Chapter 26

After the end of the third quarter, the Pistons led the Bobcats 74–60, by 14 points, and they entered the final quarter with that 14-point advantage.
Chapter 122: Crushing the Bobcats
With the referee’s whistle, the final quarter officially began.
Zhou Yi took the basketball from Villanueva and slowly dribbled toward the front court. Faced with DJ Augustin’s defense, Zhou Yi didn’t engage in a struggle; instead, he gave Monroe a glance. Monroe understood immediately, rushed out from the paint, set up a solid screen, and then took advantage of DJ Augustin being blocked to drive straight to the basket.
Although DJ Augustin reacted quickly, Zhou Yi was even faster. It wasn’t until Zhou Yi was just inside the free-throw line that he managed to get past Monroe. At this point, the Bobcats’ frontcourt players didn’t dare to surround Zhou Yi either—already struggling in the paint, they had almost no players left after Terius Thomas was ejected. So they avoided reckless defense to prevent fouling. Moreover, aware of Zhou Yi’s passing skills, they didn’t want their defender to be overwhelmed by him, so they let Zhou Yi drive straight to the paint, where he easily scored with his right hand.
Stephen Jackson tried to break through, but Villanueva suddenly collapsed and rushed at him, stretching his arm to snatch the basketball from Stephen Jackson’s hands. Seeing this, “Captain Jack” quickly changed direction and easily outmaneuvered the aggressive Villanueva. Just as Stephen Jackson tried to drive to the basket, his arm went numb, and the basketball flew away. Looking down, he saw Zhou Yi lying heavily on the ground.
At that moment, Zhou Yi, at the cost of falling, slapped the basketball forward to the front court. Villanueva quickly rushed over, grabbed the ball, and dunked it with great flair.
Seeing Villanueva’s impressive dunk, the crowd erupted once again. After dunking, Villanueva ran over excitedly and gave Zhou Yi a firm shoulder bump.
“Are you okay?” Villanueva asked concerningly.
“Hehe, I’m fine!” Zhou Yi replied with a smile.

As soon as they returned to their half and settled in, DJ Augustin drove the ball forward at full speed. Faced with Zhou Yi’s defense, he coordinated with his teammates and, using their screens, easily got past Zhou Yi. But near the free-throw line, he was blocked by Hansbrough, who had been waiting there all along. Seeing no hope of advancing, DJ Augustin immediately passed the ball to Gerald Wallace, who was lurking on the perimeter! With a “thud,” Gerald Wallace’s shot from an open position missed the basket. Realizing he had no defender yet still couldn’t score, he sighed helplessly. Zhou Yi quickly rushed in and, using the screens from Hansbrough and Monroe, fought for the rebound. After grabbing the rebound, Zhou Yi swiftly headed toward the Bobcats’ half. He drove the ball quickly beyond the three-point line, then threw it inside—Hansbrough easily put it in the basket. The crowd erupted in enthusiastic cheers once again; from grabbing the rebound to completing the alley-oop pass, it took less than 5 seconds. This lightning-fast attack was even smoother than Phoenix’s once-legendary plays, and many home fans couldn’t help but think, “We can at least make the playoffs this year!” This thought suddenly arose in many home fans after witnessing their team’s outstanding performance. At the start of the fourth quarter, the Pistons quickly scored a 6–0 run, widening the lead to 20 points. The Bobcats’ head coach, Larry Brown, called a timeout after the alley-oop pass between Zhou Yi and Hansbrough, hoping to make one last comeback, even though less than 3 minutes had passed in the fourth quarter. After the timeout, the Bobcats brought in all their starters. The Pistons, on the other hand, had only Prince and Bynum as starters, playing alongside the bench players. Considering the large lead and Zhou Yi’s fatigue, Kuster replaced Zhou Yi with Bynum to let him rest before returning. DJ Augustin orchestrated the offense, and after half a quarter, Nazr Mohammed quickly came up to set a screen for him. The moment Mohammed blocked Bynum, DJ Augustin accelerated to try to get past him, but was delayed by Hansbrough above the free-throw line. Bynum quickly caught up, and together with Hansbrough, they trapped DJ Augustin.

