was 77:74, with the Pistons still holding a 3-point lead.
“Guys, the fourth quarter is the most crucial. Although you all performed very well in the first three quarters, it’s the fourth quarter that truly decides the outcome. So I hope everyone will give it their all in the fourth quarter and play just as well as they did in the previous ones. I believe in you all; I believe we can win,” said John Kuester, his eyes shining with excitement as he looked at his players.
The Pistons nodded, gathering together to encourage one another.
“Ding,” the whistle blew, and the final quarter began.
The Pistons took the first shot, with Zhou Yi holding the ball. From the very first second of the game, Mario Chalmers stuck closely to Zhou Yi, who now felt a different kind of pressure compared to the previous quarters.
After half a minute, Zhou Yi passed the ball to McGrady, who was positioned low on the court. Immediately afterward, Zhou Yi moved to the other side to set a screen for Andre Iguodala. Andre Iguodala quickly moved sideways, breaking free from LeBron James’s defense, and by the time he reached the middle, McGrady’s pass arrived. Andre Iguodala attempted a three-step layup, but despite breaking free from LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, who had moved over with McGrady, caught up just in time and swatted the ball out of Andre Iguodala’s hands.
The ball went out of bounds, and the Pistons continued their attack.
“Good job, Dwyane,” said LeBron James, walking over to Dwyane Wade and patting his shoulder.
Dwyane Wade patted LeBron James back before smiling and going back to defend.
Andre Iguodala inbounded the ball at the baseline. After catching it, Zhou Yi immediately passed it to McGrady for a one-on-one situation. With only 24 seconds left, McGrady didn’t hesitate at all and took a step back for a fadeaway jump shot. Although Dwyane Wade tried his best to block it, McGrady’s attack was too decisive and swift, so the shot went through without interference.
“Yesss,” McGrady swung his arm, bumped into Zhou Yi, who was rushing over, then stepped back to defend.
Dwyane Wade steadily drove the ball across half-court and, after Chris Bosh got into position, passed the ball to him to take the shot. However, just as Chris Bosh caught the ball, McGrady suddenly came over to double-team him, tightly blocking Chris Bosh’s passing routes and line of sight.

But Chris Bosh was still one of the Big Three—he wasn’t incompetent. He used his height to accurately pass the ball to Dwyane Wade, who was already in an open position. However, the Pistons’ defense switched quickly, with Zhou Yi immediately rushing over. Realizing there was no chance to shoot, Dwyane Wade quickly passed the ball to Mario Chalmers, who was temporarily unguarded on the other side. Mario Chalmers glanced around quickly to ensure no one was guarding him, then jumped and threw the ball. With a swish, the ball went through the net. “Good job,” LeBron James said, pleased to see Mario Chalmers execute this offensive play and going over to praise him. Zhou Yi reluctantly took the ball at the baseline from Greg Monroe, glanced at Mario Chalmers, who had returned to the Heat’s half-court, and drove toward their half-court with the ball. McGrady received the ball at the top of the key; after catching it from Zhou Yi, he stepped forward with his right leg before pulling back swiftly. Dwyane Wade immediately rushed over but didn’t dive, as it might have been McGrady’s feint. Sure enough, McGrady didn’t shoot but passed the ball to Greg Monroe, who was cutting toward the basket from the left wing. After catching the ball, Greg Monroe slammed it down, took a big step forward, and delivered a powerful dunk. The Pistons took a 6-point lead, with the score at 82:76. After a timeout, the Heat’s head coach, Eric Spoelstra, decided to have his best defensive player, Dwyane Wade, stick closely to Zhou Yi to disrupt his playmaking and prevent the Pistons from executing smooth attacks. Without Zhou Yi’s playmaking, the Detroit team became somewhat panicked. They were used to relying on his coordination, so without it, their offense gradually fell into trouble. Fortunately, there was still McGrady, who was good at initiating team attacks, and under his leadership, the Pistons managed to keep attacking. Watching the Heat gradually close the score gap, John Kuester shook his head and decisively replaced Zhou Yi with Will Bynum. LeBron James drove with the ball, while Dwyane Wade quickly moved to the baseline, shook off his defender, and found an open spot. LeBron James, who was driving on the other side, quickly passed the ball, and Dwyane Wade caught it in an open position and made a jump shot. Seeing this series of coordinated moves, John Kuester just shook his head.

On the Pistons’ side, McGrady drove hard and passed to Ben Wallace at the basket. Ben Wallace’s reverse layup missed, and LeBron James secured the defensive rebound.

LeBron James held the ball at the top of the key and signaled to D-Wade, who quickly came over and took the ball from him. At that moment, LeBron quickly cut to the basket without the ball, and D-Wade passed to him as he cut. LeBron caught the ball and immediately executed a one-handed dunk.

Watching LeBron James and Dwyane Wade score continuously and narrow the score gap to just 1 point, Pistons head coach John Kuester had no choice but to call a timeout.

“I have to say, the Miami Heat are really strong, especially LeBron and Dwyane. We’ve barely been able to contain their offense. You still need to be extra careful guarding LeBron—he’s the brain behind the Heat’s offense. Be vigilant against their cuts without the ball. Don’t rely too much on Tracy’s playmaking. Tracy, once you leave the court, you’ll be in charge of the team’s offense, understand?” John Kuester said carefully to his players.

“Understood,” replied McGrady and the others.

But things weren’t as simple as John Kuester thought.

The Heat’s offense remained smooth as water, and even though Andre Iguodala tried his best to stick closely to LeBron James, he couldn’t stop their offense.

In no time, the Heat took the lead back. With 6 minutes and 11 seconds left in the fourth quarter, the score was 90:97, with the Pistons trailing by 7 points.

On the Pistons’ next possession, Will Bynum drove hard to the paint and shot from there, resulting in a foul on Mario Chalmers. At that moment, the Heat’s coach called a timeout.

Looking at his players, drenched in sweat, John Kuester frowned slightly and glanced at the stats on his hand. “We’re in trouble, guys. There are less than 6 minutes left in the game, and we’re still 7 points behind. This score might not be a big deal for other teams, but for a team like the Heat, it’s enough for them to maintain their lead until the end and send us home defeated. So in these last less than 6 minutes, we must make changes. Since we can’t strengthen our defense, we have to boost our offense.”

John Kuester took the water bottle from the assistant coach, took a sip, and continued, “In the next game, switch Tracy out and let him rest for a while. Zhou and Will will form the backcourt duo, which will help us speed things up and make offense easier. Samuel will replace Ben to add height and offensive power in the paint. Andre, stay on the court—you might not get a single second of rest. Your defense and offense will both benefit the team. Taylor, you’ll replace Greg. You have more experience than him, so I expect great performance from you. Zhou, get moving and revitalize our offense.” John Kuester carefully outlined the tactics for the upcoming game.

“I understand,” Zhou Yi nodded and replied seriously.

“Alright, guys, get ready to play,” John Kuester said with a smile as he glanced at his players.

The game continued, with Will Bynum taking free throws. Amidst the boos from the crowd, his first attempt missed, and he adjusted before making the second one.

LeBron James orchestrated the offense, with Andre Iguodala standing in front of him to guard him closely. Seeing Dwyane Wade being held back by Zhou Yi and Big Z’s position tightly covered by Samuel Dalembert with few opportunities, LeBron immediately signaled to Big Z.

Upon seeing the signal, Big Z moved toward the ball. His defender, Samuel Dalembert, rushed into LeBron’s passing lane. Realizing Dalembert’s defense, Big Z quickly changed direction and moved toward the basket. LeBron then passed the ball to Big Z, who was running back toward the basket.

Big Z caught the ball and drove to the basket, scoring a point.

It was too easy. Seeing the Heat players’ relaxed expressions, the Pistons were furious but powerless to do anything.

LeBron James and Big Z had excellent chemistry—true to their eight years as teammates.

Zhou Yi took a deep breath, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and took the basketball from Taylor Hansbrough’s hands. This was the most critical game, so the Heat started pressing hard all over the court.

Mario Chalmers closely guarded Zhou Yi as he moved from the Pistons’ half to the Heat’s half. Although he tried to disrupt him, he failed to steal the ball.

