The Bulls were on the attack.
Pippen ran to get the ball, but Zhao Dong was glued to him, making every move a struggle. He cut from the left wing to the right, but no matter where he went, Zhao Dong stayed locked in.
With no passing option, Jordan had to take matters into his own hands. He attacked, but with the Knicks' double-team collapsing on him, his shot bricked off the rim.
Ewing muscled over Rodman for the rebound, and the Knicks pushed the pace.
On the broadcast, Ernie Grunfeld chuckled. "Man, Rodman is really starting to show his age. He's just not the same dude in these playoffs."
Marv Albert nodded. "Yeah, he's spent way too much energy off the court, and now it's catching up to him. But the real problem? Pippen can't run the offense with Zhao Dong suffocating him out there. The Bulls are getting cut apart."
Matt Goukas added, "And that means Jordan has to work overtime. He's got defenders all over him, and without Pippen running the show, his job just got ten times harder."
On NBC, Matt Goukas broke it down further. "Back when the Bulls eliminated the Knicks, it all came down to Jordan. Even though Ewing was dominant inside, Jordan's off-ball movement and Pippen's playmaking made the Bulls unstoppable."
Marv Albert followed up, "Exactly. The Knicks had no perimeter threat back then—no one to pull defenders away or force double-teams. So every time Jordan took a shot, Rodman was free to crash the boards. The Knicks were stuck constantly double-teaming Jordan, leaving their interior wide open, and Rodman ate them alive."
Matt nodded. "But this ain't the same Knicks team. Now they've got Zhao Dong, a guy who can create his own shot, break down defenders, and dish it out like a true playmaker."
Marv Albert added, "And because of that, Ewing is finally free in the paint. No double-teams, no extra pressure—he's getting one-on-one looks all night. Just a shame he didn't have a guy like Zhao Dong during his prime."
Matt laughed. "Now the Bulls are in the exact same situation the Knicks were in back then. They have to double-team Zhao Dong every possession, which leaves their inside totally exposed. That's why their defense is falling apart, and they're getting beat on the boards."
Marv Albert nodded. "Rodman's trying to help on the double-team, but Zhao Dong's passing is too sharp, and he's knocking down shots. The Bulls are getting burned no matter what they do."
He leaned back. "Honestly, it's like the Bulls are facing an upgraded version of Pippen—except with way better handles, a stronger scoring game, and even more gravity pulling defenders toward him."
Matt smirked. "And if they don't figure out how to slow Zhao Dong down, they're screwed. Jordan can't carry them alone."
Marv Albert nodded. "Luckily for them, the Knicks have to double-team Jordan too, so the Bulls aren't getting destroyed on the perimeter. But inside? Ewing's feasting. As long as Zhao Dong keeps drawing doubles and feeding Ewing, the Bulls are in serious trouble."
Matt chuckled. "Ain't no one on Earth stopping the four super centers one-on-one, not even each other."
Back on the court, the first quarter ended with the Knicks leading by six—28 to 22.
Zhao Dong played the entire quarter, going all-out on defense. He locked up Pippen so badly that the Bulls' playmaking completely fell apart. Pippen had just one assist, barely touched the ball, and coughed it up three times.
On the offensive end, Zhao Dong was just as dominant. He shot 3-for-5, sank both his free throws, and put up 8 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 block, 1 turnover, and 1 foul in 12 minutes.
Ewing, freed from double-teams, played nine minutes and dominated inside. He went 5-for-7, hit 2 of his 3 free throws, and racked up 12 points with 3 rebounds.
With Pippen neutralized, the Bulls had to let Ron Harper run the offense. But Harper didn't have Pippen's vision or size, so their ball movement suffered.
Eventually, Jordan took over completely. He played the whole quarter, attacking non-stop, and put up 15 points on 6-for-10 shooting, adding 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 turnover, and 1 foul.
Rodman, who was usually a rebounding machine, grabbed just two boards before getting subbed out after eight minutes.
On the Chinese broadcast, Zhang Heli laughed. "Four assists in one quarter—that's what happens when you double-team Zhao Dong. His court vision is elite. He sees every gap in the defense."
