June 4, 2000 – Game 4 of the 1999-2000 NBA Finals
The Lakers were on the brink of being swept. The series had been one-sided, but the games were intense, high-scoring, and entertaining enough to keep TV ratings sky-high.
And now, with media hype over Zhao Dong possibly chasing Chamberlain's 100-point record, anticipation for Game 4 was through the roof.
By early evening, before gates even opened, the streets outside Staples Center were already packed with fans.
"How come there are four sons in there, but not even one daughter?"
Leaning against his locker, Zhao Dong muttered under his breath, holding his phone, which was still warm from the earlier call.
Lindsay's due date was August 20—just in time before the Olympics. Moments ago, she had called to tell him she was pregnant… with quadruplet boys.
The Zhao family had never had a girl in the bloodline, and secretly, he had hoped for at least one daughter. But Lindsay hadn't granted that wish.
"Boss, what did you say?" Fordson asked curiously.
"Oh, nothing." Zhao Dong quickly hid his smile, refocusing.
"Danny, you grabbed 14 rebounds last game. Solid work. Keep it up tonight."
"Of course, boss. Leave it to me." Fordson patted his chest proudly.
Despite his bad knee, pulling down 14 rebounds was a big deal. Thanks to Zhao Dong teaching him rebounding positioning and prediction, he had managed to hold his ground. If he performed again tonight, he was sure to secure a solid contract in the offseason.
"Boss, are you going to break the record tonight?" Ginobili asked, curiosity lighting up his face.
Everyone in the room—teammates and coaches alike—turned toward Zhao Dong, waiting for an answer.
Zhao Dong shook his head calmly.
"We'll stick to normal tactics. If the chance comes, I'll take it. If not, we play to win."
In truth, Chamberlain had only scored 41 points by halftime during his 100-point game. Zhao himself had put up 40 in the first half of Game 3. But unlike Wilt, Zhao had to face Shaquille O'Neal, which meant expending far more physical energy.
Could he break the record? He believed he had the ability—if luck, pace, and the Lakers' defense allowed it.
Coach Nelson had even asked him yesterday if he wanted the team to help him chase the record. Zhao refused. It was the Finals. Every possession mattered. The Lakers would rather let his teammates score than give him clean looks. Chasing 100 points was far easier in a regular-season game, not here.
---
Starting Lineups Announced
At 8:00 p.m., the lineups flashed across the arena screen:
Knicks: Zhao Dong, Fordson, Rodney Rogers, Stackhouse, Ginobili.
Lakers: Shaquille O'Neal, Ben Wallace, Glen Rice, Kobe Bryant, Ron Harper.
From the TNT broadcast booth, Smith commented:
"The Lakers aren't thinking about turning this series around. At this point, they just want to avoid the humiliation of a sweep."
Barkley smirked.
"And don't forget—they also want to stop Zhao Dong from dropping 100 points tonight."
Up in a VIP suite, Lakers owner Jerry Buss sat alongside NBA commissioner David Stern, who had brought the championship trophy with him.
Knicks owner James Dolan was absent. He'd been distracted by Wall Street losses after trying to copy Zhao Dong and Lindsay's investment success. The championship no longer mattered to him.
---
Tip-Off – Staples Erupts
The ball went up. Zhao Dong outjumped O'Neal, tapping it back to Ginobili as the Knicks claimed the first possession.
The Staples crowd roared instantly.
"Kill him!"
"Double-team off the ball!"
"Don't let him touch the ball!"
The Lakers had made their intentions clear.
As Zhao crossed halfcourt, Kobe and Ben Wallace hounded him immediately, denying him the ball even off screens.
But Zhao shook free with ease. Pulling to the outside, he used a sudden burst of speed to leave Wallace behind. Kobe stuck with him, but one-on-one wasn't enough.
Once Zhao got the ball on the left wing, the threat level spiked.
He pushed toward the three-point line, Ben closing in from the left. Zhao shifted sharply to the right, cutting to the top of the arc.
Ginobili slid up from the corner, setting a solid screen that wiped Kobe out of the play.
Ron Harper switched instantly, stepping into Zhao's path.
But Zhao was too quick. A hard crossover, a lightning spin—Harper was left in the dust.
The paint opened up. Four Lakers were stuck outside, leaving only O'Neal under the rim.
Zhao accelerated past the free-throw line and launched himself into the air, straight at Shaq.
"Bang!"
O'Neal exploded upward to meet him, swinging hard for the block. His massive arm smacked Zhao across the head as their bodies collided midair.
The impact was thunderous—like Mars slamming into Earth.
Zhao crashed under the basket, but Shaq fared no better. Staggering backward from the collision, O'Neal lost balance, fell onto his back, and even slammed into the stanchion, causing the hoop to shake. He grimaced, gritting his teeth in pain.
"Ohhh!"
The Staples crowd gasped in unison.
"Beep!"
The whistle blew. Foul on O'Neal.
