Chapter 164

With the coach's green light, Zhao Dong tightened up his chemistry with Ewing, working the pick-and-roll game hard.

Out of the league's four superstar centers, Ewing had the smoothest mid-range shot. When he stepped out from the low post to get the rock, he was still a major threat.

Zhao Dong used this to his advantage, dodging double-teams and slicing into the Bulls' paint, causing all kinds of problems.

Chicago didn't have an answer for it. Their double-team strategy fell apart.

By halftime, Zhao Dong logged 22 minutes, shooting 7-for-10 from the field, 10-for-11 from the stripe, racking up 24 points, 7 boards, 5 dimes, 2 steals, 3 blocks, 2 turnovers, and 2 fouls.

Ewing chipped in with 12 points, going 5-for-10 from the floor and 2-for-4 from the line.

On the other side, MJ was cooking—10-for-18 FG, 1-for-3 from deep, 6-for-7 FTs, dropping 27 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 1 block, 3 turnovers, and 3 fouls.

Back in the studio,NBC's Marv Albert broke it down:

"In that last stretch before halftime, Zhao Dong and Ewing put on a clinic. First, Zhao Dong drew the double out at the three-point line, then Ewing popped out from the post to get the ball, dragging Kukoc with him. That left the lane wide open for Zhao Dong to slash inside."

Matt Goukas nodded. "This is why the Knicks are so dangerous. They got a dominant big and a lethal perimeter threat, both commanding double-teams. Chicago doesn't have that luxury.

"When those two start working off each other, the Bulls' 'Jordan Rules' start breaking down. They can't double Zhao Dong off the ball, they can't double Ewing, and once they start moving the rock between them, the Bulls' defense gets lost."

Back in the Bulls' locker room, Phil Jackson was all business. "Listen up! We can't let the ball move freely between Zhao Dong and Ewing. We need to cut off that passing lane…"

Meanwhile, over in the Knicks' locker room, things were feeling good.

Van Gundy was smiling. "We're executing well, the game plan is solid…"

Zhao Dong smirked. Feels like a lucky break to me. If Phil throws a curveball at us, we might be scrambling again.

Van Gundy got serious. "Look, we know Jackson is gonna make adjustments. He's a dynasty coach, he's not just gonna sit back and watch. We need to be ready."

Then he turned to Zhao Dong. "What's your take?"

Zhao Dong shrugged. "Not much. But if they're throwing doubles at me and Patrick, the other guys gotta step up."

Van Gundy nodded. "Exactly. If they load up on us, we need movement—cuts, screens, off-ball action. Make 'em work."

Outside, Magic Johnson gave his two cents to the media.

"I gotta say, I'm surprised. The Knicks actually came out with a solid counter. If they can keep this up, they got a real shot."

Third Quarter Starts—Knicks Possession

Zhao Dong drew the double-team right away, calling for Ewing's pick.

This time, Kukoc fronted Ewing hard, cutting off the entry pass.

Zhao Dong, ready to dish, got locked up. Harper closed in, trapping him on the three-point line.

Pippen quickly jumped into the passing lane, cutting off the connection between Zhao Dong and Ewing.

Then Kukoc, seeing Zhao Dong was stuck, crashed in for the triple-team.

Now boxed in, Zhao Dong raised his hands high, trying to avoid the strip.

At the same time, MJ and Rodman collapsed in.

With no other option, Zhao Dong lobbed it up to Ewing.

But the pass floated too long. By the time Ewing got it, Rodman and MJ were already on him.

Zhao Dong cut inside, but Pippen, Harper, and Kukoc ignored him, swarming Ewing instead.

"Stripped! Pippen picks his pocket! Jordan's off to the races!"

Swish!

Jordan finished with an easy layup.

"Elite defense!" Marv Albert shouted.

Zhao Dong looked at Van Gundy, but no adjustments came.

46-46, game tied, play on.

Matt Goukas chimed in, "So, Zhao Dong tried playing off-ball to dodge the double-team, but it definitely lowers his threat level. Was it worth it?"

Marv Albert added, "Reminds me of Jordan. He played off-ball plenty while Pippen handled the rock."

Next trip down, Zhao Dong didn't rush to get the ball. Instead, he moved around, pulling defenders with him.

