NBA: The Dynasty Crusher (Basketball)

At the United Center in Chicago, the first half of Game 3 in the Eastern Conference Finals had wrapped up. The Knicks were down 44–49 on the road, trailing by five.

Old Nelson, riding high off the success of Game 2, once again started Dazhi alongside Zhao Dong in a double-big lineup. It was a similar twin-tower approach in the low post. But the Bulls had clearly done their homework—this time, they locked it down. The Knicks were out of rhythm early and ended the first quarter down by 7.

Zhao Dong led the second unit in the second quarter and managed to cut the deficit.

Dazhi clocked 10 minutes, getting only a couple of clean looks—nothing major. Rasheed Wallace was glued to him the entire time. He finished with 2-for-5 from the field, 3-of-3 at the line, totaling 7 points. Not terrible considering he was up against the Rasheed himself, but his efficiency dropped significantly compared to last game.

In the second half, Coach Nelson switched things up. He sent in Ben Wallace and Fordson to man the paint, spacing Fordson out to open up the block for Zhao Dong.

But the Bulls weren't biting. They completely sagged off Fordson and sent the double-team hard at Zhao Dong in the post, cutting off his efficiency down low.

And to be real—Fordson just didn't bring much offensively. Even though Zhao Dong found him with a few solid passes, the result was worse than Zhao trying to muscle through a double-team. So yeah, this new look didn't work either.

Final score? Knicks fell short, 93–101.

Zhao Dong touched the ball 38 times. He was double-teamed 19 times, triple-teamed 9, and even caught a quad-team on 3 possessions. He only saw single coverage 7 times—and even those were fast breaks or quick slashes from the perimeter, where the Bulls didn't have time to swarm him.

He played the full 48 minutes, shooting 16-for-30 from the field (53%), and went 13-for-14 at the line. His final stat line: 45 points, 11 boards, 5 dimes, 2 steals, 4 blocks, 4 turnovers, and 5 fouls. Game-high scorer, no question—but it was a tough, empty 45 in a loss.

As the final buzzer rang, the United Center was on fire.

Michael Jordan spoke courtside with the media. He looked drained, but he couldn't hide the fire in his eyes.

"We executed on both ends tonight," Jordan said. "Held Zhao Dong to 53 percent? That's big. Shut down their low-post sets too. That's the blueprint. We got a real shot at this series."

Back in the visiting locker room, Old Nelson was already breaking things down.

"I'll take this one on me," he said, opening the postgame meeting. "We weren't prepared tactically. That's my responsibility."

"We didn't replicate the low-post actions we used in Game 2. That gave the Bulls the freedom to collapse on Zhao Dong. That's on our game plan."

"And on defense? The Bulls were killing us from everywhere. They hit 9 threes. Our perimeter coverage fell apart."

He paused before continuing. "We need to rethink our whole approach. They don't even dominate the paint, yet they're shredding us from outside. Why? That's something the staff needs to figure out—fast."

Assistant coach Van Gundy nodded. "I'll take that. The Bulls were rotating the ball like crazy, and we couldn't recover. We didn't adjust our schemes quick enough."

Sitting quietly on the bench, Zhao Dong was visibly frustrated.

After two straight wins, the team came into Game 3 feeling too comfortable. The locker room underestimated Chicago. That arrogance cost them. Truth was, the Bulls were no joke. Let your guard down, and they'll flip the script on you.

And he blamed himself for that. As the team's leader, he failed to keep everyone grounded. The whole squad had walked into Game 3 cocky.

Half an hour later, the Knicks held their postgame presser.

"Zhao Dong, what do you think was the biggest reason for tonight's loss?" asked Thomas, one of the team's reporters.

"We got careless," Zhao Dong said bluntly. "We thought we had the Bulls figured out, but clearly we didn't."

"You'd say that was the main reason?"

"Yeah. Attitude decides everything."

"And tactically?"

"That's something for the coaching staff to sort out. I believe they'll fix it and get us back on track."

Coach Nelson was up next.

