Timeout's over—Magic are still pushing their breakthrough offense.
Penny cuts inside, draws a double. Nick Anderson slides out for a clean look.
Zhao Dong's on him, but Anderson's got a step.
Penny whips the pass.
Anderson rises for the jumper—Zhao Dong flies in to contest!
Just missed the ball. But the challenge threw off Anderson's release.
Clank.
"Board up!" Zhao Dong yelled as he landed.
"Pah!"
Ewing had Rony Seikaly locked up, grabbed the defensive rebound.
Zhao Dong calls for it past half-court.
Dennis Scott and Nick Anderson double him fast—but he shifts gears, trucks Scott, slips past Anderson.
One step, two steps—he's in the lane.
Magic's big man, Rony Seikaly, slides up to help.
Zhao Dong sees it—instant dime to Ewing.
BOOM! Two-handed slam.
MSG erupts.
2-10, Knicks up.
"That's how you punish a defense," the commentator roared. "Zhao Dong collapses three defenders, and Ewing feasts!"
Zhao Dong pumped his fist.
"Yo, let's sweep these dudes!"
The crowd caught fire.
"Sweep the Magic! Sweep the Magic!"
NBC's Marv Albert lost his mind.
"The Garden's shaking! Orlando's in deep trouble."
On CCTV, Zhang Heli went full poetic.
"The wind rises, the clouds fly—the dragon takes flight! Zhao Dong, ride the storm!"
---
Zhao Dong's Beijing home was packed—family, neighbors, reporters, all squeezed into the courtyard, eyes glued to the TV.
"Why so quiet? Hype him up!" his mom, Li Meizhu, shouted.
"Let's go, Dongdong!"
"Cook 'em, Xiaodong!"
---
China National Team Training Center
Gong Xiaobing shook his head.
"This dude's got everything—scoring, playmaking, defense. Zhao Dong is damn near unstoppable."
Liu Yudong chuckled. "Let's see what kind of numbers he racks up tonight."
Wang Zhizhi, watching in silence, felt a fire light up inside.
He'd balled out at the '96 Olympics and got offers from top NCAA schools. But as a Bayi team soldier, staying in the U.S. wasn't an option.
But seeing Zhao Dong dominate?
That dream came back.
---
At Yao Ming's home, the TV was on. The family was deep in discussion.
Zhang Mingji, Yao's agent, was blunt.
"We have to decide. Sharks first team or NCAA?"
Yao's mom hesitated. "You really think NCAA is the move?"
Zhang Mingji pointed at Zhao Dong on the screen.
"That's the blueprint. Zhao's proof Chinese players can make it."
Yao's dad and Yao himself looked to his mom—the final call was hers.
She'd been debating this for half a year.
Staying in China meant comfort, security. The NCAA? A gamble.
Plus, breaking contract with the Sharks? Expensive.
Zhang Mingji had connections, but in the end, this burden fell on Yao.
"Can we talk to him?" she asked, pointing at the TV.
Zhang Mingji froze. Then shook his head.
"I've got his address. I'll find him."
"Good," she nodded. "You're new to this game—Yao's gonna need people in the NBA. If Zhao Dong can guide him, even better."
Zhang Mingji grinned.
"Only problem? Zhao Dong's got a nasty streak. He wrecked Karl Malone."
"Yao's different," she waved it off. "Clean player. Same roots. They'll connect."
Zhang Mingji stood up.
"Alright. I'm flying to Beijing tomorrow."
He caught the subtext—Yao's mom wasn't saying no anymore.
---
First Quarter Wrap-Up
End of Q1. Knicks up 28-14.
Zhao Dong's stat line:
9 PTS (4/5 FG, 1/2 FT)
4 REB, 2 AST, 1 BLK, 1 TO, 1 FOUL
Three of his buckets came in transition—in half-court sets, he drew doubles and kept feeding teammates.
Biggest beneficiary? Patrick Ewing.
4/5 shooting, 8 points—all open looks, all thanks to Zhao Dong collapsing the defense.
Magic's defense was physical, but Zhao's vision picked them apart.
---
Second Quarter Adjustments
To claw back, Orlando went full send—starters back in.
Knicks rested Ewing—Zhao Dong led the charge solo.
No dominant post presence? Magic tripled down on him.
Three defenders at all times.
It worked.
Zhao Dong turned it over twice in five minutes. Added to his Q1 mistake? Three TOs—way above his norm.
He sat on the bench, analyzing.
"My passing ain't crisp enough."
His vision was elite—but if the pass wasn't hitting right, the opportunity went to waste.
