In the last seven minutes or so, both teams were playing recklessly. The Pistons were merely holding onto the extravagant hope of turning the game around, continuously shooting, while on the Nets' side, Zhang Hao, Jason Williams, and Edwards were exhausted and substituted out. Kenny Anderson and Almon Gilliam were taking turns playing one-on-one, and defense...was not important anymore.
No surprises occurred. With over a 10-point gap, Grant Hill scored 39 points, grabbed 9 rebounds, and provided 8 assists, but was completely worn out. The Pistons lacked other players capable of leading a comeback. They relied on a versatile superstar as the foundation to build a playoff-caliber team under Coach Collins.
Finally, the Nets defeated the Pistons 119 to 101, winning the opening game away!
The crowd had been booing Zhang Hao since the start of the fourth quarter, but now, it was completely silent.
How unexpected the result turned out...
During the preseason, they saw hope.