Pippen struggled to keep up. Zhao Dong used the crowded paint to shake him, then popped out to the left wing, signaling for the ball from Charlie Ward.

By the time he caught it, Pippen was trailing behind, and the Bulls' double-team couldn't get there in time.

Harper and Jordan tried to close the gap, but Zhao Dong didn't hesitate. He rose up and drilled the mid-range jumper.

"Money!" Marv Albert called. "Zhao Dong used his quickness to lose Pippen, and by the time he got the ball, it was too late to send help."

Matt Goukas nodded. "That's the Jordan blueprint—finding the right spots before the defense reacts. But Zhao Dong's positioning isn't quite there yet. He's relying more on athleticism than technique.

"If the Bulls adjust, they can start switching on time and shut this down."

"Yeah," Marv Albert agreed. "They need to sharpen their rotations."

Sure enough, the next time Zhao Dong moved off the ball, the Bulls immediately switched up, and Jordan stuck to him like glue.

His off-ball movement was only a 75, not enough to shake off Jordan, who had better mobility and defensive instincts.

As soon as he caught the ball, Jordan and Harper closed in on him, double-teaming hard.

He stepped back for a jumper, but Harper jumped right into his space, throwing off his balance. The shot bricked, and Rodman snagged the rebound.

Jordan grabbed the ball and sprinted down the court. Zhao Dong chased, but by the time they hit the Bulls' frontcourt, he was just a step behind.

"Damn, this dude is fast!"

Jordan was startled. Instead of going straight for a layup or dunk, he pulled a quick stop, trying to let Zhao Dong's momentum carry him past the baseline before finishing.

But Zhao Dong had already anticipated it. He controlled his speed and stopped just in time under the basket.

Right when Jordan turned back for the layup, Zhao Dong took a big step forward and swatted the ball right out of his hands.

"Oh! He snatched that clean!"

The commentator lost it, hands on his head in disbelief.

The Knicks took off on a fast break, both teams scrambling.

Zhao Dong dished the ball ahead, then sprinted full speed down the court. As he crossed half-court, the ball found Alan Houston on the right wing. He signaled for it, and Houston fed him immediately.

Zhao Dong caught it at the top of the arc.

Harper and Pippen rushed to double-team, but he swung the ball to Ewing, who had just settled into the low post.

Ewing caught it, but Rodman and Kukoc immediately collapsed on him. That's when he saw Zhao Dong cutting past the free-throw line and quickly passed it back.

Jordan, seeing this, sprinted into the paint.

Zhao Dong caught the rock, took one strong step, and launched himself at the rim as Rodman and Jordan jumped to contest.

BANG!

The contact was brutal—Rodman and Jordan got bodied mid-air, sent crashing to the floor with two heavy thuds, sliding backward from the impact.

BEEP!

The whistle blew.

"Yeah!"

While the United Center crowd fell silent, Knicks fans in the building erupted.

The ref ran over and signaled the foul—Rodman hacked Zhao Dong, and it was an and-one.

"Ahhh!"

Zhao Dong clenched his fists, roaring in excitement, as Rodman and Jordan struggled to pick themselves up.

"Zhao Dong just put together a monster sequence!" Marv Albert shouted. "A huge defensive stop against Jordan, and then he bulldozes his way through the defense for a three-point play!"

"Rodman's now got three fouls, and so does Jordan," Matt Goukas added.

Zhao Dong was still hyped as hell, but his free throw clanked off the rim.

Oakley was in the right spot, though—he grabbed the board and kicked it back out to Zhao Dong.

This time, he pulled up from mid-range.

Swish!

Money.

"The Knicks are crashing the boards hard, making big plays on both ends! The Bulls are taking hits, and their momentum is starting to fade. Phil Jackson calls for time."

Timeout Bulls.

When play resumed, Jordan came back aggressive and hit a tough shot.

52-50, Knicks up two.

Zhao Dong noticed he wasn't pulling away from the Bulls as much as he wanted. Time for a tweak in his approach.

He thought of Chris Webber's high-post game—a deadly weapon in the future—and figured he could add that to his arsenal.

This time, instead of setting up on the wing, he moved past the top of the key and settled into the high post.