After entering the second half for the Heat, Zhou Yi suddenly accelerated, leaving Mario Chalmers far behind as he headed straight toward the basket. Dwyane Wade had no choice but to defend Will Bynum in order to cover Zhou Yi. Seeing this, Zhou Yi tossed the ball directly to Will Bynum, who was waiting unguarded beyond the three-point line. Will Bynum adjusted briefly before shooting a three-pointer. With a swish, the ball went in. Smooth, coordinated, and efficient—this was the teamwork between Zhou Yi and Will Bynum just now. John Kuester watched this scene with satisfaction, nodding repeatedly. On the other hand, Eric Spolstra frowned as he observed the game. It was the Heat’s turn to attack, with Dwyane Wade in control of the ball. Dwyane Wade tried to force his way past Zhou Yi and shoot a three-pointer from beyond the line, but missed; “Big Z” grabbed the offensive rebound. “Big Z” immediately passed the ball to LeBron James on the perimeter. After catching the ball, LeBron James raised it above his head, aiming to shoot another three-pointer. But Andre Iguodala wasn’t going to give him that chance—he immediately jumped up and rushed toward LeBron James. However, Andre Iguodala was deceived. LeBron James shifted his body slightly, and only when Andre Iguodala lunged at him did he jump up and shoot the ball. With another swish, it also went through the net. 94:102—the Pistons were still 8 points behind. The Pistons called another timeout, with only 3 minutes and 52 seconds left in the game. It was dangerous; the Pistons were truly in trouble! “These last 3 minutes and 52 seconds are very important for us. I hope we can mount a comeback in this time frame. I believe we can win. Do you believe it?” said John Kuester. “We do.” John Kuester nodded and made plans for the final 3 minutes and 52 seconds of the game. After the timeout, the Pistons made another lineup change—Madison replaced Will Bynum, and Greg Monroe replaced Tyler Hansbrough. The Heat also made adjustments—Mike Bibby replaced Mario Chalmers, and Joel Anthony replaced “Big Z.” The game continued, with the Pistons attacking. Greg Monroe passed the ball directly to Zhou Yi, who drove forward. Boos rang out from the crowd as Zhou Yi received the ball, but he remained unfazed and ignored them.

After crossing the midcourt line, Mike Bibby immediately followed up, positioning himself in front of Zhou Yi to prevent him from breaking through directly. Zhou Yi dribbled step by step toward the front court, while his teammates kept moving around, hoping to create some space. Finally, Greg Monroe managed to get open, and the moment he did, Zhou Yi passed the ball to him. There was no time for Jwan Howard to react—Greg Monroe jumped and shot, and the ball went straight through the net! “Yay!” The ball was in, and Greg Monroe was obviously very happy, waving his arms excitedly. Having been held back by Chris Bosh for so long, he could now unleash his strength, which made him feel great. “As long as you stay in the right position, I’ll definitely pass the ball to you!” Zhou Yi said, looking at Greg Monroe. Jwan Howard sent a baseline pass, which Mike Bibby caught. But just as Mike Bibby caught the ball, a gust of wind swept past him. When he looked down, the ball was gone. Looking up again, he saw Zhou Yi already at the basket, scoring with a dunk. “Wow…” The crowd was in an uproar, with cheers as well. Chapter 450: A Strong Start to the New Season (Part 2) LeBron James glared at Mike Bibby for the mistake, then snorted. The Pistons scored twice in a row, bringing the score to 98:102, narrowing the gap to just 4 points. These two attacks took less than 20 seconds, and with 3:35 left, the Pistons still had a good chance of winning. Jwan Howard sent another baseline pass, this time caught by LeBron James. LeBron James looked at Zhou Yi and slowly dribbled across half-court. After crossing half-court, Zhou Yi switched defenses with Andre Iguodala, who took on LeBron James. LeBron James drove with the ball and then took a quick stop to shoot, scoring again. Andre Iguodala shook his head in frustration—he had done his best but still couldn’t stop him. “It’s okay, just did your best,” McGrady said, patting Andre Iguodala’s shoulder. McGrady dribbled across half-court, but Dwyane Wade wasn’t defending at half-court; he was standing at the three-point line, waiting for McGrady. “If you can shoot from that distance, then I’ll just accept it!” Dwyane Wade thought.

Maddie didn’t play alone; instead, he drove to the basket and passed to Zhou Yi. With Greg Monroe providing coverage, Zhou Yi found an open spot. Just then, Maddie passed the ball to him. Zhou Yi caught it and immediately jumped to shoot, and the ball somehow went in. Though it wasn’t a smooth shot, it was still a good shot.
100:104, still 4 points behind!
Dwyane Wade dribbled four times in a row outside the three-point line before suddenly shooting the ball.
“Thud” — a miss echoed across the Auburn Hills Palace court. Greg Monroe used his strong physique to push aside several big men and secure the rebound.
Zhou Yi drove with the ball, heading straight toward Mike Bibby’s right side. Despite Bibby doing his best, he didn’t expect the opponent to drive so quickly. In just one play, he was left behind.
Fortunately, Bibby was still sharp enough to see Dwyane Wade moving to help defend Zhou Yi, so he quickly went to assist Wade in guarding Maddie.
As Bibby predicted, Zhou Yi, realizing there was no chance to attack, passed the ball to Maddie. Thankfully, he had the foresight to come help defend Maddie; otherwise, Maddie would have had another open shot and easily scored again.
But Maddie’s physical strength and experience meant it wasn’t easy to defend him. Maddie used continuous crossover steps and fake moves, gradually confusing Bibby. Then, he jumped and shot over Bibby’s head.
Fortunately for Bibby, Maddie’s jump shot missed. However, the Pistons secured the offensive rebound. Samuel Dalembert added a layup.
102:104, 2 points apart — only 2 points behind. Heat head coach Eric Spoelstra could no longer sit still and called a timeout.
After the timeout, the Pistons’ Andre Iguodala was replaced by James Posey, the Heat’s Joel Anthony was replaced by Big Z, and Mike Bibby was replaced by Mike Miller.
The Heat’s lineup change was somewhat unfair, as they assigned LeBron James to the point guard role, meaning Zhou Yi would be directly matched up against LeBron James, which was not advantageous for Zhou Yi.
But the Pistons had no choice but to keep playing tough.

LeBron James broke through toward the basket with Zhou Yi right behind him. Zhou Yi was no match for LeBron James in terms of strength, so LeBron easily pushed past him to the basket and completed a layup to score.
102:106—the score gap was back to 4 points!
Zhou Yi was extremely frustrated, as was the entire Pistons team.
“Zhou, I can also play as an offensive guard. I’ll defend LeBron; it’s up to you to handle Dwyane,” McGrady said, patting Zhou Yi’s shoulder.
“Hmm, that’s the only option,” Zhou Yi replied.
Next, McGrady faced LeBron James, while Zhou Yi faced Dwyane Wade. Zhou Yi organized the offense, but it was LeBron James who defended him. Zhou Yi accelerated and tried to break through LeBron James.
Despite being very strong, LeBron James wasn’t slow at all. Though he couldn’t keep up with Zhou Yi’s speed, he could barely follow.
Suddenly, taking advantage of Zhou Yi’s distraction, LeBron reached out and stole the ball. It was stolen, but it went out of bounds—LeBron’s effort was in vain.
The Pistons continued their attack. Zhou Yi drove with the ball and organized the offense. Just as LeBron James happily chased after Zhou Yi, he suddenly collided with a solid figure. Looking up, it was Greg Monroe. Glancing around, Zhou Yi had already run away.
LeBron James quickly shook off Greg Monroe and rushed after Zhou Yi.
As Greg Monroe set up a pick-and-roll with Zhou Yi, he also drew Jwan Howard into the play. After completing the pick-and-roll, Greg Monroe quickly rushed back to the basket—this was a tactic they often used together.
Sure enough, as he rushed back to the basket, Zhou Yi passed the ball. Although Jwan Howard realized Greg Monroe’s trick and tried his best to defend, his age meant he couldn’t keep up. So he could only watch helplessly as Greg Monroe completed this offensive play.
After catching the ball, Greg Monroe leaped high and scored a dunk.
“Great!” The Pistons’ bench erupted in cheers, especially Will Bynum, who was the most enthusiastic.
The Pistons narrowed the score gap to 2 points once again, with only 2:40 left in the game.
Those final 2:40 were the real decisive moment.
LeBron James drove with the ball and then passed it to big Z inside the paint.

Dae-Z used Samuel Dalembert as a screen to suddenly attempt a hook shot, but it missed. Jwan Howard grabbed the offensive rebound and passed the ball back to LeBron James once again.
LeBron James slowly adjusted his pace, dribbling the ball while observing the situation on the court. When 10 seconds remained out of the 24-second clock, he suddenly spun around. McGrady didn’t have time to react before seeing LeBron backpedal and shoot. Fortunately for McGrady, LeBron’s form was off that day, and the ball hit straight at the back of the rim.
“Good thing it didn’t go in,” McGrady said, still shaken after seeing the shot miss and Zhou Yi grab the rebound.
“Hmph, you won’t be so lucky next time!” LeBron James snapped coldly at McGrady before quickly returning to defend his own half.
Zhou Yi rushed forward like an arrow released from a bow.
Although James Posey was older, his awareness and experience were excellent. The moment he saw Zhou Yi grab the rebound, he rushed full speed toward the Heat’s half. By the time Zhou Yi reached the front court, he was already lurking just outside the three-point line in the opposing corner.
“James,” Zhou Yi called out before passing the ball accurately to James Posey.
At that moment, James Posey was completely open, with Jwan Howard, the closest player to him, too slow to block his shot.
James Posey took a deep breath, adjusted his rhythm, and shot from three points.
Though it wasn’t the shot that would decide the game, almost everyone held their breath, staring intently at it.
“Bong bong bong bong”—the basketball bounced back and forth inside the rim before falling out reluctantly.
The three-point shot went in!
“Wow, wow… That was amazing, absolutely amazing…” Will Bynum started dancing, drawing laughter from his teammates.
The entire arena was in uproar!!!
The Pistons took a 1-point lead, with the score now 107:106!
Neither team called a timeout, and the game continued.
LeBron James continued to orchestrate the Heat’s offense. After half a court pass, he began driving to the basket. Under McGrady’s close defense, he didn’t dare attack recklessly, so he passed the ball to Dwyane Wade and started moving around.
Dwyane Wade gave it his all. Using his strong physique and top-tier explosiveness, he finally broke free from Zhou Yi’s clingy defense. After breaking through, he scored with a jump shot.

