After getting back to the hotel, Zhao Dong was still wired as hell, his whole body buzzing with adrenaline. No way was he falling asleep anytime soon.
"Zhao, I'm calling for some service. You need me to hook you up too?" Oakley asked, already picking up the phone in the room.
"Hell nah, you know that ain't my thing." Zhao Dong shut that down quick.
Well, that made the night even rougher. Oakley's "service" lasted half the damn night, and in between rounds, he was cursing like crazy in the bed next to him.
March 12
The team headed back to New York. Zhao Dong crashed for the entire afternoon, finally catching up on the sleep he lost the night before.
After dinner, he remembered he still had five skill points to use, so he went straight to his room and fired up the system.
With the last skill point, he bumped his dribble-drive ability from 71 to 72. That skill was a big deal since it worked hand-in-hand with his pull-up jumper. The better his handles and first step got, the more dangerous his pull-up game became.
March 15
A new system mission popped up—an All-Star Sniper challenge against Sam Cassell. The prize for completing all objectives? Cassell's signature turnaround jumper.
But the timing sucked. The Knicks had been off for five days, and the whole squad was rusty. They got smacked at home by the Nets, taking a second straight loss. Since Zhao Dong didn't complete the mission, he walked away with nothing.
March 30
The Knicks lost to the Nets again, wrapping up March with a 56-16 record.
With just ten regular-season games left, the Knicks had already locked up the Atlantic Division title and were basically guaranteed the No. 2 seed in the East. That meant the coaching staff planned to rest the starters and key rotation guys for the last stretch of games.
Then the league announced the Player of the Month for March—Karl Malone took the honor.
Malone's numbers:
37.4 MPG, 31.0 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 4.2 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.4 BPG, 2.6 TO, 2.2 PF
Zhao Dong saw those stats and felt some type of way.
His own March stats were:
35.0 MPG, 26.5 PPG, 11.2 RPG, 3.1 APG, 1.6 SPG, 2.9 BPG, 2.5 TO, 3.1 PF
Numbers-wise, he wasn't far off. His defense was even better. Yet Malone got the award.
And if that wasn't enough, he was also still stuck behind Allen Iverson in the rookie rankings.
His numbers were better than AI's across the board, except for assists. He was putting up 20+ points and 10+ rebounds a night, playing both ends, yet somehow, he wasn't the top rookie? That shit was frustrating.
April
The Knicks split their first four games in April, going 2-2. Then, on April 10, they had to face the Chicago Bulls again—the fourth and final matchup of the regular season.
At noon on April 9, Zhao Dong got another system mission.
God-Level Sniper Mission:
Score 40+ points on 45%+ shooting
Grab 10+ rebounds
Get 10+ assists
Block 5+ shots
Get 5+ steals
Lead the team to a win
Rewards:
1 random attribute point or skill point per objective completed
Completing Tasks 1, 2, and 3 = Michael Jordan's turnaround jumper
Completing Tasks 1, 2, 3, and 4 = Jordan's turnaround fadeaway
Completing Tasks 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 = Jordan's core strength
Completing all six = Jordan's core strength + turnaround jumper
Zhao Dong frowned.
Only one task?
Unlike before, this time the system wasn't forcing him to go head-to-head with Jordan. That made things a little easier.
Still, the challenge was brutal. He had to at least get a triple-double just to earn Jordan's skills. And that 45% shooting requirement? That meant the game wasn't gonna be easy.
April 10 – Game Day
Starting Lineups:
Bulls:
C: Luc Longley
PF: Dennis Rodman
SF: Scottie Pippen
SG: Michael Jordan
PG: Ron Harper
Knicks:
C: Patrick Ewing
PF: Charles Oakley
SF: Zhao Dong
SG: John Starks
PG: Chris Childs
NBC had the national broadcast, with Marv Albert and Doug Collins on commentary.
"The Bulls have lost two straight games," Doug Collins said. "Jordan told the media before flying here that they're absolutely winning this one—he's 100% confident. So, Marv, what's your take?"
Marv Albert chuckled. "When Michael Jordan says he's gonna win, I tend to believe him."
