The Trail Blazers took possession. Zhao Dong brought the ball to the top of the arc. The Lakers' defense tightened, and both Kobe Bryant and Ron Harper swarmed in for a double-team.
Suddenly, Zhao Dong made a lightning-quick move, feinting a drive. As Kobe and Harper closed in to seal the lane, he stepped back just beyond the three-point line. With perfect footwork and unshakable confidence, Zhao Dong shook both defenders and rose for the shot.
Swish!
The net snapped clean.
On the TNT broadcast, Barkley shouted, "Zhao Dong came out with murder in his eyes tonight! That shot was cold as ice. Reminds me of the night he dropped a hundred!"
On CCTV, Su Qun echoed the sentiment: "Zhao Dong is locked in—full killer mode tonight!"
The Lakers responded. O'Neal caught the ball in the low post and prepared to go up strong, but both Brian Grant and Shawn Marion collapsed on him. The shot was blocked clean.
The ball popped loose, but David Robinson was in perfect position. He snatched the rebound and finished with a smooth one-handed layup.
5:4, Trail Blazers still in front.
Zhao Dong pushed the pace on the next possession, burning Kobe and Harper in transition. He exploded to the rim and hammered down a one-handed dunk.
Bang!
O'Neal immediately retaliated, muscling his way to the rim and slamming over Brian Grant to close the gap.
Zhao Dong came right back with another fast break, but this time Kobe slowed him down. The Lakers hustled back on defense, forcing a half-court set.
Zhao Dong dribbled back up to the top of the arc. Kobe and Harper closed in again for the trap.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
The ball echoed as Zhao Dong dribbled between defenders, then made his move. Harper tried to shade him left, Kobe sagged a step—reading the angle.
Too late.
Zhao Dong sliced past Harper, then spun past Kobe again and entered the paint like a storm. The Blazers' bigs were pulled wide, opening the lane.
O'Neal and Robinson both rushed back to contest, meeting Zhao Dong at the rim.
But he was already airborne.
Bang!
Zhao Dong soared between them, hammering the ball down with his left hand. The net sprayed, and the rim rocked back and forth.
9:6.
Beep!
Whistle.
Both Shaq and Robinson raised their hands, claiming the foul. The referee pointed toward Robinson.
In truth, Robinson was on Zhao Dong's right side. It was clearly Shaq who made contact—but home-court calls are what they are.
Zhao Dong stepped to the line and calmly sank the free throw.
10:6, Blazers by four.
Phil Jackson immediately signaled for a timeout.
Though the Lakers had scored on each of their possessions, they were already down by four. The issue wasn't offense—it was defense.
Phil addressed his players quickly.
"Ron, stick to him tight. Force him into Kobe's trap."
"Kobe, when Zhao drives, read his hips. Force him into the help."
"Fox, rotate fast. Fill the gap. If he gets past both of them, double immediately."
"Shaq, David—no more jogbacks. Sprint to the paint. We need a wall at the rim."
He was committing five defenders to one man.
But what choice did he have?
Zhao Dong had orchestrated the Blazers' first four possessions. Three were direct scores—two via relentless drives, one from downtown. The Lakers needed to shut the door on him before he set the whole building on fire.
Timeout over. Lakers ball.
Shaq didn't look to post up this time. Instead, he moved out to the left low block, trying to draw Grant and Marion with him.
Kobe darted around screens on the right wing. With one sudden cut, he left Zhao Dong trailing and slashed toward the rim.
The Trail Blazers stuck with their hybrid zone defense. Zhao Dong didn't chase Kobe—instead, he rotated to cover Marion's vacated spot at the free-throw line. Marion dropped to help at the rim.
David Robinson set a solid screen, wiping Marion out of the play. Harper spotted the lane and zipped a laser pass toward Kobe.
Bang!
Zhao Dong was waiting in Marion's place. He reached in and swatted the ball mid-flight.
"Oh! Intercepted! Get back on D!" the arena announcer shouted.
