12:10 left in the first, Knicks down 2, Bulls with the ball.
Kidd came off a high screen, faked the dish, then pulled up from the top of the arc. Billups bit on the fake—Kidd let it fly from deep… but bricked it. Ben Wallace snatched the board and quickly kicked it out to Billups. Knicks pushing the tempo.
Zhao Dong took off down the lane like a freight train, caught the pass in stride, and bodied Jordan straight into the paint. The two went airborne at the rim—another one-on-one showdown in the sky. Every fan on the planet had their eyes locked in on this moment.
"Not enough!"
Jordan soared from Zhao Dong's right side, hand up to contest—but it wasn't high enough. His fingers barely grazed Zhao's wrist, and the look of shock on his face said it all.
Zhao didn't even bother switching hands, still going up strong with the right. Powered up, legs fully loaded, he launched at the rim.
Thanks to the boost from the Silver Demon, his bounce was insane—no way aging MJ could out-jump him. Plus, Zhao had the length, the height, the whole physical package. He knew Jordan couldn't get to that.
BOOM!
MSG erupted.
"Zhao Dong throws it down! Another sky battle, and he wins again!" Matt Goukas shouted on the NBC broadcast.
"When they're both floating in the air like that, Zhao's physical edge makes a huge difference. Jordan's struggling to keep up in those matchups," Marv broke it down.
On CCTV, Zhang Heli went off: "It's tied at 12! Zhao Dong slams it home on the break and evens it up! That's two aerial battles against Jordan—and he's won both. One's rising, the other's fading. We're watching the end of an era, and the birth of a new one. Cherish every clash."
Sun Zhenping added: "Zhao Dong's 6-for-7 so far, 12 points already. He's carrying the Knicks from the jump, scoring every point so far."
"Jordan's got 4 points on 2-of-3 shooting, plus an assist," Zhang continued. "But the Knicks gotta be careful. Their scoring is way too reliant on Zhao Dong. He needs to pace himself and get others involved or he'll burn out fast.
"Look at the Bulls—they're sharing the wealth. Jordan has 4, Ewing's got 4 on 2-for-2, McGrady and Kidd with 2 each."
Coach Don Nelson saw it too. He wasn't mad about Zhao's aggression—dude was crazy efficient—but he yelled from the sideline to manage his energy better.
Then he subbed out Billups and brought in John Starks to give the offense a jolt.
After that, Zhao Dong dialed it back a little—cut down on scoring, started setting guys up.
By the end of the first, it was all tied up: 26-26.
Zhao Dong had a monster quarter—8-for-10 from the field, 1-of-1 at the line, 17 points, 3 boards, 2 dimes, 2 blocks, and 1 foul.
MJ took just 4 shots, hit 3 of them, went 2-for-2 on freebies. Finished with 8 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal.
Matt on NBC: "Different look from the Bulls tonight. Kidd's running the show, everyone's touching the rock. The scoring's balanced—it's working."
Goukas chimed in: "Knicks had 10 boards, Bulls had 7. Still ended tied, so it shows the Knicks' efficiency wasn't as high overall."
Matt nodded: "Zhao Dong's been the most efficient player, hands down. But the Bulls dished out 7 assists that quarter—4 from Kidd. Knicks only had 5. Bulls are smoother on offense as a unit.
"The only reason the Knicks are tied is because of Zhao's insane efficiency and their rebounding edge."
Over on CCTV, Zhang Heli broke it down deeper: "Ewing's been clutch. Played 10 minutes and gave it everything—3-of-5 shooting, 1-of-2 free throws, 7 points. Big Ben can't handle him solo. Ewing's anchoring the post in a way the Bulls didn't have before, relieving pressure off Jordan. That's huge.
"Knicks gotta fix weak side help on Ewing, and they need to slow Kidd down—he's doing whatever he wants out there.
"Billups just ain't cutting it. Can't guard Kidd, doesn't run the offense well. Had two turnovers in a few short minutes.
"The Knicks bench, though—that's their edge. Bulls are all about that starting five. If New York plays it right, they can win this game with their second unit.
"It's actually solid that the Knicks starters are holding even with the Bulls' main guys."
On the Knicks bench, Coach Nelson was already moving pieces.
When it mattered most, Zhao Dong stayed on. He kept running point into the second quarter.
Out there with him were Danny Fortson down low, Larry Johnson on the block, and Hu Weidong and John Starks on the wings.
All five could get buckets. Fortson was a little behind the others, but he still nearly averaged double digits this season. That's better than what Ben Wallace brings.
Hu and Starks? Tough defenders and legit threats inside and out.
With Zhao on the floor, this second unit was just as deadly as the starters.
In the second quarter, Zhao shifted into floor general mode—locking in on defense, dropping dimes, and picking his spots to score.
The Bulls ran out MJ with Kidd and Kerr, and inside they had Scott Burrell and Bill Wennington—two starters, three bench guys.
