The Bulls were on offense. Pippen called for the ball, but Harper ignored him and fed it to Jordan instead.
Jordan backed down John Starks, and before the double-team arrived, he spun around and hit a fadeaway jumper.
"Damn it, I gotta steal that move from him today," Zhao Dong muttered, watching in frustration. If his turnaround fadeaway was that smooth, he wouldn't have to stress about Pippen's relentless defense—he'd just shoot right over him.
On the next possession, Zhao Dong got the ball on the left wing, called for a pick from Ewing, and used the screen to shake Pippen before driving into the paint.
Rodman switched onto him, but Zhao Dong suddenly pulled up for a jumper two meters from the hoop. Swish—nothing but net.
"Heh, this Gold Medal Skill's pull up ability is insane," Zhao Dong thought, grinning at Rodman, who was left scrambling out of position.
He played the entire first quarter, starting slow but heating up.
First half:
1/4 FG, 1/2 3PT, 2/2 FT
5 PTS, 1 REB, 1 AST, 1 BLK, 2 TOs
Second half:
3/4 FG
6 PTS, 2 REBs, 2 ASTs
Overall, he finished the quarter with 11 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block, 2 turnovers, and 1 foul—a solid performance. His offense was more active, and his passing improved.
But Jordan? Still a killer. Playing the entire quarter, he took over while Pippen was locked down by Zhao Dong, putting up 16 points, 1 rebound, and 1 assist on 6/10 shooting.
25-25, first quarter ended in a tie.
---
NBC's Marv Albert analyzed, "In the first quarter, Pippen was guarding Zhao Dong solo. He held up in the early minutes, but once the Knicks started running pick-and-rolls, Zhao Dong got better looks in the paint, improving his shooting percentage. Chicago might have to start doubling him."
Doug Collins added, "Jordan adjusted to Pippen's defensive intensity in the second half, raising his efficiency. But Pippen's struggles offensively hurt the Bulls. If they don't free him up, Jordan's gonna be carrying too much weight."
Marv Albert then remarked, "But what really surprised me was Zhao Dong's perimeter defense—he played elite defense tonight. He's never shown this level before."
Collins agreed. "He's learning fast. His defense is looking like Pippen's. Kid's got an incredible ability to copy and adapt."
---
On the Bulls' bench, Phil Jackson huddled his team up.
"Alright, we're doubling Zhao Dong again," he instructed.
"Dennis, if Zhao Dong gets near the paint, trap him immediately."
"Longley, cover for Rodman when he leaves his man."
"Michael, stay sharp—if there's an opening under the basket, slide over to help."
"And everyone, rotate quickly—no easy shots."
Then he turned to Pippen and Rodman.
"I've been watching closely. Zhao Dong doesn't have true post-up skills. Even when he's near the paint, he rarely goes back to the basket. He prefers to face up before attacking. We can exploit that."
The two defenders nodded, intrigued.
Jackson continued, "When he turns from backing down to facing up, he hesitates before shooting because he doesn't have a turnaround jumper. That's your moment. Jump him before he gets set."
Rodman and Pippen's eyes lit up.
---
Three minutes into the second quarter, the Knicks hit a scoring drought and called a timeout.
32-27, Bulls up by 5.
After the break, Zhao Dong and the starters (minus Ewing) returned to the court. The Bulls also brought their main guys back.
Zhao Dong immediately took over. As soon as he got the ball, Rodman pounced on him with a double-team.
He tried to spin out of it, but Pippen swiped the ball loose.
"Shit!" Zhao Dong cursed, sprinting back on defense.
Pippen rushed ahead and dished it to Harper, who pushed it into the frontcourt.
At the same time, Jordan shook off Starks, cut to the hoop, caught the pass, and—
BOOM!
A thunderous tomahawk dunk, shaking the rim.
"GET IT OUT!" Zhao Dong yelled.
Starks quickly inbounded, firing the ball to Zhao Dong, who immediately pushed the tempo.
"GET BACK!" the Bulls' assistant coach yelled from the sideline.
But Chicago's guards were still upcourt, leaving Zhao Dong one-on-one with Pippen.
Bang, bang, bang—he crossed half-court, Pippen reaching for a steal. Zhao Dong lowered his shoulder, muscled him off, and took flight.
BANG!
A brutal tomahawk slam, shaking the backboard.
Marv shouted, "Pippen can keep up with Zhao Dong, but the strength difference is too much! He can't stop him in transition."
Score: 34-29, Bulls still up by 5.
