On the CCTV broadcast, Zhang Heli was hyped: "Rebounding was supposed to be the Bulls' strong suit, but Zhao Dong came in like a wrecking ball, snatching more boards. The Knicks are keeping their lead by just taking more shots. Jordan's been going crazy, hitting 3 of 6, 1 of 2 from deep, and 1 of 1 from the line—8 points so far, but it's still not enough to close the gap."
Sun Zhenping chimed in, "Zhao Dong's been working inside, but his shot's cooled down a bit—1 for 3 in the low post, 2 for 5 overall, only 5 points this half."
Zhang Heli laughed, "Man, he was torching the net for three quarters. It's normal for the heat to die down a little."
On the Bulls' sideline, Phil Jackson wasn't having it. "Our perimeter D is trash right now. I need you to lock in, clamp up, and shut down their outside game!"
Coming out of the timeout, the Bulls' defense turned up the heat, forcing three straight turnovers from the Knicks' backcourt. That set off a Chicago scoring run.
The triangle offense was all about superstar iso plays.
Jordan cashed in on both his shots, dropping 4 points. Pippen and Harper each hit mid-range jumpers, putting up 8 points in just three minutes.
The Knicks, on the other hand, only managed a single bucket from Ewing. With three minutes left, it was all tied up at 90-90.
Zhang Heli was losing it: "Jordan is unreal, man! Three defenders in his face, and he still pulls up like it's nothing. This dude is turning into a god!"
Sun Zhenping added, "Zhao Dong's been quiet these past few minutes."
Zhang Heli shook his head. "Sun, c'mon. He ain't even getting the ball out there. The Knicks keep coughing it up, and the Bulls are hitting everything. No boards to grab, no plays to make—what do you expect?"
On NBC, Doug Collins analyzed, "If you compare both squads, the Bulls' perimeter is just on another level. On defense, they got Ron Harper, Jordan, and Pippen—two elite defenders and one high-level defender. The Knicks' backcourt is getting smoked."
Marv Albert added, "If New York wants to pull this out, Zhao Dong needs to step back up on the perimeter."
On the Knicks' bench, Jeff Van Gundy turned to Zhao Dong, who was drenched in sweat. "Zhao, we need you out there organizing the offense."
Even as he said it, he found it funny.
Before this game, he wouldn't have even considered Zhao Dong a playmaker. But now? This one game was making him rethink things.
Still, there was no way he'd fully trust Zhao Dong's passing after just one performance.
Zhao Dong nodded—losing wasn't an option. He had to get that W to complete the Worm's mission, but more importantly, he needed Pippen's defensive skills.
The timeout ended, and the Knicks brought it up. Zhao Dong got the rock as soon as he crossed halfcourt, called for a set, and got to work.
"Zhao Dong is back outside!" Doug Collins called.
The Bulls weren't playing—they doubled him immediately. Harper abandoned Charlie Ward to pressure him.
Zhao Dong shifted the ball to the left sideline, stretching the Bulls' D thin. Harper had no choice but to stay on him, leaving no time to recover.
Right on cue, John Starks cut inside, and Charlie Ward set a pick, keeping Jordan from chasing. Zhao Dong dished it off, and Starks knocked down a short jumper.
Next possession, Jordan pulled up—brick. Oakley grabbed the board.
Back on offense, Zhao Dong set up again. This time, he drove to the left wing, slicing through the Bulls' D.
Chicago had to send help—he was cooking Pippen all night. The double left gaps, and he kicked it to a wide-open Charlie Ward.
Bang! Mid-range jumper, nothing but net.
90-94, Knicks up by four.
Jordan tried to answer with a three—off. But Rodman snagged the board, kicked it back, and Jordan didn't miss twice.
93-94, Knicks hanging on by one.
"91 seconds left, Knicks ball," Marv Albert said.
Doug Collins nodded. "This is clutch time. Jordan has 15 in the fourth, stepping up like always. But Zhao Dong's been dropping dimes—already at 8 assists, 5 points, 4 boards, and 2 steals this quarter."
With two straight assists, the Bulls hesitated on doubling him again. Harper hesitated—that was all the space Zhao Dong needed.
At the three-point line, he faked a drive, Pippen bit, and Zhao Dong let it fly.
Swish!
Water splashed, dagger to the heart.
"Beautiful! 3-for-5 from deep, Zhao Dong is torching the Bulls!"
The Garden erupted.
93-97, Knicks by four.
Jordan wasted no time, sprinting down the wing. Starks was all over him, but Jordan just elevated, hanging in the air, fading toward the baseline.
Swish!
Even the Knicks crowd had to respect that one.
95-97, Knicks ball.
"Full-court press!" Jordan barked.
Charlie Ward panicked under the pressure—turnover!
Ron Harper swiped it, and Pippen ran the break, throwing down a dunk to tie it up.
97-97, 51 seconds left. Knicks timeout.
"This is what separates the stars from the legends," Doug Collins said.
"The last time they faced off, Zhao Dong sealed the deal," Marv Albert added. "If the Knicks want this one, he's gotta do it again."
Doug Collins chuckled. "And let's not forget about Ewing—Chicago can't sleep on his low-post game."
Out of the timeout, the Knicks got into their set.
Zhao Dong shook off Pippen and caught the ball, but Pippen was right back on him, playing tight, borderline illegal defense.
The refs swallowed their whistles—it was all on the players now.
Zhao Dong kept the ball high to avoid getting stripped.
No double-team. Chicago was betting on Pippen to handle him. Did they think he'd fold? Or did they trust Pippen that much?
He started backing him down from the left-wing three-point line.
Pippen was giving up 20 kilos—he had no chance. Every bump sent him stumbling back.
Zhao Dong spun to face up, took a hard step right—Pippen reacted—then snatched it back.
Pippen lost his balance.
Zhao Dong pulled up. Pippen hit the floor.
Before the ball even went in, Zhao Dong turned away, flashed an OK sign, and walked off like it was over.
Swish!
Money.
The Garden exploded.
Phil Jackson stood there, watching Zhao Dong flex over Pippen. If they had this guy in Chicago? Forget a second three-peat—they'd be gunning for the Celtics' eight straight titles.
"4-for-6 from three! Zhao Dong is locked in!" Sun Zhenping yelled.
"He straight-up dropped Pippen!" Zhang Heli hollered. "That's an all-time defender!"
97-100, Knicks up. Bulls ball. 33 seconds left.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Do you want to read Advanced Chapters?
Visit this link:
Påtreon.com/Fanficlord03
Change (å) to (a)