Zhang Heli nodded, "Ewing went off tonight — dropped 8 in the fourth and 27 total. Jordan still had 34, but Ewing played like a true big man and helped ease that scoring load.
But neither he nor Rodman could stop Zhao Dong. Dude charged up for two quarters and went nuclear in the fourth."
"Was there something wrong with the Knicks' D?" Sun Zhenping asked.
"Yeah, Ben Wallace couldn't hold Ewing down low and got cooked. And when the paint collapses, you can't send help on MJ outside. The Bulls are still nasty though — even keeping it tied this late is a win. It all comes down to who closes. Six-point gap? Two three's — and the Bulls got the rock. This ain't over," Zhang Heli replied.
Over on NBC, Matt broke it down. "Ewing stepped up and lightened Jordan's load. MJ didn't go full takeover in the fourth, only 9 points. But you better believe when it's money time, he's calling his own number."
Marv Albert followed up, "Zhao Dong's got 49 already, man. He's scoring more than Jordan.
And he doesn't have a big like Ewing backing him up. That means in crunch time, he's gotta do it solo.
Even under all that pressure, Zhao Dong is flashing elite scoring chops — maybe even on MJ's level. His inside presence? Straight up more dominant than peak Jordan."
Matt chuckled, "And yo, the Knicks actually had Zhao Dong guarding Jordan one-on-one tonight. That's wild.
But MJ didn't fully push it, probably 'cause of Ewing's rhythm. Might've been a missed chance though?"
Marv laughed, "Nah, I think MJ's just smart. Ewing was cookin', no need to force it. His efficiency matched Jordan's.
And remember — this a series. MJ's saving some for later. If Ewing gasses out, he'll take over then.
Right now, they just got no answer for Zhao Dong down low. His finishing rate is off the charts. That's why the Bulls are trailing.
Look, Zhao Dong only turned it up heavy in Q1 and Q4. He's got limits too — but what a burst."
Time-out wrapped.
Knicks made a sub — Fordson out, Oakley in. On the wings, it's Allan Houston and John Starks now.
Bulls came out on the attack. Kidd faked a jumper, then drove — but got hacked by Starks. Free throws coming up.
"Bad foul, man. Kidd hits 80% from the line," Zhang Heli said.
Kidd had just tied the knot this year and was already on that flying kiss free throw routine. Fans were loving the show. He wiped sweat off his hands — off his butt of all places — then blew a kiss... swish, first one's good.
For the second shot, he went extra slow, staring at the rim like it was his wife. Blew another kiss...
"Bruh... Kidd probably had no clue his 5'3" wife would be whooping him later in life. Should we tell him?"
Zhao Dong raised a brow, thinking about how Kidd's marriage would later crash due to domestic violence.
Swish!
Kidd nailed the second one.
99-95, Knicks lead.
Zhao Dong brought the ball up slow, MJ came pressing right away.
He spun on him, bumped shoulders, slipped past, and bolted upcourt.
Jordan chased hard, trying to mess with Zhao Dong's rhythm. He finally cut him off near the left wing three-point line.
"Damn, old man, still got that speed?" Zhao Dong smirked, eyeing the winded MJ.
"Kid, if I was five years younger, I'd have you in a blender," Jordan snapped back, locking in again.
Rodman crept up from the left low post, ready to trap.
McGrady lurked near the free-throw line, also ready to double.
Zhao Dong couldn't just muscle through MJ with the Zhao Dong Rule in play.
But he had that Grant Hill first step and CP3-level handles.
He faked... then burst forward.
MJ reacted on time — stuck with him. Zhao Dong had pushed too hard earlier and looked gassed. That first step was a bit slow.
Jordan stuck like glue through the next few strides.
Rodman and McGrady collapsed — triple team coming.
Zhao Dong kept calm, whipped a bounce pass right through Rodman's legs to Ben Wallace in the paint.
"Woooo! Sick pass!" Zhang Heli hollered.
Big Ben caught it, took it strong to the rack.
But Ewing had rotated fast. Just as Big Ben went for the lay, Ewing swatted that thing clean and snagged the ball.
"Clutch block from Ewing!" Matt yelled.
"Ben Wallace's offense is trash," Marv chuckled.
Bulls ran the break.
Zhao Dong hustled back, Jordan charged in but then pulled up on the left wing.
Kidd passed it to him, and when Zhao Dong closed out, MJ dished it off to a cutting McGrady.
McGrady caught it, hit the free-throw line, and took flight.
Zhao Dong turned to recover, but he was a step late.
BOOM!
Tomahawk slam. The rim cried out.
"YEAHHHH!" McGrady howled.
"What the hell you yellin' for?!" Zhao Dong barked.
McGrady's eyes went wide — he shut his mouth, ducked his head, and jogged away.
99-97. Bulls with a 4-0 run. Marv said, "McGrady's showing some serious juice on that fast break. Knicks' transition D was late. Great vision from MJ too — Zhao Dong couldn't cover both."
50 seconds left. Knicks' ball.
Zhao Dong walked it up, burning a few seconds before approaching the left side.
