On NBC live broadcast, Marv Albert chuckled,
"You know, Matt, looking at the Knicks' starting five today—aside from Charlie Ward, the other four? Bad tempers all around."
Matt Goukas smirked.
"Hey, don't let Charlie Ward fool you, Marv. He's got some fight in him too."
On defense, Zhao Dong immediately locked onto Karl Malone.
"Hey, Mailman!" Zhao taunted.
"Ain't you runnin' an elbow shop?" He patted the back of his head.
"C'mon, man! I'm starving over here—hit me with one! Right here!"
Zhao grinned wickedly, eyes daring Malone.
With his Level 100 injury immunity, Zhao didn't give a damn. If Malone so much as tapped him, he'd make him pay.
But Malone wasn't having it. His head throbbed with frustration.
"Damn it, not now," he cursed inwardly.
This was his best shot at a championship—he couldn't afford to get ejected.
Clenching his teeth, Malone made up his mind.
"I'll take it."
No matter what, he wouldn't take the bait.
Malone shuffled to the high post, setting a pick-and-roll with Stockton.
But Zhao Dong, moving with elite speed, stayed glued to Malone.
"Hell, Pippen can't even shake me—you think you can?" Zhao muttered under his breath.
Even with back-to-back screens, Zhao refused to be shaken.
Finally, the Jazz managed to create a mismatch through a second pick-and-roll, with Bryon Russell blocking Zhao just enough to give Malone some space.
Stockton delivered a clean pass.
But just as Malone caught the ball, Zhao Dong muscled through Russell, using his raw speed to recover.
By the time Malone squared up, Zhao was already in his face.
Malone was deadly from mid-range—his famous elbows creating space for his smooth jumper.
But tonight, he wasn't swinging them.
Why?
Because Zhao Dong didn't give a damn.
With zero fear, Zhao closed in, chest-to-chest, not giving Malone an inch.
Frustrated, Malone forced the shot.
"Bang!"
Zhao Dong exploded upward, grabbing the ball mid-air.
Malone's frustration boiled over.
He lunged for the ball, but Zhao threw a sharp elbow, shoving him back before whipping a pass downcourt.
The Knicks ignited a fast break.
"Zhao Dong just snatched that ball from Karl Malone's!" Marv Albert roared.
"The Mailman got stuffed and returned to sender!"
Zhao Dong sprinted down the court.
The Jazz bigs?
Way too slow to keep up.
The only one back was Bryon Russell, who scrambled into position.
"Five-on-three!" Matt Goukas yelled.
"Ward with the pass…"
"BOOM!"
Zhao Dong exploded into the paint, posterizing Russell with a thunderous slam.
Russell, helpless against Zhao's power, was sent sprawling across the hardwood.
The Garden erupted.
"YEAH!"
Fans jumped out of their seats, fists pumping.
Zhao Dong turned to Russell, grinning.
"Yo, you good, man?" he sneered.
"Or you need a GPS to find your pride?"
Nearby, Oakley cackled.
"Yo, Russ! You just got your ass flown into the third row, man!"
John Starks, laughing hysterically, added,
"Hey, Bryon! Want a step stool to get back on your feet?"
Even Larry Johnson shook his head.
"Damn. Who's guarding this dude?"
The Knicks bench erupted into laughter, talking smack while Russell crawled to his feet.
Across the court, Karl Malone fumed, glaring at the Knicks bench.
"Yo, y'all better quit that shit!" he barked.
But the Knicks players just laughed louder.
On NBC, Matt Goukas broke it down.
"You see, Marv, this is the problem with the Jazz. Once the Knicks start speeding up, the Jazz's bigs can't keep up."
Marv Albert nodded.
"Exactly, Matt. Without Ewing, the Knicks have gotten faster, more explosive. They might've lost size, but they gained speed."
On CCTV, Zhang Heli called it passionately.
"I told you! The Knicks can still win this. All they need to do is speed up the pace."