In response, DJ Augustin had to quickly pass the ball to Gerald Wallace at the right baseline. Gerald Wallace managed to catch the ball under the pressure of Tyshawn Prince’s long arms but found himself cornered. With time running out, he had no choice but to shoot forcefully.
“Thud!” The forced shot turned into a miss, and Hansbrough easily grabbed the rebound.
After taking the ball from Hansbrough, the team continued to push forward at a rapid pace toward the basket. After reaching the three-point line, Bynum glanced at his teammates’ positions and then at DJ Augustin, who was breathing heavily in front of him. He decided to slow down the pace and try to control the game according to his own rhythm.
Suddenly, Bynum stepped forward with his left foot, causing DJ Augustin’s body to naturally tilt to the right, as if preparing to let Bynum break through on his left side. But then Bynum pulled his left hand holding the ball back abruptly, forcing DJ Augustin to step back to defend head-on. Seeing this, Bynum quickly stepped forward with his right foot and slipped past DJ Augustin. After breaking through, Bynum stopped abruptly near the free-throw line and took a jump shot—swish—the ball went in.
“Hehe, it seems my hand is still hot!” Bynum laughed loudly.
“Ding,” and the game went into an official timeout.
After the timeout, the Bobcats brought in all their substitutes. With less than five minutes, 4 minutes and 24 seconds left in the fourth quarter, the Bobcats surrendered, and Detroit sent in all their substitutes.
At this moment, Zhou Yi also came on along with the other substitutes. The Pistons’ substitutes were mostly rookies, such as Zhou Yi, Monroe, Hansbrough, Summers, and others. In Kuster’s words, this was a way to train them and help the rookies gain more game experience.
In this match, the Pistons won effortlessly, defeating their opponents 102–81, securing their second consecutive win of the season.
Chapter 123: Refusing to Be the Starter
After this victory, all the Pistons players felt extremely satisfied, as it was by far the most comfortable game they had played since the start of the season.

In the match against the Bobcats, aside from Big Ben, all the Pistons’ starting players scored double digits, with 7 players in total scoring double digits for the team. Although Big Ben didn’t score much, he grabbed 13 rebounds and added 4 blocks; McGrady scored 13 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists; Bynum had an outstanding game, scoring the highest score for the team at 21 points, along with 3 rebounds and 6 assists; Monroe continued to perform steadily, scoring 12 points and grabbing 8 rebounds; Prince recorded 14 points and 6 rebounds; Wilcox also scored 10 points and 5 rebounds; James Posey hit 3 of 4 three-point attempts, scoring 11 points.

The last player to score double digits was naturally Zhou Yi. Since the fourth quarter turned into garbage time early on, Zhou Yi played the longest amount of time of the season—32 minutes—in this game. He hit 6 of 11 shots, including one three-pointer, and made all 5 of his free throws, scoring 18 points. In addition, he provided 8 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1 block. After adapting and adjusting over these past few games, Zhou Yi has shown significant improvement in terms of turnovers and fouls, with only 3 turnovers and 2 fouls in this game.

After the game, Pistons head coach John Kuester naturally praised the players highly, sparing no words of praise. With the coach’s approval, the players were naturally enthusiastic, looking forward to performing even better in upcoming games.

After concluding the post-game analysis, Kuester went to find Zhou Yi. After taking him to his office, Kuester locked the door. Zhou Yi remained silent, watching quietly as Kuester finished what he needed to do.

“Kid, sit down!” Kuester said with a smile.

Hearing Kuester’s words, Zhou Yi sat down in front of him.

