"Bang!"
The massive body crashed to the hardwood, shaking the rim. Shaquille O'Neal lay sprawled under the basket, momentarily stunned.
Moments ago, Shaq had bullied Fordson one-on-one and was about to hammer down a thunderous dunk, when Zhao Dong swooped in from the weak side, yanking him down in mid-air.
"Beep!"
The referee's whistle pierced the arena. He pointed straight at Zhao Dong for the foul.
Standing over Shaq's head, Zhao Dong grinned, his voice mocking.
"Shark, you having fun yet?"
O'Neal bared his teeth, frustrated.
"You…!" he growled, seething. This was payback.
---
Barkley shook his head, laughing.
"Shaq better watch himself. Zhao Dong's an iron man. Shaq's big, sure, but he doesn't take hits like that as well."
Kenny Smith smirked.
"Hold on, Chuck. Shaq's got iron knees. For a guy his size, never having knee problems? That's impressive."
Barkley paused, then chuckled.
"True, but that doesn't mean he can go toe-to-toe with Zhao Dong in physicality. Different level, Kenny."
Phil Jackson leaned toward Shaq.
"You want a break?"
Shaq shook his head firmly. "No."
Back at the line, Shaq dribbled, exhaling.
"Bang!" — first free throw clanged.
"Hey, Shark!" Zhao Dong called from the block, smirking.
"Hold that paint like a urinal if you want to win this game."
"No way!" Shaq barked back, half tempted to chuck the ball at him.
"Bang!" — second free throw missed.
The Knicks grabbed the rebound and pushed.
Zhao Dong got the ball on the left wing, beat the double-team, and charged straight at Shaq.
This time, Shaq backed off. He knew better—if he tried pulling Zhao Dong down again, the retaliation would be brutal.
"Bang!"
Zhao Dong rose and hammered a vicious dunk as Shaq slid aside.
---
Zhang Heli smiled knowingly.
"Zhao Dong's wing isolation is his deadliest weapon outside of transition attacks. Remember the regular season? He knocked Shaq down twice using this exact move. The only real way to stop him is to foul hard—exactly what Shaq tried earlier. But now? Shaq's hesitant. He's afraid."
Su Qun added,
"In the first two games, when Shaq pulled Zhao Dong, he still protected him on the way down. But not tonight."
Zhang Heli nodded.
"Of course. The Lakers have dropped two straight; they can't afford another loss. Shaq's desperate. He's hoping Zhao Dong gets hurt—why would he protect him?"
Su Qun said,
"Fair point. And Zhao Dong's the same way. If Shaq plays dirty, Zhao Dong won't hold back either."
"Exactly," Zhang Heli replied. "This is the Finals—reciprocity. Enemies."
Seeing Zhao Dong's help defense locking down Shaq, Phil Jackson switched tactics.
He called for Shaq to feed Robert Horry. If Horry hit a couple of shots, Zhao Dong would have to stay honest, unable to cheat off the weak side.
The adjustment worked briefly. Shaq drew the help, kicked it out, and Horry drained a three on his second try. Zhao Dong was forced to stay home, leaving Fordson isolated—and Shaq went back to work, punishing him in the post.
But Zhao Dong answered on the other end. The Lakers couldn't stop him, even with traps.
Every time the double-team came, Zhao Dong found Stackhouse cutting weak side. Two straight assists, two easy buckets—Phil had no choice but to loosen the double.
---
Barkley laughed.
"When Zhao Dong gets doubled, his passing becomes a weapon. But you know why the Knicks' offense stalls sometimes? Too many jumpers, not enough cuts. Tonight, Stackhouse is cutting hard, and it's killing the Lakers."
Smith nodded.
"Exactly. Stackhouse's cuts work because the Lakers are trapping Zhao Dong near the paint. Shaq's staying close, which means his attention shifts, leaving the weak side open. Plus, with Ben Wallace subbed out, Horry can't protect the rim like Big Ben—Stackhouse's getting layups all day."
Eventually, Shaq caught on, keeping one eye on the weak side. The Knicks' off-ball action slowed, but Zhao Dong kept scoring. Even under pressure, his quick pull-up jumpers after driving made the Lakers dizzy.
The horn sounded. Knicks 81 – Lakers 77.
Zhang Heli grinned at the camera.
"Seventeen points for Zhao Dong this quarter. Fifty-five total through three quarters! He's just 14 points shy of Jordan's 69. And he's shooting 63%—phenomenal efficiency."
Su Qun added,
"Shaq's still fighting, though—16 points this quarter, 47 through three quarters, torching Fordson with 71% shooting. Without his dominance, the Lakers would've been buried already."
Zhang Heli smiled.
"That's Shaq for you—the most dominant center in history. Zhao Dong and Fordson can't hold him one-on-one. Given how thin the Knicks' roster is, with two struggling rookies, they're already overachieving."
Su Qun nodded.
"But I think Shaq's almost out of gas. In this fourth quarter, stamina will decide everything."
Zhang Heli agreed.
