Chapter 25

After the start of the third quarter, both teams struggled to find their form from the first half, hitting many shots off the rim. In the first two minutes of the third quarter, only Tracy McGrady of the Pistons managed to score with a long-range shot. After hitting that shot, McGrady’s form improved immediately. After scoring four points in a row, he assisted Prince in hitting a three-pointer, allowing the Pistons to deliver a 10-0 run against the Bobcats at the start of the third quarter, widening the score gap to 17 points within four minutes. At this point, the Bobcats’ head coach, Larry Brown, could no longer sit idly by. He walked from the coaching bench to the side of the court and asked the referee for a timeout. “Are you idiots? Don’t you know how to defend? From now on, if anyone fails to cover their man, they should stop playing. Gerard and Stephen, you two need to seize the opportunity to close the gap. The team’s offense will revolve around you two, and everyone else must focus on defense. Do you understand?” Larry Brown said angrily to the Bobcats’ players. “We understand!” the Bobcats’ players replied in unison. After the timeout, the Bobcats’ defense indeed improved significantly, and the Pistons’ offense was no longer as effortless as before. Gerard Wallace kept breaking through to the paint for layups; although he scored only one goal, he earned many free throws, all of which he made. But despite Wallace’s strong performance after the timeout, he alone couldn’t overcome the now-impeccable Pistons team. McGrady organized the Pistons’ offense efficiently, and by 3:48 of the third quarter, the Pistons still led by 15 points. Larry Brown watched the situation on the court helplessly, shook his head, and muttered to himself, “Although defense has improved, only Gerard is performing well offensively. Sigh…” At 3:28 of the third quarter, Kuster substituted all his starters for rest. As soon as Zhou Yi came on, he assisted James Posey in hitting a three-pointer, pushing the Pistons’ lead to 20 points. The Bobcats’ Stephen Jackson rushed into the paint, forcing Monroe into a foul, and made both free throws. Then, Gerard Wallace blocked James Posey’s mid-range shot, grabbed the rebound, and drove fast down the court to set up another fast break.

The Pistons’ bench immediately countered, with Durham Porter bullying the Bobcats’ frontcourt and scoring twice in quick succession. Near the end of the third quarter, the Bobcats’ Stephen Jackson even hit a last-second three-pointer, taken from just outside the half-court, even more stunning than Prince’s three-pointer.