“I called you in today to talk about the team’s starting point guard. Over the past period, I and several of the assistant coaches have been closely observing you, and your performance has generally met our approval. The team has achieved a solid record of 6 wins and 2 losses in 8 preseason games. In those games, you averaged 17.6 points, 8.3 assists, 4.6 rebounds, 2.3 steals, and 1.3 blocks. Although there might be some exaggeration, your performance is certainly not something to be ignored. So far, in the first 6 regular-season games, as a reserve, you’ve averaged nearly 25 minutes per game, scoring 14.5 points, grabbing 3 rebounds, providing 7.8 assists, 2 steals, and 0.67 blocks—quite impressive. Your performance meets the standards of a starting point guard. To be honest, I’m very satisfied with your performance, and it’s actually exceeded my expectations. However, your flaws are also quite evident: you average 4 turnovers and 3.2 fouls per game, which not only ranks you among the top rookies but also among the top 10 in the entire NBA.”

Kuster took a sip of the tea on the table, his expression relaxing slightly, before continuing, “You don’t need to worry too much. All rookies go through this when they first join the league. This year’s first overall pick, John Wall, averaged 36 minutes per game in the first three regular-season games, scoring 19.7 points and providing 9.7 assists per game, but his turnovers and fouls were even worse—7.3 turnovers and 4.3 fouls per game. Well, as long as you play more games and adjust in time, it shouldn’t be a big problem. Based on your performance, I and a few assistant coaches have decided to start you as the team’s point guard in the upcoming games. Do you have any questions?”

Given Zhou Yi’s intelligence, he had already guessed that the conversation would likely revolve around the team’s starting point guard when Kuster called him into the office alone. So when he heard that Kuster wanted to start him as the team’s point guard, he didn’t show excessive excitement.

Zhou Yi frowned slightly as he looked at Koester in front of him. After pondering for a moment, he replied seriously, “Coach, I don’t think I’m ready to start yet. I still lack a lot of experience. To be honest, before joining the NBA, I hadn’t played in any major, formal games. So, my experience is still far too limited. I really, really want to start, but right now, Will is more suitable for that role. I think I’m quite good as a reserve. Hehe, I think you and the other assistant coaches should watch a few more games before making a decision. The point guard is the brain of the whole team, the commander. It’s not that I’m afraid of performing poorly, but I’m worried that I might affect the team’s chemistry and thus impact their performance.”

Zhou Yi’s reasoning was sound, and Koester nodded from time to time as he listened. After hearing his last sentence, Koester sighed and said with a smile, “What you say makes sense, but do you really want to play a few more games to see? No player doesn’t want to start. You’re the only one I’ve seen who refuses to start.”

“Hehe, Coach, it’s not that I refuse to start. It’s just that I haven’t reached the standard yet. As you said, I can’t control my mistakes and fouls well. I think it’s fine if you wait a few more games until I can control them better before assigning me to start.”

Koester smiled and said, “Alright, if that’s the case, let’s wait a few more games! You’ve played for quite a while today. Go back and rest well!”

“Hmm, thank you, Coach! I’ll be leaving then. Goodbye!”

“Goodbye!”

Zhou Yi slowly walked out of Koester’s office and headed toward the locker room. In the office, John Koester sat at his desk, smiling and sighing.

“An interesting kid!”

When Zhou Yi returned to the locker room, only Bynum and McGrady were left there.

“Huh, why aren’t you two leaving yet?” Zhou Yi asked curiously with a smile.

“Weren’t we waiting for you?” they replied in unison.

“What’s wrong? Is something up?”

“Hehe, we’re in a good mood today. Let’s all three go get a drink together!” Bynum laughed loudly.

Zhou Yi gave a wry smile, shot Bynum a glance, and shook his head with a laugh. “Alright!”

The three of them got ready and headed to the bar closest to the gym, filled with laughter and joy along the way!

