Chapter 47

More than 2 minutes into the third quarter, the Pistons excelled from beyond the arc while the Magic thrived inside. Each team held its own advantage, keeping the game tied.

Watching Dwight Howard prepare to wreak havoc on the basket once again, Greg Monroe, who was assigned to the center position, naturally wouldn’t allow it.

Seeing Greg Monroe charge at Dwight Howard, John Kuester shook his head. Greg Monroe was still too inexperienced and impulsive. His strong physical build gave him excellent defensive capabilities, but he chose to take risks by trying to block shots, resulting in physical contact and a foul.

Dwight Howard, upon seeing the rookie he had just provoked roar and charge at him, sneered. With a big step forward, his beastly frame collided violently with Greg Monroe’s monstrous physique inside the Pistons’ paint—but clearly, the beast was no match for the monster. Greg Monroe was pushed back several steps by Dwight Howard. Fortunately, Taylor Hansbrough was nearby and pushed him, preventing him from being knocked down. Meanwhile, Dwight Howard completed his layup, and the referee’s whistle blew.

Seeing Greg Monroe’s helpless expression, Zhou Yi could only sigh helplessly.

“Substitution, Ben, take Greg off!” It was a forced substitution. Looking at the Pistons’ interior play, it was clear John Kuester didn’t really want to make a change, but Greg Monroe had already committed his second foul since the start of the third quarter, both caused by Howard.

Dwight Howard not only inherited “The Shark” Shaquille O’Neal’s dominance and quirky style but also his poor free-throw skills.

As Dwight Howard took to the free-throw line, amid the boos from the home crowd and his own poor shooting form, he failed to make the shot.

With a loud thud, the basketball bounced back up, and Ben Wallace, who had just entered the game, grabbed the defensive rebound.

Grabbing the pass from Ben Wallace, Zhou Yi quickly rushed toward the opponent’s half. Breaking through defenses effortlessly, he shook off Jamal Nelson’s pursuit and headed straight for the opponent’s interior. About two steps past the free-throw line, Zhou Yi jumped straight up, passed the ball to his right hand, and delivered a powerful axe-like dunk.

Zhou Yi really loved this feeling—it was amazing! It not only dampened the opponent’s momentum but also boosted their own. Zhou Yi’s sudden outburst left the Magic team completely unprepared. There was no one in the Magic team capable of containing Zhou Yi, whether it was Jamal Nelson, Jason Williams, or Chris Duhon—no one could really hold him back at the power position. But just as Zhou Yi led his team to widen the score gap, the Magic, led by Dwight Howard, launched wave after wave of strong attacks, causing trouble for the Pistons players. When the Pistons were at a loss, two players stepped in to solve the problem. McGrady used a feint to deceive Vince Carter and rushed alone into the Magic’s paint. At that moment, the Magic’s interior was only occupied by “The Beast” Howard. Without hesitation, McGrady charged straight at Howard. Howard couldn’t afford to be careless, as any lapse would give his opponent an opportunity to exploit him or even get him to foul. So, Howard remained calm under the basket, waiting for McGrady to arrive. As McGrady neared the paint, he suddenly jumped up, grabbed the ball with his right hand, and raised it high, preparing to dunk. Howard, unprepared for McGrady to dunk right in front of him, quickly jumped up to try and block it. But then things took a sudden turn. McGrady, who had intended to dunk, suddenly lowered the ball, twisted his waist slightly, and then crashed into Howard. Immediately afterward, McGrady switched the ball from his right hand to his left, used a slight pull, and drove the ball in. At the same time, Dwight Howard was called for a defensive foul. The Pistons cheered at this sight, especially the home crowd, whose cheers were incessant. If they could take Howard out of the game, winning against the Magic would be easy. McGrady made both free throws. On the Magic’s next possession, Jamal Nelson was called aside by head coach Stan Van Gundy before the second half began, told to coordinate with Howard’s offense. So, from the start of the second half, Jamal Nelson mostly passed the ball to Howard. When he drove past the half-court line to outside the opponent’s three-point line, he would throw the ball to Howard under the basket.

Howard caught the ball under the basket and went one-on-one with Big Ben, but was pushed around uncomfortably by him. Howard tried to bounce the ball and drive, but missed; Zhou Yi grabbed the defensive rebound. Zhou Yi glanced at the clock and score, then slowly moved toward the Magic’s half-court. He stepped back two steps to create space for a breakthrough, then looked at Jamal Nelson ahead of him and suddenly accelerated, cutting to his right. Although Jamal Nelson wasn’t very fast, he had years of experience in the league, had been selected for All-Star games in the past couple of years, and had developed strong perimeter defense skills under Van Gundy, allowing him to barely keep up with Zhou Yi’s pace. Zhou Yi suddenly changed direction, confusing Jamal Nelson, and took advantage of the opportunity to charge straight into the paint. Seeing Dwight Howard ahead, everyone in Auburn Hills Palace held their breath—they wondered if Zhou Yi was about to face Dwight Howard alone. What followed excited all Pistons fans, as Zhou Yi was indeed going to challenge “The Beast.” After rushing to the basket, Zhou Yi tried to drive straight for a layup. Dwight Howard naturally wouldn’t let him complete this attack so easily; he jumped up and swatted at the ball in Zhou Yi’s hands. Unexpectedly, Zhou Yi replicated McGrady’s move from before. Just as he was about to pass the ball, he suddenly switched it to his left hand, miraculously changed his body position, and pushed Dwight Howard aside. As he collided with him, he pulled the ball with his left hand, shooting it. Unfortunately, the shot missed, but this didn’t disappoint the home crowd much, because Dwight Howard was called for another defensive foul. Without a doubt, Dwight Howard was taken off the court, replaced by Polish center Marcin Gortat. When Dwight Howard left, the home crowd cheered in relief. Zhou Yi took free throws and made both. After Dwight Howard left, the outcome of the game became predictable. Without “The Beast” Howard, the Magic struggled both offensively and defensively, suffering an 8-0 run at the hands of the Pistons. And the one who started this run was Zhou Yi.

With 4 minutes and 54 seconds left in the third quarter, key players like Zhou Yi were taken off the court. At that point, the score was 84:70, with the Pistons leading by 14 points.
In the next 4 minutes and 54 seconds, the game became one-sided. The Pistons’ bench players overwhelmed the Magic’s starters, and it seemed that without Dwight Howard as their offensive and defensive anchor, the Magic were utterly helpless.
When the end of the third quarter was signaled, the Pistons led 94:76, a 18-point advantage. They would enter the final quarter with this substantial lead.
By the end of three quarters, Zhou Yi’s stats had many envious. He had scored 19 points, provided 11 assists, and grabbed 8 rebounds. With just 2 more rebounds, he would achieve his first triple-double in his career. It would also be the first triple-double among rookies this season. If that happened, Zhou Yi’s reputation would surely rise again.
However, Zhou Yi wasn’t aware of his stats, nor did he care much about them. What mattered to him was whether he could lead his team to victory, whether he could enjoy the joy brought by basketball, and whether he could prove that China could produce outstanding players.
Soon, the break ended, and the fourth quarter began.
Chapter 197: Fighting the Magic, Battling the Beast—First Triple-Double in Career (End)