"Coach, what went wrong with the game plan tonight?" asked Yang Yi.

Old Nelson chuckled, a little bitter. "We didn't do enough to draw defenders off Zhao Dong. They were free to double him every touch. His outside shot wasn't falling tonight, and he didn't move off-ball as actively either. On top of that, we left open guys who couldn't punish the defense. It made it too easy for them to load up on Zhao Dong."

"Can you guys turn it around in Game 4?"

"Absolutely. We're already working on adjustments."

By May 31, the media had flipped the script.

"The myth of the God of Efficiency is over—Jordan's figured him out," wrote the Chicago Sports Daily.

"Fifty-three percent shooting? Still solid—but not enough to carry the Knicks to the Finals. That dynasty talk? Dead on arrival."

Just like that, the tide of public opinion started turning against both the Knicks and Zhao Dong.

That same day, Nelson and his coaching staff sat down for an all-day film session, breaking down what to tweak for Game 4.

The big question? How to free up Zhao Dong from constant pressure.

Here were the points they landed on:

One. Zhao Dong can't be parked in one spot. He needs to float between the outside and the post to keep the Bulls guessing. Use his full versatility.

Two. When Zhao's on the perimeter, there has to be a legit scoring threat in the paint to pull defenders in—and another guy to hit the glass hard.

Three. When Zhao is on the block, there must be an offensive big man on the strong side to balance the floor—and a second big to clean up the boards.

Four. The wings have to stay moving. The Bulls' defense loves to shrink into the paint—constant motion keeps them honest and helps keep Zhao from getting trapped.

Five. Keep rotations sharp. Always have a shooter in the corner and an outlet at the top.

Six. Force switches. Use picks, flares, and curls to get Zhao Dong favorable matchups on the perimeter and elbow.

When they mapped out the rotation, it looked like this:

"Barkley, Kevin Willis, Wang—those are our scoring bigs."

"Ben Wallace and Fordson will be the board men and rim protectors."

It was almost dinnertime when Van Gundy looked at the list and asked, "Coach, which two are we picking?"

Old Nelson stared at the five names on the board. After a long silence, he finally said, "Barkley and Wang."

"What?" Van Gundy and Thibodeau both looked surprised.

Old Nelson leaned back in his chair. "Barkley might be old, and yeah, he's been through some injuries, but he's been healing up with the Knicks all season. We barely used him. Now's the time. He's still got rebounds, post D, and that inside scoring. Don't forget—he was Zhao Dong's player comp."

Van Gundy and Thibodeau exchanged glances, then nodded. Van Gundy added with a bit of hesitation, "I just don't know how many minutes he's got in the tank. As a starter, we'll need thirty at least."

Old Nelson grinned. "Let him go out with a bang. We'll run him in the Eastern Finals and the Finals. Next season? He rests up again."

"Pfft!"

Van Gundy and Thibodeau both burst out laughing.

Nelson continued, "Barkley and Wang will start. With Zhao Dong's vision and playmaking, the Bulls can't just sag off them. That relieves pressure on Zhao Dong. Plus, Wang didn't have a big game last time, so the Bulls won't see him starting. It'll catch 'em off guard."

"Smart," Van Gundy nodded.

Old Nelson went on, "Zhao Dong, Barkley, and Wang—three guys who can all pass. I want more low-post sets and especially high-low actions in Game 4."

"Low-post, sure," Van Gundy said, "but high-low?"

"Zhao Dong's the top man," Nelson explained. "Barkley and Wang operate underneath. Zhao Dong's got the most mobility. Once Barkley or Wang draw defenders down low, the Bulls won't have enough to double Zhao Dong in the high post. Then he's free—jumper, drive, dish, whatever he wants."

Old Nelson's choices made sense. As a coach who favored offense, he'd naturally lean toward bigs who could score.

That night, Zhao Dong and his teammates crowded into a room to catch Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals.

Back on their home floor, the Lakers came out fired up. From tipoff, Kobe and Shaq wasted no time—first Kobe threw down a mean dunk, then Shaq followed it up with a two-handed rim-shaker that almost broke the basket. The crowd lost their minds.