Chapter 124: Fighting the Warriors

“Why isn’t that tricky girl around these days?” Zhou Yi looked at the reporters preparing for interviews in the distance and couldn’t see Xiang Yun among them, his face filled with confusion.
As for Xiang Yun, Zhou Yi didn’t know what to say. Previously, this girl had given him a pretty good impression, but he had deliberately kept his distance out of fear that she might fall in love with him and cause unnecessary trouble. However, since the day she went to the Bynum family’s house, she hadn’t appeared in front of him again, and she hadn’t even called much. This made him feel somewhat uneasy, as after all, she was the only Chinese person he knew in the United States, and seeing her always brought him some comfort.
“Sigh, forget it. I’d better focus on playing well!”
Zhou Yi wasn’t the type to care too much about such things. After glancing around, he headed toward the court to do some pre-game warm-ups.
In this match, the Pistons were playing at home. But to their dismay, they had to face a four-game road trip ahead—four consecutive away games, including two back-to-back ones—which worried the players quite a bit. Even head coach John Kuester complained about the tough schedule.
Today’s opponent was the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors had already played five games before this match, with a solid record of 4 wins and 1 loss, placing them second in the Western Conference, just behind the defending champions, the Los Angeles Lakers, who had yet to lose a game since the start of the season. On the other hand, the Pistons had played six games so far, with 4 wins and 2 losses, ranking third in the Eastern Conference, behind the Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks. They had recently won two consecutive games, just like the Warriors.
Although Kuester wasn’t entirely satisfied with their current record, he was fairly pleased. It was unexpected for the Pistons to achieve 4 wins and 2 losses despite being short-staffed.
……
“Contain them! Hold them back!” John Kuester stood on the sidelines, shouting at his players nonstop. Even under the referees’ disapproving looks, his voice remained loud.

No wonder Kuster reacted that way, as right at the start of the game, the visiting Golden State Warriors took an early 12-4 lead, targeting the Pistons’ outside shooters. Two of the Warriors’ shorter players, Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry, might not be All-Stars, but their offensive play was extremely sharp—especially Ellis. The veteran Posey served as the team’s starting shooting guard, while McGrady was listed as a reserve. Posey’s speed couldn’t keep up with Ellis’s pace, and Bynum was repeatedly outplayed by Curry. Ellis could score from almost any position, which really surprised Zhou Yi. If not for his poor defense, he might have already been an All-Star or even a superstar. But Ellis underestimated Posey’s strength; although Posey had trouble defending Ellis, Ellis, who was almost invisible defensively, couldn’t restrict Posey’s performance either. At 8 minutes and 21 seconds into the game, Posey exploded—making consecutive three-point shots from beyond the arc. By the time he left the court, after just 6 minutes and 53 seconds in the first quarter, he had scored 11 points, including 3 of 4 three-pointers, and grabbed 5 rebounds—a truly impressive efficiency. On the other hand, although Ellis scored 13 points in the same amount of time as Posey, no one doubted that Posey’s contribution was greater. After 6 minutes and 53 seconds, McGrady substituted Posey out. With 4 minutes and 10 seconds left in the first quarter, Kuster called a timeout to let the starters rest. By this point, the Pistons had narrowed the gap significantly, still trailing by 2 points, 15-13. “Zhou Yi, Austin, Greg, Samuel—on the court!” Kuster said loudly to Zhou Yi and the others with a bright smile. “Yes, coach!” Zhou Yi and the others stood up, nodded, and ran toward the court. Zhou Yi was at the back, and as he passed by Kuster, Kuster called him back.

“Zhou Yi, once you’re on the court, you must contain Stephen Curry—he’s hard to defend. Be careful! Also, Tracy’s speed isn’t what it used to be; help him guard Monta Ellis! Try to drive more to force fouls inside and get David Lee off the court—it will greatly benefit our front line!” John Kuster could see that the Pistons’ front line was under threat from the Warriors’ David Lee, which was why he asked Zhou Yi to drive more. If Zhou Yi could get the opponent off the court, it would be extremely advantageous for the Pistons.

“Understood, coach!” Zhou Yi replied seriously before rushing onto the court.

The timeout ended, and the game resumed!

Zhou Yi, who had just entered the game, made an immediate impact by assisting Austin Daye with a three-point shot, helping the team take a 1-point lead. But before the Pistons could celebrate, the Warriors’ Dorrell Wright scored another three to regain the lead.

