Chapter 42

With 6 minutes and 5 seconds left in the second quarter, the Pistons requested a timeout to bring in their starting lineup. At that point, the score was 41-31 in favor of the Pistons, who led by 10 points. Soon after, the 100-second timeout ended, and both teams had essentially switched to their starters. McGrady carried the ball slowly toward the front court, glanced around the court with sleepy eyes upon arriving, then accelerated to break through. “Pass it to Zhou,” McGrady said, accurately delivering the ball to Zhou Yi’s hands. After receiving the ball, Zhou Yi didn’t rush to break through but held it in one hand, observing the situation on the court calmly. His demeanor resembled McGrady’s at his peak. Suddenly, Zhou Yi moved—the phrase “calm as a maiden, swift as a hare” applied perfectly to him. However, John Wall was also fast, sticking closely to Zhou Yi. Zhou Yi smirked and then used John Wall as a shield to go one-on-one. He slowly searched for an opportunity, then suddenly executed a tricky backstep shot. John Wall expected this move from Zhou Yi, so he threw himself at him to block the shot. But Zhou Yi’s backstep was so high, almost like Dirk Nowitzki’s jump shot, making it difficult to block. With a swish, the ball went in. As soon as he returned to the court, Zhou Yi used a difficult backstep jump shot to show the fans that it was now his time. How will Zhou Yi ignite the crowd next? Let’s wait and see! Chapter 174: Igniting the Crowd (Part 2) “Zhou Yi, Zhou Yi, Zhou Yi…” The home crowd chanted Zhou Yi’s name, offering him their enthusiasm and support. “Heh, this kid delivered such a brilliant offensive play right away—things will probably get even better from here,” Charles Barkley laughed loudly. Kenny Smith knew Charles Barkley had high hopes for the young Zhou Yi. Although he also had high expectations for him, especially after losing the bet with Charles Barkley, he pretended to frown and said reluctantly, “Not necessarily. Who can predict the future?”

After hearing Kenny Smith’s words, Charles Barkley glared at him straight away, then fell silent and focused on the game with great interest. Clyde Drexler, on the other hand, smiled and watched the two old rivals helplessly. He knew that Kenny Smith also liked Zhou Yi very much, and the reason he said those things was purely to annoy Charles Barkley.

John Wall was extremely frustrated and tried to shoot a backboard jumper. But as soon as he released the ball, it was blocked—by Zhou Yi. The ball that was sent flying was caught by McGrady, who quickly drove toward the front court. After blocking the shot, Zhou Yi didn’t even look at John Wall before rushing past him.

While driving the ball, McGrady kept an eye on the situation behind him. Among the Wizards’ big men, Javale McGee was already in position, while Gilbert Arenas, not far from McGrady, watched him intently. As Zhou Yi was about to catch up, McGrady suddenly sped up and charged toward the Wizards’ interior. With a behind-the-back dribble and a crossover, he dodged Arenas’s defense and successfully made his way to the Wizards’ basket. By then, Zhou Yi had also reached just inside the Wizards’ three-point line.

After reaching the basket, McGrady jumped high, ready to dunk with both hands. How could Javale McGee let this once-famous star complete a dunk? He also jumped up, his large hands reaching out to stop him.

McGrady seemed unconcerned. Just as his body was about to make contact with Javale McGee, he suddenly twisted his body, leaned back against him, and passed the ball to Zhou Yi, who had cut in from the middle and reached the free-throw line. Zhou Yi caught the ball steadily and then drove toward the basket.

“Damn it,” Javale McGee exclaimed, turning his massive hands, which had been aimed at McGrady, toward Zhou Yi mid-air.

The familiar basket grew larger in front of him. His legs curled back forcefully, his right hand raised high above his head—as Zhou Yi’s body strangely came to a halt above the basket.

The over 20,000 fans in the arena and countless others watching on TV knew this was the calm before the storm; behind that calm lay an explosive outbreak of chaos.

With a powerful swing of his right arm, a thunderous dunk echoed throughout the arena. The entire United Center seemed to tremble with cheers.

Immediately afterward, a “beep” sound rang out in the United Center—as well as a foul call, resulting in a free throw.