Zhao Dong spun and bolted downcourt. Harper cut him off near the arc, so he dished to Eddie Jones and kept running.
The Lakers were still scrambling. Kobe was caught behind, and Shaq and Robinson hadn't crossed half-court.
Jones pushed the pace, Harper in pursuit, and passed the ball back to Zhao Dong. Just before Harper closed in again, Zhao Dong whipped a no-look bounce pass back to Jones streaking down the left side.
Jones caught it clean, went airborne—
Bang!
A clean dunk. A picture-perfect fast-break finish.
12:6.
The Blazers led by six.
Phil Jackson looked like he aged five years in five minutes.
He called that timeout for defense—and his offense broke instead.
On the next possession, Shaq muscled his way back inside. Despite a double-team, he hammered in another dunk, drawing a foul from Marion.
Bang!
He bricked the free throw.
David Robinson crashed in for the board, faked the putback, got both Grant and Shaq in the air, then dropped in a calm hook shot.
A quick 4-point swing. 12:10. The Lakers were back within two.
Now the tug-of-war truly began.
With Shaq and Robinson dominating inside, and Kobe shadowing Zhao Dong every step on the perimeter, the Lakers found a way to fight back.
Still, Zhao Dong refused to be caged.
By the end of the first quarter, the Trail Blazers held a narrow lead:
30:26.
The Lakers made no substitutions to start the second quarter. Both O'Neal and David Robinson had played the full first quarter—twelve grueling minutes of battling in the paint. With the roster stretched thin, Phil Jackson had no choice but to lean heavily on his core players.
Meanwhile, the Trail Blazers rotated confidently. Grant was replaced by Fortson, O'Neal swapped out for Davis, and Eddie Jones gave way to Steve Smith. With their deep bench, Portland didn't lose a step.
Zhao Dong was clinical in the first quarter, shooting 9-of-13 from the field—nearly 70%—and adding 1-of-2 from deep, plus 3-of-3 at the line. He put up a blistering 22 points in twelve minutes.
His efficiency dipped slightly after the Lakers tightened their double-teams, but with his badge kicking in, even under pressure, Zhao was lethal.
Shaquille O'Neal wasn't far behind. He dropped 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting and went 2-of-4 from the line. Robinson chipped in 7 points on a clean 3-of-5 and a perfect free throw.
Thanks to the dominance of their twin towers, the Lakers managed to stay within four points by the end of the first quarter. Without them, Zhao Dong's performance would've blown the game wide open early.
At the start of the second, David Robinson finally hit the wall. Age caught up with him, and he hit the bench. Cobra took over his spot, but O'Neal stayed in. He was running on fumes, but the Lakers needed the win on home turf, and Shaq was their last line of resistance.
The rest of the starters stayed on the floor as well. There was no time for rest.
For Portland, Zhao Dong stayed in. Mike Miller came in for Shawn Marion, and the others carried over from the first quarter's rotation.
With Robinson out, Shaq was the lone interior defender. Portland sensed the opportunity. Zhao Dong ramped up the aggression, slashing to the rim at every chance—wearing down O'Neal and punishing the Lakers' lack of help defense.
Fortson did what he could against Shaq, and with the Diesel having played every minute, his fatigue started to show. His efficiency dropped, his steps slowed, and Portland began to pull away.
Zhao Dong went on a tear.
He attacked relentlessly, shooting 11-of-15 in the second quarter—an astonishing 73.3%. He also added two free throws, pouring in 24 points in the period and racking up 46 points by halftime.
The Trail Blazers' bench erupted for 32 points in the quarter, outscoring even their dominant first quarter. The Lakers, meanwhile, mustered only 26, falling behind by 10 at the half.
Had O'Neal not checked back in midway through, the deficit could've ballooned.
"If this keeps up," Barkley said during the halftime broadcast, "the Lakers are going to collapse by the fourth. Shaq's clocking in at nearly 150 kilograms—there's no way he can hold up under this kind of pressure."