Zhou Yi drove the ball and passed to Monroe, who was just inside the free-throw line. Monroe attempted a jump shot, but unfortunately missed. On the Warriors’ side, Ellis was indeed very agile—he drove inside, feigned a shot, and then passed to Dorrell Wright, who scored another three.

Following Kuster’s strategy, Zhou Yi rushed into the paint and pushed against Curry to attempt a layup. Seeing that Curry couldn’t defend Zhou Yi, David Lee quickly stepped forward with his massive hand. Zhou Yi sidestepped and deliberately let his hand meet David Lee’s hand before shooting.

“Bang!” The sound of a miss echoed through the crowd. But soon after, the referee’s whistle blew.

“Warriors’ player number 10 committed a foul; Pistons’ player number 37 gets two free throws!”

Zhou Yi was pleased because he had achieved his goal. David Lee had already accumulated two fouls by the end of the first quarter, so the Warriors’ head coach, Keith Smart, substituted him out with Andris Biedrins. Seeing this, John Kuster couldn’t help but smile.

“This kid is really smart. He can complete the tasks assigned to him smoothly. Heh, not bad…”

Chapter 125: This Is a No-Fly Zone

Zhou Yi took his free throws and made both.

“Heh, this kid’s free-throw accuracy is getting higher and higher!” Kuster said with a smile, watching Zhou Yi on the court.

When Zhou Yi took a free throw, Stephen Curry was substituted out by Vladimir Radmanović, while Dorell Wright was replaced by Reggie Williams. As a result, Monta Ellis was placed at the number one position to face Zhou Yi.

Currently, the lineups on the court are as follows: the Pistons are playing with an all-substitute lineup—Dalembert, Monroe, Austin Daye, McGrady, and Zhou Yi; while the Warriors have two starters along with three substitutes—Monta Ellis, Vladimir Radmanović, Reggie Williams, Brandon Wright, and Andris Biedrins.

Since Zhou Yi entered the game, Ellis has been restricted offensively by him. On one hand, Zhou Yi is fast, agile, and highly defensive; on the other hand, Ellis’ stamina has declined.

Although the Warriors have two starters playing alongside substitutes, their performance isn’t much better than that of the Pistons’ all-substitute team. With Zhou Yi and McGrady forming the backcourt duo, the Pistons’ offense flows more smoothly. Another factor that can’t be ignored is that the Warriors’ defense is terrible.

Before they knew it, the first quarter came to an end with Ellis’ last shot missing from beyond the arc, leaving the Pistons ahead 28–25 by three points. In his little over four minutes on the court, Zhou Yi performed well, scoring 6 points and providing 1 assist, while McGrady also had a solid game—without scoring any points, he grabbed 3 rebounds and delivered 3 assists. Ellis, true to his reputation as a scoring machine, scored 16 points in the first quarter, accounting for more than half of his team’s total points.

Soon, the second quarter began.

Ellis remained on the court. Seeing him still there, Zhou Yi couldn’t help but sigh and mutter, “This guy’s stamina is really amazing!”

Zhou Yi controlled the ball, drove into the paint, and passed it to Daye, who was waiting outside the three-point line. After receiving the ball, Daye took a quick jump shot. With a clang, it missed, and Brandon Wright secured the rebound. As Reggie Williams caught a pass from Ellis and hit a three-point shot, the score was tied at 28 again. Zhou Yi calmly scanned the court, suddenly rushed into the paint, and scored two more points with a float shot. However, the opponent’s three-point shooting was indeed strong today; Radmanović hit another three-point shot to take a 1-point lead. Yet, the Pistons also had strong firepower—McDyess, with an assist from Zhou Yi, hit a jump shot from outside the three-point line, responding with a three-point shot of his own and regaining the lead once more.
The Warriors made a substitution, with Brandon Wright replaced by David Lee.
At the start of the second quarter, the scores of both teams kept alternating. Zhou Yi, who is usually seen on defense and in playmaking, also performed quite well offensively today. His success in driving into the paint was partly due to Ellis’s support.