Sun Zhenping smiled. "Jordan put up 15, but the Bulls still lost the quarter. That tells you how tough this Knicks team really is."
Zhang Heli nodded. "That's because Zhao Dong is shutting Pippen down on defense and torching him on offense. The Bulls' entire system is breaking down. Without Pippen's playmaking, Jordan has to do everything himself. He's a legend, but he ain't a god."
Over on the Bulls' bench, Jordan was wiping sweat off his face, chugging an energy drink.
He had carried the offense and defended Alan Houston, holding him to just 1-for-4 shooting. But even after all that, they were still down six.
Losing by six in the first quarter in this era? That was bad. Jordan knew they were in trouble.
Pippen looked even worse.
He had been completely erased. He barely touched the ball, couldn't organize the offense, and got bullied whenever he did. He finished the quarter 0-for-3, with one assist, three turnovers, and a nasty block to his name.
Phil Jackson stood in front of the team, scanning Jordan, Pippen, and Rodman.
Two-thirds of the Bulls' legendary trio were broken. Pippen was a non-factor, and Rodman couldn't stop Ewing. If things didn't change, even if Jordan went nuclear for 50 or 60 points, they had no chance.
He turned to Pippen. "Scottie, what's your read on Zhao Dong?"
Pippen groaned. "Man, this dude's a glitch. He's bigger than me, stronger than me, and somehow faster than me too. It's bullshit."
Phil Jackson sighed. He already knew the situation.
Tactics could only do so much. When a superstar takes over like this, sometimes, there's just no stopping it.
"Dennis, you good?" he asked Rodman again.
Rodman rubbed his knee and smirked. "Man, I can still hoop, but I ain't gonna lie—I don't know how long I can go. I'll push through, though."
Phil Jackson shook his head. The Worm was getting up there in age, and this season had been rough on him with all the injuries. The playoffs hadn't helped either.
He turned to Jordan. "Mike, anything you wanna say?"
Jordan shook his head, eyes locked in. "Doesn't matter how tough it gets, we gotta find a way to win. We push through. No excuses."
Then his gaze shifted to the Knicks' bench, his expression turning ice-cold. "Ain't no way I'm losing to a dude I personally kicked off this team."
"Man..."
Phil Jackson let out a deep sigh. He wasn't the only one feeling that way. Jerry Krause, sitting near the bench, had that same look on his face. Even the Bulls' owner back in Chicago was probably feeling it too. Pippen? Yeah, he probably wanted to sigh as well.
Meanwhile, over on the Knicks' bench, the vibe was different. They had the lead, and the energy was up.
"Stay locked in! Keep that defense tight... Get the rock to Zhao Dong!" Van Gundy barked, sweat dripping down his face.
He might not have been the best coach out there, but he sure as hell got lucky. When Zhao Dong and Ewing were fighting for dominance earlier, he put his money on Zhao Dong. And now? With Zhao Dong in his corner, he had way more pull over the team.
Of course, that control ran through Zhao Dong. Ewing? Yeah, he wasn't really checking for Van Gundy like that.
Midway through the second quarter, both teams rotated their starters out. Scoreboard showed 27-30—the Bulls had chipped away 3 points.
The game? Still the same story as the first quarter. Chicago had no answers for Zhao Dong. Meanwhile, Pippen was struggling to break free from Zhao Dong's defense. Bulls' offense? Pretty much just Jordan going one-on-one, carrying the squad.
By halftime, it was 47-55—Knicks up by 8.
On NBC broadcast, Marv Albert broke it down: "Jordan is locked in tonight. In the second quarter, he went 5-for-8 from the field, hit 1-of-2 from deep, and was a perfect 3-for-3 at the line. That's 14 points in the quarter, bringing him to 29 at the half."
Matt Goukas nodded. "Zhao Dong didn't take a ton of shots, but he still made an impact. With Pippen all over him, he went 2-for-4 from the field, 3-of-4 from the line, and dropped 7 points. But here's the real key—he got Pippen into foul trouble, picking up three fouls.
