Okafor guarded the basket while Gerald Wallace held Pierce, who had shot 10 for 16 and scored 26 points in the first three quarters, to just 1 for 4 and 3 points in the final period, causing the Celtics’ points for the quarter to plunge to 16.
On the other hand, the Bobcats, relying on Brevin Knight, Zhang Yang, and Matt Carroll’s counterattacks, continued to score in the last quarter, racking up 26 points.
to 97, the Bobcats defeated the Celtics, improving their record to 3 wins and 1 loss, handing the Celtics their fourth consecutive defeat!
Zhang Yang didn’t play much in the first three quarters, scoring 5 points in 10 minutes, but he managed to score 8 points in 8 minutes in the final quarter, shooting 5 for 10 and making all 3 of his free throws, finishing with 13 points, 4 rebounds, 1 block, and 1 steal!.
Pierce, who was fond of live streaming, was now in the most miserable stage of his career, with peak personal abilities, scoring 29 points on 20 shots against the Hawks.
But his best teammate, Ricky Davis, in pursuit of 20+ points for the game, wildly threw 26 shots, making only 10 of 26, including 1 for 7 from three-point range, plus making 1 of 2 free throws, scoring 22 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists.
Because it was Ricky Davis’s contract year, he had entered a state where he was indiscriminate in his pursuit of stats.
After the back-to-back games, the Bobcats were granted a 3-day rest. Their next game was on the 9th, a home game, and the team took a day off.
Zhang Yang had long since developed the good habit of undergoing treatment after practice and games, and with quick recovery due to his youth, he was back at the training ground at 10 a.m. the next day.
This morning, after his bowel movement, he weighed himself, and converted to kilograms, he was about 89.5 kg.
Height... hadn’t grown yet, still 193 cm. The upper limit for his height was 196 cm. It could either grow a little bit over a year or so, or he could suddenly shoot up 3 cm in a year; he wasn’t in a rush.
He hadn’t deliberately tried to gain weight. He was only 17 years old, and purposefully strength-training to gain weight could impact his growth. It would be a loss if those potential 3 cm of height were sacrificed for muscle. He was content to wait for the growth and muscle to come naturally.
However, since the start of training camp, with team training, official games, and constant traveling... he was eating more than before.
Despite not intentionally gaining weight, although his weight increased by nearly 4 pounds, he didn’t feel much of a difference in his own perception of his weight. His speed wasn’t affected, and since the weight gain came alongside shooting training, his shooting didn’t suffer either.
But he recalled the difference between shooting after physical play in the preseason and shooting after physical encounters against the Celtics yesterday—it was quite clear!
The defensive strength of the Celtics was about as poor as the Hawks team, where off-ball players could shake off defenders without anyone stepping up to cover them.
Last night, his main defender was the sophomore Tony Allen, who at that time wasn’t considered good on defense—lacking skill, fundamental abilities, and still in a learning phase, but he was fiercely competitive, rivaling power forward Harrington in physicality.
Back then, when Zhang Yang created a shot opportunity after withstanding Harrington’s physicality, it greatly affected his shooting.
But last night, Zhang Yang made 4 out of 9 shots when taking the ball to shoot or driving to the basket after being physically challenged by Tony Allen!
This change was influenced by many factors.
The improved synergy with teammates in passing and receiving the ball might be the most significant factor. The rapport with Brevin Knight, Felton, Gerald Wallace, and the third point guard Kevin Paulson had all improved from before. His teammates were more familiar with his movement and catching habits, and he better understood their passing angles and force.
His Three-Point Ability had improved somewhat, but that was relatively minor.
Becoming more accustomed to the NBA’s physicality at age 17 was also a factor. Having played more games and faced more physical challenges, he naturally got more used to the contact.
This nearly 4-pound weight gain had likely contributed to an increase in strength or core stability as well.
Zhang Yang felt an old saying put it well—"A good appetite is a blessing!"
Four games into his rookie season, Zhang Yang felt puzzled; what did a start of 3 wins and 1 loss mean? Moreover, if it weren’t for Okafor’s lax defense during the overtime game against the Bulls, allowing Ben Gordon and Chandler to score 9 points in the paint, they could have started with a four-game winning streak.
Indeed, none of these opponents were top-tier teams. The strongest, the Chicago Bulls, were still in a growing phase and were merely an Eastern Conference playoff contender... a team with a fifty percent win rate, considered strong in the East.
The Rockets were a 50-win team with Yao and McGrady together, but individually, they were at best fringe playoff contenders.
Against these two teams, the Bobcats either won or were evenly matched, so their victories weren’t considered upsets.
The 76ers and the Celtics were weaker opponents, and it was normal for them to win against such teams.
But the key was their steadiness!
Originally, when Okafor’s weight increased by 9 kilograms, their defense seemed to collapse during the preseason as he couldn’t cover the ground properly. Zhang Yang thought their defensive game was over. But once the regular season started and Gerald Wallace entered a fully committed state, he alone controlled the mid-range area. Averaging 2.5 steals and 2.5 blocks over four games, Gerald’s ability to connect the interior and perimeter defense was comparable to that of Garnett and Kirilenko!
Gerald Wallace and Okafor, in an era where outstanding three-point shooters were scarce, formed a very strong defensive partnership. Against the 76ers and the Celtics, as long as their stamina held up, the Bobcats could steadily secure victories. The pair led the team to give off a vibe similar to that of the Spurs.
However, according to Zhang Yang’s memory, weren’t they supposed to be headed for the number 3 pick to choose Jordan’s beloved protégé, Adam Morrison, this season?
Their current performance, even if not able to compete with those strong Western Conference playoff teams or the top Eastern teams, still offered a chance to make the playoffs in recent years when the East only required 36-40 wins to qualify!