No.1 in basketball scoring-Chapter 897 - 382. A big shot from the Bobcats’ All-NBA First Team! _4

Carlisle called a timeout to adjust the strategy, letting Zhang Yang, Felton, and Okafor take charge!

In the second quarter, they were able to bring down the Pistons’ score, 7 points lower than the first quarter, relying on the Pistons’ drop in mid-range shots accuracy due to confrontations and stamina issues. They dared to block the three-point line and the paint more boldly. After the Pistons’ players, who were accurate with their long two-point shots, regained their touch after half-time, they couldn’t defend again, so they had to go all out!

After the timeout, Zhang Yang took the lead, breaking into the paint with a fake pass and shot, making a layup off the backboard.

Immediately, Billups countered with a stop-and-pop mid-range shot.

It was the Bobcats’ turn to attack. Zhang Yang played another round of fake pass and shot and, upon reaching the elbow, faked a pass to the left towards Okafor, but as McDyess moved to cover the left sideline of the paint, Zhang Yang executed a Euro step, taking two strides past Prince and Rasheed Wallace, and scored with a floater in the paint.

Coming back, Billups also broke into the paint to snatch two points.

The score came to 71-66, the two sides going back and forth for two possessions, matching each other evenly!

Zhang Yang, young and full of ideas, dared to think and act. Billups played recklessly by instinct, lacking the sharpness of young players, but with richer experience and a better knack for seizing opportunities than Zhang Yang.

After both scored two consecutive goals, they faced tighter double teaming from the opponents. Both decisively switched tactics to initiate offense through solo plays, combining with team coordination.

In a little over half the quarter, both teams maintained high offensive efficiency. In 6 minutes and 47 seconds, the Pistons and Bobcats played to a score of 17-18.

After three quarters, the Pistons led the Bobcats by 4 points, entering the final quarter at 88-84!

After a break before the last quarter, the Bobcats finally grasped the initiative, pressing the Pistons in the game.

In the third quarter, although the burden was mainly on the stars, the role players were not under little pressure either, needing to run actively, capitalizing on opportunities. Bobcats’ role players had to deal with the Pistons’ exceptionally strong rotational defense, while Pistons’ players faced the Bobcats’ rough defensive confrontations.

In the final quarter, it all depended on the stars scoring. At this time, the trio of Felton, Zhang Yang, and Okafor firmly outperformed Billups and Hamilton’s Double Guns! fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓

At 10:47 in the final quarter, Okafor caught the ball low, turned and scored a layup, bringing the score to 105-104, Bobcats taking a 1-point lead over the Pistons, with the quarter’s score reaching 21-16!

Just as the Bobcats were about to capitalize on this and pursue victory, Billups stood up, unexpectedly stepping back for a deep three from the top arc, restoring a 107-105 two-point lead for the Pistons.

Back at it, Mike Miller received the ball by the sideline and missed a three, and on the Pistons attack, Hamilton, after long-distance running, nailed a three-pointer, 110-105, the Pistons securing a 5-point advantage in crucial moments!

At 11:27, with 33 seconds left in the game, the Bobcats called a timeout.

After the timeout, Zhang Yang received the ball at the top arc, with teammates moving into positions. Facing Prince’s defense, without waiting for teammates to get set, he suddenly initiated, a fake drive into a step back shot, doing a step-back three in a Big Man Boss style...

After resting for two minutes in the first quarter, Zhang Yang hadn’t rested in the remaining three quarters, almost running out of energy at this point, but he still wanted to take charge in crucial moments. As long as this shot went in, he would defend the next, and at the last moment, he would "Assassin reappear"! But unfortunately...

The shot missed!

Rasheed Wallace boxed out Okafor, Noah secured the defensive rebound, and the Bobcats, unable to grab it, had to execute a tactical foul.

Although Noah graciously missed both free throws, back on offense, Zhang Yang was immediately double-teamed by Prince and Hamilton as soon as he got the ball at the top arc.

At this time, Zhang Yang was unable to force a one-on-two shot, so he passed the ball to Mike Miller at a 45-degree angle on the right. Mike Miller, receiving the ball, decisively shot a three... but it didn’t go in either.

This time, after Rasheed Wallace claimed the defensive rebound, the Bobcats didn’t foul again, and the Pistons didn’t continue attacking, running down the clock to the game’s end.

Billups and Hamilton endured the pressure for an entire quarter, keeping the score tight, not allowing the Bobcats to gain a clear advantage, until breaking out at the last moment to score 6 consecutive points...

Tonight, Hamilton scored 26 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists, making 9 of 20 shots, 4 of 7 from three-point range, and 4 of 5 free throws.

Billups tallied 25 points, 2 rebounds, and 7 assists, making 8 of 20 shots, 5 of 9 from three-point range, and going 4 for 4 from the free-throw line.

Adding Rasheed Wallace’s 15 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists, McDyess’ 13 points and 6 rebounds, Noah’s 4 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists, Prince’s 13 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists, Dudley’s 7 points and 1 assist, Lynch Hunter’s 3 points and 2 assists, and Max Hill’s 4 points, 4 rebounds...

110-105, the Pistons defeated the Bobcats on the road, snatching the home-court advantage right off the bat!

...

Losing the first battle was nothing short of a critical hit for the Bobcats players.

Although before the second round began, they were already counted out — the Bobcats’ offensive style purportedly lacked playoff intensity; the Pistons had a clear advantage in regular-season encounters; the Bobcats lacked the ability to break through the Pistons’ team defense at the basket; although they had a better record than the Pistons, it was mainly because of three long winning streaks at the start and end of the season...

But as the defending champions, having 61 wins, they didn’t lose confidence just because they were counted out. Instead, they kept encouraging themselves, facing the Pistons with high morale.

Yet, the facts proved that morale alone wasn’t enough.

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