Chapter 28
After the start of the third quarter, both teams launched fierce attacks, but their offensive efficiency was not high. The Pistons still held control of the game, while the Warriors could not yet break free from a passive position. At 10 minutes and 11 seconds into the quarter, the Warriors’ David Lee had to leave the court early due to five fouls, replaced by Brandon Knight. This development was highly advantageous for the Pistons. Indeed, after David Lee left, the Warriors’ interior was overwhelmed by the Pistons. Greg Monroe took advantage to score repeatedly in the paint, and even Darvin Ham, who is not known for scoring, managed to score as well. In less than 5 minutes, Ham had already scored 8 points. With over 5 minutes left in the quarter, all of the Pistons’ starters took a break, simply because they already led by more than 20 points. Zhou Yi, McGrady, Austin Daye, Wilcox, and Hansbrough stepped in to replace the starters. After Stephen Curry’s jump shot missed, Zhou Yi grabbed the rebound. With the ball, he initiated a fast break, and with McGrady’s help, the attack was successful. Zhou Yi kept breaking through and passing the ball to help his teammates score. With his coordination with McGrady, the Pistons’ offensive efficiency improved significantly. When the end of the third quarter bell rang, Zhou Yi finally breathed a sigh of relief. Playing like this was indeed tiring, but fortunately he could hold on. Returning to the bench, he took the drink handed to him by Bynum and drank it eagerly. By the end of the third quarter, the Pistons led the Warriors 88–60, a 28-point advantage, thanks to their strong performance in that quarter. Victory seemed within reach; unless something unexpected happened, the Pistons were likely to win the game. Zhou Yi sat on the sidelines, panting heavily—the game had been quite intense today. His opponents, Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry, were both fast-paced point guards, so Zhou Yi had to exert all his effort to defend against them. Defending Curry was manageable, but defending Monta Ellis was extremely exhausting for Zhou Yi.
“In the next quarter, we won’t need to use our starters. This is our practice time. The opponent’s David Lee has already accumulated 5 fouls; it’s your task, Zhou Yi, to send him home early to take a shower. As for offense and defense in the paint, leave that to the young players Monroe and Hansbrough. For outside play, just do as you’ve been doing before. You’re all performing very well; I’m satisfied. Keep up the good work. After the game, none of you may leave—I’ll treat everyone to a meal!” Koester said with a friendly smile to the Pistons players.
“Coach, we want something good to eat!” Bynum joked with a grin.
Hearing Bynum’s words, everyone burst into laughter, even Koester couldn’t help but smile.
“Alright, after the game, I’ll treat everyone to a great meal. I won’t even flinch even if it costs me a lot. But first, you must win this game!”
“Great, we’ll trade a big victory for a sumptuous dinner. Haha…” Bynum said excitedly.
“Okay, I’m looking forward to it!” Koester nodded and smiled.