The fans exclaimed in awe, cheering for Dwyane Wade’s performance. After scoring 2 points, Dwyane Wade’s chest rose and fell rapidly as he gasped for breath—clearly such aggressive attacks drained too much of his energy and couldn’t be sustained. Zhou Yi coordinated the offense, weaving through the crowd in search of the best shooting opportunity. The Pistons players also moved actively, trying to deliver a decisive blow to the Heat. “James, get the ball,” Zhou Yi said, quickly passing the ball to James Posey, who had once again found an open spot. However, this time James Posey didn’t have much of a chance, as Mike Miller was already close by; even if he shot right away after catching the ball, he would surely be disturbed by Miller. But an experienced player is still an experienced player—especially one with championship experience who can deliver a fatal blow at critical moments. After catching the ball, James Posey, as before, glanced at the basket, adjusted his rhythm, and prepared to shoot a three-pointer. Just as he raised the ball above his head, Mike Miller lunged at him. “Heh, that’s exactly what I was waiting for you to do,” James Posey sneered. “Mike, you fell for it,” Dwyane Wade said immediately upon seeing that James Posey hadn’t jumped, realizing it was a feint. Since James Posey had once been his teammate, he knew his playing style well, which is why he shouted at Mike Miller. But reality is cruel. As Mike Miller leaped at him, James Posey quickly darted to the other side, adjusted slightly, and shot the three-pointer. True guts—absolute guts, because James Posey’s three-pointer went in again! Again! The Pistons’ bench erupted in celebration, with players hugging each other, while John Kuester also clenched his fists in excitement. If they won this tough match, the Pistons’ morale would surely soar even higher, and their reputation would grow even stronger. 110:108, the Pistons led by 2 points! With 1 minute and 15 seconds left in the game, just as LeBron James received the inbound pass from Mike Miller, the Heat’s coach Eric Spoelstra called the team’s second-to-last timeout. After the short 20-second timeout, both teams returned to the court.

The Heat’s lineup remained unchanged, but the Pistons made adjustments that puzzled many, as John Kuester replaced James Posey, who had just hit two three-pointers, with Andre Iguodala.
The game continued with the Heat’s offense. After LeBron James broke through to the paint, he passed to D-Wade, but just as D-Wade reached for the ball, a large yellow-skinned hand snatched it away before he could touch it. Another steal—this was Zhou Yi’s fourth steal of the game.
After the steal, Zhou Yi took off at full speed. Even LeBron James, who had started first, could only follow behind him. Zhou Yi rushed to the Heat’s basket and completed the fast break with a straightforward layup.
112:108—the Pistons led by 4 points. With 51 seconds left in the fourth quarter, true clock time had begun.
“That’s it! That’s it!” John Kuester jumped up excitedly from the bench, waving his fists without caring about his image.
Eric Spolstra, on the other hand, wasn’t in such a mood. He called a timeout, their last one of the game.
“Do you want Detroit to take the win on our home court? Do you want that yellow-skinned kid to beat us alone?” Eric Spolstra asked his players, frowning tightly.
“We absolutely cannot lose, understand?” Eric Spolstra picked up his playboard. There were no tactics written on it—just one sentence. For these players, writing down tactics would restrict their freedom of play, which he didn’t want to see.
20 seconds was a very short time. By the time the Heat players returned to the court, Zhou Yi and the others were already inside.
With a whistle, the game resumed.
Mike Miller sent in a corner shot, and Dwyane Wade caught it. Facing Zhou Yi, Dwyane Wade rushed toward Zhou Yi’s right side with all his might as soon as he got the ball. Naturally, Zhou Yi wouldn’t let him get past as easily as last time; he stayed close to Dwyane Wade, preventing him from scoring easily.
The Heat’s interior play was already weak, and now, without Chris Bosh, it was even weaker. So, relying on the interior was basically pointless. To win the game, they still had to depend on their outside players.

Zhou Yi’s defense proved effective; Dwyane Wade didn’t dare to charge recklessly, as if Zhou Yi committed an offensive foul on him at that moment would be too costly. Fortunately, the Heat had more than just him as a primary scorer—there was also LeBron James. Dwyane Wade began looking for LeBron James, who happened to be already cutting toward the basket. Dwyane Wade promptly passed the ball to LeBron James with a ground pass. After catching the ball, LeBron James immediately dunked for 2 points. After receiving the ball at the baseline, Zhou Yi rushed back toward the Heat’s half court. Along the way, LeBron James kept disrupting Zhou Yi’s dribbling, forcing him to make mistakes. But Zhou Yi had excellent ball-handling skills; despite being under pressure, he still managed to carry the ball across half court. After crossing half court, Zhou Yi passed the ball to McGrady to organize the offense. McGrady drove, and Greg Monroe provided a screen for Andre Iguodala, allowing him to get into an open spot. Seeing Andre Iguodala in an open position, McGrady immediately passed the ball to him. After catching the ball, Andre Iguodala shot right away, but the ball missed despite no one guarding it. What worried the Pistons even more was that LeBron James grabbed the defensive rebound. At this point, only 29 seconds remained until the end of the game. If the Heat scored a three-point shot during this offensive drive and used up most of the time, their chances of winning would be very high. Even if it wasn’t a three-point shot but just a two-point shot, they still had a chance to go into overtime and win in overtime. Thinking of this, the home crowd immediately felt hopeful. The Heat no longer had timeouts, and the Pistons only had one left, so neither team called a timeout. LeBron James dribbled across half court and slowly tried to waste time, seemingly aiming to complete the offense as the 24-second clock neared its end. When 10 seconds remained in the 24-second period, LeBron James took action. He suddenly accelerated and drove toward the basket. At this point, LeBron James was giving it his all, so even though McGrady tried his best, he couldn’t stop LeBron James from reaching the basket. Greg Monroe and Samuel Dalembert were already prepared to defend both LeBron James and the inside players.

But just as everyone thought LeBron James was about to attack under the basket, he passed the ball. The receiver was Dwyane Wade, lurking outside the three-point line—the Heat aiming to win with a three-point shot. At that moment, Zhou Yi was right in front of Dwyane Wade, but after catching the ball, Dwyane Wade immediately jumped up to shoot a three. Zhou Yi rushed at him, but it was still too late. Although he failed to block Dwyane Wade’s shot, Zhou Yi did manage to disrupt him. Due to inertia, Zhou Yi still bumped into Dwyane Wade in mid-air, but it wasn’t a foul. Dwyane Wade lost his direction and balance, then fell to the ground—already preparing to protect himself as he did so! With a loud thud, Dwyane Wade crashed to the court, while Zhou Yi was unharmed. Yet no one paid attention to that; they were focused on that three-point shot, including Zhou Yi and Dwyane Wade, who was already on the ground. Under everyone’s eyes, the shot floated toward the basket, bounced three times around the rim, and then fell in reluctantly. “Nice!” Seeing the shot go in, LeBron James pumped his fist before rushing over to Dwyane Wade and helping him up. “Are you okay?” LeBron James asked concernfully. “I’m fine, haha,” Dwyane Wade replied with a smile after moving around a bit. “Did we win?” Dwyane Wade asked. “Not yet. There are 7.6 seconds left in the game. We’re only up by one point. They’ve called a timeout. We need to defend well in these next 7.6 seconds,” LeBron James said cautiously. Hearing LeBron James’s words, Dwyane Wade nodded. The fans at the scene were wild, their cheers reaching the heavens. Anyway, the victory belonged to the Heat that night—they had already considered Dwyane Wade’s three-point shot as the game-winner.