"But the Bulls have lost two in a row," Doug countered.
Marv shook his head and said, "That's 'cause they don't understand Zhao Dong, and their defensive game plan is straight-up flawed. Now that his skills are fully on display, you best believe Phil Jackson's gonna cook up an effective scheme. If they can lock down Zhao Dong, the Bulls shouldn't have any trouble handling the Knicks."
"Why not focus on Ewing?" Doug laughed.
Marv hesitated for a second, then chuckled. "Look, man, let's be real—Zhao Dong is already more dangerous than the aging Ewing. He's got that offensive firepower and playmaking ability on another level."
"So, how do you think the Bulls will play this game?" Doug asked.
"The Bulls gotta double-team Zhao Dong the whole game and keep their defensive rotations tight," Marv replied.
Doug added, "Yeah, but they can't just ignore Ewing in the paint. Luke Longley alone ain't enough to handle him. Rodman's gotta step in and help out, but that's gonna stretch the Bulls' defense even more."
Marv nodded. "Exactly, and that's why the Knicks beat them last time. They got two guys who demand double-teams..."
"You mean superstars?" Doug asked, sounding surprised.
Marv paused, then laughed. "Only superstars get double-teamed, man. Zhao Dong is putting up numbers that rival MJ's. Five straight games with 30+ points and 10+ boards, multiple 40+ games, and averaging 20+ and 10 as a rookie? Yeah, I can't call him anything less than a superstar. Calling him just a 'star' don't do him justice anymore."
"Like Shaq, when they called him one of the four super centers in his rookie year?" Doug asked.
"Same idea, but Shaq's a whole different beast—a dominant, physical force. Zhao Dong's still gotta prove himself in the long run. He's just now switching positions, and I heard he's about to go head-to-head with Jordan at the shooting guard spot. His future's still up in the air," Marv said cautiously.
---
Over on the Bulls' bench, Phil Jackson turned to Scottie Pippen and said, "Scottie, you got the rookie tonight. Lock him up like it's the playoffs. Don't let him breathe."
"Bet," Pippen responded.
Last time, he got caught up in Zhao Dong's mind games and played like trash. By the end of that game, he was getting cooked. Tonight, he wanted payback.
Game Time – 10 Minutes Later
Tip-off: Zhao Dong won the jump ball, and the Knicks set up their first offensive possession.
At the top of the arc, Chris Childs had the rock, and Ron Harper was playing tight, clearly trying to cut off the passing lanes to Zhao Dong on the left wing.
Pippen's defense was aggressive too—he was playing high, pressuring Zhao Dong while keeping himself in position to deny the pass and prevent an easy drive to the rim.
"Hey, Pi, how many moves you got in you today?" Zhao Dong smirked.
"Rookie, don't get cocky. We ain't losin' this time," Pippen shot back.
While talking trash, Zhao Dong used his left hand to hold Pippen off and signaled for the ball with his right.
Charles Oakley took a step back and fired a pass. Zhao Dong caught it, but as soon as he did, Dennis Rodman came flying over from the low post for the double-team.
The Bulls switched up their coverage today—Rodman was guarding Ewing instead of sticking to his usual matchups.
The second Rodman collapsed on Zhao Dong, Luke Longley shifted over to Ewing, Jordan dropped down to cover Oakley, and Harper stayed at the top of the arc, ready to close out on John Starks if the ball swung his way.
Zhao Dong didn't hesitate—he zipped a pass straight to Ewing and immediately cut towards the basket.
Ewing caught it, but Longley was already in position. The big man turned and fired a jumper—clank, missed it.
Zhao Dong, already in motion, crashed the glass. Jordan and Oakley were right there, too.
Three players went up for the board—Zhao Dong snatched it.
As soon as he landed, Rodman and Longley smothered him, while Jordan stayed right under the basket, waiting for a mistake.
Zhao Dong went up strong for the putback—bam, hands all over him, bodies crashing into him, no space to elevate.
"BEEEEEEP!"
Whistle blows.
Jordan, Rodman, and Longley all threw their hands up in protest. The ref took a second, then pointed at Luke Longley—foul on the play.
Zhao Dong to the line for two.
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