In the second quarter, Zhao Dong turned up the playmaking—dropped 6 dimes and got a few buckets himself, all at the rack. He went 3-for-4 from the field, 4-for-4 at the line. First half totals? 11-of-14 from the floor, perfect 5-of-5 on freebies—27 points, 7 boards, 8 assists, 1 steal, 4 swats, 1 turnover, and 3 fouls. Straight domination.
But the Knicks still couldn't pull away. At halftime, they were just up 54-51. Only a three-point cushion.
The bench wasn't holding it down, and with that, MJ—barely on the floor in the first—took over the second. He went all in, and even with Zhao Dong and the squad doubling him up, he still cooked: 6-for-12 from the field, 3-for-4 from the line, 15 points. Kept it close all by himself.
"Look, the Bulls' starters are nasty, but that bench? Weak as hell," said Matt Goukas on commentary. "Jordan's gonna have to push through and hope he's got enough in the tank by the fourth."
"He didn't burn much energy in the first, plus had like 15 minutes rest in the half," Marv Albert added. "Should be good for now."
"Yeah, Zhao Dong didn't push hard on offense that quarter—letting the game come to him. But physically? He's fresh. He's young. Jordan don't got that edge anymore," Goukas said.
Back in the locker room, MJ was laid out on the massage table, getting worked on to stay loose.
"How you feeling?" Phil Jackson asked, leaning in.
"I'm good," Jordan nodded.
Phil said, "Patrick's coming in for the third. Let's run it like Q1—slow pace, get some easy buckets, grind it out. You hold off, save your energy, and we let it fly in the fourth."
Jordan just nodded. Cool and locked in.
Over in the Knicks' locker room, Zhao Dong was going over the Bulls' stat sheet with Thibs.
"Ewing's gonna be back in the third, so our defense spreads thin," Zhao Dong said. "Bulls will slow it down again. Jordan's gonna coast. Phil's saving him for the fourth."
Coach Nelson chimed in, "Exactly. So Zhao, same plan—focus on running the offense, score when you get a mismatch. We hold the line, and then we go all-out in the fourth. Ewing won't last late, so it'll be you vs. Jordan in crunch time."
"Bet," Zhao Dong nodded.
Start of the third, both squads rolled out that half-starter, half-bench lineup again.
End of the third? Deadlocked—75 all.
Ewing had some gas left in the tank, knocked down 4-of-7, handled Big Ben down low.
"Ben Wallace's height is a problem—he can't handle Ewing in the post, even if Pat's old," said Zhang Heli on the Chinese broadcast. "The Knicks been working hard to develop Ben, but if he doesn't level up, it's all for nothing."
Sun Zhenping added, "Zhao Dong's holding it down though—5 more assists that quarter, already got the triple-double."
"Yup, 35 through three quarters. He's gonna drop 40-plus for sure," Zhang Heli nodded. "But the game's still up in the air. The Bulls are no joke. Ewing's been quiet all season just to explode in the playoffs. He's showing out tonight."
Back in the league office, David Stern was hype.
"Forty million? That's big."
Ratings were going crazy. The intensity, the star power—it was drawing viewers like never before.
"If only this was the Finals," Stern muttered, lowkey salty. "Zhao Dong and Jordan on the same side of the bracket... Once one of them's out, the Finals won't hit the same. Jazz? Lakers? They can't match this. Hell, if the Spurs make it, the ratings might tank."
Start of the fourth, Nelson sent out Zhao Dong, Big Ben, and Fordson as the frontcourt. Alan Houston and Hu Weidong ran the wings.
Hu had put in 16 minutes through Q2 and Q3—efficient night: 3-for-5 from the field, two dunks cutting to the rim, 1-for-3 from deep, and a perfect 2-for-2 at the line. Dropped 9 points and earned Coach Nelson's trust.
Bulls came back with the full starting five. All-in.
Knicks had first crack at it. Zhao Dong took the rock up as the lead guard.
MJ matched up, backpedaling in transition.
At the arc, Zhao Dong threw up a hand sign, calling the set. The squad started moving.
Big Ben and Fordson posted up on opposite low blocks. Houston and Hu Weidong stayed on the wings, forced to stay above the free throw line due to spacing rules since Zhao Dong was in the high post.
Bounce, bounce, bounce...
Zhao Dong leaned in, crossing mid-arc. Then boom—exploded with that first step, cooked MJ right off the dribble.
The Bulls swarmed. Jordan, Rodman, and Ewing all collapsed into the paint.
At the same time, Hu Weidong slid up top from the left wing, and Houston darted into the right corner—both shook their defenders, found daylight.
Zhao Dong, mid-drive, took another step and launched up into the air.
Right then, Ewing and Rodman rose up too. Four arms in the air, trying to block the view.
Zhao Dong exploded down the lane, Jordan chasing from behind, ready to swat him from the back.
"Kick it out!" Zhang Heli shouted from the sidelines.
Zhao Dong's drive pulled a triple-team. Everyone else got open, and this was the perfect dime opportunity.
