NBA: The Dynasty Crasher

Ewing didn't ask for the ball. The most-watched player in this game was Zhao Dong. He had just saved Ewing from major embarrassment, so the big man decided to let him cook tonight.

Allan Houston called for the ball on the left-wing three-point line.

At the same time, Zhao Dong moved out from the low post to the right wing, signaling for the rock.

John Starks had the ball and had to make a decision. He and Zhao Dong had both come to the Knicks this season, undrafted guys grinding their way up, so there was a bond there. On top of that, Zhao Dong had already earned respect in the locker room—beating up Mourning and Karl Malone made sure of that. Oakley knew who he wanted to feed.

He swung the pass to Zhao Dong, who caught it with his back to the basket, just a step outside the paint. He dribbled forward, backing down his defender.

Rodman got shoved back again but had learned from the last possession. As soon as he regained his footing, he stepped up aggressively.

"Damn, wrong read again?"

Rodman thought Zhao Dong was about to pull up for a jumper, so he prepared to contest. But instead of shooting, Zhao Dong spun smoothly, sliding past him into the paint. Just like last time, Rodman had misread the move.

Zhao Dong crashed into the lane, where Luke Longley and Scottie Pippen were already in position, waiting to contest. He didn't hesitate. Jumping up, he lofted a soft floater over Pippen's outstretched arms.

"Bang!"

The shot wasn't the prettiest—his jump shot was still only rated 75—but thanks to his level 93 basic shooting touch, it had enough finesse to bounce in off the rim.

"That's elite post-scoring right there! Zhao Dong keeps making defenders guess wrong," Doug Collins laughed.

Knicks 6, Bulls 4.

The Bulls brought it up. Jordan had the rock on the right wing. As soon as Oakley came to help, MJ exploded into a series of quick crossovers, dusting Allan Houston and slipping past the rotating Oakley.

Charging toward the right elbow, he saw Zhao Dong step up from the low post. Without missing a beat, Jordan shifted gears, hit another quick change of direction, and cut into the paint, heading straight for the rack.

Ewing rotated over to contest at the rim. Zhao Dong closed in for a double-team.

Jordan stopped on a dime, spinning away from the defense. With his back to the basket, he started backing Zhao Dong down. The moment Zhao Dong leaned in, MJ pulled a quick turnaround, catching him off guard and forcing him to stumble backward.

Then, mid-spin, Jordan stopped on a third pivot and faded away, releasing a high-arcing jumper.

"Swish!"

Two more for the Bulls.

"You can't even touch me! Your defense is straight-up clueless," Jordan smirked, his trash talk already in full swing.

He was 3-for-3 now, feeling himself.

Zhao Dong wasn't about to let that slide. "Your boy Rodman is clueless too—dude's a walking L, straight up lying to himself if he thinks he can guard me."

Jordan's face twitched. Damn, did this dude just call Rodman a fraud? And wait—wasn't Zhao Dong also 3-for-3?

Tied at 6. Knicks ball.

From the Bulls' bench, Phil Jackson finally stood up. "Double-team No. 46 when he catches it!" he barked.

Zhao Dong heard that loud and clear. Instead of drifting outside, he planted himself inside the paint. Getting doubled out on the perimeter was way worse than dealing with extra pressure inside.

The Bulls couldn't send an early double under today's rules. Until he actually caught the ball, Rodman had to guard him straight up. That meant he still had an opening to get the ball deep in the paint.

Zhao Dong stayed on the move, constantly shifting positions. His footwork was crisp, smoother than before, and his speed had noticeably increased.

Suddenly, he faked one way and cut hard the other. Rodman got left behind, and just as he did, the pass came in from the top of the arc.

Zhao Dong caught it two meters from the hoop, Rodman scrambling behind him. As soon as the ball touched his hands, Pippen rushed in for the double-team.

"Bang!"

Zhao Dong took one hard dribble and muscled Rodman back a step. The second Pippen closed in, he leaped sideways, shielding the ball with his body, and flicked a hook shot with his right hand.

"Bang!"

Pippen got a piece of his wrist.

"Beep!"

The ref's whistle rang out. Foul on Pippen.

"Zhao Dong's quick with his moves—he's decisive, and so far, Rodman hasn't been able to stop him down low," Marv Albert observed.

Doug Collins added, "Yeah, but don't count Rodman out just yet. He's got two DPOYs, seven first-team All-Defense selections—dude's a defensive mastermind. His style? A lot of small tricks, mind games, flopping, trash talk. He plays with a low center of gravity, great at stopping drives, not so much against jump shooters. That's why he struggles against guys like Karl Malone or Zhao Dong—players who don't have to bully their way to the rim."

Zhao Dong at the line.

First free throw? Splash.

Second one? He knew the moment it left his hands—it was short.

"Bang!"

Off the front rim. The rebound bounced up. A scramble ensued.

Rodman, with his elite second jump, was up first, snatching the ball out of the air. But Zhao Dong was right there, and the two collided mid-air. Rodman, lighter, got knocked off balance and lost control.

Zhao Dong ripped the ball away, twisted 45 degrees, and put it back up.

"Bucket!"

Doug Collins hyped it up. "This is why Zhao Dong is such a problem down low. He's got every move in the book—he can bully you or finesse you. Unlike Shaq, who needs to stay near the basket, Zhao Dong's got range and a deep offensive bag."

Marv Albert nodded. "That's nine straight for Zhao Dong—every single point for the Knicks! He's on fire."

Doug Collins agreed. "Yeah, and so is Jordan. Neither one has missed a shot yet!"

9-6, Knicks up. Timeout, Bulls.

Phil Jackson gathered his guys. "Dennis, you're defending Zhao Dong like he's Shaq. He's not. You need to stay glued to him—no space, constant pressure, talk in his ear. Make him uncomfortable."

Rodman nodded. On the court, he was a pro. He had his off-court issues, but when it came to defense, he knew how to adjust.

Jackson turned to Pippen. "Scottie, you gotta double faster. Oakley's not a scoring threat—leave him open if you have to. If we force the ball out of Zhao Dong's hands and make Oakley beat us, we win this battle."

Pippen nodded. "Got it."

Jackson, never one to overcomplicate things, stepped away. He trusted his guys to figure out the rest.

Jordan, meanwhile, had something else on his mind. "Give me the rock. Spread the floor. Let me work."

If he was being honest, he had one regret—none of the Bulls' bigs could space the floor. If Zhao Dong had stayed with the Bulls? Man, he would've opened up so much space for MJ to operate.

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