"Boss, you think the Spurs gonna sweep?" Fordson asked.

In his previous life, the Spurs had swept the Lakers 4–0. But this life?

"No way," Zhao Dong shook his head. "The Spurs don't have that kinda dominance over this version of the Lakers."

Kobe's improvement was moving at lightning speed. He was clearly ahead of his trajectory from Zhao Dong's past life. With stronger wings around him now, the Lakers could pressure the Spurs' defense more effectively. Glen Rice, for one, was spacing the floor well. With both perimeter threats drawing attention, Shaq was getting more room to operate. Inside-out balance like that? It gave L.A. a real shot.

It was the same issue the Knicks had in Game 3—when the outside guys didn't pull their weight, all the defensive pressure fell on Zhao Dong, and the Knicks folded.

Still, the Spurs were probably the better team—twin towers and all. They were even more dominant than the later GPS-era Spurs.

Right now, Admiral David Robinson was still elite on both ends. He had at least two good seasons left. After that, the Spurs' power would dip a bit until Parker and Ginobili came into their own.

In the last life, the Spurs won it all this season. Duncan got injured next year, and then the OK combo—Shaq and Kobe—took over the league.

In this life, the Spurs' best shot was still this year.

After Robinson retired, Duncan by himself wouldn't be enough to handle the OK era.

Even if the Spurs made the Finals this year, Zhao Dong didn't think they had the edge against his Knicks—or Jordan's Bulls, for that matter.

In his past life, the Spurs had crushed the Knicks 4–1 in the Finals. This time? Not happening.

By the end of Game 3, Kobe had put up 27 points, Glen Rice added 25, and their shooting freed up Shaq to dominate with 32 points in the paint. With that trio going off, the Lakers finally took a game—and kept the series alive.

"Lakers' Inside-Out Duo Drops Spurs' Twin Towers!" – The New York Times

"OK Combo Begins Its Reign!" – New York Sports Daily

New York media showered praise on Shaq and Kobe.

"Those damn reporters," Jerry West sighed after seeing the papers. "What, now we're trying to stir up drama?"

He could already picture Glen Rice reading the headlines.

'Shaq scored 32, Kobe dropped 27… I got 25 and they don't even name me?'

Sure enough, back at home, Glen Rice scowled and ripped the newspapers to shreds.

---

June 1st – Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals

Knicks Starting Five: Wang Zhizhi, Charles Barkley, Zhao Dong, Latrell Sprewell, Chauncey Billups

Bulls Starting Five: Charles Oakley, Rasheed Wallace, Tracy McGrady, Michael Jordan, Jason Kidd

Over on NBC, the broadcast team—Matt Goukas and Marv Albert—announced the lineups and dove right into analysis.

"There's no doubt what the Knicks are doing here," Goukas said. "They're loading up on interior scoring. This game is going to be a war in the paint."

Marv Albert nodded. "Meanwhile, the Bulls' starting lineup stays unchanged."

"They don't really have much room to change it," Goukas replied. "Look at that payroll—Oakley, Rasheed, Jordan, Kidd, and McGrady. That's 70 million dollars in salaries. Way over what the Knicks are paying. Without Nike backing them, the Bulls wouldn't even be able to afford the luxury tax, let alone build a real bench."

"Speaking of Nike," Marv added, "they've made it clear. They're all-in on the Knicks now."

Goukas laughed. "That's why Zhao Dong said it—if the Bulls don't win it all this season, this squad's finished. And honestly, I agree."

"Same here."

Marv leaned forward. "But let's not forget—Zhao Dong's been underwhelming in the last three games. Low efficiency. If the Knicks' supporting cast stays cold again tonight, the Bulls could take another one at home."

"They'll have to hope Nelson makes some adjustments," Goukas said. "You can't just have Zhao Dong forcing it every possession. They need balance."

On the CCTV live broadcast, Zhang Heli was smiling from ear to ear as he watched Zhao Dong start for the third time in the Eastern Conference Finals. But even with his joy, a trace of worry lingered on his face.

