Basketball Legend: When Pride Still Matters

"The Washington Post" reporter Steve Wyche once publicly said that Yu Fei exhibits an antisocial personality on the court.

Now, he's simply showing his worst side to the opponents.

Hamilton's defense was ruthlessly crushed, and though the Pistons' double-team was quick, Yu Fei took his shot before the double-team was set.

Another hit, this time a jumper in the face of multiple defensive players.

He had become unstoppable!

The entire night's efforts of the Pistons turned ironic in the face of his overwhelming personal performance, as if effort meant nothing.

The Detroit people were thrown into disarray, completely losing their offensive rhythm, with Hamilton's pull-up jumper against the defense missing the mark.

The Pistons' retreat was quick, they still remembered their arrangement not to go for offensive rebounds in exchange for speed on defense.

However, the five-out fast break is not the traditional concept of a fast break.

For the Bucks, a fast break doesn't just mean getting to the basket, if the defensive team's communication is not in place, and the help defense is not timely, even facing a situation with five defenders back, they could still find scoring opportunities.

That's what happened this round, with Yu Fei, who had scored consecutively, now carrying a gravitational pull on defense, attracting the attention of two or three Pistons players wherever he went.

Ray Allen decided to let the Detroit people know what despair was.

He received a pass from Yu Fei after following up, and one step beyond the three-point line, he leaped and took the shot.

A guy who hasn't scored much tonight, suddenly shooting a three from an unconventional distance?

The Detroit people hesitated for a second, then saw the basketball swish through the net.

That "swish" sound was despairing.

91 to 79

Three and a half minutes had passed, and the score difference had reached 12 points.

The Pistons again called for a timeout.

The only tactical change the Bucks made was substituting Devean George with Christian Laettner, which although reduced the athleticism in the lineup, it brought more structure to the pick-and-roll offense in a set play.

The Pistons were beaten down to their last breath, yet Karl's substitutions were still meticulous.

As the timeout ended, the Pistons' way of scoring was to draw fouls under the basket and go to the free-throw line.

But Rasheed Wallace missed both free throws.

"Good, good, good!" Horry taunted, grabbing the rebound and saying, "Basketball doesn't lie!"

A person dominated by feelings of frustration wouldn't respond to trash talk.

The Pistons' cooperative defense, overshadowed by the specter of failure, also lost its effectiveness, with Fei taking on Prince at the top of the arc, then toyed with three opponents at the free-throw line, scoring a layup in front of Big Ben.

No matter how Coach Brown yelled, cursed, or tried to incite the players on the court, it was no longer effective.

Billups, after failing to organize the offense, desperately attempted a three-point shot.

It missed!

Yu Feifei grabbed the long rebound—his 15th rebound of the night.

He dribbled the ball cheerfully, with ten eyes on the court staring at him.
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At this point, the Pistons players still fantasized about stopping him.

Why did they harbor such illusions? Yu Fei didn't know, but as he crossed the half-court, he saw the Pistons players all guarding within the three-point line; these rabid bastards, even at this point, still didn't realize how they were being beaten.

Facing those ten vigilant eyes, Yu Fei stopped just a step before the mid-court line.

The entire Bradley Center held its breath.

LeBron James stood up, "Big brother, no way?"

Receiving the ball in that position, could it be...?

Not just the audience and opponents, but even Yu Fei's teammates looked at him as if they had seen a ghost.

Are you crazy?

George Karl, with his mouth agape, ultimately watched in silence as Yu Fei leaped from the center circle.

What kind of moment was this?

It was the moment when prejudice was confirmed, Frye Yu was a madman, he had always been a madman, only a madman would choose to shoot from that position in regular time!

It was the moment when belief was embodied, Yu Fei was a butcher, he intended to kill his opponents, not just simply knock them down, but to flay and dismember them, to shred even their invisible and intangible souls.

Whether prejudice or belief, their only common feature was, when it appeared in the world in such a heart-shocking manner, it was met with the end of rationality.

The ABC commentator roared hysterically, "Frye Yu has taken a super long three-pointer from ten thousand eight hundred miles away from the basket!!!!!"

"Swish!!!!!!!"

"OMG~!!!!!!"

The big screen at the venue first showed Yu Fei, then his teammates, and then the head coaches of both teams.

Larry Brown's eyes glittered with moisture, he knew his dream of leading the Pistons to a championship was killed.

And George Karl, it was as if he had watched Jesus being nailed to the cross before him, he held his head in his hands with a "Where am I?" expression on his face.

It was over, this time it was really over!

The Pistons' last ounce of fighting spirit was extinguished after that shot.

Afterwards, Robert Horry exploded, taking control of the game from Yu Fei's hands, scoring 11 points in succession, and turning the King of the Hill battle into garbage time.

At the end, 115 to 89, the Bucks launched a run in the fourth quarter to bury the Pistons completely.

Post-game interview

"We gave it our all, there are no regrets about this game," Larry Brown said weakly.

"Don't talk about this as carnival basketball anymore. If this is carnival basketball, then we played circus defense," Ben Wallace legitimized the Bucks' offense.

"No personal grudge, I repeat, I have no personal grudge against Frye!" Richard Hamilton denied any old grievance with Yu Fei.

"52 points, 15 rebounds, 13 assists?" upon hearing Yu Fei's stats, George Karl exclaimed, "Who on Earth can stop Frye Yu?"

"Cut the crap, I need to buy Frye a pork cutlet meal now and beg for his forgiveness, or he'll have the team trade me," Anthony Mason talked about his ejection after receiving a flagrant foul level two.

"You know, Frye Yu has always been my elder brother, he played the greatest game I've ever seen, I really have so much to learn from him!" LeBron James said in a courtside interview after the game.

"Frye, how do you evaluate this game?"

"Winning is good, I believe the losers should have more to say."

"Rip denied that he has a personal grudge with you, what do you think?"

"He wouldn't dare shake hands with me before the game, and wasn't willing to congratulate me after it ended, so, I can't really say."

"Coach Brown has been critical of you not joining the Dream Team training camp, is this game a response to him?"

"What do I have to respond to? His words are worthless to me!"

"So you are angry with his words?"

"Me, angry? What do I have to be angry about? I would just laugh out loud!"