“Guys, DeVine’s shot wasn’t the game-winner. Game-winner? Ridiculous. We’re going to come back and win it. Guys, the Heat’s weakest point right now is their interior play, and we’ve been doing well from outside before, so they definitely don’t know whether we’ll play from outside or inside. So, let’s catch them off guard. Of course, they’ll probably assume we’re more likely to try to score 2 points since we’re only down by 1, which would make it easier, but we want to create that illusion so they can’t tell if we’re going for 2 or 3 points. So…” John Kuester paused for a moment, then turned to Zhou Yi and said, “So, Zhou, in the next 7.6 seconds, you’re crucial. You need to create scoring opportunities for everyone. Of course, if you get a chance, you can go for it yourself. Guys, I want a victory, and I believe everyone wants to win this game too. Let’s go, guys! I believe in you!”
The timeout ended quickly, and the game resumed.
Andrei Iguodala stood at the free-throw line to shoot, with Mike Miller in front of him, ready to disrupt his shot.
Zhou Yi kept moving through the crowd until he finally found an open space and caught Iguodala’s pass.
“Roar!” Zhou Yi growled, using all his strength to maximize his speed and break through LeBron James.
But LeBron James stuck closely to Zhou Yi, leaving no chance for him. Zhou Yi pulled back sharply and then used a crossover to get past LeBron James from the right side.
LeBron James was left behind by Zhou Yi!
After getting past LeBron James, Zhou Yi headed straight toward the basket, forcing Jwan Howard, who was on the interior, to divert his attention to defend him.
But Jwan Howard was already tightly covered by Greg Monroe, so by the time Zhou Yi reached the paint, he was essentially in an open position.
“Zhou, there’s no time left!” John Kuester shouted at Zhou Yi.
Zhou Yi naturally heard Kuester’s call, and he had already calculated the timing. When he reached the paint, he stopped.
A quick stop-and-shoot—Zhou Yi released the ball. At that moment, the final buzzer of the game sounded.
Everyone held their breath once again, watching this shot more intently than before, because it would determine the outcome of the game.
If it went in, the Pistons would win at home; otherwise, the Heat would claim a road victory.

At this moment, time seemed to slow down!
The basketball wasn’t far from the basket, but the time it took for it to fly there felt extremely long to everyone.
“Swish!” A crisp sound broke the silence in the arena!
The ball went in! The Pistons won!
Chapter 451: The Battle of Fate (Part 1)
Winning their first game of the new season against the strong Heat set a good start for the Pistons. Over the following month, they successively defeated teams like Thunder, Mavericks, Magic, and Nuggets, finishing with an impressive 16-0 record and topping the league standings.
The Pistons’ supreme leader, Zhou Yi, averaged nearly a triple-double, making him the brightest star of the 2011-2012 season. In the first month of the new season, Zhou Yi naturally became the Eastern Conference Player of the Month, while the Western Conference Player of the Month was Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers.
December 1, 2011, was an exciting day for all fans, as that evening the Pistons would travel to face the Lakers.
As the two teams that made it to the finals last season, the Pistons and Lakers were destined to be rivals. Even before the game started, the Lakers’ official website featured the slogan “Lakers seek revenge.”
In addition to the rivalry between the Pistons and Lakers, the matchup between Zhou Yi and Kobe was also a focus for fans. On one side was the league’s best player, Zhou Yi who achieved the miracle of averaging a triple-double; on the other was the established powerhouse Lakers, led by the superstar Kobe Bryant. Such a battle naturally attracted widespread attention, with many eager to see how it would play out.
On that day, Staples Center was completely packed—not all of them were Lakers supporters. Some of Zhou Yi’s fans came to the arena to cheer for him, becoming his supporters. Another reason was the presence of some Chinese people who came specifically to support Zhou Yi and see this legendary figure up close. Some parents also brought their children to watch this historic match.
Indeed, describing this game as a historic battle was entirely fitting. The clash between Zhou Yi and Kobe was the topic of greatest interest.
With that in mind, as the players from both teams entered the court, various noises filled the air, seemingly about to tear off the ceiling. The cheers rose high into the sky as Zhou Yi and his teammates enjoyed the support of the entire crowd.

In this game, the Pistons’ Tracy McGrady was absent due to back-to-back games. As a result, the Pistons’ starting lineup changed: center Samuel Dalembert, power forward Greg Monroe, small forward Andre Iguodala, shooting guard Ben Gordon, and point guard Zhou Yi.

The Lakers’ lineup consisted of center “Big Pigs” Bynum, power forward Paul Gasol, small forward “Mercy for World Peace,” shooting guard Kobe Bryant, and point guard Derek Fisher.

The Lakers’ starting small forward, “Mercy for World Peace,” was actually “The Beast” Ron Artest, who had changed his name over the summer. This season, the Lakers underwent significant changes—they didn’t retain Shannon Brown but signed Matt Barnes. Lamar Odom also left the Lakers for the Mavericks, prompting the Lakers to sign Troy Murphy to fill his role.

“Zhou Yi, go!” A pure and beautiful girl from the Pistons’ bench waved and cheered at Zhou Yi.

That girl was naturally Mo Keer. At the end of last season, Xiang Yun packed up and left, so Mo Keer naturally moved in with Zhou Yi, and the two began living together.

Hearing this, Zhou Yi turned to Mo Keer with a slight smile before focusing his attention back on the court.

Under the referee’s signal, the jump ball players from both teams went to the center of the court to take the jump ball.

Zhou Yi glanced at Kobe, who was staring intently at the rising basketball and the two players jumping to grab it. Then, Samuel Dalembert tapped the ball. Zhou Yi and Kobe both jumped at the same time. At that moment, Zhou Yi’s ability to predict where the ball would land proved crucial. Combined with his height, it left Kobe no time to block, forcing him to watch helplessly as Zhou Yi grabbed the ball. However, the Lakers reacted quickly, blocking the Pistons’ path and setting up a strong defense. It was time for the Pistons to attack.

Zhou Yi took control of the ball outside the three-point line, held it tightly in his right hand, while his left hand gestured forward to direct his teammates’ movements. Seeing Ben Gordon approaching to receive the pass, Zhou Yi flicked the ball to him before quickly moving to another position.

When moving to the right wing, Ben Gordon passed the ball back to Zhou Yi. Derek Fisher was tasked with defending Zhou Yi, and it was indeed challenging for him. With a simple change of direction, Zhou Yi easily left him behind. Derek Fisher had strong defensive anticipation, but with a clear speed disadvantage, he could only watch as Zhou Yi rushed into the paint. Before the Lakers’ other players could react, two steps inside the three-point line, Zhou Yi quickly took two steps and leaped lightly into the air. At that moment, the Lakers’ frontcourt consisted only of Paul Gasol and Andrew Bynum. Zhou Yi’s arrogance was evident as he ignored their presence. Andrew Bynum jumped high outside the three-second area, using his massive frame to block Zhou Yi’s shooting angle, with his right hand above his head, ready to swat the ball away, while Paul Gasol also stepped in as a second line of defense. “Phil Jackson,” the Lakers’ coach, sat on the sidelines with a relaxed expression. Zhou Yi’s sudden move had briefly worried him, but seeing the two frontcourt players almost completely blocking Zhou Yi’s shot, he felt relieved. Seeing the Lakers’ frontcourt defense, Zhou Yi couldn’t help but admire them. The two players defended in sequence, covering each other’s weaknesses. If Zhou Yi hadn’t been prepared, he might really have been at a loss. Given Zhou Yi’s current mindset, he always prioritized caution in games, as long as he could achieve his goal, he didn’t care about his performance. After successfully breaking through, he noticed Andrew Bynum quickly moving toward the paint from the baseline. As their bodies were about to collide, Zhou Yi used the strength in his waist and abdomen to slightly turn his body, avoiding Andrew Bynum, and quickly pressed down with his wrist, sending the ball under Bynum’s arm onto the floor. The rebounded ball landed right in front of Samuel Dalembert, who had already stepped into the three-second area with his right foot, in a perfect position to catch it. By this time, Paul Gasol’s heel was off the ground. Seeing Zhou Yi’s pass, he was shocked and quickly reduced his force, rushing to cover the defense. But that brief delay was enough for Samuel Dalembert to leap high, lifting the ball above his head. Paul Gasol realized what was happening, but he couldn’t adjust his balance in time, and his right hand weakly hit Bynum’s right elbow.

“Bang!” Samuel Dalembert slammed the ball into the basket with force. Paul Gasol’s attempt to recover failed not only that but also resulted in a foul called by the referee, giving Samuel Dalembert a 2+1 opportunity. “Swish!” The basketball landed steadily in the basket, causing the net to ripple, and Samuel Dalembert’s free throw was good—2+1 completed!

Derek Fisher is the Lakers’ main playmaker, but his role is basically to safely carry the ball across half-court, after which control passes to Kobe. Especially this season, as Kobe has gradually shifted his playing style, his role as a playmaker has become increasingly inadequate.

Kobe’s breakthrough skills are among the best in the league. His outstanding speed, combined with strong physical confrontation abilities, makes him almost invincible in breaking through defenses. Ben Gordon’s defense is practically ineffective against him; leveraging his physical advantages, he easily breaks through the Pistons’ first line of defense.

In the new season, Kobe took few shots in the first half, focusing instead on passing and defense. It was in the second half that he truly scored heavily—this is the biggest difference between this season and last.

When Kobe broke through near the free-throw line, he passed the ball to Derek Fisher. Zhou Yi stayed close to Derek Fisher; after getting the ball, he not only had no chance to shoot but almost had it stolen by Zhou Yi. The ball returned to Kobe, but by then he no longer had a chance to shoot, as Andre Iguodala had already appeared in front of him. Under Iguodala’s defense, Kobe could only frown in frustration. In offensive-defense situations, the attacking team has the advantage, with many options available, while the defending team must firmly hold their position—any slight lapse could lead to an attack breaking through.