"Beyond scoring, Zhao Dong is orchestrating the Knicks' offense. He dished out 6 assists in just 21 minutes, including two indirect ones. The Knicks are still up 8, even with Jordan going off for 29. That tells you something."
Over on the CCTV broadcast, Zhang Heli analyzed, "The Bulls still haven't figured out how to slow down Zhao Dong. Pippen is getting worked, and that's a major reason why Chicago is trailing."
"But the Knicks can't relax," Sun Zhengping added with a chuckle. "The lead isn't that big, and Jordan can catch fire anytime. They gotta stay locked in."
"True, true," Zhang Heli agreed. "But look at how Zhao Dong is playing. He's keeping things simple—attacking just enough to draw doubles, then finding Ewing for easy buckets. Their chemistry is clicking, and Ewing is having a field day.
"The Bulls' bigs? Yeah, they're getting cooked. Rodman, Luc Longley—none of them can stop Ewing. If Zhao Dong keeps his energy up for the second half, especially the fourth quarter, this could be trouble for Chicago."
Third quarter? Same as the first two. But Jordan? Man, he turned it up a notch.
He started attacking the paint like a madman, going 6-for-10 from the field, knocking down 6-of-7 from the stripe. He racked up 18 points in that quarter alone, pushing his total to a ridiculous 47.
And because of that, the Bulls kept it close. By the end of the third, it was 77-80—Knicks still up, but just by 3.
On NBC, Matt Goukas broke down Jordan's insane night. "With Pippen locked up, MJ took over. Through three quarters, he's 17-of-28 from the field, hit 1-of-2 from three, 12-of-14 from the line. That's 47 points, 5 boards, 2 dimes, 2 steals, 3 turnovers, and 3 fouls in 33 minutes."
"That's GOAT-level stuff," Marv Albert added. "And honestly, that's the only reason the Bulls are still in this."
"But don't sleep on Zhao Dong," Matt Goukas countered. "He's playing a complete game—3-for-6 in the third, 3-of-4 at the line, adding 9 points, 3 boards, 3 dimes.
"In 33 minutes, he's at 24 points, 8 boards, 9 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 2 turnovers, and 3 fouls. He's on triple-double watch, and here's something crazy—the Knicks haven't lost a game this season when Zhao Dong gets a triple-double."
Marv Albert nodded. "If the Bulls don't figure out a way to slow him down, this could be a major problem."
"Exactly," Matt Goukas said. "Jordan is playing out of his mind tonight, but if Chicago can't clamp Zhao Dong, MJ is gonna have to do this every game just to have a shot.
"And let's be real—Jordan's a monster, but he's human. Keeping this level of energy up every night? That's gonna take a toll. Even if he does, best-case scenario? The Bulls only have a 50/50 shot of winning the series. And that's only because it's Jordan we're talking about. If it was anybody else? No chance."
Then Matt brought up a key adjustment. "One thing I'm noticing—Zhao Dong hasn't been attacking the rim as much tonight. He's stopping just outside the paint and focusing on his passing. That might be something the Bulls can exploit."
Marv Albert thought about it and nodded. "Yeah, they can adjust their defense to trap him there. But do they lock in on Zhao Dong, or do they take away his passing options?"
"Zhao Dong's got crazy vision—he can dime up anyone at any time," Matt Goukas said. "So if I'm Chicago, I'm targeting him directly."
Over on CCTV, Zhang Heli pointed out another issue. "Knicks are in a good spot right now, but Jordan is going hard in the paint. That's a problem because Oakley's at 4 fouls, and Ewing has 3. Oakley, in particular, needs to be careful."
"Yeah, Oakley's been playing rough," Sun Zhenping added. "Jordan's been eating some tough hits every time he drives in."
"Well, it's the Eastern Conference Finals," Zhang Heli said with a grin. "It's the Knicks and Bulls—defense is always gonna be physical.
"But if this were the Jazz or the old-school Pistons? Oh man, forget defense, we'd be seeing elbows flying and straight-up brawls on the court."
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