Zhou Yi was completely perched on Javier McKee, and Gilbert Arenas, who had followed Zhou Yi to under the basket upon realizing what he was doing, also watched in astonishment at what was happening, serving as another backdrop for Zhou Yi’s stunning dunk.
“Zhou Yi… Zhou Yi…”
“Zhou Yi… Zhou Yi…”
The spectators and fans were screaming wildly—how could they not be excited to see their favorite team and player performing such amazing feats on the court?
“Huff, huff,” Zhou Yi gasped heavily as he jumped off Javier McKee, slapped McGrady in front of him, then gave him a firm hug.
Zhou Yi glanced at the basketball fans with bare chests, frantically waving his jersey numbered 37 in the air. Seeing those golden-haired beauties screaming loudly, disregarding any sense of propriety, filled Zhou Yi with an unusual sense of excitement.
“Haha, I told you—he’d deliver an even more amazing performance next. See? I was right, wasn’t I?” Sir Charles laughed heartily.
Kenny Smith didn’t respond, but he was also very happy—everyone would be thrilled to witness such a performance.
“Yes, Zhou is getting more and more accustomed to the NBA,” Clyde Drexler added with a smile.
Zhou Yi took a free throw and threw the ball standardly—“Swish”—it went through the net, triggering another wave of screams from the fans.
John Wall was so frustrated he felt like vomiting. He never expected Zhou Yi to completely steal the show and even embarrass him. All this glory should have belonged to him, yet now it had been taken by a Chinese kid—how could he accept that?
John Wall controlled the ball and grew even angrier upon seeing Zhou Yi’s focused defense. So, he increased his speed in his breakthrough attempt. Though it was difficult, he managed to pull away from Zhou Yi. But due to an unstable center of gravity and excessive speed, John Wall failed to stop in time and crashed into Taishan Prince, who was already in position ahead. Taishan Prince had been waiting for the right moment, ready to cause an offensive foul when John Wall rushed at him.
The referee’s whistle blew at the exact moment John Wall collided with Taishan Prince. Although he stumbled and felt a bit disoriented, Taishan Prince thought it was worth it.

The ball went back to the Pistons. Zhou Yi controlled the ball and steadily made his way into the Wizards’ half. With a crossover dribble and McGrady’s screen, Zhou Yi easily got past John Wall’s defense, moved to the left wing beyond the three-point line, and shot a three-pointer.
“Swish.” The ball went in.
Cheers and applause erupted once again in the arena, and Charles Barkley and the other two also praised Zhou Yi highly. In the live broadcast room across the ocean, Teachers Sun and Yu also commented on Zhou Yi’s outstanding performance.
Zhou Yi wiped the sweat from his face, then stared intently at John Wall, who was rushing toward him. John Wall was extremely angry at that moment, but he was helpless—after all, strength speaks volumes. In the NBA, those with strength have the say.
John Wall tried to calm down, carefully analyzing his own abilities and those of Zhou Yi to find an opening. The Wizards’ teamwork was still good; John Wall passed the ball to Yi Jianlian, who then passed it to Javale McGee, who easily scored with a layup.
On the Pistons’ side, McGrady drove with the ball, drawing two defenders to cover him. McGrady passed the ball to Zhou Yi, who crossed over John Wall, penetrated into the Wizards’ paint, once again drew two defenders, and skillfully passed the ball to Teyshawn Prince beyond the corner three-point line.
After receiving the ball, Prince immediately shot a three-pointer. Another pleasant sound resounded throughout the Auburn Hills Palace, “Swish”—the ball went through the net.
“Wow, Zhou Yi, Zhou Yi…”
“MVP, MVP…”
The atmosphere in the arena reached its peak. Zhou Yi’s series of perfect attacks completely ignited the crowd.
“Ding.” The Wizards had no choice but to take a timeout, as they were already down by nearly 20 points.
Chapter 175: Crushing the Wizards to Win the Derby (Part 1)
“Zhou’s passes are truly beautiful—fast, steady, accurate. And most importantly, his vision is among the top ten in the league. With such vision and a broad understanding of the game, as long as Zhou improves in other areas, he will soon become one of the league’s best point guards!” Clyde Drexler said with a smile, watching the game.
“Hmm, I agree with you. Haha…” Charles Barkley added with a laugh.
Kenny Smith didn’t respond, but he nodded firmly.

Starting from the second quarter, the Wizards’ defense was virtually non-existent, allowing the Pistons to quickly take control of the game. By the end of the second quarter, the Pistons led the Wizards by 21 points, with a score of 64:43.

In the first half, Zhou Yi played for about 11 minutes, scoring 14 points and providing 5 assists—stats that were enough to delight the home crowd. In their eyes, Zhou Yi was the hope for the Pistons’ resurgence; he was the new king of their city.

With a 21-point lead at the half, Zhou Yi and the other starters didn’t play much in the third quarter. That time was mostly reserved for role players. Soon, the third quarter came to an end. The Wizards managed to close the gap somewhat during the time when the Pistons’ starters were out, but they still trailed by 15 points. In this comeback attempt, another Chinese player performed well, scoring 8 points in the third quarter. At the end of the third quarter, the score stood at 85:70.