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Chapter 405 - 189. We’ve come this far, we definitely have to fight for it!_3

Chapter 405: 189. We’ve come this far, we definitely have to fight for it!_3

What Okafor cared about—that a player averaging 12 points, 7 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1 steal, and 1.7 blocks per game was ranked above him!

It was one of the rare things that could disrupt Okafor’s emotional stability, just like at the end of his rookie season when the media predicted Howard would surpass him in their sophomore year. Okafor spent that summer adding more than ten kilograms to better confront Howard, nearly wrecking his own body...

Most of the time, playing emotionally isn’t a good thing, except for players like Ellis, JR Smith, and Crawford, who have a "streaky" nature and perform better emotionally than they usually do. For most players, their performance drops when they play emotionally.

But tonight, Okafor was surly, and he played very well!

Rasheed Wallace’s defense is a mix of softness and rigidity, seemingly frail but uncompromising. The skilled Bosh struggles against him, with an overall shooting percentage of only 43% from their three encounters.

However, when facing the irate Okafor, Rasheed Wallace’s toughness wasn’t enough.

Okafor, Rasheed Wallace, and Bosh were like rock-paper-scissors to each other, each having their own counter.

If Ben Wallace were still here, Rasheed Wallace would have no fear of Okafor’s assaults and one-on-ones, but with Ben gone to the Chicago Bulls for a big contract, Rasheed Wallace only had McDyess and Webber by his side...

In the first quarter, Okafor played the entire period, and his performance was so outstanding that Bickerstaff couldn’t bear to substitute him out. With 8 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 blocks in just one quarter, he was not only aggressive in scoring and rebounds but also single-handedly held up the defense, forcing the Pistons to settle for outside shots.

Billups was reckless, and Hamilton was steady; the two were the Pistons’ top scorers, but they didn’t rely on scoring flurries to defeat opponents. Instead, they would open up the game from the outside, creating three-point opportunities and chances for their teammates to attack the basket.

It started with both of them opening up, creating scoring opportunities under the basket, then helping the wing shooters to find chances. Tonight, the Pistons’ offense got cut off in the second phase!

Okafor’s 8 points and 4 offensive rebounds in the first quarter were not just a showcase of his personal offensive skills, but he also created better scoring conditions for his teammates.

After he scored a few more points and grabbed a couple of extra rebounds, the Pistons’ twin towers had to defend against him scoring and going for the rebounds, often both standing beside him, which gave Zhang Yang the chance to cut in and score.

Hamilton had the stamina to run a dog ragged, able to frustrate Zhang Yang with his catch-and-shoot defense, but when chasing Zhang Yang into the paint, his meager frame just couldn’t hold up.

Okafor scored 8 points in the first quarter, Zhang Yang had 6 points, Felton scored 5 points with 2 assists, Rondo coming off the bench contributed 2 points and 2 assists, and Alan Anderson scored 3 points. Millsap and Muhammad, rotating in, each grabbed 2 points—leading the Bobcats to a wild 28 points in the quarter, while holding the Pistons to just 17 points!

In the second quarter, seeing that Okafor was still fired up, Bickerstaff decided to keep him in the game.

Fate favors the bold, and Bickerstaff’s daring decision this time paid off.

In the second quarter, led by Okafor, the Bobcats surged forward, scoring 27 to 18 for the quarter, leading the Pistons by 20 points at halftime with 55 to 35!

During the halftime break, Pistons’ head coach Saunders made effective adjustments, targeting both offensive and defensive strategies, whereas Okafor played the whole first half, grabbing 17 points, 16 rebounds, 1 assist, and 3 blocks, with a significant drain on his stamina. Even after resting for half of the quarter, his performance inevitably slumped when he got back on the court, and the Pistons scored 30 points in the third quarter.

However, the Bobcats were not only dependent on Okafor for scoring. When Okafor’s performance dipped, Felton and Zhang Yang abandoned tactics as Zhang Yang couldn’t outpace Hamilton.

The pair took turns attacking, with Felton scoring 6 points in 8 minutes of play, while Zhang Yang scored 7 points in 9 minutes. Under their leadership, the Bobcats scored 23 points in the third quarter and still maintained a double-digit lead at the end of it, leading the Pistons 78 to 65 by 13 points.

By the last quarter, the Pistons’ offensive was still fierce, but their defense against Felton, Zhang Yang, a somewhat recovered Okafor’s solo plays, and Rondo’s quick breaks, were not as tight as in the third quarter. The Pistons scored 31 points in the final quarter, while the Bobcats scored 25...

Okafor played 39 minutes in total, making 9 out of 17 field goals, plus hitting 4 out of 6 free throws, and finished with 22 points, 23 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 5 blocks.

Zhang Yang spent 33 minutes on the court, making 9 out of 20 shots, including 2 out of 5 three-pointers, along with making 4 out of 5 free throws, ending with 24 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block.

Felton made 7 out of 15 shots to score 18 points with 6 assists, Rondo added 5 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, and Alan Anderson and Millsap both scored 8 points...

It was Okafor’s fourth career double-20, leading the Bobcats to beat the Pistons 103 to 96, securing a seven-game winning streak and improving their record to 38 wins and 18 losses!

This was also their first victory over the Pistons this season!

As the final buzzer sounded, Philip Saunders, watching the Bobcats’ players celebrating around Okafor, felt deeply moved.

Last season he had already sensed the great potential of the Bobcats, but he didn’t expect them to become a threat so soon.

Mainly because the loss of Big Ben created a lose-lose situation for both the team and the player... But Big Ben got the big contract he wanted; with a championship and many individual awards already under his belt, even if his performance plummeted after leaving a familiar system, it wouldn’t affect his career evaluation.

With the contract negotiations failing, the real losers were the Pistons.

Saunders couldn’t blame the management or the owner who wanted to control the payroll.

The Pistons owner had also been a big spender, investing 70 million US dollars to build the Auburn Palace at a time when the team’s value wasn’t even that high. But in recent years, with Detroit’s economic downturn, the industrialist owner’s company suffered annual losses, forcing a cutback on expenditures for his hobbies. If the real estate and automotive industries continued to perform poorly in the coming years, he might even have to sell the team.

With Billups already on a big contract, the Pistons’ financial situation couldn’t support offering Ben Wallace a high salary for a long-term deal...

Last season, Saunders thought it would take at least another three years for the Bobcats to surpass them, after the Wallace duo had fully aged, but the loss of Big Ben brought that pressure prematurely!