Zhang Heli's voice cracked with concern on CCTV:
"The first play of the game is already this intense. The Olympics are coming soon—I hope Zhao Dong isn't hurt!"
Su Qun, trying to stay positive, shouted:
"Zhao's built like iron, he'll be fine!"
On the floor, Zhao Dong pushed himself up, shook his head, and barked toward Shaq:
"Come on, Shark, get up! Don't get hurt now—I still need you for my championship highlight reel!"
"F*** you!" Shaq growled, forcing himself up despite the pain.
The first possession had already set the tone—this was going to be a war.
Zhao Dong knew the odds of breaking 100 were slim, but he still pushed himself to the limit.
The Knicks relied on his scoring to win. Even with the Lakers throwing double-teams at him before he even touched the ball, Zhao Dong attacked every possession with full throttle.
By halftime, his numbers were monstrous: 14-of-21 from the field, 10-of-10 at the line, 38 points on nearly 70% shooting.
Most of his damage came from attacking the rim and running the break, tearing through the Lakers' interior defense with brutal efficiency.
O'Neal picked up three fouls in just 16 minutes and had to sit. Once he left, Ben Wallace became Zhao Dong's primary target—and Big Ben also racked up three fouls trying to contain him.
---
Halftime Analysis
Barkley leaned forward, shaking his head.
"Chamberlain had 41 in the first half of his 100-point game. Zhao Dong's sitting at 38. Technically, he still has a shot."
Smith frowned, cautious.
"True, but Shaq only played 14 minutes in the first half. He's fresh. That's gonna make it tough for Zhao to keep scoring at this pace."
"A bit tough?" Barkley snorted.
"Kenny, this is the Finals, not some random regular-season game. If the Lakers lose tonight, they get swept. If Zhao Dong drops 100 on top of that, the Lakers would go down as the biggest laughingstock in NBA history. Trust me, they'll throw the kitchen sink at him before they let that happen."
Smith nodded reluctantly.
"Fair point. Even if they lose, they'll make damn sure he doesn't hit 100."
---
Phil Jackson gathered his team, eyes sharp.
"Triple him if we have to. Shadow the ball handler. Force the other Knicks to beat us. No clean touches for Zhao Dong."
The players nodded. Even Kobe agreed silently. No one wanted to be remembered as the team that let Zhao Dong rewrite history.
The adjustment worked.
Zhao Dong found himself blanketed by two, sometimes three defenders. The lanes closed, the passing angles vanished. He gritted through it but managed only 14 points in the third quarter.
52 points through three quarters. The dream of chasing 100 was dead—unless he somehow scored 49 in the fourth, which was almost impossible.
Still, the Knicks were rolling.
With so much defensive attention on Zhao Dong, his teammates feasted. Ginobili and Marion, quiet most of the playoffs, suddenly had open looks everywhere. The Knicks ended the third up by 16 points, and the sweep looked inevitable.
Knowing Zhao Dong was no longer chasing history, the Lakers loosened their grip, hoping to spark a comeback.
Big mistake.
Zhao Dong shifted to an off-ball role, lurking on the left wing. Stackhouse handled the rock on the right.
Then it happened.
He cut hard behind Shaq, leaving Ben Wallace in the dust. Stackhouse threaded a perfect pass—right past O'Neal's back.
"Not good!" Shaq spun too late.
"Bang!"
Zhao Dong detonated, throwing down a thunderous dunk that sent Shaq stumbling forward before crashing to the floor.
"Yeah!"
Three thousand Knicks fans erupted inside Staples, drowning out the home crowd.
The whistle blew. Blocking foul on O'Neal—his fifth.
Phil Jackson froze.
Sub Shaq out, and Zhao Dong would shred the paint. Keep him in, and the same thing might happen anyway.
Finally, Phil stayed with Shaq. He had no choice—without Shaq's offense, the Lakers were finished.
Phil exhaled slowly, watching Zhao Dong jog to the line. Even a second of relaxing against him, and this is what happens.
"Shark, watch me," Zhao Dong called, smirking as he bounced the ball. "I'll show you how to shoot free throws."
Shaq glared, eyes burning.
"Bang!" The first one clanged off.
"Heh!" Shaq sneered.
"Haha, that one was me doing my Shaq impression." Zhao Dong winked. "Now here comes my free throw."
"Do you have any shame?" Shaq barked.
"Swish!" The second dropped clean.
The crowd roared as Zhao Dong jogged back on defense.
Determined, Shaq powered through the Knicks' defense on the next possession, dunking right over Zhao Dong. The contact nearly sent Zhao off balance.
But Zhao heard Shaq's breathing—ragged, heavy. His tank was almost empty.
On the next Knicks possession, Zhao Dong went back to the post, this time serious.
He spun past Ben Wallace, slipped by Shaq's slow rotation, and caught a feed from Ginobili under the basket.
Shaq lunged from behind, Ben doubled from the front, but Zhao faked, froze both defenders, then spun back to the left.
