Zhao Dong didn't even glance at Jermaine O'Neal. His eyes were on Larry Bird, who stood on the sideline. Bird gave him a small nod.
Larry Bird already understood O'Neal's problem. It was the same reason Coach Dunleavy had been reluctant to give Shaq playing time in the first place. After a quick discussion with Zhao Dong, Bird decided to push O'Neal mentally—start him first, then pull him out to see if that would shake up his attitude.
When the next dead ball came, O'Neal was subbed out and headed straight for the bench. Brian Grant replaced him.
Grant wasn't as explosive as Zhao Dong or Fordson near the rim, but he had a reliable mid-range jumper. Three-pointers? Forget it. But his shooting ability opened the floor, which was exactly what Dunleavy wanted.
For comparison, Grant shot 60% at the rim and 33% in the paint, while Fordson dominated with 76% and 43%. The difference was obvious, but Grant's mid-range percentage—over 40%—gave him the edge in spacing.
Dunleavy's reasoning was simple: Zhao Dong needed space to attack, and so did Damon Stoudamire and Eddie Jones.
Zhao Dong brought the ball up.
Instead of planting himself in the low post, he stayed outside the arc. The paint was empty, the floor stretched wide.
O'Neal and David Robinson were forced to follow out because both Zhao Dong and Grant could shoot. But could two traditional bigs really defend beyond the three-point line? No chance.
The Lakers scrambled into a switch. They weren't ready for it, and the defense briefly fell apart. Rick Fox reacted first, sprinting over to check Zhao Dong.
Zhao Dong caught it on the left wing, just outside the arc. A quick pivot—he spun and blew past Fox in one smooth motion.
He dribbled left-handed, his right arm quietly shielding Fox.
Fox, 201 cm and 105 kg, was no slouch, but his lateral speed was nowhere near Zhao Dong's. And with no hand-checking allowed, he couldn't hold him. Zhao Dong pressed him off balance, slid past, and Fox was beaten clean.
Zhao Dong drove hard into the left lane. The Lakers defense collapsed. All eyes turned to him.
On the weak side, Eddie Jones made his move—a quick back cut from the right corner.
Zhao Dong pushed into the paint. O'Neal, Robinson, and Kobe all converged for the double-team. Zhao Dong didn't hesitate. Mid-air, he swung a sharp pass across the lane.
"Bang!"
Eddie Jones caught it in stride and hammered down a dunk, rocking the Lakers' rim.
---
Barkley burst into laughter on the broadcast.
"This is textbook spacing basketball! Pull everyone out, clear the paint, then slash hard. The God-Slaying lineup used this to kill teams. And now, the Blazers are using that same tactic against the Lakers. With two big centers clogging the paint, how are they supposed to defend this?"
Kenny Smith grinned.
"As long as Zhao Dong plays out on the perimeter, the Lakers are in trouble. Man-to-man defense won't work—O'Neal and Robinson can't chase him outside. They have to go zone, or he'll keep carving them up."
Barkley laughed louder.
"Isn't it funny? The God-Slaying lineup was designed to counter big traditional lineups, and now the Blazers are doing the same thing! Using the Lakers' own size against them. I love it!"
---
The moment the Lakers regained possession, Phil Jackson signaled for a timeout.
He switched to a zone defense immediately.
His instructions were clear: one of the twin towers had to stay back. No more double-teams on Zhao Dong that left the weak side exposed.
He also emphasized quick switching—Zhao Dong might be listed as a center, but he played like a small forward, attacking from the outside in. Slow rotations would kill them.
Jackson pulled Rick Fox aside.
"Forget his jumper. Play his drive. Ninety percent of his scoring comes off penetration. Even if he beats you, stick to him and double outside the paint. Make him give it up."
The Lakers inbounded. Their twin towers—O'Neal and Robinson—swung down into the paint, instantly clogging the lane. Zhao Dong and Grant followed, but compared to Shaq and Robinson, they were undersized.
Phil Jackson's tactic was old-school—pure dominance under the basket. As long as Shaq got the ball deep, it was basically two points.
This was a different animal from last year. Back then, when Shaq was paired with Big Ben, the Knicks ignored Big Ben completely, swarming Shaq every time. But Robinson? Leave him open at your own risk.
Grant battled hard, bodying Shaq and trying to keep him off his sweet spot. Zhao Dong sagged off to double Shaq, but Robinson drifted to the high post.
Too late.
Robinson caught it and rose—not for a jumper, but for a slick jump-pass over the defense.