It was a danger zone—from here, he could shoot, pass, or drive. A couple of steps, and he'd be at the rim.

"Hit me."

Pippen was the only one guarding him initially. The other Bulls defenders sagged inward but couldn't fully commit to a double-team yet.

Charlie Ward saw the mismatch and passed it in.

As soon as the ball touched Zhao Dong's hands, Jordan and Harper lunged at him.

They knew how dangerous he was at this spot. Only Kukoc stayed behind with Ewing—everyone else collapsed on Zhao Dong.

But before the defense could fully trap him, he faked a pass to Ewing in the low post.

Everyone's eyes darted toward Ewing.

"Wait—no!"

It was a decoy.

Zhao Dong quickly swung the ball to the opposite side.

Alan Houston, cutting to the rim, caught it in stride and finished the layup.

"Beautiful! Zhao Dong just played the Bulls like a fiddle!" Goukas shouted. "That fake pass was so damn smooth—he even fooled his own teammate, Ewing!"

54-50, Knicks up four.

Zhao Dong kept improvising, tweaking his game on the fly.

Van Gundy, not exactly an offensive mastermind, just let it rock. If it worked, it worked.

On the next Bulls possession, Zhao Dong switched things up again.

He called for a defensive switch with Alan Houston, taking on Jordan himself.

"Charlie, double-team faster! Everybody, rotate quicker!" he yelled.

"Got it!"

The Knicks were feeling it, their energy drowning out the Bulls' home-court advantage.

Jordan had the rock at the right-wing three-point line, Zhao Dong right in front of him.

"Yo, Mike, looks like y'all about to take another L. Your squad's looking kinda weak!"

Jordan smirked. "How many I gotta drop on you before you shut that mouth?"

"80-plus?"

Jordan's face twitched.

80?! Boy, if you don't…

The ball swung his way, and he caught it sideways.

Quick turn left—Zhao Dong shifted with him—except Jordan wasn't driving.

He hit a quick fadeaway jumper instead.

Swish!

Cold. Blooded.

"Too easy!" Jordan barked, staring Zhao Dong down. "Your defense is weak, kid!"

"Man, shut the hell up."

Zhao Dong smacked his lips. This was why Jordan was Jordan—the bigger the moment, the sharper he got.

No time to dwell on it. He sprinted back the other way.

By the end of the third quarter, the Knicks still held the lead.

67-63, Knicks up four.

Zhao Dong and Ewing had some solid chemistry going, constantly running defensive counterattacks and speeding up the pace of the game. The Bulls' aggressive defense couldn't completely shut Zhao Dong down, no matter how much they tried.

But on the flip side, the Knicks weren't able to put a real cap on Jordan either. Every time Zhao Dong matched up with him, Pippen played the playmaker role, keeping the offense moving and making it tough for Zhao Dong to lock Jordan down off the ball.

With both sides struggling to fully stop each other, the game stayed tight.

"Jordan's put on a damn show tonight—15 for 26 from the field, 1 for 3 from three, and 10 for 11 at the stripe. He's got 41 points, 6 boards, 3 dimes, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 3 turnovers, and 3 fouls. Another casual 40-piece in the playoffs," Matt Goukas called out.

"Zhao Dong didn't score as much this quarter, only 6 points, but he's doing it all. Right now, he's 9 for 15 shooting, 12 for 14 on free throws, 30 points, 10 boards, 7 assists, 3 steals, 4 blocks, 3 turnovers, and 3 fouls. He might be looking at a triple-double or even a 5x5 night," Marv Albert added.

By the time the fourth quarter started, both teams were going all out. It turned into a straight-up brawl.

The Bulls weren't about to let themselves lose at home. Their defense got even nastier, pressuring the perimeter hard and making every possession a grind.

Nine minutes in, the score sat at 79-77, Knicks barely up by two. The Bulls called for a timeout.

"The defense in this quarter has been straight-up physical, shooting percentages are ugly, and neither team is getting easy buckets. But the Bulls have the home-court edge, shooting 38% in the fourth compared to the Knicks' 31%," Matt Goukas said on NBC broadcast.

"If it wasn't for the Knicks dominating the boards, they wouldn't even have this lead," Marv Albert added.