Beside him, Sun Zhenping nodded eagerly.
"Right! The shorter lineup is actually working in their favor!"
Knicks: 4 – Jazz: 0
The Jazz attacked again.
"Patience! Don't rush the shot!"
Coach Jerry Sloan barked angrily from the sidelines.
He was pissed at Malone's forced shot earlier.
"If there's no opening—pass it! Let Stockton reset the offense!"
This time, they ran a cleaner play.
Malone pinned down Zhao, while Jeff Hornacek slipped away from John Starks, catching the ball and sinking a three.
On the defensive transition, Jerry Sloan screamed,
"Double-team him!"
Just like Phil Jackson, Sloan had no solution for Zhao Dong.
Once Zhao returned to the low post, his speed was even deadlier.
The Jazz bigs just couldn't keep up.
Knowing this, Sloan threw Karl Malone at him, instructing the others to double-team.
Back on offense, Zhao Dong planted himself in the left block, with Karl Malone on his back.
Oakley pulled out to space the floor, dragging Bryon Russell with him.
Larry Johnson occupied the right block, muscling against Jazz center Greg Ostertag.
The Jazz sent a double-team the moment Zhao caught the ball.
But Zhao was ready.
He flashed a hand signal to Charlie Ward at the top of the arc.
Ward drove left.
At the same time, Zhao spun out, creating separation from Malone.
"Bang!"
Ward delivered the pass.
Zhao caught it mid-stride, then immediately pump-faked.
Malone bit, lunging forward.
But Zhao spun left, shielding Malone with his elbow, and flipped a hook shot over him.
"Bang!"
The ball kissed the glass and fell through the net.
Marv Albert on NBC roared,
"Oh! Rebound and the bucket! Zhao Dong doesn't use that move often, but damn, he's got it down cold!"
Matt Goukas chuckled.
"Yeah, Marv. The Mailman looks like a freakin' fool trying to guard him."
Jazz: 3 – Knicks: 6
Back on offense, the Jazz ran the same play.
Jeff Hornacek caught the ball again, but this time?
Brick city.
Zhao Dong soared over Karl Malone, snatching the board with ease.
Fifteen seconds later, Zhao pulled another offensive board right over Malone's head and cashed it in.
"Beautiful! Another board!" Marv Albert yelled.
"Zhao Dong's now 4-for-4—already got 8 points!"
Jazz: 3 – Knicks: 8
Jerry Sloan was pissed.
He slammed his clipboard and called a timeout.
Sloan barked orders like a drill sergeant.
"Double-team him! Speed it up! Don't just stand there watching him shoot!"
He glared at Malone.
"Karl, use your damn strength! Shove him! Make him feel it! Don't let him walk all over you!"
He pointed at Bryon Russell.
"You're in the double-team now! Get your ass over there with Oakley!"
Meanwhile, the Knicks bench was hyped.
Tom Thibodeau turned to Zhao Dong, wide-eyed.
"Yo, Zhao! When the hell did you get this good at rebounding?"
Zhao Dong grinned, slick as ever.
"Eh, just put in a lil' extra work." He smirked.
"With my talent? It ain't hard."
On the bench, the Knicks' backups were shaking their heads in disbelief.
John Wallace leaned over to McCarty, whispering,
"Yo, did you ever see him practicing rebounding?"
McCarty shrugged, confused.
"Hell no."
Another player muttered,
"Man, dude must be grinding while we're sleeping."
Wallace snickered.
"What, this guy doesn't even sleep now? Straight devil mode?"
On NBC, Marv Albert analyzed,
"Zhao Dong's low-post footwork is insane. His rebound jump shot is smooth, quick, and damn near automatic. Top-tier stuff, Matt."
Matt Goukas nodded.
"Yeah, Marv. The Jazz's double-teams are just too slow."
He pointed at the screen.
"And with Zhao's court vision, he'll pick apart the defense the moment they overcommit."