Shaq reacted a half-second too late. His legs felt like lead.
"Bang!"
Zhao Dong rose with one arm, hammering the dunk home as Shaq stumbled back, powerless to stop him.
"Don't blow it!"
Shaquille O'Neal's heart pounded as he stood in the paint, his massive frame trembling under the weight of the moment.
"Beep!"
The whistle cut through the arena.
O'Neal froze, staring at the referee in disbelief. Then came the dreaded hand signal—six fouls.
"… Damn."
His shoulders slumped, and his head dropped as he trudged toward the bench.
It was over.
His second trip to the NBA Finals had ended in heartbreak—again.
The first time, back in Orlando, he'd been swept by Hakeem Olajuwon's Houston Rockets. Now, years later, wearing purple and gold, he was being swept again, this time by the New York Knicks led by Zhao Dong.
For a man who prided himself on dominance, it was a bitter pill to swallow.
---
TNT Live Booth – Post-Whistle Reactions
Barkley shook his head, a hint of sympathy in his eyes.
"Shaq's unlucky, man. First he ran into Dream in his prime, now he runs into Zhao Dong—who's even scarier. Swept twice in the Finals? That's brutal. Hopefully this doesn't turn into his nightmare every time he gets this far."
Smith, on the other hand, smirked.
"This Lakers team is way stronger than that old Magic squad, but it doesn't matter when you're facing the God of Efficiency. You're not beating that guy. Shaq might as well carry a urinal with him—it'd be easier than stopping Zhao."
Barkley laughed.
"Speaking of that, Shaq shot 4-of-14 at the free throw line tonight. That's… well, not great. He's gotta fix that if the Lakers ever want to get past the Knicks."
Smith nodded but gave Shaq some credit.
"His efficiency dropped hard compared to last game, but you can see he's completely gassed. This series isn't just about talent—it's a war of endurance. Zhao Dong's stamina is on another level."
Barkley grinned, leaning back in his chair.
"That's the trade-off, right? Shaq's weight makes him unstoppable under the rim, not even Zhao Dong can bully him when he's fresh. But carrying that much mass? His tank empties way too fast. Shaq, my man, maybe it's time to lose some pounds."
Smith chuckled.
"Lose weight? That's ten times harder for Shaq than carrying that urinal. Ain't happening."
---
"Ouch!"
As the final horn blared, the Staples Center erupted—not in boos, but in a mix of cheers and reluctant applause.
Three thousand Knicks fans roared in celebration, and even some Lakers fans stood, clapping for the new champions.
The Knicks players mobbed Zhao Dong, hoisting him up as flashes from cameras exploded around them.
Moments later, they lifted the Larry O'Brien Trophy for the fourth straight year. Zhao Dong, as expected, claimed Finals MVP for the fourth consecutive time.
---
TNT Live Booth – Crowning the God of Basketball
Barkley's voice carried over the broadcast, excitement in every word.
"Congratulations to Zhao Dong—four straight titles and six championships for the Knicks! Tonight, he scored 69 points, the second-highest single-game total in Finals history.
And get this—over the four-game sweep, he dropped 61, 62, 70, and 69 points. That's 262 points total, averaging 65.5 per game. Absolutely insane. The previous Finals single-game record was 61!
Only Zhao Dong—the God of Efficiency—can do that. He's the greatest we've ever seen."
Smith practically shouted over him, his excitement overflowing.
"This Finals just cemented it—Zhao Dong isn't just the best player in the league; he's a god among men. He's going to dominate this era, and nobody can stop him!"
Barkley nodded firmly.
"From now on, if any team wants to win a title, there's only one way—you gotta kill the god. No other way."
---
The Knicks' postgame celebration was short but wild. In the Staples Center locker room, champagne exploded everywhere, soaking players, coaches, and even staff.
Hours later, the team moved to a top Los Angeles nightclub. Zhao Dong sat on a leather sofa, phone buzzing nonstop with congratulatory messages.
He ignored most of them and instead called home, speaking to Lindsay for the entire car ride to the club.
When he finally hung up, he leaned back and opened the system in his mind.
Game 4: mission clear. O'Neal didn't hit 50. Reward incoming.
The familiar chime rang in his head as the system window appeared:
[Rewards Granted]
5 Dominance Fragments (Total: 5)
2/4 System Reset Fragments
1 Serious Injury Recovery Chance
1 Talent Draw Opportunity
Hammer's Iron Ankle – Acquired
"System, apply the Iron Ankle," Zhao Dong commanded silently.
A warm rush spread through his leg as the system confirmed: [Enhancement Complete.]
He flexed his ankle, feeling the tightness that had nagged him all season vanish instantly. Just like when he'd covered his knee with Hammer's enhancement—no more strain, no more soreness.
He rotated his wrist, wincing slightly. Too many dunks had left it aching.
Maybe it's time to cut back on the dunks, he thought. More jumpers in the regular season. Save the high-flying stuff for when it really counts. Longevity over highlight reels.
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