"It's really tough to block this dude five times."
Zhao Dong thought as he came up the court.
Another low-post play, Charles tossed the ball inside to Zhao Dong.
The second he caught it, he spun downward, then immediately reversed back up and pulled up for a jumper right at the edge of the paint.
Austin got completely fooled by that first move, couldn't keep up with the spin back, and had no choice but to foul. He reached out, grabbed Zhao Dong's jersey, and yanked him down. The shot went up but missed.
Beep!
Whistle blew—Zhao Dong was heading back to the line for two.
Knocked down both free throws. Knicks back on top, 21-19.
A couple of bricks from both teams, and the first quarter wrapped up.
Zhao Dong finished the first with 5-of-6 shooting, 3-for-3 from the line, 13 points, 4 boards, 1 block, 2 turnovers, and 1 foul.
Second quarter started, and Van Gundy rolled with mostly bench guys, keeping Charlie Ward on the floor. By the 6-minute mark, it was tied at 33.
Once the starters checked back in, Ewing took over inside again—but the offense just wasn't clicking. Knicks' paint game fell off hard.
At halftime, Heat led 48-42, Knicks down by six.
---
Back in the locker room, Zhao Dong sat next to Ewing and leaned in.
"Patrick, that club really that good?"
Ewing's face lit up. "Oh man, Zhao, you'd regret not coming. They got everything in there…"
"You have a good time?" Zhao Dong asked.
"Hell yeah," Ewing grinned. "Already planning to hit it again next time we're in Atlanta. You down?"
"Nah, I like dating college girls. You know, smart ones. Makes me feel accomplished," Zhao Dong replied.
Ewing chuckled, "Man, you wild. You keep messing with these girls, they're gonna dump your ass like last week's garbage."
Zhao Dong just shrugged. "I just care about the moment, man. Beautiful women, passion, having fun. When it's over, it's over. I ain't forcing nobody to stay."
"And then you move on to the next one?"
Oakley, sitting nearby, chimed in with a smirk. "Bro, stop tryna dress up your scumbag ways like it's some poetic shit. You just always got your eyes on the next girl."
"Man, your reputation at Stony Brook got you famous all over North America," Oakley added, laughing.
The locker room cracked up.
---
Second half started. Van Gundy sent the starters back in, looking to take control.
But Ewing still dominated the touches, and it wasn't working. By the end of the third quarter, Knicks trailed 75-65, down 10.
The crowd was getting restless.
Ewing sat on the bench, looking frustrated. 4-for-15 shooting, 2-for-2 free throws, just 10 points.
His rebounding? Only 4 boards in three quarters—dude wasn't even getting inside.
He did his thing defensively, though, locking up Mourning. Mourning had just 7 points on 2-for-13 shooting, 3-for-4 from the line, barely any boards himself.
Zhao Dong took fewer shots in the third, and his rhythm dipped. 1-for-3 from the field, 2-for-3 free throws, 4 points, but grabbed 4 boards, 1 assist, 2 blocks, and a steal—including one off Mourning.
Through three quarters, Zhao Dong was at 7-for-10 shooting, 6-for-7 free throws, 20 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 3 blocks, 2 turnovers, and 2 fouls.
Ewing stayed on the bench for the fourth. Zhao Dong and veteran Buck Williams ran the frontcourt, while Oakley, John Starks, and Chris Childs handled the perimeter.
"Chris, feed Zhao," Van Gundy told his point guard before they hit the court.
"I got you, Coach," Childs nodded.
Zhao Dong was hyped—this was his first time getting the green light to take over an entire quarter. He had to deliver.
---
Heat had first possession. With no Ewing inside, Mourning turned aggressive. He got the ball, bullied Buck Williams into the paint, then went for a turnaround hook.
Old Buck couldn't jump with him—just watched as Mourning pulled up.
But then—
BANG!
A blur of movement—Zhao Dong came flying in, snatching the ball out of the air with one hand.
The Garden erupted.
"HOLY HELL, ZHAO DONG JUST SNATCHED THAT SHOT OUT OF THE SKY!"
Marv Albert lost his mind on commentary.
The moment Zhao Dong landed, he took off down the court.
"Man, that's three times he's blocked me already. No way I'm letting him get another one. I gotta dunk on his ass," Mourning thought as he sprinted back.
But Zhao Dong was ahead. Seeing the defense set, he kicked it out and moved straight to the low post.
"Alonzo, you got him!" Pat Riley shouted from the sideline.
"Oh, Heat making the switch—putting Mourning on Zhao Dong. That's major respect for the rookie," Doug Collins noted.
"Damn kid, you dead," Mourning growled, bodying up behind Zhao Dong in the post.
Zhao Dong wrinkled his nose. "Yo, did you even shower before the game? That smell's a damn violation."
Mourning blinked, confused. "What?"
Before he could react, Zhao Dong suddenly jumped sideways, using his left arm to shield Mourning, then extended his right for a straight-arm jumper.
Swish.
"Ah, f***, I got caught slippin'!" Mourning yelled, watching the ball drop through the net.
Zhao Dong smirked, jogging back. "Hey, No. 33, that was way too easy."
"You wait," Mourning gritted his teeth.
---
From there, the one-on-one battle heated up.
After getting stuffed three times, Mourning decided to quit forcing shots and locked in on defense instead. That let Zhao Dong shift focus—now he was making plays for his teammates.
Then—
BANG!
Three minutes into the fourth, Tim Hardaway drove, pulled up just outside the paint, and—
SLAP!
Zhao Dong came flying in, sent Hardaway's shot flying, and Childs snagged the loose ball. Knicks took off in transition.
The crowd lost it.
Zhao Dong was fully in control.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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