Chapter 370

"It's too extravagant… too extravagant. Does Zhao Dong love his wife this much?" Zhao Zhenguo muttered in disbelief, staring at the black-and-silver Boeing 737 on the tarmac.

"Come on, Dad, let's go check it out!" Zhao Dacheng said excitedly, snapping photos with his camera before tugging his father toward the stairs.

"I'm not going up," Zhao Zhenguo said, shaking his head. "Just look—don't touch anything."

His secretary, Liu Chengbing, gave the aircraft one last glance and sighed in quiet envy before walking away.

This wasn't just any 737. It had been fully converted into Lindsay's private jet, seating no more than thirty. The rest of the plane was a flying palace: an office, a master bedroom, dressing room, private bath, full gym, even a mini theater.

---

April 22 — The Playoffs Begin

The Knicks were scheduled to play Game 1 of their first-round series on the 23rd, giving them a valuable extra rest day.

That night, the first wave of playoff games tipped off.

In the East:

Pacers beat the Hornets

Bulls took down the Heat

In the West:

Trail Blazers beat the Timberwolves

Suns shocked the Spurs

---

April 23 — Madison Square Garden

By noon, MSG was a sea of blue and orange. Fans wrapped around the arena, holding banners, jerseys, and signs:

"Four-Peat!" "Zhao Dong: MVP!"

The chants echoed through the plaza.

The first round was still a best-of-five series, and the Knicks' opponent, the Raptors, didn't pose much of a threat.

In this timeline, Tracy McGrady had never joined the Raptors. It was just Vince Carter, carrying the weight.

That night, the Knicks rolled through Game 1.

Knicks 1 – Raptors 0

Elsewhere:

76ers beat the Nets

Lakers took down the Supersonics

Mavericks outgunned the Jazz

---

April 24 – Playoff Shifts

Pacers went up 2–0 on the Hornets

Bulls and Heat tied 1–1

Timberwolves tied the series vs. Trail Blazers

Spurs evened things up with the Suns

April 25 – MSG

The Knicks crushed the Raptors in Game 2.

2–0. One step from the sweep.

Meanwhile:

The Nets tied the series with the 76ers 

Lakers went up 2–0 on the Sonics

Mavericks tied with the Jazz

April 26 – Progressions

Pacers 2–1 Hornets

Bulls 2–1 Heat

Trail Blazers 2–1 Timberwolves

Suns 2–1 Spurs

April 27 – Garden Clean Sweep

The Knicks finished the job—3–0 over the Raptors—becoming the first team to advance to Round 2.

That night:

76ers Team beat the Nets (2–1)

Lakers stumbled against the Sonics (2–1)

Mavericks took another against the Jazz (2–1)

After the game, Zhao Dong's phone buzzed. Yao Ming.

"Brother Dong… we can't beat Philly."

Yao's voice sounded frustrated and discouraged.

Zhao leaned back in his chair. "How'd you play tonight?"

"I got elbowed by Malone—split my left eyebrow. Had to get stitches," Yao said, then added, "I elbowed him back—busted his lip."

Zhao grinned. "That's what I taught you. If you get hit, hit back."

Yao then read his stat line:

11/19 FG

8/8 FT

32 points, 8 rebounds

Nearly 58% shooting—against Karl Malone and Theo Ratliff? Dominant.

"What about Marbury?" Zhao asked.

There was a pause. Yao stepped into the bathroom and whispered:

"7-for-24 shooting. 18 points."

Zhao winced. "Under 30% efficiency? If he played for the Knicks, I wouldn't even let him touch the ball."

But Zhao couldn't do much. The Nets weren't his team.

---

April 28

Pacers eliminated the Hornets (3–1)

Bulls–Heat tied (2–2)

Blazers eliminated the Timberwolves

Suns knocked out the Spurs (3–1)

---

April 29 – Nets vs. 76ers Team Game 4

Nets win — Series tied 2–2.

---

April 30

Lakers eliminated Seattle (3–1)

Mavericks eliminated Utah (3–1)

Later that night, Jordan called.

