Chapter 90

When the second quarter began, Zhou Yi was not on the court, and Jason Kidd was also taken off. Their performances throughout the first quarter reflected the team’s overall performance, with both players exhausting a great deal of energy in their matchups. The two head coaches decided to replace them at the same time, but this did not mean the end of their rivalry. On the contrary, their confrontation would become even more intense once they returned to the court. In the first quarter, there were many instances of them facing off, but most of them were justprobing moves moves.

Compared to the struggling Mavericks, the Pistons were clearly in much better form. Although Zhou Yi was temporarily absent, the Pistons still had Greg Monroe in their front line, while Dirk Nowitzki was sitting on the bench, further weakening the Mavericks’ already weak front line.

In contrast, Jason Terry’s performance was far inferior. However, his consecutive missed shots clearly made him lose control. When McGrady used a foul tactic to stop one of his dunks, he even turned around and pushed McGrady—such a retaliatory move would naturally not go unpunished by the referees, resulting in a technical foul that sent him to the bench.

Rick Carlisle shook his head helplessly. Jason Terry’s performance had always been highly inconsistent. Though he could sometimes deliver impressive performances, he never met the coach’s expectations, just like JR Smith of the Nuggets.

Watching the opposing team make substitutions, John Kuester smiled slightly. With Jason Terry gone, the Pistons now held complete control. Jason Kidd was excellent at lifting his teammates’ performance, but he believed Zhou Yi could handle this issue on his own.

Unlike Zhou Yi’s relaxed demeanor, Jason Kidd looked troubled. He hadn’t expected Jason Terry to be so impulsive—a meaningless technical foul had put the team in such an awkward situation. Now he had to fight with two hands against four.

Upon returning to the court, Zhou Yi’s main task was to contain Jason Kidd. Offensively, Greg Monroe and McGrady’s firepower was already enough to give the Mavericks a hard time.

With McGrady initiating an offense from the baseline, Zhou Yi quickly drove the ball across half-court and slowed down near the midcourt. Seeing the Pistons’ players flood into the Mavericks’ defense, the Mavericks were not a team good at half-court offense. Their weak front line meant their attacks relied more on outside shooting. Against the Mavericks, the Pistons were clearly superior in set-piece play.

Zhou Yi effortlessly lofted the ball into the paint, then quickly moved around on the perimeter to keep the Mavericks’ defense on its toes, preventing them from easily double-teaming Greg Monroe. Holding the ball in one hand with his back slightly bent, he tested Brian Cardinal behind him. The opponent’s defensive skills were average; his defense relied purely on enthusiasm rather than strategy, with only passable blocking. His biggest weakness was his lack of physical strength. Relying on his robust frame, Greg Monroe gradually pushed Brian Cardinal toward the basket. Despite the opponent’s aggressive defense, they watched as their territory shrank step by step. Greg Monroe suddenly turned, pushing Brian Cardinal aside and slamming the ball home with both hands. At this point, Jason Kidd was undoubtedly the most disappointed. Jason Terry sat on the bench, while DeShawn Stevenson barely made an impact on the court. By this point in the game, his stats showed just one rebound and one foul. With a “thud,” DeShawn Stevenson’s hasty shot missed the basket, returning possession to the Pistons. This play epitomized the first half: compared to the Pistons’ smooth offense, the Mavericks’ offense looked far less impressive. By the end of the first half, the Pistons led 62-51, widening the gap further. In his matchup against Jason Kidd, Zhou Yi also held a clear advantage. He scored 10 points, provided 8 assists, and grabbed 2 steals in the first half, making Jason Kidd’s 6 points, 6 assists, and 2 turnovers seem insignificant. “Jason Kidd is really getting old; he’s not as energetic on the court as Zhou Yi. His teammates’ poor performance makes it hard for him to showcase his coaching skills, and defensively, he seems to always be a step behind, clearly unable to keep up with Zhou Yi’s pace. The Mavericks must make changes in the second half, and Jason Kidd needs to pick himself up—otherwise, they’ll suffer a crushing defeat under the Pistons’ relentless offense,” said Clyde Drexler, who was pessimistic about the Mavericks’ prospects. What was expected to be a fierce battle didn’t materialize. In the second quarter, the Pistons not only demonstrated their strong offensive capabilities but also excelled defensively.

Rick Carlisle no longer even had the energy to scold them; the Mavericks’ locker room was dead silent. Jason Kidd sat in his seat, head bowed. Seeing his somewhat pale face, Rick Carlisle didn’t know much to say. In fact, Jason Kidd had performed quite well, but Zhou Yi had been outstanding, and combined with the overall poor performance of his teammates, it made it difficult for him to have a great game.