"Exactly. Nearly a hundred high-intensity games this season—everyone's running on fumes. The last twelve minutes will be about fitness, willpower, and heart. Whoever holds up mentally and physically wins."
---
Barkley smirked.
"Funny thing is, because Fordson's back, Zhao Dong hasn't had to burn as much energy. That's why Coach Nelson hasn't gone back to the Hack-a-Shaq tactic."
Smith laughed.
"The Lakers should thank Fordson. If the Knicks really ran Hack-a-Shaq as a regular strategy tonight, this game would already be over."
"No, Zhao Dong won't agree to that."
Barkley smirked.
"I know him too well. He might use the Hack-a-Shaq tactic once, at a critical moment, but never repeatedly. That's not his style."
On the Lakers bench, Phil Jackson looked at Shaq seriously.
"Shaq, no rest in the fourth. You need to step up."
O'Neal only nodded, wiping sweat and gulping his energy drink. He didn't even feel like talking.
Phil leaned closer, voice low.
"When you're back out there, if the Knicks keep attacking you, draw fouls, get to the line more."
Shaq stared at him blankly, stunned by the request. Free throws? Like I can just decide to make them? That's in God's hands, not mine, he thought bitterly.
---
Fourth Quarter Begins
Zhao Dong came out locked in. For the first three minutes, he focused heavily on defense, taking turns with Fordson to exhaust Shaq's last ounce of energy.
O'Neal was clearly gassed. In five offensive possessions, he only managed to get to the basket once. His reduced post activity killed his efficiency.
But in the fourth minute, disaster struck—the whistle blew.
"Foul, Fordson. That's six!"
The Knicks' interior anchor fouled out, replaced by veteran Kevin Willis. Immediately, the defensive intensity and rebounding inside took a hit.
The score: 90–84, Knicks up six.
Zhao Dong adjusted immediately. With Fordson gone, he turned his full focus to both ends—still hounding Shaq on defense while shifting gears offensively.
Even against the smaller Willis, Shaq's legs were shot. Zhao Dong's relentless one-on-one defense held firm, keeping Shaq away from his sweet spots.
By the ninth minute, the Knicks stretched the lead to 98–90.
Phil Jackson had no choice. "Kobe, Rice—attack from the perimeter. Now!"
---
"The tide's turning," Zhang Heli said with relief on CCTV.
Su Qun nodded.
"As long as Shaq can't dominate the paint, Zhao Dong's efficiency will hold. The Lakers' outside scoring won't be enough to flip this."
Eleventh minute. Zhao Dong drove baseline, spun past Rice, and exploded to the rim.
"Bang!"
The dunk thundered through the arena, knocking over a stumbling Shaq who could barely move his legs anymore.
As O'Neal collapsed under the basket, so did the Lakers' hope. The Staples Center crowd fell silent—except for 3,000 roaring Knicks fans in the stands, the Knicks bench going wild, and millions of Chinese fans cheering through CCTV's live broadcast.
Zhang Heli's voice cracked with excitement.
"Congratulations, Zhao Dong! 70 points! He's officially broken Michael Jordan's single-game playoff scoring record—and set a new NBA Finals scoring record!"
Su Qun added, a hint of regret in his tone.
"The only record left untouched is the 29-point single-quarter playoff record. Maybe Game 4 will give him the chance."
The Lakers never recovered. Knicks 106 – Lakers 96.
The Knicks now led the series 3–0, holding championship point. The Staples Center felt like an icebox.
Barkley almost shouted in excitement on TNT.
"Congrats to the Knicks! They're up 3–0—it's basically over. Title defense all but guaranteed. That's six championships in Knicks history and their fourth straight title!
And congratulations to Zhao Dong—26 of 42 from the field, 2 of 4 from three, 16 of 18 free throws. Seventy points. Absolute dominance.
This will go down as the most historic Finals game ever played at Staples. Too bad for Lakers fans that this masterpiece came at their expense."
Kenny Smith chimed in, impressed.
"Zhao Dong scored 66% of the Knicks' total points. His shooting percentage? 62%—well above the team's 36% overall. He took 47% of their total shots and scored two-thirds of the team's points. That's efficiency on a godlike level."
Barkley nodded.
"Don't forget Shaq—58 points. Phenomenal, even in defeat."
On the sideline, Knicks team reporter Thomas shoved a mic toward Zhao Dong.
"Zhao, how do you rate your own performance tonight?"
Zhao Dong grinned.
"Can I say… I played great?"
Thomas laughed. "Absolutely."
"Then yeah," Zhao Dong chuckled. "I played great."
Thomas pressed on.
"Shaq scored 47 points through three quarters but slowed down in the fourth, finishing with 54 on 3-of-8 shooting in the last frame. What's your assessment of his performance?"
Zhao Dong paused, choosing his words.
"The Lakers' whole strategy was to use Shaq's efficiency to counter mine. It worked for three quarters—we were deadlocked. But Shaq couldn't sustain it. His legs just weren't there at the end, and that's why we pulled away.