---
Chicago's possession. Jordan missed a mid-range shot, and Zhao Dong snatched the rebound, pushing it ahead to Charles Oakley.
As Oakley crossed half-court, Zhao Dong suddenly cut back, got the ball, and faced Pippen again.
Double-team coming.
Zhao Dong took a hard step back—separation—and launched a jumper. Splash.
"Whoa! That's Zhao Dong's first step-back jumper! Looks like he's adding new weapons," the commentator exclaimed.
From the sideline, the Bulls' assistant coach yelled, "Scottie, stay glued to him! No space!"
---
Next possession, Pippen finally got a chance to score.
But Zhao Dong clamped him up, forcing a tough shot—and swatting it.
Rodman tried to grab the loose ball, but Zhao Dong snatched it back and took off on the break.
Pippen gave chase, catching up at the three-point line.
Too late.
Zhao Dong pulled up on a dime, launching a three.
Swish!
"TIE GAME! Zhao Dong buries his second triple of the night!" the arena commentator screamed.
34-34.
Jordan answered immediately, hitting a ridiculous double-teamed three-pointer to retake the lead.
Back on offense, Zhao Dong got the ball on the wing, but the double-team swarmed him.
Pippen was practically draped on him—no space to shoot.
Zhao Dong quickly zipped a pass to John Starks, who was left open.
Starks pulled up before Ron Harper could close out—cash from mid-range.
Marv warned, "The Bulls better watch Zhao Dong's passing. He's got incredible court vision—he's finding open teammates fast."
Collins nodded. "They need to cut off his passing lanes."
Marv chuckled. "Easier said than done. Zhao Dong has the height and ball control to see over defenses. That's why the Bulls backed off on doubling him last game—his passing was killing them."
---
Halftime score: 48-48.
To counter Chicago's double-team, Zhao Dong started facilitating more, racking up 4 assists in the second quarter.
His second-quarter stats:
3/5 FG, 1/1 3PT, 1/2 FT
8 PTS, 2 REBs, 3 ASTs, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 1 TO
With the game tied at halftime, both teams needed to adjust.
Could Jordan keep carrying? Would the Bulls keep doubling Zhao Dong?
The second half was about to be a dogfight.
—---
In the first half, Zhao Dong went 7-for-13 from the field, 2-for-3 from deep, and 3-for-4 from the stripe, racking up 19 points, 5 boards, 7 dimes, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 2 turnovers, and 1 foul.
He didn't attack much in the second quarter, but his teammates were in rhythm, knocking down shots off his passes to tie the game.
Fifteen minutes later, as the third quarter kicked off, the Knicks hit a cold spell.
Ewing bricked 3 of his 4 attempts, Allan Houston went 1-for-3, and John Starks clanked 4 of his 6 shots, wasting a bunch of Zhao Dong's dimes. Sloppy passing and fumbled catches led to two turnovers for Zhao Dong in that quarter alone.
After three, the Bulls had pushed the lead to 10 points, 76-66.
With Zhao Dong locking up Pippen, Jordan had already dropped 40+ through three quarters. It was clear he was gunning for a 50-piece tonight.
Zhao Dong's teammates were ice-cold, so he had to take over. He cranked up the drives, hitting 2 of 5 shots and going 4-for-4 at the line, adding 8 points and 4 boards in the third. Through three quarters, he had stacked up 27 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 steals, 3 blocks, 4 turnovers, and 3 fouls.
As they walked off the court, Pippen smirked and said, "Kid, we got this game in the bag."
Zhao Dong just chuckled, flashing two fingers. "27 points. 12 points. That's you, Scottie."
Pippen's face tightened.
Heading into the fourth, the Knicks' shooting woes continued. With no other choice, Zhao Dong went full hero-ball mode, jacking up shots like his life depended on it.
But the Bulls' defense tightened the screws—double teams turned into triple teams, and even Jordan joined in to cut off his angles. His efficiency took a hit.
Midway through the quarter, the Knicks were down 15, and the game was basically over.
With nothing left to do, Zhao Dong just focused on filling up the stat sheet.
Final score: Bulls 102, Knicks 89. Chicago took the win by 13 points.
Zhao Dong played 45 minutes, shooting 13-for-28 from the floor, 2-for-3 from three, and 12-for-15 at the stripe. He finished with a monster 40-point triple-double: 40 points, 12 boards, 11 dimes, 2 steals, 4 blocks, 4 turnovers, and 4 fouls.