At the same time, he was stunned by Old Nelson's guts.

He sighed and said, "I really didn't expect it. In such a critical Eastern Conference Finals matchup—one that could decide the defense of a dynasty—Old Nelson actually benched Big Ben and Fordson. That's the starting frontcourt the Knicks have been developing for two whole seasons! Bold move. He's truly a tactical genius."

"Coach Zhang, how do you think Old Nelson's going to play this one?" Sun Zhenping asked.

Zhang Heli smiled, "He's gonna pound it inside."

"Inside attack?"

Zhang nodded. "Yep. Barkley and Zhao Dong are both elite interior scorers. And now you've got Dazhi in the mix too—there's no way they're not gonna hammer the paint.

That said, Billups is still the floor general. The Knicks have never leaned on his scoring. They've always kept that in check. So Zhao Dong will likely still be playing off the ball this game.

With Barkley and Dazhi operating in the low post, Zhao Dong can't stay locked in down there. He'll most likely line up at small forward, connecting the inside plays. His role will be more versatile than sticking to just the post."

At exactly 8:10 PM, the starting lineups took the floor.

"Zhao Dong, we're taking this one tonight. No question," Jordan said with absolute confidence.

Zhao Dong raised a brow. "What sneaky tricks you got lined up this time?"

Jordan snorted, "Tricks? That's called strategy, dumbass!"

Zhao Dong smirked and leaned in. "You're dropping 50 tonight."

Jordan squinted at him. "The hell are you talking about?"

"You'll figure it out, dumbass. You don't need me to draw you a map," Zhao Dong replied, then led the Knicks out to the court.

Fifteen minutes later, the game tipped off.

Dazhi walked to center court for the jump ball, facing off against Rasheed Wallace.

"Hey Softie, I'm not lettin' you drop double digits today," Wallace barked, already jawing.

Dazhi's eyes twitched. Softie. That was the old nickname the Bulls fans used on him.

He didn't clap back—trash talk wasn't his thing.

As the ref tossed the ball up, Dazhi sprang into the air and leaned into Wallace mid-jump, using his full 115 kg frame. Wallace, lighter by at least 10 kilos, got bumped mid-air and couldn't recover in time. Dazhi tipped the ball clean to the Knicks.

First possession, Knicks ball.

Billups brought it up—not to the top of the arc, but drifting to the left wing beyond the three-point line.

Dazhi parked himself down low on the left block. Zhao Dong was positioned just between him and Billups, below the imaginary line of the free-throw circle—perfectly legal under Rule 136 of the Zhao Dong Rule.

Madman was on the right wing, pulling the defense wide at the three-point line. Below him, Barkley took up position on the right block.

The Bulls stuck with the same hybrid D from the last game: a 2-1-2 zone with man-to-man principles. They kept Tracy McGrady locked in on Zhao Dong for a solo assignment.

Matt Goukas broke it down on commentary, "So the Bulls are once again leaning on their mixed coverage: 2-1-2 zone, with T-Mac guarding Zhao Dong one-on-one. And look at Jordan—he's stationed around the high paint, ready to help on the perimeter, on drives, and even the wings. Man, that's a massive workload for a 36-year-old."

Marv Albert chuckled, "The Bulls are using him like a tank. Honestly, you could call him Iron Michael at this point."

"'Iron Michael'? The same nickname as Tyson?" Goukas quipped. "That's like handing out the same nickname to Givens. That's foul."

"Ha!" Matt burst into laughter.

Meanwhile, in a New York apartment, a crash echoed.

"Those two damn bastards!!"

Tyson, fuming, had just kicked his TV over. The screen lay shattered on the floor. He paced the room like a caged animal, fists clenched and eyes wild.

Being humiliated by a basketball player like Zhao Dong had wrecked his reputation. Now, no one in the boxing world wanted a fight with him. His career was spiraling. His finances were a mess. And now, two punk commentators had just poured salt in the wound on national TV.

"These damn basketball clowns…" Tyson growled through gritted teeth.

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