NBA: The Dynasty Crasher

Looking back, Malone drained a mid-range jumper for the Jazz.

The Knicks came down the other way, and as they got into their offense, Zhao Dong wanted to move the ball inside. He dished it to Ewing in the post.

He still had to play by the pecking order. Ewing's touches needed to be guaranteed—17 a game, no more, no less. That was his average this season, and Zhao Dong wasn't about to give him extra.

Right after making the pass, he took off, cutting straight into the paint.

Ewing turned, pulled up, and let it fly. Down low, Oakley and Malone were already locked in a battle for position.

Zhao Dong rushed into the paint, reading the trajectory, and got to where he expected the ball to come off the rim.

Bang!

The shot bricked, bouncing right behind Karl Malone, who was there to snatch the rebound.

But the next moment, Zhao Dong exploded up, elevating over Malone, snatching the board right out of his grasp.

Then, with no hesitation, he rose up again and hammered down a vicious two-handed dunk over the Mailman.

"Damn it!"

Malone's eyes burned with frustration. Getting dunked on this early in the game had him heated.

Zhao Dong shot him a cold, dismissive glare before jogging back on defense.

After that All-Star game, he knew Malone was shook. This so-called tough guy? Just another dude who didn't want smoke.

"Oh damn! The Mailman just got bodied by the rookie! That's not a good look," Doug Collins called on the NBC broadcast.

"Looks like Zhao Dong hasn't lost his touch in the post, even after moving to the three. That fake just now? Deadly. He straight-up cooked Malone," Marv Albert added.

Zhao Dong knew exactly why his post-game was nasty.

First, his low-post were already elite, rated Level 90—borderline unstoppable in the low block.

But more importantly?

That gold medal skill was boosting his game.

It decreased his defender's effectiveness by 10-30% and increased his post scoring success by 5-15%. That meant that unless he was double-teamed, he couldn't be stopped. Not even Rodman could check him one-on-one.

Hell, at this rate, his post work might end up on Duncan's level in the future. The only real gap between them was finishing ability.

Duncan's touch off the glass was top-tier, while Zhao Dong's final execution still needed some work.

But?

His shooting fundamentals were at Level 93. His range and versatility made up for any shortcomings. Even if Duncan had a height advantage, Zhao Dong was still a problem down low.

---

Three minutes into the game, the Jazz ran their bread-and-butter pick-and-roll.

Stockton and Malone set up at the high post. Stockton used the pick, drawing a switch from Oakley, then immediately crossed left, looking to break free.

Zhao Dong read it instantly. He jumped into the passing lane, cutting off the high post feed.

Stockton, seeing Oakley in front of him, dished it back toward Malone—bad idea.

Swipe!

Zhao Dong snatched it mid-air and took off.

He raced down the court, blowing past the three-point line. Just as he reached the frontcourt, Malone stepped up to stop him.

Behind-the-back dribble. Quick crossover.

Malone got shook—Zhao Dong left him in the dust and kept pushing.

Now Stockton was on his tail, closing in fast.

Zhao Dong sprinted to the arc, then suddenly slammed on the brakes. Stockton went flying past.

Bang, bang!

Two quick dribbles.

Pull-up three.

Swish!

The net snapped as the ball went through.

As soon as the ball left his fingers, Zhao Dong knew it was good.

His height let him shoot right over Stockton like he wasn't even there. With his Level 93 shooting and Level 93 pull-up jumper, his open look percentage was a straight 90%.

But celebrating over a 6'1" point guard? Nah. Too easy.

---

At the 8-minute mark, Ewing got subbed out. Two minutes later, Zhao Dong took a seat too.

His first-quarter stat line:

13 points (4/7 FG, 1/2 3PT, 4/5 FT)

3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block, 1 foul

Zero turnovers

He kept it clean with the ball, making sure to avoid mistakes. His matchup, Bryon Russell, wasn't applying enough pressure to force him into errors.

On NBC, Doug Collins broke it down:

"Zhao Dong controlled the Knicks' perimeter offense in that first quarter. Even the post plays ran through him first. He only took seven shots, but he touched the ball 16 times. That tells you how much they're relying on him."

Marv Albert nodded. "If this continues, the Knicks won't just be an Ewing-centric team anymore. They're running a dual-core system now."

Doug added, "Honestly? It looks like the Knicks just crowned their next franchise star."

Marv was shocked. "Wait, you think they've already put him on Ewing's level?"

"Think bigger, Marv. He's already running the offense. He's leading the team. He's the guy."

---

Back in New York, bars were packed with Knicks fans glued to the game.

"Man, this doesn't feel right. Ewing's been here 12 seasons. Zhao Dong's a rookie. How the hell is he already on his level?"

"Giving him full control this early? I dunno, man."

"But did he fumble it, though?"

"Facts! Bro had zero turnovers. Meanwhile, Charlie Ward ain't doing much, and Starks is streaky. Letting Zhao Dong handle the ball? No downside."

"I like it. Dude plays smart. He's not forcing anything."

"The front office is rushing it a little. Patrick's still our guy."

"Yeah, but he's 35 now. You know how this goes. We got a shot at a ring this year. Gotta roll with what works."

Opinions were split, but nobody outright hated the move.

That was classic New York Knicks energy.

---

End of 1st Quarter: Knicks 25, Jazz 23.

Karl Malone was hot, playing all 12 minutes:

10 points, 3 rebounds (4/8 FG, 2/3 FT)

Ewing's start was solid but quiet:

5 points, 4 rebounds (2/5 FG, 1/2 FT)

On the bench, Van Gundy was locked in.

"Zhao Dong, I need you switching onto Malone. Oakley's too small for him."

"Got it." Zhao Dong nodded.

"And listen—they didn't double you in the first quarter, but that's changing next quarter. Expect more traps. Be ready to pass out."

"No problem."

"Everyone else, stay ready. Keep moving. No standing around."

"Got it, Coach."

With that, the huddle broke.

The second quarter was about to get serious.

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