Shaq caught it underneath, powered up, and—
"Boom!"
A vicious two-handed dunk rattled the Blazers' rim.
As Shaq landed, he roared at Zhao Dong.
"You're done, Zhao! You can't stop us!"
Zhao Dong looked back at him calmly.
"We'll see."
---
CCTV Commentary
Zhang Heli sighed on the broadcast.
"The twin towers are overwhelming in the paint. Zhao Dong and Grant are only 205 and 206 centimeters. How can they defend against Shaq and Robinson together?"
Su Qun nodded.
"And you can't leave Robinson open either. You saw what just happened—give him space, and he'll punish you."
Zhang Heli agreed.
"Exactly. No easy choices here. If they don't find an answer soon, the Blazers are in trouble."
In the TNT commentary booth, Charles Barkley spoke with rare seriousness.
"Phil Jackson's not running this like a God-Slaying lineup. He's not using Robinson to stretch the floor, not creating one-on-one chances for Shaq under the basket.
Of course, he could do that—and if he did, Shaq would get easy singles inside all night.
But honestly? The Blazers still can't stop this twin-tower attack. The size difference is just too much."
Kenny Smith nodded.
"He doesn't need to stretch the floor. Two super centers in the paint—who can stop that? Why pull them out when you can dominate inside?"
Barkley smirked.
"If Zhao Dong doesn't double Shaq, Ron Harper's just going to lob it straight to him for a dunk. The real question is, if the Blazers send another help defender… who do they leave open?"
---
Portland didn't call timeout. The game continued.
The Blazers stuck with their spread-out attack. Zhao Dong still had the ball in his hands—he had to.
3Damon Stoudamire, wasn't the same anymore. Even at his peak, he wasn't built for this. Against this powerhouse Lakers squad, it was all on Zhao Dong now.
Standing on the left wing, just beyond the three-point line, Zhao Dong signaled a play.
The Lakers put Rick Fox on him, emphasizing paint protection. Their plan: funnel Zhao Dong inside and double him just outside the paint.
Zhao Dong dribbled. Bang. Bang. Bang.
Then he exploded.
A quick, powerful first step—Fox was a beat too slow.
Normally, with the defense loading the paint, Zhao Dong might've pulled up for a jumper. Not this time. He attacked full speed.
The defense collapsed immediately. Robinson, pulled to the right wing earlier, sprinted back toward the rim. Shaq slid over to cut off the left side of the paint. If he could body Zhao Dong there, the double-team would form.
But Zhao Dong's burst was too much. Just as Kobe came over for help, Zhao Dong whipped a lightning-fast crossover in front of his body, switched hands, and darted baseline—slipping past Shaq's massive frame.
Shaq twisted to recover, but he couldn't keep up.
Zhao Dong was gone.
He took one long stride into the paint and launched himself at David Robinson.
Robinson jumped to meet him, but…
He was almost 36 now. His legs weren't what they used to be. Zhao Dong, coming off a full-speed drive, elevated higher, pressing him down in mid-air.
"Bang!"
Zhao Dong hammered it in, body colliding with Robinson. The Admiral groaned as he crashed to the floor, and the Lakers' rim rocked violently.
"Yeah!"
The Rose Garden erupted, deafening cheers filling the arena.
On the sideline, owner Paul Allen jumped up, yelling and pumping his fist like a crazed fan.
Above the arena, the sound of "bomber" chants filled the air again, echoing through the stands.
--
Barkley roared.
"Unstoppable! Zhao Dong is absolutely unstoppable! The Lakers' paint, guarded by two super centers, just got torched!"
Smith was just as hyped.
"Robinson's at least 50 centimeters lower on that contest. He had no chance. Zhao Dong's finishing at the rim is just too much. Nobody's stopping that."
---
Zhao Dong landed under the basket, standing tall, eyes locked on Robinson, who was still struggling to get up.
With a small smirk, Zhao Dong said,
"Mr. Admiral, do you finally understand what it means to overestimate yourself?"
"You—!" Robinson's face flushed red with anger, but he winced, unable to stand. His left ankle twisted awkwardly on the landing.
On CCTV, Zhang Heli chuckled.
"When you're 36, you can't fight age. Robinson's body just isn't the same anymore. Zhao Dong's impact is one of the best in NBA history—forcing it against him? You're gonna get hurt."
Su Qun was practically shouting.
"Too strong! Zhao Dong just dunked on Robinson twice in a row—back-to-back. The Admiral is getting dominated!"