At the start of the second half, Zhou Yi continued to start. The team built a significant advantage, and John Kuester consciously took the key players off the court to rest. Yet he still couldn’t afford to be careless. Facing the Mavericks’ Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Terry, and Jason Kidd, once they got into their rhythm, it was hard for any team to withstand them. Fortunately, the Mavericks’ weak interior defense became their fatal weakness. As long as they exploited this flaw, the Pistons still held the advantage.

John Kuester was prepared for the Mavericks’ counterattacks, which was why he sent Zhou Yi out. But he still underestimated the Mavericks’ strength. With Jason Kidd’s coordination, the Mavericks scored a 12-5 run in just three and a half minutes, narrowing the score gap to single digits. During this attack, Jason Terry overcame his poor performance from the first half, hitting consecutive shots from beyond the three-point line.

John Kuester didn’t seem too concerned about the situation on the court.

The Mavericks were already a super strong team. If they could be easily defeated by the Pistons, then they would just be pretend strong teams, not ones with the capability to win championships.

The Pistons’ offense was temporarily stuck, but in John Kuester’s eyes, the Mavericks’ offense hadn’t improved either. Jason Terry’s two three-pointers were both very forced, shot under duress, and such shots couldn’t pose a threat to the Pistons.

Perhaps fans enjoy seeing thrilling goals in games, but as a head coach, what they really want to see is a solid offense. The simpler and more effective the offense, the better. A spectacular goal might boost team morale, but it can’t affect the course of the game. This is also why he valued Zhou Yi so much—unless the game demanded it, Zhou Yi would always choose the safest offensive approach to make scoring simpler and more practical.

The Pistons called a short timeout, and Tracy McGrady was sent onto the court to replace Ben Gordon.

Jason Kidd’s expression grew increasingly serious. With McGrady returning to the court, the Pistons’ offensive quality would surely improve. However, in Kidd’s view, McGrady’s defense wouldn’t pose much of a threat to the Mavericks.

Jason Kidd quickly drove the ball across half-court, but he didn’t make a decisive breakthrough. Zhou Yi stood tall at the three-point line, motionless yet clearly posing a threat. Taking advantage of Jason Terry’s screen, Kidd seized the fleeting opportunity, rushed to the free-throw line, leaped up, and swung his arms lightly.

With a thud, the Mavericks’ basket rejected their star point guard once again as Gregg Monroe easily grabbed the rebound. After landing, Monroe quickly threw the ball high toward the front court. Unfortunately, just as the ball reached the free-throw line, a dark figure flashed by, and Zhou Yi watched helplessly as the ball was stolen.

Jason Terry, having intercepted the ball, hesitated not for a moment. With astonishing explosive power, he shot himself into the air, bending slightly backward while raising the ball high. Seeing Gregg Monroe’s jumping timing and blocking position, Zhou Yi knew the shot was almost certain. Jason Terry had clearly underestimated Monroe’s explosive power. Although Monroe’s jump was slightly delayed, his incredible strength allowed him to overtake his opponent—this was Monroe’s strongest blocking move, using his remarkable jumping ability to swat the ball away just as the opponent finished his motion.

With a snap, Jason Terry’s face showed shock. His jumping ability and explosive power were indeed not what they used to be, but being blocked like this was something he had never imagined. Just as he was about to complete a dunk, Gregg Monroe seemed to appear out of nowhere and blocked his dunk.

“Gregg…” The crowd erupted in cheers, naturally directed at Gregg Monroe. Such a stunning block naturally drew applause from the home fans.

Dirk Nowitzki reached out for the ball, and upon seeing this, Jason Kidd quickly passed the ball to him.

Dirk Nowitzki’s attacking range was relatively far out, especially his power from beyond the three-point line, which was enough to intimidate any team. Faced with Gregg Monroe’s defense, Dirk Nowitzki didn’t hold back and hit a jump shot right over him.

