"The tactics are solid, and the passing is on point. This is the kind of threat Zhao Dong brings. He can score, he can dish it out, he can play outside, and he can dominate inside. A true two-way beast," Doug praised on the NBC live broadcast.
"He used to be a smaller version of Barkley, but now he's like a bigger Barkley. Still, he needs time and more seasons under his belt to prove himself," Marv chuckled.
At the free throw line, Zhao Dong dribbled the ball.
"Yo, kid, you trying to challenge Mike? You got the guts to shoot this free throw with your eyes closed?" Pippen suddenly taunted.
"What?" Zhao Dong was caught off guard for a second.
Then it clicked—back in '91-'92, Mutombo dared Jordan to shoot a free throw with his eyes shut, and Jordan actually drained it.
Near half-court, Jordan heard Pippen and looked over, curious if this cocky rookie would actually take the challenge.
Zhao Dong smirked. Free throws? He wasn't scared of those. Jordan's career free throw percentage was only 83%, not far from his own. Shooting fundamentals? Please. It was just a gamble, right?
"I've always been lucky, so why not?" he grinned at Pippen before aiming at the hoop and closing his eyes.
"This dude really got the nerve?" Pippen muttered, surprised.
"Oh, what am I seeing here?!" the arena commentator shouted.
As soon as he yelled, Zhao Dong released the ball.
Swish!
Nothing but net.
"Huh?" Pippen was stunned.
"YEAH!!" Some fans who caught what happened started cheering.
The big screen replayed the free throw, showing Zhao Dong closing his eyes before sinking it, recreating Jordan's legendary moment. Madison Square Garden erupted.
"What kinda voodoo is this? He ain't God, how the hell does he have that kind of skill?"
In Los Angeles, Shaq, watching from home, was yelling at the TV, feeling nothing but envy. His free throw struggles made him think God wasn't fair at all.
Zhao Dong then calmly made the second free throw.
2-0, Bulls' ball.
Jordan brought it up, shifted past a double team with a quick crossover, and pulled up for a smooth mid-range jumper.
On the Knicks' possession, Zhao Dong didn't demand the ball but moved without it, running through screens on the left wing, drawing the Bulls' defense.
At the top of the arc, Ewing got the ball and was immediately double-teamed by Longley and Rodman, so he kicked it out.
Zhao Dong sprinted to the left corner, shook off Pippen, caught Ewing's pass, and rose up.
His pull-up was quick and high, his form in the air smooth and controlled.
Pippen, despite his elite defensive instincts, was just half a step too late.
Swish!
Nothing but net—three points.
"Damn, man, you just sucked the fire outta that shot," Zhao Dong taunted.
"You ain't got no fire to begin with. Your shot is even deader," Pippen shot back.
"Next one, I'll make sure to light it up."
"Next one, I'm sending it back."
"Hah! You barely get a block per game, and you think you're swatting my shot? Man, you're a blockless scrub."."
"Watch. I'll lock your ass up."
Zhao Dong smirked, but deep down, he could tell—Pippen came prepared today. His trash talk wasn't rattling him like before.
This was gonna be a long night.
And sure enough, Pippen stuck to his word. Whether Zhao Dong had the ball or not, Pippen was glued to him like a damn leech. Whenever he touched the rock, Pippen stuck to him with suffocating defense.
It wasn't shutting him down completely, but it was enough to throw him off.
In just half a quarter, Zhao Dong bricked three straight shots, got stripped by Pippen, committed a dribbling turnover, and only managed one assist.
But while his offense was shaky, his defense was elite.
He locked Pippen down, straight-up smothering him.
And the thing was—Pippen didn't have an answer for his size mismatch. Zhao Dong was bigger, stronger, longer, and faster. The result? Pippen couldn't score a single point.
The issue was, Zhao Dong was the Knicks' No. 1 option, while Pippen was just the Bulls' No. 2. And with the ball mainly in Jordan's hands, the impact wasn't equal.
By halftime, the Knicks were down 45-41, and Van Gundy called a timeout.
"The Bulls clearly came to play. Pippen's playing playoff-level defense, and Zhao Dong is struggling. He's looking like a rookie tonight," Marv analyzed.
"Yeah, Zhao Dong is feeling the pressure. And this is just one-on-one defense. If the Bulls start throwing double teams at him, it could get even worse. But I think he'll adjust—once he does, Chicago might have to start sending extra help," Doug added.
Zhao Dong sat on the bench, replaying the first half in his head.
He was surprised. Pippen's defense was that effective? Was he just slacking in the first two games?
Then, Thibodeau walked over and crouched next to him.
"Zhao, you got this. It's just an adjustment period. You'll settle in," Thibodeau reassured him.
"Also, start using screens more. Or take him inside—just straight bully him. You've got the size and strength advantage. Just back him down or force your way into the paint. Pippen can't handle that."
"Got it."
Zhao Dong felt like a lightbulb just went off.
He really had been forcing the issue. He wasn't playing to his strengths.
He had the size, speed, strength, wingspan, and the ability to slash like LeBron. If he got double-teamed, he could kick it out. If not, he could just bulldoze his way to the mid-post and pull up from there.
As for posting up, his back-to-the-basket game was still raw. His turnaround jumper wasn't polished enough, and his fadeaway wasn't reliable.
But facing the basket? He had three elite weapons:
Pull-up jumper
Low post Moves
Step-back jumper
All above 90+ rating.
Backing Pippen down from the perimeter? That wasn't his game. But bulldozing his way to the paint? That was easy money.
"It's settled. First thing I upgrade next is my speed."
Pippen was keeping up with him, but just barely. If he got faster, it was over.
Timeout over. Game on. Knicks ball.
Pippen was back to his pesky defense.
This time, Zhao Dong played it differently. He caught the ball and immediately powered his way into the paint.
No hesitation. No fancy moves. Just straight brute force.
Pippen? Helpless.
His frame and strength just couldn't handle Zhao Dong's drive.
One step inside the paint, Zhao Dong suddenly spun—Pippen panicked and backpedaled.
But then—Zhao Dong stopped on a dime.
Pippen bit on the fake.
Swish!
Smooth mid-range jumper, two points.
"Ohhh, Zhao Dong is heating up! That's 2-for-5 now! His rhythm is coming back. Can he keep cooking Pippen?"
The crowd erupted as the commentator hyped it up.
Zhao Dong? He just gave Pippen a smirk.
This game was just getting started.
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