At the Bulls' bench, Phil Jackson turned to Rodman. "Dennis, you got 10 boards, that's solid, but I need more from you."

"What do you want me to do?" Rodman asked.

"Use your defense to change the game. These last two minutes, we have to take control. We can't lose here," Jackson said, his tone dead serious.

Rodman nodded, then shrugged. "Man, I tried everything, but I don't know what's up with Oakley. He's not reacting to my trash talk today."

Jackson frowned. His plan was to get under Oakley's skin—get him emotional, get him fouling, and weaken the Knicks' interior defense. If Oakley lost his cool, Jordan would have way more room to cook.

"Dennis, think it through. You know how to get to him," Jordan said, smirking. "Now's the time to show off that mouth of yours."

Timeout over. Bulls' ball.

Jordan moved off the ball, running wide to shake Zhao Dong. Pippen saw an opening, cut inside, and caught the pass at the top of the arc before attacking the paint. The Knicks' defense collapsed on him.

That's when Jordan broke free. Pippen dished it, and just as Jordan went up for the shot—BAM! Oakley met him mid-air and sent him flying to the ground.

Beep!

Whistle. Foul. Two shots for Jordan.

"Charles, how many fouls you got?" Zhao Dong asked.

"Four," Oakley responded.

"Watch yourself. Don't let them bait you," Zhao Dong warned in a low voice.

"Yeah, yeah, I got it." Oakley nodded.

At the line, Jordan shook out his hands. That foul had stung. But he wasn't about to let it show.

"Rookie, you tryna start something?" Jordan taunted, looking at Zhao Dong.

Zhao Dong chuckled coldly. "Man, I always knew you were a gambler. Never miss a chance to take a bet, huh?"

Jordan's face darkened. If there was one thing he hated, it was people bringing up his gambling past. The last time he retired, the media had hounded him over it, and his father's tragic murder had only made things worse.

But anger? Jordan knew how to channel that.

Swish.

First free throw.

Swish.

Second free throw. Tie game.

Knicks' possession.

Zhao Dong barely got the ball when chaos erupted on the court. Oakley turned and socked Rodman right in the jaw, dropping him to the hardwood. The whistle blew again.

BOOOO!

The entire United Center exploded with boos, drowning everything else out.

"Shit!" Zhao Dong cursed.

"Damn! The Knicks are in trouble! Oakley lost his cool at the worst possible moment," Matt Goukas said, stunned.

"Rodman did what he does best—he got under Oakley's skin. This dude is a defensive mastermind when it comes to pissing people off," Marv Albert added.

Over on the CCTV broadcast, Sun Zhenping sighed. "Not the right time to lose control, Oakley..."

Zhang Heli shook his head. "This is what Rodman does. Back in the Finals against the Sonics, he got Shawn Kemp to snap, got him ejected, and that cost Seattle the game. Now, he's doing the same thing here."

"Charles, what the hell happened?!" Zhao Dong rushed over.

"Man, this bastard went too far—talked about my family. I couldn't let that slide. I'm sorry, Zhao Dong, I messed up," Oakley said, still heated.

Rodman, meanwhile, was getting up grinning. Smug as hell. He knew he won this round.

The refs reviewed the play—flagrant two. Oakley was gone.

Van Gundy had no choice but to send in Larry Johnson—another dude with a short fuse and a rep for throwing hands. The Knicks weren't short on enforcers.

As Johnson checked in, Zhao Dong pulled him aside. "Larry, don't let Rodman drag you down too. If it gets outta hand, take him down with you."

Johnson grinned. "If I go, he's coming with me. I promise you that."

With Oakley out, Jordan stepped to the line for the technical free throws.

Swish. Swish.

79-81. Bulls up.

Bulls' ball.

"The Knicks took a massive hit here. If they lose this game, Oakley might avoid suspension, but if they win? He's definitely getting suspended," Matt Goukas pointed out.

Marv Albert chuckled. "Ain't that the truth?"

They both laughed, knowing exactly how the league worked.

With less than two minutes left, the Knicks had to dig deep. They weren't just fighting the Bulls now—they were fighting momentum, the refs, and the damn United Center crowd.

And Zhao Dong? He knew this was it. If he wanted this win, he'd have to take it.

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