"And that's with Robinson soaking up some of the defensive load," Kenny Smith chimed in. "If Shaq had to bang in the post full-time, he'd barely last the first half. His legs just aren't there."
The third quarter settled into a tug-of-war.
Robinson returned, and with both big men working in tandem again, the Lakers clawed back. Zhao Dong, after carrying the load in the first half, paced himself. He reduced his drives and finished the quarter with 15 points, bringing his total to 61 after three.
After three quarters, the scoreboard read: Trail Blazers 88, Lakers 76.
Shaq and Robinson dragged themselves to the bench, utterly drained. Sweat streamed down their faces as they sat hunched forward, chests heaving, too exhausted to even reach for water bottles.
On Portland's bench, it was a different story.
Their rotation had shared the load evenly. Each forward and center had chipped in for a few minutes at a time, preserving energy. Despite the physical toll, everyone still had gas left in the tank.
"This is it!" Larry Bird clapped his hands in the huddle, voice sharp and urgent. "The fourth quarter is our time! They're gassed. Their legs are gone. Push the tempo, hit them hard, and we'll run away with this one!"
In the CCTV booth, Su Qun's voice crackled with excitement.
"The Trail Blazers now hold all the cards. As long as their core holds up, the depth of their bench will carry them through."
"Honestly," Zhang Heli added, chuckling, "calling these guys 'subs' is a stretch. Steve Smith, Grant, Davis—they were all starters last year. And Marion, Fortson—starters for the Knicks. Everyone here's a frontline player."
"Yeah," Su Qun smiled, "O'Neal Jr. was maybe the only real bench guy, and now he's playing major minutes. Talk about a transformation!"
"Let's not forget," Zhang said, eyes glinting, "Zhao Dong just hit 61 in three quarters. He might not hit 100 tonight, but Jordan's 69-point playoff record is definitely in danger."
"That was in the Eastern Conference Finals, wasn't it? Zhao Dong vs. MJ for the first time—what a series that was." Su Qun nodded. "Four years ago. Maybe it's time for a new record."
As the fourth quarter opened, the pace swung back to Portland.
With their rotation still fresh, the Blazers surged forward. The Lakers, meanwhile, were burning fumes. Their starters had little left to give, and as the game wore on, the gap widened.
By the six-minute mark, the Lakers were down by 17 points. The writing was on the wall.
O'Neal couldn't even make it into the paint anymore. Out of breath and out of rhythm, he settled for mid-range jumpers—and his efficiency vanished.
Zhao Dong? He looked like he was just getting started.
Still springy, still aggressive, still carving through defenders.
Phil Jackson and Jerry West stood stiffly on the sidelines, their expressions as cold as the breeze running through Staples Center. Above them, in the luxury suite, Lakers owner Jerry Buss sipped his drink and exhaled heavily.
"Paul," he turned to Paul Allen with a weary chuckle, "how about I trade the OK combo for your Tyrant?"
Paul Allen didn't even hesitate. "Not a chance."
---
With six and a half minutes left in the fourth quarter, Zhao Dong pulled up and nailed a silky mid-range jumper. The Portland fans in attendance erupted in wild cheers—it was history. The scoreboard showed it: 71 points. Zhao Dong had officially shattered the single-game playoff scoring record.
By the final buzzer, the Trail Blazers secured a dominant 115–95 road win, burying the Lakers by 20 points. Zhao Dong had played all 48 minutes, dropping a staggering 80 points on 67% shooting. Though his efficiency dipped slightly in the second half, his numbers remained absurdly elite.
On the TNT post-game show, Charles Barkley didn't hold back:
"This game came down to two things: Zhao Dong, and lineup depth. The Blazers had both. The Lakers? Neither."
"That's obvious," Kenny Smith rolled his eyes.
Barkley grinned. "So I boiled it down: the Lakers lost because of one thing—stamina."
"Stamina?" Smith echoed.
"Yeah. If Shaq had Zhao Dong's endurance, this series would look very different."