Outta nowhere, Zhao Dong whipped a one-handed, behind-the-back no-look pass straight to the top of the arc.
"One-handed behind-the-back! Man didn't even look!" the commentator yelled.
Right on cue, Hu Weidong slid into the spot. McGrady was a step slow. Hu caught it clean and let the three fly.
McGrady soared to contest, but the rock slipped past his fingers—and flew clean over him.
"Splash!"
Bucket.
"YEAHHH!" Hu screamed as he backpedaled. He'd been putting in work this season—sharpening his spot-up game, speeding up his release—and now it was payin' off big time.
Clap clap clap...
Old Nelson was on his feet, giving props.
Now it was Bulls ball.
Zhao Dong locked in, facing off with Jordan on the right wing. MJ kept moving, trying to shake free.
But Zhao Dong had gas in the tank. Dude wasn't even winded. He stuck tight, fought through every screen, and even when the Bulls tried to spring him with picks—nah, Zhao just muscled through.
Neither Ewing nor Rodman had the size or mass to be a real screen wall. Among all ten guys on the floor, Zhao Dong had the most body to throw around.
Jordan juked and cut for four or five seconds, but couldn't get loose. He finally popped back out past the arc to grab the ball.
Zhao Dong was right there, on his hip.
"You don't even shoot threes this season. You forgot how?" Zhao Dong taunted.
Jordan kept quiet. Shot clock was running low.
He palmed the ball in his right hand, stiff-armed Zhao Dong with the left, and burst right.
Zhao Dong stayed with him, shuffling fast—but then Jordan hit the brakes, went into a back-dribble, switched to the left, and slashed back the other way.
Zhao Dong spun and chased. Two strides in, he was already on MJ's side.
Jordan slammed on the brakes again. Stop-and-pop.
Zhao Dong jumped to block, right in his grill.
"Third aerial showdown between the two!" The crowd was locked in.
Zhao Dong had the length and height—his hand was right there—but MJ leaned back just enough and flicked it off clean.
"Fadeaway?"
Zhao Dong's heart skipped. Jordan's shot just cleared his fingers as he flew by and hit the hardwood.
"Splash!"
Two more for MJ.
"Yo, that one felt smooth, huh?" Jordan turned and barked. "You guarding me or just watching greatness up close?."
"Man, screw off..." Zhao Dong muttered.
"Congrats, Jordan, you take the third aerial duel," Marv Albert said with a chuckle. Matt Goukas laughed beside him.
Next trip down, Zhao Dong held it at the left wing, just outside the arc. Jordan stepped up.
"You know how I trained my first step?" Zhao Dong asked with a smirk.
"Nah. Don't care either," Jordan shot back, even though he was dying to know.
Squeak!
Zhao Dong exploded forward. That first step was lightning.
Jordan instinctively spun to stay in front—but right then, Zhao Dong pulled the emergency brake.
"Oh no!"
Jordan panicked. His feet stopped, but his upper body kept going—he lost balance and hit the floor.
"Ohhh baby! Zhao Dong just dropped Jordan!" the commentator yelled, hyped outta his seat.
Zhao Dong stood over him cold, staring down. Then, with a calm bounce, he rose and fired.
"Bastard..." Jordan cursed from the hardwood.
Swish.
Perfect arc. Net rip. Crowd lost it.
"Zhao Dong just crossed up Jordan for the second time! That's insane!" Zhang Heli shouted.
Zhao Dong grinned and shouted, "Yo, Mr. Jordan, was that an open three? Shame though—it had no weight. Felt like a warm-up shot."
"Get outta my face!" Jordan snapped.
Zhao Dong just laughed, loud and proud.
Then he turned it up another level.
With energy to spare—after chillin' most of Q2 and Q3—he started smashing the paint with power drives.
Ewing had put in work offensively, but Zhao Dong figured he was gassed now. Time to bully the Bulls' bigs.
His gameplan? Simple.
Run without the ball to dodge the double. Catch below the stripe or the dotted line—no Rule 138 issues there. Then muscle Jordan out the way and crash the paint like a freight train.
Zhao Dong's footwork and movement were now just as slick as Jordan's. With constant off-ball movement and unpredictable cuts, he left MJ in the dust more and more.
Ewing and Rodman? Man, they just couldn't hold the wall. Zhao Dong barreled through 'em like wreckage.
Still, there was one play where they finally dropped him—double-hit under the rim. Zhao Dong hit the floor hard.
But overall? Knicks' offense was now rollin' thanks to Zhao Dong's inside hammering.
Jordan kept trying to fight back, slashing inside, drawing fouls on Ben and Fordson—but his efficiency couldn't match Zhao Dong's beast mode.
Luckily for the Bulls, Ewing stayed aggressive on offense and kept the scoreboard ticking.
Final quarter. 10-minute mark.
98 seconds left.
Score: Knicks 99, Bulls 93.
Bulls called timeout.
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