Chapter 68

With 1 minute and 49 seconds left in the first quarter, Doug Rivers called another timeout. After the timeout, the Celtics substituted some of their key players, while on the Pistons’ side, Greg Monroe was replaced by Taylor Hansbrough, and Teyshawn Prince was replaced by James Posey. The game resumed. LaMarcus Aldridge drove to the basket, forcing Will Bynum into a defensive foul. However, Aldridge didn’t attempt a shot, so he didn’t get a free throw. Van Weeber took a free throw from the sideline, and Aldridge regained possession and continued to organize the offense. With Glen Davis providing a screen, Aldridge rushed to the Pistons’ basket for a layup, but it was blocked by Samuel Dalembert. Jermaine O’Neal grabbed the offensive rebound and scored a putback. Will Bynum slowly controlled the ball, adjusting the pace. James Posey caught the ball at the top of the key and passed it to Ben Gordon. Ben Gordon stopped abruptly and took a jump shot—hit! Not only that, but it also forced Van Weeber, who was guarding him, into a foul. Ben Gordon took the free throw and hit it again! “Heh, it seems Ben Gordon has recovered well!” Zhou Yi said with a smile to Zhou Yi beside him, watching Ben Gordon score repeatedly. “Heh, yes! It’s great for us that Ben Gordon can return early from injury. He’ll strengthen our bench and also relieve pressure on our offense,” Maddie said with a smile. Hearing Maddie’s words, Zhou Yi nodded. Before long, the first quarter ended with the referee’s whistle. The score at the end of the first quarter was 35:17. Having lost by 18 points in the first quarter, Doug Rivers looked extremely upset. He really didn’t understand why his team lost by 18 points to their opponents. He admitted that the Pistons were strong, but it shouldn’t have been 18 points lost in just the first quarter! The Pistons had recently achieved the longest streak of 19 consecutive wins in the entire league this season, outshining any other team. For a while, they became the favorite to win the championship this season, even surpassing the Miami Heat, which had just assembled its “Big Three” this summer. But only experienced insiders like Doug Rivers knew that although the Pistons were strong now, it would be difficult for them to win the championship with their current roster. The teams truly capable of challenging for the championship were still the Celtics, Lakers, and others! That was Doug Rivers’ opinion.

Doug Rivers glanced at the scoreboard and sighed. Gathering his thoughts, he called the players together to discuss the tactics for the second quarter. Soon, the second quarter began.