Zhang Heli added, smiling,
"If one of those two big centers sits out, Portland has no chance. But right now, they just might have life."
---
TNT Booth
Barkley laughed loudly.
"Well, I think we can stop pretending Robinson's still at his peak. No media's gonna say he's carrying anyone now. Back in his prime, it was 'twin towers dominance'—now? Uh…"
Barkley stopped, realizing he was about to say "clinging to someone's thighs" on live TV.
Kenny Smith grinned.
"You mean like you when you went to the Knicks? Holding on to thighs?"
Barkley snapped his head around.
"Kenny, don't start! I averaged five minutes a game in New York. I was a veteran presence, not a starter. Robinson's still the main guy here. That's real clinging!"
Smith laughed.
"Fine, fine. You didn't cling to anyone—you just… joined Zhao Dong."
Barkley threw up his hands.
"Damn it, Kenny, that's the same thing!"
---
The game resumed, but Phil Jackson had no choice.
David Robinson was helped off, replaced by veteran forward Horace "Cobra" Grant—the iron triangle member from the Bulls dynasty.
Horace wasn't as explosive anymore, his scoring limited, but he was still a solid rebounder. The Lakers had traded for him from Seattle to add bench toughness.
Ironically, Zhao Dong had studied his cutting moves years ago—he knew Horace style well.
With Robinson out, Zhao Dong knew the Lakers would adjust.
On offense, Horace would space to the wing to give Shaq single coverage inside. On defense, he'd rotate as a helper while Shaq held down the paint.
Sure enough, when play resumed, Horace floated out to the right wing.
Iron-Blooded Grant followed him, pulling Portland's help defense out with him.
That left Zhao Dong alone with Shaq under the basket.
There was no winning that matchup.
If Zhao Dong played behind, Shaq would dunk right over him. If he fronted him, Shaq would just seal and catch a lob.
Portland made a desperate adjustment, sending Shawn Marion into the paint to double Shaq, leaving Rick Fox wide open on the perimeter.
Although Shawn Marion was considered light for his position—currently weighing just 96 kg and still putting on weight—his 201 cm frame, freakish athleticism, and long ape-like arms were his weapons against a giant like Shaquille O'Neal.
Zhao Dong pressed tightly against O'Neal from behind, forcing the Diesel to hold his ground. Meanwhile, Marion jumped around in front of O'Neal, trying to disrupt him and double-team without the ball.
Rick Fox, left wide open on the left wing, signaled for the ball.
"Harper! Here!" he called.
Fox caught the pass, rose up, and—
"Swish!"
Damon Stoudamire, rushed over to contest, but he was a step late. Fox buried the three.
9:7. The Lakers took the early lead on the road.
---
On the commentary table, Zhang Heli shouted excitedly:
"The first seven offensive possessions from both sides were all successful—six came from attacks at the basket, and only one from outside. The shooting efficiency is through the roof! This battle will be decided under the rim!"
Su Qun nodded with a smile. "The paint is the battlefield of life and death. Whoever controls it will control this game."
Zhang Heli added, "Neither team can stop the other. The Trail Blazers can't handle O'Neal, and the Lakers can't stop Zhao Dong. This back-and-forth is thrilling, and the outcome is completely unpredictable!"
Su Qun shook his head. "But Stoudamire is a liability on defense. At only 178 cm, he's fine offensively, but he has to rotate and cover bigger positions on defense. Even when he does, he's simply too small to stop them."
Zhang Heli chuckled. "If only the Trail Blazers had someone like Ginobili. At 198 cm, he can play both point guard and shooting guard. They could really use him."
---
The game continued with both sides trading blows. The Lakers couldn't contain Zhao Dong, while the Trail Blazers had no answer for O'Neal. Every time O'Neal got double-teamed off the ball, the Lakers' other shooters were left open. But when the Lakers collapsed on Zhao Dong, the Trail Blazers got wide-open looks in return.
It was a shootout. Neither team could defend, and the score kept climbing, possession after possession.
By the 9th minute of the first quarter, the score was tied 22:22—and then the game changed as the bench units checked in.
---
The Lakers were top-heavy, boasting two superstar centers. O'Neal was earning $19.5 million this season, David Robinson $5 million, and Kobe Bryant $10.17 million—nearly $35 million combined. The rest of the roster totaled just $20 million. With the NBA salary cap at $35.5 million, the Lakers had to pay a jaw-dropping $22 million luxury tax, pushing their total payroll to $44 million.