"My Mavericks made it to the second round in year one," he said, elated. "I'm beefing up the roster this offseason—Western Conference Finals, here we come."

May 1

Bulls beat the Heat in Game 5, advancing to Round 2.

May 2 – The Final First-Round Game

In Philadelphia, the 76ers Team put away the Nets, 3–2.

Second Round Set:

East:

Knicks vs. Philadelphia 

Pacers vs. Bulls

West:

Lakers vs. Mavericks

Trail Blazers vs. Suns

Games begin May 6.

---

That morning, Yao Ming and his family flew into New York. They met with Zhao briefly before boarding a flight back to China.

At the airport, Zhao walked Yao to the gate.

"Rest up. No scrimmages, no friendlies. Tell the national team you need recovery," Zhao said seriously.

Yao nodded. "I'll tell Coach Liu. I'm not risking anything."

Yao was entering the Chinese national team a year later than in his previous life, but this time with NBA-level experience—and dominance.

Zhao had once promised Liu Yumin that Yao would be a top-tier NBA center from day one.

He'd delivered.

---

May 2 – Press Conference: Philadelphia 76ers in NYC

At the team hotel, the press was waiting.

A New York Sports Daily reporter raised his mic toward Karl Malone.

"You've faced Zhao Dong's teams several times. Now with the 76ers, how confident are you in reaching the Eastern Conference Finals?"

Malone's eyes burned with pride. "One hundred percent."

Reporters murmured. Sounded familiar.

Next question went to Iverson.

"What are your expectations for this second-round series?"

Iverson's tone was rough, but confident. "We're not thinkin' past the Eastern Finals."

A New York Times reporter followed up: "You were No. 1 in the MVP race earlier this season. Now you're fourth—behind Zhao Dong, Shaq, and Duncan. Thoughts?"

Iverson hesitated, then replied: "The league needs to respect the perimeter. We decide games too."

"So who do you think deserves MVP?" another asked.

Iverson paused again. "Everyone's got a case."

"But don't you think Zhao Dong is the most qualified?"

Iverson scowled. "I didn't say he wasn't. I'm just saying… there are other guys too. He's in the convo."

The room tensed. Then a different reporter turned back to Malone.

"Karl, you've played over a decade without an MVP. Don't you want one?"

Malone cursed silently—MVP.

If chasing a championship meant playing second fiddle to Iverson, so be it.

He had scaled back his offense to focus more on defense. That shift led to a dip in his numbers—and with it, his MVP standing dropped to fifth in the race.

When asked about it, Karl Malone hesitated for just a beat before answering.

 "For me, the championship is everything."

A reporter pushed further.

"If you're eliminated by the Knicks again, will you follow Jordan's lead and retire?"

"Of course not," Malone answered instantly, almost offended.

He still had a year left on his max contract—retirement wasn't even a thought. Word around the league was that Adidas was dealing with major financial troubles. The messy acquisition of a Nike subsidiary had backfired, sending stock prices into a tailspin.

If Malone retired now, he'd be buried in endorsements debt and might just end up in WWE, body-slamming opponents to pay it all off.

May 6 – Madison Square Garden

The air was electric by 7:30 PM.

The lights dimmed. The lineups were in.

Philly:

Theo Ratliff

Karl Malone

George Lynch

Allen Iverson

Eric Snow

New York Knicks:

Zhao Dong

Rodney Rogers

Shawn Marion

Jerry Stackhouse

Manu Ginóbili

---

The Eastern Conference Semifinals were set, and the battle was about to begin.

NBC was carrying the national broadcast, with Marv Albert and Doug Collins in the booth. But TNT had its own broadcast, assigning the series to their new hotshot duo:

Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith.

After nearly two months of training, the rookie commentators were getting their biggest assignment yet. The spotlight was on them.

As the lineups rolled in, Barkley leaned back and let out a theatrical sigh.

"Man, this New York squad really needed a player like me. Without Danny Fortson, this might be the end of the line."

Kenny smirked. "Hope Zhao Dong isn't watching this in the locker room. You might lose your investment quota right now."

"Please, Zhao is my guy. He'd laugh at that," Barkley chuckled.