Smith shook his head. "Zhao's built like an iron machine. Even if Shaq dropped weight, he's not matching that gas tank."
---
In the tunnel post-game, reporters swarmed Zhao Dong, who stood grinning as he wiped sweat from his brow.
"Zhao! 80 points! The third-highest single-game total in league history, and the highest ever in the playoffs. You torched the Lakers! What do you have to say about it?" a Portland Sports reporter asked, breathless.
Zhao chuckled. "I didn't beat the Lakers by myself. I'm good, but I'm not that good."
Then, tongue-in-cheek, he added, "Honestly, I'm a little disappointed. I was feeling great tonight. I really thought I might break 100 again."
"Whoa!" the media around him gasped.
"But the Lakers just couldn't keep up," he said with mock sympathy. "It didn't feel right to keep piling on."
"Pfft!" someone snorted. Laughter broke out around him.
Nearby, a group of Lakers trudged past, overhearing the exchange.
"Did he just say he chose not to score more?" Kobe fumed.
"Man's got no shame," Shaq growled.
"Please," Ron Harper scoffed. "His second-half energy dipped. He wasn't lighting it up like he did when he dropped 38 in the fourth that one night."
"Exactly," nodded another Laker.
Back at the media scrum, Zhao Dong smirked, eyes still locked on the retreating Lakers.
"Guess I haven't convinced those guys yet," he said smoothly. "Looks like I'll need to hit them harder in Game 4."
---
May 26th
Headlines across the sports world exploded with praise. The consensus was clear: the Trail Blazers were now the overwhelming favorites to win the Western Conference Finals. Most analysts predicted Portland closing it out in five. Meanwhile, in the East, the Bulls secured a win while the Nets stumbled.
---
Game 4 – May 27th – Staples Center
Backs against the wall, the Lakers entered Game 4 knowing it was do-or-die. A loss would put them down 1–3, and all but end their season. Jackson shortened the rotation even more—his five starters barely saw the bench.
For three quarters, their desperation paid off. With Shaq, David Robinson, and Kobe pushing themselves to the brink, the Lakers kept pace. Zhao Dong still managed 53 points on 61% shooting, but the Blazers couldn't pull away.
Until the fourth quarter.
As it had all series, the wall came fast. Shaq and Robinson were running on fumes, barely able to stay upright, let alone challenge shots. The Blazers smelled blood.
Zhao Dong attacked relentlessly, slashing through the dying defense and orchestrating fast breaks like a general in full command. Portland surged ahead, turning a deadlock into a decisive win.
The Blazers took Game 4, 3–1 lead in hand, and shoved the Lakers to the brink of elimination.
---
TNT Postgame
Barkley scratched his head in amazement. "David Robinson may be aging, but he's still an All-Star. You put him with the OK combo? That's a championship-caliber core. And they're getting wiped. That tells you how deep Portland really is."
Smith nodded. "Let's break it down. Marion? A full tier better than Rick Fox. Eddie Jones? Clear upgrade over Harper. Zhao versus Kobe? Not even a debate."
"And off the bench?" he continued. "Portland's got Steve Smith and Mike Miller, both guys who'd be starters on the Lakers."
Barkley added, "Sure, Shaq and Robinson are dominant down low, but even there, Portland's rotating Fortson and Grant—strong enough to keep the engine running."
Smith leaned back. "Honestly, we keep acting like the Lakers are deeper. But I think we're just hypnotized by how dominant their centers are. The Blazers are built like a fortress."
Barkley raised an eyebrow. "So you're saying Portland won because of depth, not Zhao Dong?"
Smith snorted and shoved him. "Don't twist my words! You want Zhao to throw shade at me next game? I'm not touching that."
They both laughed.
Then Barkley grew serious. "Kenny… if Portland wins the championship this year, are we looking at Zhao Dong winning with a single-core system?"
Smith went quiet. Then he nodded slowly.
"With the percentage of points he's putting up? Yeah… I think we are. He's carrying this squad like no one else in the league."
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