The ball was sent back to the outside, but by then the offensive clock had reached 21 seconds. After catching the ball, Mercy World Peace didn’t even have time to adjust his stance before hastily attempting a three-point shot, resulting in a miss.

Samuel Dalembert grabbed the defensive rebound and quickly passed it to Zhou Yi. Derek Fisher couldn’t stop Zhou Yi’s breakthrough, and Zhou Yi easily made it past the three-point line. But this time, Kobe had noticed what was happening. The moment Zhou Yi moved, he abandoned Ben Gordon to cover for Derek Fisher’s oversight, with other players filling in for his position.

Yet he ultimately underestimated Zhou Yi’s passing ability. Before he could recover his defense, Zhou Yi had already passed the ball swiftly—flat, steady, and at high speed. Before the Lakers’ players could react, Ben Gordon quickly adjusted the ball in his hands and easily jumped from beyond the three-point line to shoot.
“Swish”—the ball cleanly dropped into the basket!
Since his return, Ben Gordon’s performance has been improving, and he’s playing with greater confidence. Especially from beyond the three-point line, his performance has been outstanding, showing clear potential to become one of the league’s top shooters. Fortunately for him, he has two excellent teammates who draw most of the opposing players’ attention, giving him more opportunities to shoot.
On the Lakers’ side, Kobe took on Ben Gordon alone and scored the first two points for the Lakers with a beautiful backdoor jump shot.
Kobe’s backdoor jump shot was impossible to defend against; it caught the defenders off guard.
It drew screams from the crowd, who even started chanting “MVP” for Kobe.
“Swish”—Zhou Yi stepped back quickly, creating distance from Derek Fisher, and easily shot over him. This was purely thanks to his physical prowess; his speed gave him an edge in offense.
“Clang”—Peace’s jump shot missed, and Andrew Bynum secured the offensive rebound, then passed the ball to Kobe on the perimeter.
Kobe drove with the ball and passed it to Paul Gasol under the basket. Paul Gasol took on Greg Monroe alone and tried a hook shot, but it also missed, with Andre Iguodala grabbing the defensive rebound.
The teams switched sides, and it was the Pistons’ turn to attack.
Zhou Yi drove with the ball and passed it to Andre Iguodala at the baseline. Iguodala tried to lay up but was disturbed by Andrew Bynum; the shot missed, and Paul Gasol got the defensive rebound.
“Swish”—Kobe’s mid-range shot went in. With his teammates failing to score consecutively, Kobe decided to shoot himself, though the shot was barely successful. Ben Gordon closely guarded him, making his shot less smooth.
The teams switched sides again, and the ball went to the Pistons. Zhou Yi quickly drove the ball across half-court.
At that moment, Zhou Yi did something that surprised everyone—he jumped high near the midcourt, and the ball flew out from his fingertips.

John Kuester was completely baffled. In the previous two rounds, Zhou Yi had performed exceptionally well, delivering the ball to the perfect spot at the right moment. But with such an inexplicable shot, it was hard to understand his thoughts. Even if he really wanted to show off his long-range shooting skills, that shot was still utterly outrageous!

Still, John Kuester chose to trust Zhou Yi, believing he would never do something unprepared.

The Lakers players also watched the basketball in the air. To their relief, it began to drop near the free-throw line. Under these circumstances, it seemed unlikely the ball could reach the basket—it was a typical airball.

Just as the Lakers players let out their sighs of relief, a dark figure swiftly leaped up from the Pistons’ interior players. The bright “10” on the back of his jersey revealed his identity.

At the peak of his jump, Greg Monroe paused mid-air, then quickly turned 180 degrees, facing the basket with his back to it.

With a smooth motion, Greg Monroe caught the basketball firmly and placed it at his waist.

“Roar!” Greg Monroe let out a roar, his stiff body instantly relaxing as he threw the ball backward over his head.

“Thud!” The loud dunk echoed throughout Staples Center, the entire basket shaking violently, and Greg Monroe’s body bobbing accordingly.

The entire Staples Center fell silent. No one expected the Pistons to start with such a stunning aerial pass-and-dunk, and even more surprisingly, both players who executed it were rookies.

Seeing such fierce competition, the home crowd hoped their team would deliver even more exciting attacks. But they were disappointed.

“Thud!” As the basket rejected another shot by the home team, some unexpected boos arose from the crowd—boos directed at the home team. It was rare to see such blunt boos, especially from the Lakers, who were known for their high-quality fans.

Though the boos weren’t many or loud, anyone who wasn’t deaf could hear them.

With Phil Jackson’s experience, his expression immediately changed. No matter how the game turned out, the occurrence of boos at home would undoubtedly make headlines in the media the next day. The team’s embarrassment was now undeniable.

Watching his teammates waste their chances time and again, with the first quarter already nearly halfway through, the Pistons, playing away from home, led 16:9. Especially after the unexpected boos from the fans, the confident Kobe resolved to defeat his opponents in his own way.

Kobe stepped back with his right foot as he moved forward, leaving only the figure of number 24 in front of Ben Gordon—his target out of sight. Greg Monroe’s slow pace gave Kobe enough time to choose a jump shot. Yet his breakthrough posture remained unchanged; just as their bodies were about to collide, Kobe shifted slightly to the side, perfectly avoiding Monroe’s defense, with the Pistons’ paint already empty.

“Ah…” With a roar, Kobe soared like a soaring eagle before over 20,000 Lakers fans, lifting the basketball high above his head with his powerful right hand.

“Bang”—the deafening dunk sent Staples Center into chaos. In an instant, the arena turned into a sea of joy. Faced with such an amazing performance, any differences between fans seemed to vanish instantly. Number 24 once again became the hero of Angel City, as fans shouted his name at the top of their voices.

Just a few seconds after facing boos from the home crowd, Kobe completely changed the atmosphere of the game with an astonishing dunk. At this point, the Lakers’ momentum clearly overwhelmed their opponents. Although there had been boos from the home crowd earlier, Kobe’s performance immediately won them back over.

Chapter 452: The Battle of Destiny (Part 2)

The Pistons failed to score, and Kobe grabbed a defensive rebound, driving fast down the court. He jumped forcefully from outside the three-second zone, charging straight at Samuel Dalembert’s defense. His exceptional air control made his movements in mid-air appear effortless; with just a slight shift, he easily dodged his opponent’s defense, and a gentle wrist motion sent the ball into the net in the opposite direction.

Zhou Yi drove with the ball and passed it skillfully to Greg Monroe at the high post. Monroe took the ball and immediately attempted a jump shot. Though it seemed certain to go in, the ball spun a few times around the rim before bouncing out, and Paul Gasol grabbed the defensive rebound.

Kobe’s precise 45-degree three-pointer from the right wing finally tied the score for the Lakers. Just two minutes after the Lakers’ fans started booing, Kobe seemed once again possessed by divine power, turning into an unstoppable scoring machine as he scored 7 points alone, delivering a 7-0 run against the Pistons to tie the game. Seeing this, John Kuester quickly called a timeout. After the timeout, the Pistons’ Ben Gordon was replaced by Jody Meeks, and Andre Iguodala was replaced by James Posey. Meanwhile, the Lakers’ Derek Fisher was replaced by Stephen Blake, and Andrew Bynum was replaced by Troy Murphy. Zhou Yi took control of the offense, passing the ball behind him to Jody Meeks. Jody Meeks took a mid-range jump shot, which hit the backboard and went in. “Swish” — Kobe scored another mid-range jump shot. With a series of adjustments from John Kuester, the Pistons’ players became more motivated. What makes a core player? A core player is someone who steps up in times of crisis, helping the team and motivating his teammates — this is the awareness all core players should have, and it’s also a manifestation of what fans call leadership. Players who can’t step up in critical moments are considered completely unfit as leaders by fans, though the standards for this are somewhat vague. Clearly, this kind of quality needs to be proven over time. With their previous many saves in tough situations, Jody Meeks and Zhou Yi have clearly been elevated to this role. There’s no doubt about it — when the team needs points the most, over 90% of the ball goes to Jody Meeks and Zhou Yi, with the other players desperately creating opportunities for them. Jody Meeks went one-on-one with Kobe at the baseline, spun around, left Kobe behind, and then delivered a thunderous dunk. “Jody, you’re in good form, huh?” Kobe seemed excited by Jody Meeks’ performance. “Heh, I feel pretty good!” Jody Meeks replied with a smile. Steve Blake held the ball at the top of the key and then passed it to Paul Gasol inside. With Greg Monroe backing him up, Paul Gasol took a small hook shot that went through the net. “Phew, finally!” Paul Gasol sighed in relief, having scored his first point so far in the game.

Dreamlike steps, lightning-fast feints—just 5 seconds, and Steve Blake felt utterly overwhelmed. He couldn’t figure out his intentions and was filled with terror. Against such an opponent, it was impossible to stop Zhou Yi’s advance; with a quick acceleration, he easily left Blake behind.