As he walked off, he couldn't resist talking his talk.
"Congrats, Mr. Jordan. You finally beat me. Now you're qualified to challenge me."
Jordan's face twisted in anger.
"Rookie, I'm gonna make sure you suffer in the playoffs."
Damn rookie. I'm MICHAEL JORDAN. I just dropped 50+ on your squad. Do I really need 'qualifications' to challenge YOU?!
After the game, reporters swarmed Jordan for a live interview.
"Michael, what's the first thing you wanna say after this win?"
Jordan smirked. "I wanna tell that kid Zhao Dong—you're too young if you think you can stop me from getting this ring."
Another reporter asked, "Zhao Dong just recorded his first career triple-double. Any thoughts on that?"
Jordan blinked. "Triple-double?"
For a split second, he was thrown off.
Then, he shrugged. "Man, that's nothing. I've had plenty of those. Besides, he got a triple-double and still took an L. Doesn't mean a damn thing."
Meanwhile, Zhao Dong gave his own interview.
"If we don't win, my triple-double is worthless. It's like when Jordan dropped 58 on us twice and still lost. Empty stats. I just want every one of my triple-doubles to come with a W."
After the press conference, Zhao Dong hopped on the team bus, opened the system, and checked his reward.
Jordan's turnaround jump shot technique.
He sighed. "One block away, damn Pippen. Couldn't you just let me get one more?"
If he had one more block, he'd have unlocked Jordan's legendary fadeaway jumper—one of the most unstoppable shots ever.
Still, his turnaround jumper wasn't bad. If he mastered it, he'd have another elite post-scoring weapon in his bag.
"System, upgrade it."
"Upgrading… Upgrade complete."
"Turnaround Jumper Level: 95."
"Gold Medal Skill Effect: +30% chance to shake defenders, +30% shooting stability."
Zhao Dong grinned from ear to ear.
"Hell yeah! Another gold medal skill in the bag!"
Now, he had five offensive moves rated above 90, including three gold-medal-tier skills. But he wanted more.
He needed another elite isolation move to deal with double teams.
That means next game, I'm going all out.
That next game? Knicks vs. Bulls. Regular season finale.
The Bulls' double-teams clamped me too hard today. I couldn't shake them off. My dribble-and-drive game is still weak at just Level 72.
If I get doubled, I gotta either pass or force bad shots. If I wanna level up, I need to cook defenders off the bounce.
That settled it.
Next goal: Upgrade my handles.
The next morning, the Knicks took a flight to Miami for their game against the Heat on the 12th.
The Knicks held a 2-1 series lead over Miami, giving them a slight edge.
Right now, Miami sat at third in the East, trailing only the Bulls and Knicks. Since all three teams led their respective divisions, their playoff seeds were locked in.
When they landed at the hotel, Zhao Dong got a surprise system task.
"Damn, I didn't get a mission in the last two Heat games, but I'm getting one now?"
All-Star Sniper Mission:
Snatch 5 steals from Tim Hardaway.
Block Tim Hardaway 5 times.
Drop 30+ points.
Reward: Tim Hardaway's pull-up jumper technique.
Zhao Dong groaned.
"Bruh, not only do I gotta guard Hardaway, but I gotta hit the jackpot too?!"
He thought for a second, then muttered, "System, c'mon, Hardaway's pull-up is solid, but his two-step crossover is legendary. Why can't I get that?"
"Rewards are random. Deal with it."
"Man, you're just forcing me to gamble!" Zhao Dong grumbled.
As he threw his bags down, Oakley strolled over, laughing.
"Yo, Zhao, you know PJ Brown's back, right? The dude you stomped last time? Wanna do it again?"
Zhao Dong waved him off. "Nah, I'm good. That dude's defense is annoying. I got bigger fish to fry—I wanna guard Tim Hardaway tomorrow."
Oakley's eyes bulged. "What?! Man, Hardaway's gonna cut you up!"
Zhao Dong just shrugged. "I wanna test myself against a guard. I switch onto them all the time anyway."
Oakley thought for a second, then nodded. "Alright. That's fair."
Later, Zhao Dong brought it up to Van Gundy, who actually considered it.
With the Knicks at 59-18 and the Heat at 58-19, a loss could put them in a tie and possibly drop them to the 3-seed.
No matter how it shook out, though, the Knicks were almost guaranteed to see Miami again in the second round of the playoffs.
In the end, Van Gundy gave him the green light.
Zhao Dong vs. Tim Hardaway. Let's get it.
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