Jordan edged up — Zhao Dong exploded, crossed over in front, blew past him and slid down the left lane.
"Double him!" Phil Jackson yelled from the sideline.
Rodman came from the post, McGrady from up top. Ewing held the paint.
Zhao Dong saw it all coming. One step outside the lane, he pulled up before the trap closed.
Bang!
Off the glass, clean as hell.
SWISH!
Crowd went nuts.
Yeahhh!
"Zhao Dong still gotta do it himself! When it's crunch time, he takes over—that's what an MVP does!" Zhang Heli hyped up, voice booming.
"101-97, Knicks up by 4 with 32 seconds left. Gotta stay locked in," Sun Zhenping added, nerves tight.
Bulls' ball.
"Gimme that!"
Ewing, already cookin' with 27 points, demanded the rock in the low post. All night, whether it was Big Ben, Fordson, or his old teammate Oakley guarding him, he'd been unstoppable. Double-teams? Didn't matter—he had the mismatch advantage every time.
Tonight, fueled by pure rage at the Knicks and Zhao Dong, Ewing looked like his prime self again.
Jordan, camped at the right wing three-point line, dragged Zhao Dong with him. On the opposite side, McGrady pulled Alan Houston away, clearing out for Ewing.
Kidd swung the pass inside.
Zhao Dong didn't bite on the double—Ewing's vision was too sharp. One wrong move, and he'd dime Jordan for an easy bucket.
Ewing backed down Big Ben, bumped twice, then rose for the hook shot—
CLANG!
The ball rattled out, and chaos erupted under the rim. Oakley and Rodman both went up, but Rodman's quick second jump gave him the edge—
BOOM!
Zhao Dong flew in, snatching the board right over Rodman's head!
"AHHH!"
Rodman flopped like a fish, clutching his face and crashing to the floor.
WHISTLE BLOWS.
"BOOOO!"
The Garden erupted in boos—everyone knew Rodman's flopping antics, especially in crunch time.
"Zhao Dong fouled him? Nah, no elbow—this is straight-up acting!" Zhang Heli called it out.
"Didn't even touch him!" Sun Zhenpan agreed.
The ref wasn't buying it.
"Ref, my hands were clean. He's selling a foul," Zhao Dong said, calm but firm.
"Aghhh!" Rodman hammed it up, writhing like he'd been shot.
The ref rolled his eyes, waving Rodman up. "Get up, 91. Keep this up, I'm slapping you with a T"
Rodman grumbled, but he got up.
TECH FOUL.
Jordan shook his head—no surprise. In MSG, with Zhao Dong as the league's golden boy, Rodman wasn't getting that call.
"This was the game right here," Zhang Heli broke it down. "If Rodman gets that foul, Bulls still got life. But now? Clock's ticking—this one's over."
Timeout, Knicks.
Big Ben sat, Fordson checked in—better free-throw shooter (77.7%), just in case the Bulls tried the hack-a-strategy.
Zhao Dong sank the tech freebie—102-97, Knicks ball, 18 seconds left.
"Bulls running out of options," Matt Goukas noted.
"Foul game now," Marv Albert agreed.
Bulls fouled—Zhao Dong caught it, stepped to the line, and Missed both.
104-97.
Bulls' last gasp: Jordan launched a three over Zhao Dong… BRICK.
Fordson grabbed the board but fouled Rodman—5th foul for Fordson.
"Man, Fordson's always in foul trouble," Zhang Heli groaned. "Lucky the Knicks got depth."
Rodman—55% FT shooter (worse than Shaq!)—clanked both.
Game over.
Phil Jackson could only shake his head.
They'd cut it to two, but everything after fell apart:
- Rodman lost the rebound battle.
- His flop failed.
- The foul game backfired.
- His free throws bricked.
One play goes right, and they steal this.
But stats don't lie:
- Bulls: 47% FG, 44% from three.
- Knicks: 46% FG, 36% from three (oof).
- Rebounds: Knicks dominated (47-34).
- Turnovers: Knicks 13 (!), Bulls only 7.
Zhao Dong? ABSURD.
- 52 PTS (new playoff career-high), 12 REB, 14 AST, 3 STL, 5 BLK.
- 26/19 FG (73%), 1/2 from three, 13/13 FT.
"Man carried the team," Marv Albert said. "When the threes ain't falling, he just took over**."
Zhao Dong took 26 shots, and 19 of them were straight-up drives to the rim—he cashed in 16 of those. That's how he shot a wild 73% from the field.
His explosive first step and finishing ability weren't caged by any so-called "Zhao Dong rules." That's the biggest reason the Knicks managed to hang tight in this game.
Postgame, Zhao Dong stepped into an interview on the court.
"Zhao, with both teams evenly matched and the score neck-and-neck all game, what do you think helped the Knicks pull off this Game 1 win?"
A reporter from The New York Times asked.
"At the end, we executed better. That's why the W belongs to us," Zhao Dong answered.
"And why do you think y'all executed better in crunch time?" the reporter followed up.
Zhao replied, "We're young—we got legs for days. Sure, youth means we make dumb mistakes and commit too many fouls sometimes. But when the game goes down to the wire, stamina becomes our ace.