Kobe was blocked by Jody Meeks on the left, a perfect obstruction that was enough for Zhou Yi to complete an attack. The ball flew lightly from Zhou Yi’s fingers, and Kobe helplessly closed his eyes—Zhou Yi’s consistent shooting even impressed him. Based on his stats, Zhou Yi clearly couldn’t be considered one of the league’s top scorers, but his steady shooting and willingness to take risks at critical moments made everyone recognize his scoring abilities.

In their last encounter, Kobe had become acutely aware of this. Zhou Yi’s scoring style was simple: he seized opportunities, and unless necessary, he wouldn’t force a shot. Consistent shooting was his true strength.

Kobe caught the ball at the three-point line, taking a small step back with his left foot to adjust his balance. But before he could finish the move, Jody Meeks seemed to have anticipated it, minimizing the space for him to turn. With his left foot unsteady, Kobe quickly used his right foot as an axis, rotating his entire body 90 degrees in place. These rapid movements left him exhausted, preventing any further breakthrough attempts.

The crisis wasn’t over yet—Kobe had no chance to pass the ball. Zhou Yi’s ghostly right hand had already gently taken the ball from his grasp. By then, the Lakers’ players couldn’t even rush to help. Zhou Yi had already taken a huge lead, his graceful layup as picturesque as poetry. It was the complete opposite of Kobe’s thrilling performance earlier, yet just as entertaining.

The Lakers’ point guard position had always been a concern for Phil Jackson. Derek Fisher was getting older, and Steve Blake’s performance wasn’t meeting his expectations. Steve Blake caught the ball from Troy Murphy and carefully carried it across half-court. But Zhou Yi’s elusive presence shocked him. For a player, skills weren’t the most important thing—what mattered most was overcoming fear in games.

For most players, getting playing time is hard to guarantee. To win the coach’s trust, they must show their skills within the limited time they get on the court. Excessive nervousness, however, backfires and often leads to unnecessary mistakes. Passing in a hurry is the only thought in their minds. The gap between them makes them seem lacking in confidence even before facing each other—lacking aggressiveness in offense and unable to control the force of their passes, often just barely touching Kobe’s fingertips. The ball goes out of bounds after touching his fingertips, and Kobe’s expression immediately darkens. Though it’s not his fault, the mistake is still recorded on his stats. Zhou Yi takes control of the offense with a crossover, pushing Steve Blake aside. Kobe immediately comes to cover him, while Zhou Yi smirks and tosses the ball to Jody Meeks. Jody Meeks shoots from beyond the three-point line—swish!—and the ball goes through the net! With a swift move, Kobe breaks through Jody Meeks and rushes to the basket. Samuel Dalembert’s defense isn’t a challenge for Kobe, who easily throws the ball into the hoop. Jody Meeks faces Kobe again, backs him up, and scores 2 points with a backspin jump shot. Near the midcourt, Jody Meeks launches a surprise attack from behind, successfully stealing the ball from Steve Blake. He then drives fast, shoots from beyond the three-point line under the watchful eyes of the Lakers players—swish! Jody Meeks’ burst of energy kicks off a counterattack for the Pistons. “Mercy World Peace” cuts through the defense; after shaking off his pursuers, Steve Blake’s ball miraculously ends up in his hands. Facing an empty basket, he chooses the safest scoring method—a layup—and succeeds. The roaring cheers in Staples Center almost completely drown out Kobe’s shooting movements. After a brilliant steal by Kobe, Jody Meeks tries to force his way through his defense. His excellent physical condition and noticeably taller stature among guards make him prefer to overpower opposing guards in attacks. Without fancy skills, his sheer momentum makes his drives highly threatening—even against a player like Kobe, his agile breakthroughs force opponents to back down. Yet despite breaking through, Jody Meeks loses control of the ball to Kobe.

Zhou Yi was still a step too late. By the time he reached beyond the three-point line, Kobe had already leaped high, gently lifting the ball above his head with a slight wrist motion. “Swish” — the crisp sound of the basket finally brought a smile to Kobe’s face, especially when he saw Zhou Yi’s helpless expression, which filled him with even greater pride. He was a player with an extremely strong sense of self-respect, one who grew stronger in the face of adversity; in his world, only the strong deserved respect.

Phil Jackson hadn’t assigned Kobe to defend Zhou Yi full-time. Given Zhou Yi’s skills, only Kobe among the Lakers could potentially contain him. In the head coach’s tactical philosophy, it was unlikely to have the two teams’ ace players face off directly, as exhausting each other’s strength and fighting spirit in such a duel was definitely not something the Lakers could afford at the moment. Yet even so, Kobe’s days weren’t easy either — Jody Meeks’ tenacious defense was gradually draining his stamina. The Pistons made substitutions: Will Bynum replaced Zhou Yi, Taylor Hansbrough replaced Samuel Dalembert, and Charlie Villanueva replaced Greg Monroe.

The Lakers also made adjustments to their lineup: Kobe was replaced by Matt Barnes, along with “Mercy World Peace” and Paul Gasol. “Swish” — a quick stop-and-shoot. Jody Meeks looked relieved as he landed. He hadn’t held much hope for that shot, even though his timing was so sudden. Yet Matt Barnes still interfered as he shot. To avoid his fierce blocking, Jody Meeks threw the ball at a slightly higher arc. He was secretly thrilled — his shooting form was excellent today, and it seemed as though fate was on his side, allowing him to make such a difficult shot. After all, he felt in great form that day.

The Lakers attacked. Matt Barnes’ three-point attempt missed, and James Posey secured the defensive rebound. The basketball bounced cheerfully between Jody Meeks’ fingers. On the timer behind him, the seconds had reached nine — this was the last chance for an attack before the end of the first quarter. Jody Meeks showed no emotion, his head lowered, only his eyes glancing upward slightly. Just a step ahead of him, Shannon Brown was already ready, sweating profusely, not even daring to wipe the sweat from his eyelashes.

Zhou Yi left the court, and the Pistons’ final attack would clearly be carried out by Jody Meeks. At the moment Jody Meeks moved suddenly, Matt Barnes didn’t even show the slightest reaction—his failure to defend marked the decline of the Lakers’ defense. Three steps became an insurmountable distance. Matt Barnes didn’t possess Kobe’s speed that caught fans’ eyes; he could only watch as Jody Meeks rushed into the paint, his body soaring like an eagle in flight. “Bang”—Jody Meeks completed the Pistons’ final attack with a thunderous dunk. With the whistle blowing, the first quarter officially ended. Thanks to the bursts from Zhou Yi and Jody Meeks, the Pistons led the Lakers 29–25 by 4 points. Soon, the second quarter began. Steve Blake carefully drove the ball across half-court, but this time he didn’t habitually pass it to Kobe. Instead, he accelerated and easily slipped past Will Bynum, shooting a mid-range shot that landed firmly in the basket. Will Bynum helplessly spread his hands—he was mainly responsible for this shot. His habitual thinking made him too careless in defense. Even though defense wasn’t his strength, there was no reason to let the opponent break through so easily, especially when it was just a player like Steve Blake. Will Bynum drove across half-court, and Steve Blake quickly closed in, blocking his path. Such aggressive defense from Steve Blake was the first time it had happened in this game. But in defense, attitude is important, but wisdom is equally essential. A player with only strength but no intelligence can never become a successful defender. With a realistic fake move, Will Bynum easily disrupted Steve Blake’s balance. His right foot, which had stepped forward, quickly retreated. Such a simple fake move already made Steve Blake unsteady, forcing him to watch as Will Bynum easily slipped past him, a gentle breeze brushing against his cheeks. Breakthrough, pass—Jody Meeks at the right baseline lightly jumped, the ball sliding smoothly in his hands as he shot a textbook three-pointer that sank into the net. On the Lakers’ side, Troy Murphy’s layup from under the basket also succeeded.

Jody Meeks moved around, creating constant distractions, and finally, taking advantage of Matt Barnes’ unsteady footing, Meeks made a sudden countermove, securing an opportunity to shoot. At that moment, the ball was in Will Bynum’s hands.

By this point, the Lakers’ defense had been disrupted by Jody Meeks; he only needed to gently pass the ball to Kobe to create a open three-point shot. Faced with Meeks’ eager gaze and his right hand reaching forward to get the ball, Will Bynum quickly passed it to Meeks. Meeks shot a three-pointer, and the ball swished through the net!

Shannon Brown had the ball at the top of the key but hesitated suddenly. That brief hesitation seemed fatal in the eyes of some players—seizing opportunities has always been Meeks’ strongest skill. Meeks reached in and stole Matt Barnes’ ball. After stealing it, Meeks drove fast with the ball and ended the single fast break with an inspiring dunk. “Bang”—the sound of the dunk energized all the Pistons players.

Since Meeks entered the game, the Pistons’ momentum had quickly risen. After the timeout, the Pistons made another lineup change: Zhou Yi replaced Will Bynum, and Andre Iguodala replaced James Posey. On the Lakers’ side, Kobe came in to replace Matt Barnes, Paul Gasol also entered to replace Derek Carrickot, and Andrew Bynum replaced the veteran Joe Smith.