Maddie’s mid-range shot was off, and Brandon Haywood easily grabbed the rebound. A long pass was sent to Jason Terry, who broke past Maddie and scored inside the Pistons’ paint. Maddie organized the offense with the ball, with James Posila providing support; he passed to Greg Monroe in the paint. Greg Monroe took on Dirk Nowitzki one-on-one and attempted a turnaround hook shot, but it missed, with Brandon Haywood securing the defensive rebound. The Mavericks attacked, with Jason Kidd throwing a pass into the paint from the top of the key, then catching a pass back and scoring a mid-range jump shot. Zhou Yi used his speed to break through Jason Kidd’s defense and rushed inside for a layup, though it missed, but he forced a foul on Dirk Nowitzki. Zhou Yi took the free throws and made both. So far, Zhou Yi has made 132 consecutive free throws, setting a record for the Pistons. Jason Kidd slipped along the baseline, then received a clever pass from a teammate and scored another jump shot in the paint, adding 4 points in just one minute. Maddie attempted a jump shot from beyond the three-point line; although it missed, Ben Wallace grabbed the offensive rebound and returned the ball to Maddie. Maddie passed to Zhou Yi at the baseline, who hit a three-pointer. Jason Terry used a screen from a teammate to drive inside and score as well. James Posila drove past half-court without holding onto the ball too long and quickly passed it to Zhou Yi. At that moment, only Jason Kidd was around Zhou Yi, though other Mavericks players were lurking nearby. Still, the situation was much better than the previous double-team. With a step back, he created distance between the two, and Zhou Yi threw a high pass that quickly went over Jason Kidd’s head, with James Posila hitting a jump shot from beyond the three-point line. After the game started, the Mavericks performed better and better, especially in defense, which improved significantly. The Pistons’ players also cooled down a bit and allowed the Mavericks to score a 13-7 run. In no time, the Mavericks closed the gap, now only trailing the Pistons by 2 points at 88-86. Chapter 268: Turn of the Tide. Zhou Yi didn’t force his way through defense but quickly passed the ball to Maddie. Against a strong team like the Mavericks, tactics and strategies had to change completely. Flexible passing, active movement by perimeter players, and precise positioning of interior players were crucial in games against the Mavericks.

Maddie feinted, broke through the Mavericks’ defenders, and hit a mid-range jump shot, helping the Pistons take a 4-point lead with the score at 90:86. Jason Kidd passed the ball skillfully to Dirk Nowitzki, who then hit a jump shot while standing on one leg. After Zhou Yi broke through, the ball was promptly passed to James Posey at the baseline; his three-point attempt missed, and Greg Monroe easily grabbed the rebound. Leaning against Dirk Nowitzki, he moved step by step toward the three-second line. Greg Monroe slightly bent his left elbow to push back against Dirk, creating space, then easily launched a hook shot that went in. Taking a deep breath in relief, Greg Monroe wiped the sweat from his forehead. He hadn’t expected Dirk Nowitzki to be so strong—just a few short steps had taken a toll on him. The feel of his final hook shot wasn’t ideal, but luck played a role as the ball bounced a few times on the rim before finally going in. Sean Marion pulled to the outside to set a screen for Jason Kidd. Under Zhou Yi’s defense, Jason Kidd wasn’t as effortless as in previous games, especially when trying to break through—several times he seemed close to success only for Zhou Yi to suddenly appear in front of him. After several failed attempts, he relied more on his teammates’ screens. The Mavericks had many scoring players; many used to say the Mavericks relied only on a few key players, but that wasn’t true—their bench was strong, especially after Dirk Nowitzki was out, giving their bench players more opportunities to shine. The most outstanding among them were Jose Barea and Sean Marion, with the other players also showing good efficiency. It’s just that their playing time was limited, so it didn’t show up in the stats. Jason Kidd quickly broke through from the middle into the three-second area, but Greg Monroe was already waiting inside. Seeing no chance to shoot, and given Jason Kidd’s playing style, he wouldn’t shoot so easily. With a slight flick of his wrist, the ball quickly went to Sean Marion. By then, Greg Monroe had already switched to defend Jason Kidd, and the other Pistons players hadn’t yet had time to cover. He stretched out his arm and easily dunked the ball.

Zhou Yi’s long pass to the inside found Greg Monroe, who used a convincing fake move to easily deceive Sean Marion, sending the ball through the net. Jason Kidd’s drive pass led to a three-pointer from Jason Terry. A passing mistake by the Pistons allowed Jason Kidd, Sean Marion, and Jason Terry to form a 3-on-2 advantage, with Jason Kidd finishing with a mid-range shot. 94:95, the Mavericks took the lead and now controlled the game. With one minute left in the third quarter, John Kuester called a timeout. After the timeout, the Pistons’ Zhou Yi was replaced by Will Bynum to rest, so he could perform better in the crucial fourth quarter. James Posey replaced James Posey, and Ben Gordon replaced Tracy McGrady. For the Mavericks, Jose Barea replaced Jason Kidd, and Ian Mahinmi replaced Dirk Nowitzki. The game resumed with the Pistons in possession. Ben Gordon suddenly jumped and shot from just outside the three-point line. With a swish, he hit a three-pointer. The shot was so sudden that Jason Terry wasn’t expecting him to shoot from such a distance. In the next minute, the Mavericks played excellently, hitting both of their shots and stopping both of the Pistons’ attacks.