But look—54 points is still incredible. No one can overshadow that. I'm not qualified to criticize a performance like his."
Finally, CCTV's Yang Yi stepped up with a smile.
"Zhao Dong, you're one win away from defending your fourth consecutive title. Any final words for the fans back home?"
Zhao Dong looked into the camera, expression firm.
"Sweep. Win the championship. That's it."
Before the postgame press conference even started, Zhao Dong's bold words—"Sweep to win the championship."—had already exploded across global media.
---
"We can't let the Knicks sweep us for the title. Never!"
Kobe Bryant jumped to his feet, fire in his eyes, and stared straight at Shaquille O'Neal.
"We stop him. No matter what it takes."
Shaq, just as unwilling to accept humiliation, nodded grimly. Being swept in the Finals? Unthinkable.
Meanwhile, the Lakers' PR phones were ringing off the hook. Angry fans demanded answers—"We will never accept the Lakers being swept!"
---
Back in the Knicks locker room, Zhao Dong was taking a shower when he quietly activated his system interface.
This game had allowed O'Neal to score 50+, and that worried him.
"Did I fail the task because of that?" he muttered.
He quickly checked the mission panel.
No failure message.
"Good… still safe."
He exhaled in relief. Based on his guess, the system required him to deliver three dominant performances while preventing O'Neal from scoring 50+ in those specific games. As long as he dominated Game 4 and kept Shaq under 50, he'd be fine.
---
The Lakers' press conference was first.
"Shaq, Zhao Dong said he's going to sweep and win the championship. Your response?"
O'Neal, voice like a growling beast, leaned into the mic.
"We won't let that happen. We'll do everything in our power to stop him. He's not going to run this league like it's his playground."
Before Shaq even finished, Kobe snatched the mic, anger clear on his face.
"We'll stop him. Period."
This wasn't the cocky rookie Kobe anymore. His presence was as sharp as any superstar in the league, standing toe-to-toe with Shaq.
---
On the Knicks side, reporters were just as aggressive.
"Zhao Dong, are you serious about sweeping?" a New York Times reporter asked.
Zhao Dong smirked.
"Leading 3–0. Do you think I'm joking?"
A New York Sports Daily reporter followed up.
"Kobe and Shaq just said they'll do everything to stop you. What's your response?"
"I'll use my attack to defeat them," Zhao Dong replied, smiling confidently.
Another reporter jumped in, visibly excited.
"Tonight, you broke the playoff single-game scoring record and the Finals scoring record. Are you going for an even higher single-game mark?"
The question instantly made Zhao Dong think of Wilt Chamberlain's legendary 100-point game.
But reality was harsh—Chamberlain had dominated the record books. Of the nine games in NBA history with 70+ points, Wilt owned six. Zhao's 70 points tonight merely pushed him into 10th place, just above Michael Jordan's 69.
"Of course," Zhao Dong finally said, grinning. "I'll always chase higher records."
"Will that be in Game 4?" the reporter pressed.
"It's possible," Zhao Dong laughed. "But it depends on how the Lakers cooperate. If they send triple-teams every possession, what can I do?"
The reporters roared with laughter.
The next morning, Zhao Dong was having breakfast when he almost choked on his coffee.
"'Zhao Dong Vows to Break Chamberlain's 100-Point Record in Game 4!'" screamed the New York Sports Times headline.
"When the hell did I say that?" Zhao groaned, slamming the paper onto the table.
He thought back to Chamberlain's iconic game against the Knicks:
Final score: Warriors 169 – Knicks 147
Chamberlain: 36 of 63 FG (57%), 28 of 32 FT (87.5%)
That game was the perfect storm. Wilt's season FT% had been only 50.8%, but that night, luck had been on his side.
For Zhao Dong to even have a shot at breaking 100, he'd need:
60%+ shooting
55+ shot attempts
20+ free throws
Several made threes
And unlike Wilt, Zhao played farther from the basket. Under heavy triple-teams, his mobility would be neutralized.
Kobe's 81-point game came to mind as well: 28 of 46 FG (61%), 7 of 13 3PT, 18 of 20 FT—a masterpiece of efficiency.
"If I want to hit 100, everything has to be perfect," Zhao muttered to himself.
---
Meanwhile, in the Lakers camp, the mood was grim.
"Try not to get swept."
That became the whispered mantra among the players.
The once-dominant OK duo, who had crushed nearly every team this season except the Spurs' Twin Towers and the Mailman's Utah squad, were now staring at the humiliating possibility of being swept.
---
Back in New York, the New York Times plastered a bold headline across its sports page:
"After Defending His Title Again, Zhao Dong—the God of Efficiency—Will Undoubtedly Be the Greatest in History."
The legend of Zhao Dong was no longer just about basketball. It was becoming a story of inevitability.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Check my Pâtreon for (40) advanced chapters
Pâtreon .com/Fanficlord03
Change (â) to (a)
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
https://discord.gg/MntqcdpRZ9