The game continued with the Lakers’ offense. Matt Barnes took a free throw at the sideline; Derek Fisher took the ball from him and slowly moved toward the front court. After a while, Fisher passed the ball to Kobe. As soon as Kobe received the ball, Jody Meeks stuck close to him. Kobe tried to beat Meeks one-on-one with a step-back jump shot, but due to intense interference from Meeks, the shot missed, and Charlie Villanueva grabbed the defensive rebound.

Before the Lakers’ players could fully defend, Zhou Yi’s pass had already crossed most of the court, and the ball landed safely in Andre Iguodala’s hands. With an easy two-handed dunk, Iguodala scored another 2 points.

Derek Fisher drove the ball across half-court and passed it to Kobe again. Kobe took the ball, broke through, got past Jody Meeks’s defense, and penetrated into the Pistons’ paint. Faced with Charlie Villanueva’s help defense, Kobe completed the drive with a pull-up layup.
Zhou Yi’s outside shot missed, and Andrew Bynum easily secured the rebound.
On the Lakers’ side, Matt Barnes drove to the basket after receiving a pass from Kobe, but his attempt also failed, with Zhou Yi grabbing the defensive rebound.
The Pistons moved quickly; before the Lakers’ players could defend, Zhou Yi and Jody Meeks executed a simple two-on-one maneuver, with Meeks putting the ball in the basket.
Jody Meeks was responsible for guarding Kobe directly, while Zhou Yi assisted in the defense. John Kuester’s strategy was simple: use Zhou Yi and Jody Meeks together to guard Kobe tightly and restrict his shooting opportunities.
As soon as Kobe received the ball, Jody Meeks appeared in front of him, with Zhou Yi also keeping an eye on him. Kobe spun past Jody Meeks, and as he rushed toward the basket, Zhou Yi appeared in front of him. Instead of showing surprise, Kobe simply smiled.
Chapter 453: The Battle of Fate (3)
Seeing Kobe’s smile, Zhou Yi was instantly alarmed, a sense of danger rising in his heart. Sure enough, upon seeing Zhou Yi coming to help defend, Kobe quickly passed the ball to Derek Fisher beyond the three-point line.
“Jody, watch out for Derek Fisher!” Zhou Yi shouted.
But by the time Jody Meeks reacted, it was already too late.
After catching the ball, Derek Fisher didn’t hesitate and immediately took a three-point shot.
With a swish, the ball went through the net!
The Pistons launched another attack. Zhou Yi made a clever pass to Charlie Villanueva, who was positioned just outside the three-point line facing the basket. Paul Gasol, who was guarding Villanueva, hadn’t yet followed up. So, after catching the ball, Villanueva immediately shot a three-pointer.
Swish—another score!
Derek Fisher drove the ball across half-court. This time, he didn’t pass it to Kobe but chose to break through himself. But the moment he started moving, his grip on the ball loosened, and a figure flashed past him from his right, moving like lightning.
Due to inertia, Derek Fisher still took two more steps forward. By the time he stopped, Zhou Yi had already crossed half-court.
Reaching the empty Lakers’ basket, Zhou Yi easily scored 2 points with a layup.

This time, after halftime, Derek Fisher honestly handed the ball over to Kobe. Outside the three-point line, Kobe drove with the ball, suddenly stepped back beyond the line, and then shot a three-pointer. Jody Meeks tried his best to defend but still failed to block Kobe’s shot. Fortunately, Kobe’s three-pointer missed. However, Andrew Bynum grabbed an offensive rebound. Andrew Bynum attempted a layup but also missed. Paul Gasol jumped to attempt a layup as well, but it missed too; finally, the Pistons’ Taylor Hansbrough secured a defensive rebound. Zhou Yi and Jody Meeks coordinated, with the latter cutting to the basket from the middle to score after receiving a pass from Zhou Yi. On the Lakers’ side, Paul Gasol tried a mid-range jump shot but missed. Andrew Bynum was called for a rebound foul while trying to grab a rebound. Just over three minutes into the break, the Lakers took eight shots but only scored two points, with one turnover and one foul—a poor performance. In contrast, the Pistons scored from multiple players; aside from Taylor Hansbrough, the other four also scored. As the Lakers’ offense failed once again, “Phil Jackson” had no choice but to call a timeout. The Lakers’ offense had been problematic lately, and more importantly, their defense was too slow, allowing the Pistons to score on fast breaks repeatedly. After the timeout, John Kuester replaced Charlie Villanueva with Greg Monroe, Ben Gordon replaced Jody Meeks, and Samuel Dalembert replaced Taylor Hansbrough. On the Lakers’ side, “Mercy World Peace” replaced Matt Barnes. For players like Kobe, though they are loved by fans for their outstanding scoring ability, their playmaking skills cannot be overlooked. It is precisely their strong offensive power that often leaves opposing players at a loss when defending them. Kobe drove and passed the ball, assisting “Mercy World Peace” in hitting a three-pointer. Before he could settle in, the Pistons passed the ball. Zhou Yi took advantage of the opponent’s confusion and quickly reached their half-court, scoring a three-step layup that caught the Lakers off guard. “Mercy World Peace” made up for it by helping Kobe block Ben Gordon, allowing Kobe to seize an opportunity on the right wing and shoot a three-pointer.

Zhou Yi broke through Derek Fisher twice in a row, entering the Lakers’ paint, and scored after forcing a shot as Paul Gasol stepped in to help defend. On the Lakers’ side, Kobe provided another assist this time to Paul Gasol, who caught the pass, turned, and dunked with both hands. Zhou Yi passed behind him to assist Andre Iguodala, who hit a three-pointer from the baseline. “Phil Jackson” marveled inwardly at this scene—unexpected that the Pistons could be so lucky, landing such an outstanding point guard with just one draft pick. Zhou Yi’s passes always came at the right time and to the right place; the Lakers were exactly lacking such a guard. Kobe took a shot from outside the right-wing three-point line using Derek Fisher as a screen. After spinning a few times around the rim, the ball actually went in. On the Pistons’ side, Zhou Yi broke through Derek Fisher, drove to the baseline, and shot—missing—while Paul Gasol grabbed the defensive rebound. “Swish”—again, Kobe! From the same position and under the same circumstances, he hit another three-pointer. John Kuester didn’t pay much attention to Kobe’s consecutive three-pointers. Kobe was strong; among active players, he was undoubtedly one of the best. But his individual abilities were ultimately limited. The current Pistons, both defensively and offensively, were no match for the Lakers, who hadn’t yet fully unleashed their potential. With the help of two Pistons players guarding from outside, such opportunities were hard to come by, and even if they did, they couldn’t change the course of the game. Compared to John Kuester’s calmness, the Pistons’ players on the court weren’t as composed. Momentum was a key factor in determining victory or defeat. Anyone who could play in the NBA had some skills; it came down to performance on the court. A team with strong momentum could greatly influence its players’ performance. Kobe’s consecutive three-pointers undoubtedly boosted the Lakers’ momentum. Zhou Yi also admired Kobe greatly—when the team’s defense relaxed slightly, he seized the opportunity to narrow the score gap between the two teams; he truly was one of the best scorers in the league. Zhou Yi drove and passed, and Ben Gordon caught and shot. With a “swish,” Ben Gordon’s jump shot also went in. With nearly two minutes left in the first half, the Lakers made a substitution, bringing in Steve Blake to replace Derek Fisher.

Kobe tried another three-point shot from beyond the arc, but wasn’t as lucky this time. The ball bounced off the rim, and Zhou Yi picked up a loose ball on the floor. Seeing that the Lakers’ players were mostly back on defense and in position, Zhou Yi didn’t rush down either; instead, he slowly drove the ball forward. After settling his rhythm, he passed the ball to Andre Iguodala. Iguodala broke through at the baseline and was fouled by Mercy World Peace as he shot, but he managed to grab the offensive rebound. Iguodala passed the ball sideways to the ground, where it quickly bounced into Greg Monroe’s hands. Using his strong physique, Monroe kept pressing against Paul Gasol. Suddenly, after pushing Gasol hard, Monroe took a backstep jump shot that went in. Switch! Andrew Bynum received a pass from Steve Blake and was fouled by Samuel Dalembert while shooting. Bynum took free throws, missing the first but making the second. Zhou Yi drove with the ball, and Steve Blake was called for a defensive foul when he stole the ball. Zhou Yi took the ball from Iguodala and immediately passed it to Ben Gordon. Gordon shot as soon as he got the ball, but missed this time; Samuel Dalembert grabbed the offensive rebound and passed it back to Zhou Yi. Moving around the top of the key with the ball, Zhou Yi carefully looked for an opportunity. Suddenly, he accelerated sharply, pulling ahead of Steve Blake, then took a jump shot that hit the backboard and went in. Kobe took control of the ball, dodged Ben Gordon, and shot from mid-range. Although the shot was a bit unsteady, it still went in. Zhou Yi drove across half-court and then passed the ball to Andre Iguodala. As soon as Iguodala caught the ball, Mercy World Peace rushed over. Iguodala passed the ball to Greg Monroe inside, then quickly ran to the other side. At that moment, Monroe passed the ball back to Iguodala. Iguodala adjusted slightly and then shot a three-pointer. “Clang,” the ball hit the rim and bounced back quickly. Just as everyone thought it was a miss, the ball fell from a high altitude and landed right in the center of the hoop—swish! Zhou Yi went over and high-fived Iguodala, saying with a smile, “What good luck!” Iguodala replied excitedly, “Yeah! I didn’t expect to be this lucky today. Is today my lucky day? Haha…”

