Jordan got double-teamed again and kicked it out to Harper. Harper pulled up but bricked it. Zhao Dong crashed the boards, snatched the rebound, and instantly pushed the break.
Pippen sprinted up to press him, but Zhao Dong dished it off to Charles and took off down the right wing.
Off the ball, Zhao Dong was just as quick as Pippen, but he played it smart—bodying him up just enough to throw him off.
"Shit!"
Pippen, giving up a solid 20 pounds, couldn't hold his ground. The moment Zhao Dong bumped him, his balance was shot, and he stumbled.
Zhao Dong cut through the top of the arc, right as Charles fed him the rock. Jordan read the play and came flying in from the left wing.
No hesitation—Zhao Dong launched himself straight at Jordan.
"Damn it!"
Jordan bailed at the last second. He was legendary, no doubt, but at under 200 pounds, he wasn't about to get trucked by a heavy, high-flying small forward. Even Shaq had to think twice about contesting that kind of force.
BANG!
One-handed slam. The rim rattled like it was about to snap.
Madison Square Garden went crazy.
"Yo, Mr. Jordan! Am I qualified to sit on your bench yet?" Zhao Dong barked at MJ, eyes locked.
"You ain't never gonna be qualified!" Jordan growled through gritted teeth.
"Shit, Pippen can't check me. Why don't you take a shot at it?" Zhao Dong smirked.
"Get the fuck outta here!" Jordan snapped.
Zhao Dong wanted exactly that. If Jordan switched onto him, the mismatch would be even nastier. Jordan was elite on defense, no doubt, but he was still a shooting guard. As long as Zhao Dong kept working on his quickness and perimeter D, he'd have the upper hand on both ends when they matched up in the future.
Pippen tried to act like he wasn't pissed, but his face was telling a different story. Zhao Dong grinned.
"Ron, get me the ball!" Pippen yelled, his voice sharp with frustration.
Harper passed it over.
"What's the point of holdin' it? You even gonna shoot?" Zhao Dong was in his head now.
He knew his perimeter defense wasn't top-tier yet, so he locked in. If Pippen went for a move, Zhao Dong would rather get beat on the drive than get his ankles snapped. He could always chase down a layup attempt, but getting shaken would mean a free shot.
Pippen's teeth clenched so tight it looked like he was about to snap his molars. He wanted to chuck the ball at Zhao Dong's face, but he held back.
"Damn, is Scottie about to lose his shit on this rookie?" Jordan muttered, low-key impressed.
Pippen faked a drive but went straight into a jumper.
"Yup, saw that coming."
Zhao Dong stayed planted, then exploded up.
SMACK!
Blocked.
"Ohhh! Zhao Dong sent that shit back!" Doug Collins lost it on commentary.
The ball bounced past the arc, and Charles scooped it up. He spotted Zhao Dong streaking down the right wing and launched the outlet pass.
Zhao Dong caught it at the three-point line. Pippen rushed in, but Zhao Dong didn't slow down—he hit a nasty crossover and attacked the paint.
Pippen tried to recover, but Zhao Dong already had a step on him. He took off.
BOOM!
Tomahawk dunk. The rim shook, the backboard trembled, and Pippen hit the deck under the basket.
The arena went nuts.
"Ohhh, shit! Zhao Dong just put Pippen on a fuckin' poster! He blocked him, then yammed it on his head! And wait—ohhh! He just stepped over Pippen! He brought back the same disrespect Scottie pulled on Ewing two years ago! Madison Square Garden is losin' it!" Marv Albert roared.
Pippen's face went red.
The entire crowd gasped.
"Zhao Dong! Zhao Dong!"
Every Knicks fan in the building knew exactly what this meant. Two years ago, Pippen had humiliated Ewing. Now, Zhao Dong had given it right back.
Ewing's eyes widened in shock. Zhao Dong turned to him, pointed, and yelled, "Patrick, that one was for you. Hope you liked it!"
Ewing clenched his fists, damn near shaking from excitement. "Shit, man, I loved it!"
He'd never forget the humiliation of that moment. Now, Zhao Dong had avenged him.
"Damn, Zhao, you really that dude!" Oakley ran up, hyping him up as the team mobbed him in celebration.
It all went down right in front of Jordan and Pippen, and the Bulls had no choice but to watch.
"Zhao Dong and Jordan might be beefin', but I didn't expect him to ride for Ewing like that. That's real leadership," Doug Collins chuckled. "But now? That just put even more pressure on him to keep deliverin'."
"Man, Zhao Dong's five-for-five right now. If he keeps cookin' like this, it's gonna be a long night for the Bulls," Marv Albert laughed.
"Last time he played Chicago, he went off. And his scoring bag is only getting deeper," Doug said.
"The Bulls gotta start throwing doubles at him now. This is the real test for the kid," Marv added.
Right on cue, Phil Jackson called a timeout. He needed to kill the Knicks' momentum, give Pippen a breather, and tweak the game plan.
"Scottie, man, shake it off," Jordan said on the bench.
But Pippen was fuming. His eyes were red, his fists clenched tight, and his jaw was locked like he was trying to bite through steel.
After the timeout, the Bulls adjusted their defense—pressuring the Knicks' point guard while Pippen cut off passing lanes to Zhao Dong.
Basically, they were trying to keep the ball out of his hands.
Problem was, Zhao Dong wasn't just some slow-footed forward—he had guard speed. The second Pippen overplayed him, he slashed inside. As long as the PG could find him, he'd either get a clean look or collapse the defense and create for Ewing.
And that's exactly what happened. He got loose for a cutting dunk, then dropped a dime to Ewing on the next play.
But Jordan? He wasn't letting up either. He knocked down back-to-back buckets, keeping it a tight game.
Zhao Dong jogged back to the left wing, eyeing Charles as he crossed half-court. He wanted the rock.
This time, the Bulls were about to feel what happened when they tried to ice him out.
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