First mistake? Ball control error.
The other two? Bad passes under pressure.
Zhao Dong quickly realized—his handles and passing needed work.
And that double-team? It was hell. He couldn't fully break free, whether attacking or passing.
By the 6th minute of Q2, the score was 37-28—Knicks still up 9, but the lead had been cut to 5 in just half a quarter.
Through that intense pressure, Zhao Dong went 2-5 FG, 2-3 FT in the first half, putting up:
6 PTS, 3 REB, 1 AST, 2 TO.
If it wasn't for the squad's strong rebounding, the lead would've shrunk even more.
"Man, after this series, I gotta level up my handles ASAP," Zhao Dong muttered, chugging some water as Van Gundy called timeout.
After the break, the Knicks subbed in key starters—and the game flipped.
With other scoring threats on the floor, the Magic backed off the double-team.
Zhao Dong got loose.
2-3 FG, 2 AST, 0 TO.
By halftime, in 22 minutes, he had:
19 PTS, 10 REB, 6 AST, 1 STL, 2 BLK, 3 TO, 2 FOULS
8-13 FG, 3-5 FT
The Knicks stretched the lead back to 50-38, a double-digit cushion.
---
NBC Broadcast Booth
Matt Guokas: "People questioned if Zhao Dong could handle playoff defense. The numbers? They speak for themselves."
Marv Albert: "Look at his game—drive, shoot, pass. No real weaknesses. You throw double-teams at him, and he's still making plays."
Matt Guokas: "Orlando threw three guys at him, and yeah, two passing turnovers in half a quarter isn't great—but he's a rookie, 6'9", 250. You expect some mistakes."
---
CCTV Broadcast Booth
Zhang Heli: "Knicks got Game 1 in the bag. Zhao Dong is COOKING."
Sun Zhenping: "30 and 10 incoming?"
Ma Jian: "He's built different—big like a PF, skillset of a SF, speed like a guard. Total beast."
Zhang Heli: "If he keeps this up—and Ewing stays hot—Magic might get SWEPT."
Ma Jian: "Yeah, Orlando doesn't have enough defenders. They gotta double both Zhao Dong and Ewing—that leaves gaps everywhere."
Zhang Heli: "Two superstars needing double-teams? That's a nightmare for any team."
Sun Zhenping: "Yo, he's at 6 assists already. You think he's hitting a triple-double?"
Ma Jian: "Man, it's only halftime… It's possible."
Zhang Heli: "Yeah, his playmaking is elite—he's running the offense like a legit PG."
---
Orlando had no answers.
They could only choose one—double-team Zhao Dong or clog the paint on Ewing.
They chose Zhao Dong.
Bad call.
Zhao Dong kept dishing dimes to Ewing, who ate the Magic's frontcourt alive.
Final score: Knicks 99, Magic 74.
Blowout win. Up 1-0.
---
Stat Lines
Patrick Ewing:
35 MIN, 24 PTS, 9 REB, 10-16 FG, 4-7 FT.
Zhao Dong:
42 MIN, 32 PTS, 14 REB, 9 AST, 2 STL, 4 BLK, 4 TO, 4 FOULS.
13-22 FG, 6-8 FT.
1 assist shy of a triple-double.
---
Post-Game Interview
Zhang Heli: "Zhao Dong, congrats on your first career playoff win!"
Zhao Dong: "Appreciate it!"
Zhang Heli: "You were so close to a triple-double. Any regrets?"
Zhao Dong: "A little. But assists? Sometimes you need luck. I'll get one soon enough."
Thomas (Knicks Reporter): "Was this the plan? Win Game 1 and sweep the Magic?"
Zhao Dong: "Of course! If there's a chance to sweep, why not?"
ESPN Reporter: "Four turnovers today—was that playoff defense catching you off guard?"
Zhao Dong: "Yeah, they caught me a few times. Adjustments coming next game."
Orlando Reporter: "Without Ewing, could you carry the team to a win?"
Zhao Dong (grinning): "Patrick's a beast. With him, they can't double me as much. But even if neither of us played, we'd still beat the Magic."
The reporter let out a snort of dissatisfaction, then fired off a question.
"Do you think your regular season stats would've been better than Iverson's if Ewing wasn't on your team?"
Zhao Dong smirked. "Who knows? He's putting up 19.8 shots a game. I'm only taking 15.5. Why would I automatically lose to him?"
The reporter leaned in, trying to stir things up. "So are you saying Ewing doesn't affect your game?"
Zhao Dong wasn't playing that game.