This meant that after constructing a "God-Slaying" main lineup, the Lakers had no budget left to build a solid bench. Their reserves were just as weak as last season.
The Trail Blazers, however, were a different story. Their owner spared no expense, even taking on Shawn Kemp's massive contract, which gave them one of the league's deepest benches.
Steve Smith, the backup shooting guard, had been a starter last season and even played in the Olympics. Though slightly past his prime, he was still a reliable scorer.
At forward, Reggie Fortson, despite losing a leg, had proven his defensive and rebounding prowess in last year's Finals, earning a three-year, $21 million contract—larger than David Robinson's current deal with the Lakers.
Adding to that were bruising power forward Brian Grant, still in his prime, and backup forward Dale Davis, who averaged nearly eight rebounds per game. Young talent like Mike Miller rounded out the rotation.
Simply put, the Trail Blazers' bench was far superior to the Lakers'.
---
Zhao Dong stayed on the floor, leading the second unit. He slid to the point guard position, orchestrating the offense. The lineup: Fortson and O'Neal at the forward and center spots, Miller at small forward, Smith at shooting guard, and Zhao Dong running the point.
The Lakers countered by keeping Kobe on the floor to lead their second unit.
But it didn't matter.
By the end of the first quarter, the Trail Blazers went on an 11–4 run, leading 33:26.
Zhao Dong played more like a floor general than a scorer, drawing defensive attention outside while his teammates executed cutting and passing plays. In just three minutes, he racked up four assists—Smith nailed two mid-range jumpers, Miller hit a three, and O'Neal slammed home two dunks for six quick points.
Fortson and O'Neal dominated the boards, grabbing three defensive rebounds and one offensive rebound in that stretch. The Lakers managed just one rebound during that span, giving the Blazers multiple extra possessions.
The Blazers' bench completely outclassed the Lakers, stunning them in just minutes.
---
As Kobe headed to the bench, he glanced at the Blazers' substitutes and muttered, half in disbelief,
"These are substitutes? No… these guys could be starters on most teams."
And the Trail Blazers still hadn't unleashed the rest of their bench, with enforcers like Bonzi Wells and Dale Davis still waiting.
---
At the start of the second quarter, Coach Dunleavy rotated some of his bench, but the Trail Blazers remained dominant.
The Lakers had no choice but to bring O'Neal back earlier than planned to stop the bleeding. But that came at a cost—more minutes meant more energy drained from their franchise cornerstone.
---
By halftime, the Trail Blazers had pushed the lead to 63:50, shocking everyone in attendance.
Zhao Dong was putting on a show, finishing the first half with 29 points, 6 rebounds, and 8 assists, shooting a ridiculous 71% from the field.
O'Neal was also impressive, going 9-for-13 from the field and 5-for-10 from the free-throw line for 23 points—a solid 69% shooting performance.
Reporters were stunned. Nobody had expected the Lakers to be trailing like this.
The media quickly searched for explanations, and many pointed to David Robinson's injury as the reason for the Lakers' struggles.
But Barkley wasn't buying it.
"Don't give me that crap," Barkley scoffed. "The Lakers' starters aren't the problem—it's their bench that got destroyed. Even if David Robinson was healthy, it wouldn't change the final outcome."
Kenny Smith tried to argue otherwise. "Robinson's presence would've given the Lakers' second unit an anchor. His absence is definitely affecting their rotations."
Barkley waved him off. "What difference would one more big man make? Look at the Blazers' bench. Fortson, O'Neal, Dale Davis, Mike Miller, Steve Smith—they could start for half the league! That's a second unit built like a starting lineup."
Kenny Smith could only smile bitterly. "At least give the Lakers some credit. They built a God-Slaying lineup and are paying over $20 million in luxury tax. That's not for nothing."
"Pfft—haha!" Barkley burst out laughing.
---
The game ended with the Trail Blazers dominating the final score.
The Lakers hung around for three quarters but trailed by 18 points heading into the fourth. Coach Phil Jackson eventually pulled his starters, unwilling to drain O'Neal's energy. After all, last season's Finals loss had been partly due to Shaq running out of gas.
Zhao Dong, however, stayed in for a few minutes in the fourth to pad his stats—and he delivered.
He finished the game with a monstrous 51 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists, recording the first super triple-double of the new season.
---
After the game, Zhao Dong was interviewed courtside, smiling as fans cheered his name.
The Trail Blazers had made a statement.
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