Also, the Bulls got their strengths, no doubt. But we got ours too. This win wasn't luck—it was earned. That's just facts."
"Your teammates on the perimeter weren't hitting tonight—didn't even shoot 40%. And your bigs weren't producing offensively. You satisfied with how they played?"
A Chicago Tribune reporter asked.
Zhao Dong grinned. "Our backcourt had some bright spots. Like Hu Weidong—he shot over 40%, right? Dropped 18 points. That's solid. Some of the guys had off nights, but I know they'll step up in the next games.
And our bigs? They brought the grit—defense and boards. I'm cool with that. I'll take that effort every night."
After his shower, Zhao Dong hit the podium for the postgame press conference.
"Zhao, MJ put up 34 points on 51% shooting tonight. What's your take on his performance?"
A New York Sports reporter asked.
"For a perimeter guy, that's mad efficient," Zhao nodded. Then he added,
"But props to our frontcourt. Yeah, Ewing cooked 'em, no doubt. But when it came to defending the Bulls' drives, they held their ground. They didn't get torched. They actually kept the Bulls' backcourt in check, to a degree.
Honestly, I don't even wanna imagine if the Bulls' wings were hitting at my level. We'd probably lose by 30... maybe even 50?"
"Damn, you calling that praise?" Oakley cracked up. "Sounded like you were just hyping yourself up!"
Meanwhile, over in the Bulls' media room, Phil Jackson was in the hot seat.
"Coach Jackson, we already took an L in last year's Eastern Finals. Now we've got legit inside and outside firepower, but still dropped Game 1. Can you give us a real reason for the loss?"
A Chicago Sports reporter pressed.
Phil's face turned serious. "We had chances to win tonight—plenty.
We've got a more balanced offense, our vets have been here before, and even though we got killed on the boards, we still matched them in shot attempts. That says a lot.
The truth is, we just didn't close right. We had critical breakdowns in a few key spots."
"How you gonna fix that?" the reporter asked.
"Some stuff I can't fix," Phil admitted. "Like stamina. Ewing and Rodman are vets—legends—but they ran outta gas at the end. That's not something coaching can solve.
We can tweak the rotation a little, sure. But the Knicks are so deep, our bench gets outplayed hard. That forces our starters to play heavy minutes."
"Are you worried about crashing out in the East Finals again? If it happens, would you think about stepping down?" the reporter pushed.
That one hit hard. Phil looked uncomfortable.
MJ stood up, snatched the mic.
"Phil built a dynasty with us. He don't deserve that kinda heat.
We lost for real reasons. Our squad's getting old, and that's not on the coach. You wanna grill someone, go talk to the front office—they put this roster together."
GM Jerry Krause stood off to the side, sighing deep.
Jordan was still riding with Phil Jackson—but he also just threw him. under the bus. Their relationship still hadn't healed.
And if this series goes south, Jerry knew he and MJ were gonna clash. Hard.
At that moment, he really regretted folding under the pressure from Jordan and ownership.
He had the chance to sign Zhao Dong—even with Jordan's opposition—because Jordan wasn't mad at Zhao. He just didn't wanna lose control.
But Jerry backed off. Didn't wanna go to war with MJ.
Zhao Dong was the total opposite of Jordan—he wasn't about control, didn't meddle in front office business. That's exactly the kind of superstar execs dream of.
And now? Zhao's scoring surpassed Jordan this season. Jordan was slowing down.
Zhao Dong was elite on both ends. Jerry was convinced the late '90s and early 2000s would belong to Zhao.
Jordan's era? Done. The Bulls now? Just tryna hang on.
Even if they win the chip this year, the team's cooked. Ewing and Rodman were fading.
Jerry was ready to blow it up—trade guys while they still had value.
And Phil Jackson? Yeah, he'd be out too.
The next morning, the media dropped their takes on Game 1.
Los Angeles Times: "The Super Bulls didn't lose to the Knicks because of rebounding. They lost because they couldn't contain Zhao Dong.
Even Jordan couldn't stop him. Zhao torched him again and again—straight-up bullied him with that insane first step."
Fans and media all agreed—the footage didn't lie. Zhao Dong blew by MJ over and over.
Jordan got cooked.
Washington Post: "Zhao Dong dropped a 50+ point triple-double and completely outplayed Jordan.
The score was close, but the Knicks deserved the win."
New York Times: "Was the Knicks' win a fluke? Hell no. They earned that.
If the Knicks were trailing, Zhao would've just turned it up even more.
That's the only reason the Bulls were even close—Zhao was pacing himself.
Even with 50+ in Q3, he still wasn't going full throttle. That game was under his control the whole way."
And the New York media didn't let up on Rodman either.
New York Sports Daily: "The Worm tried to flop and bait a foul on Zhao Dong—boy, please.
He thought his antics could work on Zhao? That he was on the same level?
Just like Reggie Miller thought he was up there with Jordan. Newsflash—he's not."
That headline had Rodman steaming. And Reggie Miller? He nearly choked reading it.
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