Marv added,
"Exactly! He's got no height disadvantage against Malone. That gives him a clean view of the floor, even from the low block."
Timeout over.
The Jazz came out, but Zhao Dong was still on fire.
Just four minutes later, Sloan had to call another timeout.
Knicks: 16 – Jazz: 7
The Knicks were up by 9.
Zhao Dong was a one-man wrecking crew.
6-of-7 from the field
2-of-3 free throws
14 points in half a quarter
He even forced fouls from both Karl Malone and Bryon Russell, drawing whistles while still scoring through contact.
Zhao's next five buckets?
All rebound jumpers.
He sank 4-of-5.
Unlike Tim Duncan, whose bank shots came from predictable spots, Zhao Dong was a wild card.
Duncan loved that 45-degree angle on both low blocks.
Zhao?
Anywhere, anytime.
His guard-like mobility let him shake off defenders and get clean looks from any spot.
Even with Karl Malone's dirty tricks, plus double-teams from Russell and Greg Ostertag, Zhao kept cooking.
Madison Square Garden was on fire.
Every time Zhao scored, the crowd roared.
Fans were on their feet, screaming his name.
When Zhao Dong finally checked out, he waved to the crowd.
The entire Garden erupted in cheers.
As he ran past the bench, Zhao spotted Charles Barkley.
He smirked.
"Yo, Barkley!" he taunted.
"You watching me win this damn championship? Or you just gonna sit there and cry?"
Barkley's face turned red.
He jumped up, raging.
"Kid, you wanna fight?!" he roared.
But Zhao Dong just laughed, ignoring him.
Watching from the sidelines, Magic Johnson and Shaquille O'Neal were in tears laughing.
Shaq clutched his stomach, barely breathing.
"Yo, this kid's a menace!"
Magic shook his head, grinning.
"Barkley didn't even do anything, man!"
On the NBC live broadcast, Marv Albert shook his head and sighed, "Zhao Dong is showing some serious low-post scoring skills. Even with the double-team, they can't stop him from cleaning up on the boards.
He's so smooth with it—either shooting before the double-team gets there or using his guard-like mobility and ball-handling to shake the defender and avoid the double before scoring. The Jazz's defense is getting exposed."
Matt Goukas suddenly asked, "How do you think his low-post footwork compares to Hakeem?"
"Hakeem's footwork?"
Marv Albert was caught off guard but, after a quick comparison, shook his head and said, "Zhao Dong relies more on his mobility. His footwork's still raw compared to Hakeem's. The Dream can easily drop his defender, but Zhao Dong can't do that yet. However, in terms of low-post efficiency—just based on this quarter—he's actually more effective than Hakeem."
Matt nodded and exclaimed, "Zhao Dong's low-post game is on a whole different level tonight—way stronger than before. Unreal!"
Marv Albert chuckled, "The sixth-highest single-quarter scoring record in playoff history is held by Elgin Baylor, who dropped 22 points in the second quarter of the 1962 Western Conference Finals.
In the Finals, the record for the most points in a single quarter belongs to Isiah Thomas, who scored 25 points against the Lakers in 1988. That record still stands today.
Zhao Dong has already scored 14 points in half a quarter—he's got a legit shot at breaking both records tonight."
Matt smirked, "In the second half, the Jazz are definitely gonna tighten up on Zhao Dong. If they don't, they can kiss their Finals hopes goodbye. It won't be easy for him to break the record, though."
"You know," Marv Albert suddenly said, "Zhao Dong's rebounding is giving me flashbacks of Tim Duncan—the kid from Wake Forest who's about to go No. 1 in the draft. That 'Big Fundamental' is gonna make some teams regret not tanking harder."
"Oh, yeah!" Matt blurted. "That guy Tim Duncan is also crazy good with the bank shot!"
Meanwhile, in Windsor, North Carolina, Tim Duncan was still living in his dorm, watching the Finals with his teammates.
"Tim, have we ever played against Zhao Dong's Sea Wolves team?"