"Hey, Patrick! This dude just said you're useless to the Knicks!" he shouted over to Ewing, who was mid-interview.
"WHO THE HELL SAID THAT?!" Ewing's deep voice boomed through the room.
The Orlando reporter's face turned red. "You?" he glared at Zhao Dong.
Zhao Dong stared him down, his voice turning cold. "Don't try to mess with us. The Knicks' locker room is solid. Whatever you're trying? It's not working."
The tension was thick, and with his attempt at drama flopping, the reporter walked away, embarrassed.
Zhao Dong wrapped up his interview, took a moment to celebrate with fans, said goodbye to Lin Min and some of his people, then headed back to the locker room.
---
LOCKER ROOM TALK
"Zhao Dong, my bad, man. I missed that last open mid-range. You would've had a triple-double," John Starks said when Zhao Dong walked in.
Zhao Dong laughed. "Come on, man. A triple-double? That's nothing. I'll have plenty more chances."
They chopped it up for a bit, then after a quick shower, Zhao Dong and Ewing went to the postgame presser.
The media kept bringing up the possibility of a Knicks sweeping Magic, which pissed off the Magic and had the whole press conference ending on a sour note.
Did the Knicks care? Hell no.
The playoffs ain't a friendly dinner party. Making your opponent uncomfortable is part of the job.
---
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR SNUB
The next day, the New York media went wild, hyping up the Knicks' blowout win.
Ewing and Zhao Dong were getting all the praise, but Zhao Dong? He was getting talked about like he was already Jordan's successor.
Then, midday, the league dropped the Rookie of the Year results.
🏆 Allen Iverson - ROY
Iverson: 35% of votes
Zhao Dong: 32% of votes (Runner-Up)
Shareef Abdur-Rahim: 30% of votes (Third Place)
Zhao Dong saw the news. "Man, this is some BS."
Even though he expected it, it still pissed him off.
When reporters asked for his thoughts, he kept it real. "Not winning ROY? Straight-up unfair."
---
Charles Barkley jumped into the mix, calling into an ESPN live interview.
"This was the fairest vote possible. The reporters got it right."
The host pressed him.
"So Charles, where do you think the gap is between Zhao Dong and Iverson?"
Barkley paused. He tried to find an answer, then finally said:
"Iverson doesn't have a Patrick Ewing on his team. That's the difference."
The host wasn't letting up. "So last night—who do you think had the biggest impact? Ewing or Zhao Dong?"
Barkley froze again.
"Well… uh… oh, my bad, I didn't actually watch the Knicks game, so I can't say."
Zhao Dong, watching from his hotel bed, cursed at the screen.
"Barkley, you talk too damn much for a guy with no rings!"
---
IVERSON STAYS COCKY
Over in Philly, Iverson was giving his own ESPN interview.
"Winning this award shows that people believe in me. I appreciate the voters."
Then the host stirred the pot. "New York media and fans are furious that Zhao Dong didn't win. Any words for them?"
Iverson smirked. "Man, I ain't worse than anyone. Not even Jordan. I'm built to take on the whole world."
Zhao Dong laughed watching that.
"Same old A.I.—acting like he's above everyone else."
But deep down, the loss stung.
It was the only Rookie of the Year award he'd ever get a shot at, and it slipped away.
The message was clear.
If he wanted to dominate in this league, he couldn't just be great.
He had to be so undeniable that leaving him out would feel like a crime.
---
MOURNING FIRES BACK
The screen switched back to ESPN. The host announced:
"We have a live report from Magic insider Mo Weiss."
The screen cut to a familiar clip.
"Our first step is to eliminate the Bulls and make the Finals."
The reporters on screen reacted.
"Oh! So are you saying you're not even worried about the first two rounds, including the Heat?"
"Nah. If we focus on them, that means our expectations are too low."
ESPN's host jumped in:
"Zhao Dong didn't even acknowledge the Heat—the third seed in the East! The same team that beat the Knicks in the regular season. Why is he so confident? We spoke to Alonzo Mourning for a response."
Cut to Mourning in the Heat's practice facility, teammates working out in the background.
Mourning was fuming.
"This dude's a straight-up arrogant rookie! He really thinks finishing second in the East makes the Knicks better than us? That they can just ignore us? That's laughable!
He can't even guarantee he's making it out the first round!
If the Knicks get past Round 1, they're getting bounced by us. No doubt about it."
By the end, he was full-on yelling, and everyone in the gym turned to look at him.
Zhao Dong rolled his eyes at the screen.
"Man, shut the hell up. Ain't nobody scared of you. You can't even handle Larry Johnson. Get outta here."
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