The jokes gave way to hard analysis.

"Fortson just started ball-handling drills a week ago," Barkley continued. "Reliable sources—don't question it—say the earliest he returns is in the Eastern Conference Finals. Even then, a torn meniscus? No guarantees. Way worse than what Duncan had. Just tough luck for the kid."

"But his name's still on the 12-man roster," Kenny noted.

"That ain't a smokescreen. He's not ready," Charles replied.

Kenny nodded. "So, let's talk matchups. Without Fortson, the Knicks are in trouble. Depth is thin."

"Facts," Barkley agreed. "Ginóbili has adapted fast—he and Stackhouse can hold their own against Iverson and Snow. But the forward rotation? That's where the Knicks bleed. Rodney Rogers is banged up. Marion's been shaky. The 3-4 positions are glaring weaknesses."

He tapped the monitor.

"Especially at power forward. Rogers can't check Malone. Not happening. That means Zhao Dong's gotta shift over. But if Malone drags him out, Iverson's going to attack the paint. Who stops him?"

Kenny nodded. "And the 76ers bench is deeper. That's a huge edge."

--

CCTV Broadcast – Zhang Heli and Su Qun

"It's a shame the Nets couldn't make it through," Zhang Heli said. "Yao Ming could've given the Knicks real problems in the second round."

Su Qun added, "The Mavericks might've just gotten lucky in the West."

Zhang continued, "Even with Zhao Dong's elite defense, he can't stop Yao. But in this matchup, the Knicks still have a shot. It's 50-50."

Su Qun analyzed further: "Marion has been inconsistent in the playoffs—fatigue, missed rotations, poor efficiency. And Ginóbili, while better, is still a rookie. It'll take a season or two for them to mature."

"They gave up Sprewell, and their perimeter took a hit," Zhang said. "Salary flexibility helps in the long run, but in the short term? This roster's thinner than it looks."

"And with Fortson out, it's all on Zhao Dong," Su Qun agreed. "He played too hard in the regular season. They chased the best record too aggressively."

---

8:10 PM – Tunnel Meet-Up

Both squads funneled into the tunnel. There was tension in the air—nobody was smiling.

Except one man.

"Hey Mailman," Zhao Dong called across the tunnel. "I heard Adidas wants you to jump to WWE after this season?"

Malone's expression turned stormy. "That's none of your business."

Zhao grinned, relentless. "You should do it. I hear they'll write you a love triangle—maybe bring Rodman and Madonna back into the script. Could be a classic."

"Pfft—Hahahaha!" Some of the players couldn't help but laugh.

"Let's just get this over with," Malone muttered, turning toward the court.

---

The rivalry was real.

Since Malone joined the 76ers, they'd become the Knicks' fiercest division rival, and the Garden let them hear it. Deafening boos rained down when the visiting starters were introduced.

When the Knicks took the court?

"FOUR-PEAT! FOUR-PEAT!"

The chants echoed like thunder.

Danny Fortson, dressed in a tailored Knicks suit, stood on the sidelines, hugging his teammates. He'd started training again—but he wasn't the same.

His meniscus had been stitched, not removed, which preserved some mobility. But his jumping, his lateral speed, and his explosiveness? Gone. Just gone.

Zhao Dong wrapped an arm around him and gave a firm shoulder pat. "I've got your back, little bro."

Zhao remembered his previous life—how Fortson's promising career was derailed by injuries and family turmoil.

In this timeline, Zhao had helped him grow smarter, tone down his reckless rebounding, and stay focused.

But fate still played its cruel card—just two years earlier this time.

8:30 PM – Tip-off

The Knicks were undersized across the board.

Zhao Dong stood as the tallest on the floor. At 201 cm, Rodney Rogers was really a small forward being asked to check Karl Malone. There was no true big man next to Zhao.

He walked up for the jump ball against Theo Ratliff.

Ratliff had the height advantage at 208 cm, but Zhao had better timing—and better hops.

"Toss up!"

Tap!

Zhao won it clean.

Madison Square Garden erupted.

The Knicks were on offense.

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