"Yo, Tim, who's got the better bank shot—you or him?"
Duncan was just as curious. Rebounding might look simple, but it requires insane precision and control over angles. He was stunned by how polished Zhao Dong's rebounding technique was for a Rookie player.
To his surprise, Zhao Dong's rebounding fundamentals were just as sharp as his own. Even more frustrating, Zhao Dong had a wider shooting range and more fluid mobility.
Combining his elite footwork, absurd handles in the paint, and creative finishing, Zhao Dong's rebounding seemed more versatile and unpredictable.
Duncan analyzed their differences and realized that Zhao Dong's movements were way more flexible, especially with his wrist action, which was far more fluid than his own.
If Duncan's rebounding was mechanical—like an assembly line—Zhao Dong's was more like free-flowing art, stylish and dynamic.
"I gotta tighten up my game," Duncan muttered, clenching his fists.
The timeout ended, and the Jazz had the ball.
They stuck with their Black-and-White Duo's signature high pick-and-roll, but this time, they threw in back-to-back screens to cut off Zhao Dong.
Karl Malone found an open look, caught the pass from John Stockton, and knocked down the mid-range jumper.
9-16, Knicks' possession.
"The Jazz's pick-and-roll game is textbook," Zhang Heli exclaimed. "They're stringing together screens perfectly!"
On the offensive end, Zhao Dong got the ball on the left block and gave a quick fake upward.
Karl Malone instinctively reacted, shifting upward.
But Zhao Dong immediately dropped into a hard dribble, blew past Malone, and slid baseline into the paint.
Bryon Russell rotated over to help under the basket.
But Zhao Dong took a quick lateral step, creating separation from Russell, then flicked the ball off the glass with one hand.
"Bang!"
The ball kissed the backboard and dropped through the net.
Karl Malone, caught flat-footed, watched Zhao Dong finish the play and stood there, dumbfounded.
"Mailman, your defense's got more holes than a colander. You might as well start mailing in your checks," Zhao Dong barked.
He was taking a page out of Jordan's playbook—going full-on trash talk mode, aiming to mentally destroy his opponents.
For that move, he used his Level 90 Gold Medal low-post iso skill, which triggered the special effect that weakened the defender's strength, letting him slip past Malone.
Then, he activated his Level 95 Gold Medal dribble drive skill, which boosted his escape ability, letting him shake Russell.
Finally, he capped it off with his Level 99 bank shot, completing the sequence with a perfect glass finish.
The beauty of this combination? It burned less energy than a straight-up drive, keeping him fresher for the next possession.
"Just wait, man," Malone growled through gritted teeth.
Zhao Dong smirked, "Wait for what? You gonna elbow your way into relevance again?"
"Haha..." Charles Oakley, who was nearby, laughed out loud.
The current Knicks weren't the same quiet squad from before. Back then, Patrick Ewing was a stone-cold, silent type, even when opponents tried to rattle him.
Now? With Zhao Dong leading the charge, they were straight-up savage with their trash talk.
Back on defense, the Jazz went back to the low post.
They fed Greg Ostertag, trying to bully the smaller Oakley in the paint.
But Oakley was a brick wall—he played defense like he was in a bar fight. Ostertag's baby hook clanged off the rim, and Zhao Dong soared in for another rebound.
That was his third board of the quarter, showcasing his maxed-out rebounding skill.
He was finally getting to showcase his full rebounding ability now that he was back in the low post.
"Lock in! Tighten up on defense!" Jerry Sloan screamed from the sideline, his voice cutting through the arena like a siren.
As the Knicks inbounded, the Jazz defenders swarmed Zhao Dong in the low post.
"Whoosh!"
Without hesitation, he slung a one-handed bullet pass to John Starks on the left-wing three-point line.
Starks caught it clean. His defender, Jeff Hornacek, was still scrambling back—three steps away.
Calmly, Starks squared up, took a quick glance at the rim, and splashed the open triple.
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