The first half of the game officially entered its final seconds. Kobe broke through and passed the ball to Mercy World Peace. The latter shot from beyond the three-point line and made it, though Mercy World Peace’s shot was a true backboard slam. Zhou Yi responded to the Lakers’ offense with a layup. After halftime, Steve Blake handed the ball to Kobe. Kobe penetrated into the Pistons’ paint before passing the ball to Steve Blake on the outside. The latter also shot a three-point attempt, which went in as well. After taking a timeout, Kobe turned into an assist master, continuously creating opportunities for his teammates, and by the end of the first half, he had already delivered 6 assists. Under Kobe’s leadership, the Lakers gradually closed the score gap. The score was now 56:51, with the Pistons only leading by 7 points. Zhou Yi drove with the ball, breaking free from Steve Blake’s defense and reaching beyond the other side’s three-point line. He then shot a three-point attempt. The shot felt great, and Zhou Yi was confident it would go in. Sure enough, it did, landing as a backboard slam. With only 14.3 seconds left in the first half, Steve Blake dribbled past the midcourt line and passed the ball directly to Kobe. But just as he passed it, a figure darted past him and intercepted the ball. After stealing the ball, Zhou Yi quickly drove toward the Lakers’ half of the court. To waste time, he kept charging to the Lakers’ basket and then completed a three-step layup, scoring. Yet Zhou Yi still left the Lakers with 5.4 seconds of shooting time, which they failed to capitalize on. With Kobe’s mid-range shot missing, the first half came to an end, with the Pistons taking a double-digit lead of 61:51. The halftime break ended quickly, and the second half began! After the start of the second half, “Phil Jackson” made adjustments to the starting lineup based on the first half’s performance, taking out Kobe, who was struggling with his shooting. As the team’s top scorer, Kobe had already scored 25 points in the first half, which was quite high. However, his excessive attempts prevented other players from playing freely, and he also committed three turnovers in the first half, leaving Phil Jackson dissatisfied with his performance. Replacing Kobe was Matt Barnes, a player with exceptional physical abilities.

Kobe’s departure wasn’t necessarily a bad thing for the Lakers; on the contrary, it had a positive effect at that moment. Other players got more opportunities, which made them more committed and increased their enthusiasm for the game. For a team, the worst thing is to have players lacking passion and a sense of honor in playing, and that was exactly the case for the Lakers in the first half. After Kobe took up two-fifths of the shooting attempts, the other players clearly struggled to find their rhythm in offense. In the first two minutes of the third quarter, the Lakers scored a 7-2 run thanks to aggressive movement and quick passing. The Pistons’ relaxed vigilance was key to the turnaround. The opponents, who had been sluggish in the first half, changed their approach in the second half, speeding up the pace of the game—even without their star player Kobe. The Pistons called a short timeout, but John Kuester wasn’t worried about the sudden shift in game pace. The Pistons could handle both fast breaks and set pieces, and they were better at fast-paced games. Zhou Yi’s astonishing speed allowed him to complete an attack before the opponents could react. Derek Fisher wasn’t known for his speed, and Steve Blake was fast, but he paled in comparison to Zhou Yi. In the following minutes, Zhou Yi repeatedly broke through the defense of those two players, scoring either himself or passing to open teammates, delivering a 12-5 run for the Lakers. The score now stood at 75-63, with the Pistons extending their lead to 12 points. With 6 minutes and 43 seconds left in the third quarter, the Lakers called another timeout. With Kobe resting on the bench, the Lakers lost their best scorer. Although Kobe wasn’t in good form that day, his presence at least drew two defensive players away from the rest of the team. After he left the court, the Lakers’ offense became more organized, but they weren’t as good as the Pistons at maintaining a fast-paced attack, with continuous passing mistakes leading to wasted opportunities. When Kobe returned to the court, he immediately made an impact. Although his three-point shot from beyond the arc missed, it forced a defensive foul on Jody Meeks, resulting in two free throws made. On the Pistons’ offense, Zhou Yi broke through and passed to Andre Iguodala, who tried a jump shot at the baseline but missed, allowing the Lakers to secure a defensive rebound.

Derek Fisher’s three-pointer missed, and Greg Monroe grabbed the rebound, passing it to Zhou Yi ahead. Zhou Yi slowed down, drove the ball across half-court, then moved around the arc. He stopped, held the ball with both hands, and threw it inside. Samuel Dalembert took on Andrew Bynum, drove twice, then passed the ball back to Zhou Yi, who was open. With no one guarding him, Zhou Yi glanced at the three-point line, took a deep breath, and released the ball, which smoothly dropped through the net. His expression was relaxed—Zhou Yi truly had a great mindset during the game; such open shots rarely missed.

Jody Meeks and Kobe faced off again, and Kobe had to be careful against Meeks’ defense. His underestimation in the first half led to him scoring continuously, amassing 18 points in no time. Though he didn’t want to admit it, if he hadn’t given it his all, he would have only brought trouble upon himself. The ball bounced rapidly between his palms as Kobe’s body kept moving, constantly trying to avoid being blocked. As time passed and his attempts to break through failed, it seemed he wasn’t planning to pass. Steve Blake had no choice but to step in and provide coverage—after all, he was the leader of the team! After circling around Steve Blake, Kobe quickly pulled the ball close, glancing sideways at Jody Meeks, who was blocked about ten feet away. A sense of indescribable joy filled him—perhaps this was the satisfaction that comes from hard work.

Although he had an opportunity, Kobe didn’t choose to shoot from beyond the arc but opted for a dunk. With the Lakers’ morale low, keeping the score gap small was already a blessing given their current form. To boost the team’s spirits, nothing worked better than three-pointers and dunks, with dunks being the most effective. For fans, a stunning dunk was the highlight of a game, and most of the top ten plays selected after games were dunks. Kobe rushed to the basket, dunked the ball through Greg Monroe’s defense with one hand, even drawing a defensive foul from Monroe.

“Kobe, Kobe, MVP, MVP…” The entire crowd erupted, shouting Kobe’s name at the top of their voices. Kobe calmly made the free throw, turning a 2+1 into a three points!

As Kobe calmly made the free throw, the fans in Staples Center immediately cheered. His performance in this quarter had completely won them over; although the home team was still behind, most of them, who favored individual heroism, were excited to see his unstoppable play.

Chapter 454: The Battle of Fate (End)

The Pistons attacked. Andre Iguodala’s mid-range jump shot missed, and Paul Gasol secured the defensive rebound. Steve Blake drove with the ball, pulling ahead of Zhou Yi by half a body length. Delighted to have broken through Zhou Yi’s defense, he finally had his chance to shine.

Unnoticed by him, as soon as he started moving, Zhou Yi had already slowly lifted his right foot off the ground. As Steve Blake used his body to create space, Zhou Yi leaned back noticeably, shifting sideways and rotating 180 degrees around his left toe.

While Steve Blake was basking in the joy of his breakthrough, Zhou Yi had already moved to his right side. His swift right hand struck like lightning—unlikely to miss given the opponent’s carelessness. By the time Steve Blake reacted, the Pistons had already executed a brilliant fast break.

Phil Jackson shook his head as he watched the game.

Kobe took on Jody Meeks alone, using Steve Blake as a screen. He retreated beyond the three-point line and shot a three-pointer that went in. On the Pistons’ side, Zhou Yi passed skillfully to Jody Meeks, who hit a jump shot from a high position. Andrew Bynum’s layup missed, but Paul Gasol grabbed the offensive rebound and scored a putback. Samuel Dalembert faced up against Andrew Bynum and assisted Greg Monroe, who scored a reverse layup.

Cleve “Mercy” World Peace’s three-pointer missed. Kobe secured the offensive rebound, then stepped back beyond the three-point line and shot again—unbelievably, it went in.

Gradually, the third quarter began to resemble the first half. Kobe’s shooting percentage improved slightly, and his frenzy saw him score 19 points in that quarter. Yet against the Pistons’ balanced attack, his individual efforts seemed insufficient.

Among the Lakers’ other players, only Paul Gasol performed fairly well; the rest could be judged by Phil Jackson’s expression.

The score at the end of the third quarter was 87–74, with the Pistons still leading the Lakers by 13 points. By then, Kobe’s score had already risen to over 30 points.

The atmosphere at Staples Center was completely electrified, with all fans eager for another scoring miracle. Yet cold statistics were too superficial, causing enthusiastic fans to overlook many things that shouldn’t have been ignored. Thirty-three attempts, accounting for half of the Lakers’ shooting attempts.