Chapter 38: Knicks Attack
Ewing missed another jumper. Oakley rushed in, grabbed the rebound, and passed it to Zhao Dong, who was charging toward the basket. As Zhao Dong caught the ball, Rain Man was quick to block him from behind.
"Boy..." Rain Man trash-talked as Zhao Dong began his offensive move. He leaned over to dribble, his back arching forcefully.
"Oh!" Rain Man, known for his athleticism and strength, found himself at a disadvantage. His center of gravity shifted, and his upper body seemed to fall back slightly.
"Oh!" Zhao Dong followed with another powerful arch of his back, pushing forward. Rain Man couldn't maintain his balance and took half a step back.
"Boom!" In that moment, Zhao Dong turned sideways, pressing his left hand against Rain Man's head. With his right hand, he slammed the ball into the basket.
"Yeah!" The crowd at Madison Square Garden erupted in cheers.
"Damn!" Rain Man, with his head tilted from the force, fell under the basket once again. His face turned bright red with anger.
"Shet!" Jordan, watching from the hotel in Los Angeles, cursed under his breath.
"Oh! Oh, oh, Zhao Dong just brutally dunked Rain Man again! Another dunk at the basket, and he dunked on Rain Man once more! Is he competing with Rain Man for the title of the top dunker in the league?" The live commentator at Madison Square Garden roared with excitement.
Zhao Dong hung on the basket, his eyes fixed on the fallen Rain Man. He reveled in the deafening cheers from the crowd. At that moment, he felt more exhilarated than he had ever felt with Alice. It was truly satisfying to block and humiliate his opponent with such a provocative display. No wonder Rain Man enjoyed doing this so much.
Rain Man gritted his teeth, rising to his feet with fury in his heart. He hated being looked down upon, and he despised the fact that it was Zhao Dong standing over him. He should have been the one on top.
As Zhao Dong dropped down from the rim, he ignored Rain Man, rushing to the baseline. He turned to shout at the fans and media cameras behind him. "How about that dunk? Was it cool? Did you feel that?"
"Zhao Dong, we're loving it!" the fans cheered back.
What answered him was a row of colorful cheerleaders, all making continuous chest-shaking movements toward him. At that moment, the eyes of several reporters who had turned to watch were wide with surprise.
"Hey, old bird, how does it feel to be knocked over by me repeatedly?" After venting his excitement, Zhao Dong turned around to taunt Shawn.
"Go away, rookie," Peyton interjected, pushing Zhao Dong away before stepping in to calm Shawn's emotions. "Don't pay attention to him, Sean. Give him a response."
"Oh, the continuous dunks—Zhao Dong relies on his size, strength, and excellent low-post skills to overpower Rain Man under the basket!" Cook exclaimed on the ABC live broadcast.
"I believe Rain Man will respond," Hubie Brown added.
"Look, Tom, this is the Knicks' Zhao Dong. He's just dunked on Rain Man twice in a row. He's showing Rain Man who's in charge. Is he trying to become the new king of New York?" On the sidelines, Spike Lee shouted triumphantly to Tom Cruise.
"It's okay," Tom Cruise said, a little uncomfortable.
"Haha, okay, I'm kidding," Spike Lee laughed. "The Knicks already have a gorilla; they don't need another king. But Zhao Dong is definitely the next ruler of New York. He's the future of the Knicks."
"I bet the next time, Rain Man will block him, and the Chinese will fall in the Supersonics' paint area," Tom Cruise said.
"Do you want to bet?" Spike Lee grinned. "For $100, I bet Zhao Dong will block Rain Man first."
"If you're serious, I accept," Tom Cruise replied, though his expression turned serious.
"It's a deal," Spike Lee nodded in agreement.
With a score of 2-5, the Knicks were leading at home. The Sonics were on the attack. On the right wing, Rain Man took Zhao Dong for a walk, trying to provoke him.
"Fool, don't even think about coming in this time," Zhao Dong continued to trash-talk, aiming to get under his opponent's skin.
"You're the fool, you bloody Chinese monkey," Rain Man snapped, his emotions clearly out of control as he resorted to racial slurs.
A cold fire sparked in Zhao Dong's eyes. Damn you, black guy. Sooner or later, I'll knock your big teeth out.
At that moment, Rain Man suddenly pushed Zhao Dong, attempting to force his way into the paint.
"Di!" Zhao Dong was sent sprawling to the floor as the referee blew his whistle. This move was something he had learned from Rodman. In the playoffs, Rodman often drew offensive fouls from his opponents through tough defense, trash talk, and clever tactics.
"He's a flop, I did nothing," Rain Man muttered angrily at the referee.
"Sir, do you want a T?" the referee asked, staring at Shawn.
"I think so," Zhao Dong muttered as he got up.
"Don't be impulsive, Sean..." Peyton cautioned.
At this moment, Payton rushed over again and pulled Rain Man away from the referee.
"Rain Man's second offense early on, and now the Supersonics are on the back foot," Cook commented on the ABC live broadcast, shaking his head.
"They're talking nonsense. It's the Chinese player who provoked Rain Man. I think he should rely more on his skills to face Rain Man, not his mouth," Hubie Brown countered.
Cook shook his head and laughed. "But trash-talking is part of NBA culture, and controlling emotions is a skill every player must master. Rain Man got irritated, which shows he's been in the league for 8 years and still hasn't quite mastered it. On the other hand, Zhao Dong has handled it well. Between the two, Zhao Dong is like a seasoned veteran, and Rain Man seems more like a rookie."
The ball was exchanged, and the Knicks were on the attack. Ewing, having missed two shots, finally made a two-pointer to put the Knicks up 2-7, leading by five points.
Payton brought the ball to the left wing, backing down Childs and arching his body until he was less than two meters from the baseline. Suddenly, he spun and made a jumper, sinking the ball. Zhao Dong felt it was difficult to defend Payton from his position on the right wing. Payton was on the left, away from the paint, and too far for Zhao Dong to help effectively.
Looking back, Alan Houston had the ball again. After hitting his first shot, he was feeling confident. He faked left and right, then launched a three-pointer over Jose Hawkins' head. Oakley had already moved into the basket, but Zhao Dong stayed on the right wing, preparing for a fast break. If his teammates failed to grab the offensive rebound, he could quickly return to defense.
The Sonics were known for their fast breaks, and Rain Man's impact could not even be blocked by Ewing. If Zhao Dong didn't get back in time, no one would be able to stop Rain Man. However, Rain Man didn't follow him; instead, he went to protect the backcourt rebound, leaving his side open.
"Boom!" The ball hit the rim and was rebounded by Oakley.
"Here!" Zhao Dong called out loudly. Oakley quickly passed the ball to him.
After receiving the pass, Zhao Dong glanced at the basket, then calmly took off. He was open, with no defender nearby, and his 90-rated shooting skill was fully ready for the shot.
"Shh!" The ball swished through the net, and the crowd erupted in cheers.
"Yeah!" Knicks fans cheered, and Zhao Dong gestured an "OK" symbol toward the fans, sending them into another frenzy.
"Zhao Dong is incredible! Our contract with him is looking like a great deal."
"With dunks, mid-range shots, and three-pointers, our rookie can do it all!" Happy fans chatted amongst themselves, applauding their new star.
(End of this chapter)
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