NBA: The Dynasty Crasher

The Heat launched an attack, and Tim Hardaway hit a three-pointer, putting them ahead 5-4. Looking to respond, Zhao Dong positioned himself in the low post on the right wing. Isaac Austin, standing at 208 cm and weighing 116 kg, was comparable in size, but his speed was much greater. With a quick move, Zhao Dong cut to the basket, bypassing his defender. However, Charlie Ward's pass came too late, and as Austin followed up, Zhao Dong's chance at an open shot at the basket disappeared.

As Zhao Dong moved away from the paint, the ball found its way into Ewing's hands. He attempted a turnaround jumper but missed. Zhao Dong moved in to grab the rebound but was too late, as Mourning managed to secure it. As they transitioned to the frontcourt, Mourning called for the ball. He hadn't scored yet, but he was determined to take on Ewing. Mourning caught the ball, drove in, and instead of a dunk, he opted for a small turning hook near the basket. However, Ewing's defense was strong, and his palm blocked Mourning's view, affecting his shot. The ball bounced off the rim.

Zhao Dong, positioning himself in the paint, managed to push Austin out of the way and grabbed the defensive rebound as Mourning turned around.

On the offensive transition, Austin was quick to set up in front of Zhao Dong, preventing him from making a quick move. But Zhao Dong, using his speed, quickly dropped Austin and executed a sharp inside cut. Charlie Ward made a perfect pass to him, and Zhao Dong caught the ball while moving into the right side of the paint.

Mourning, anticipating the move, first positioned Ewing in the low post on the left wing, then immediately turned to defend the basket, leaping to meet Zhao Dong's dunk attempt. Mourning's giant palm swung toward Zhao Dong. But Zhao Dong, with a surge of power from his waist, twisted in mid-air, evading Mourning's right hand, and slammed the ball into the basket.

The force of the dunk reverberated through the arena. As Zhao Dong landed, Mourning slapped him hard on the shoulder, causing him to fall from the air and stumble back a few steps before regaining his balance.

"Mourning, you can't stop me. You can't do whatever you want!" Zhao Dong shouted, his voice full of excitement.

Mourning, livid with anger, could only stare in disbelief.

"The dunk! Zhao Dong completed a powerful, frontal dunk right over Mourning's head. The once-feared shot blocker, Alonzo Mourning, was humiliated. He was utterly embarrassed by Zhao Dong!"

The live commentator roared with excitement as the referee blew the whistle. Mourning was called for a defensive foul, and Zhao Dong was awarded a free throw. Zhao Dong, Oakley, and the others high-fived in celebration. As they walked to the free-throw line, Zhao Dong turned around, pointed at Mourning, and taunted, "Next time, I'll dunk on you again. Just so you know, get used to it. You'll get used to my dunking, just like you got used to being under O'Neal."

"You bastard!" Mourning shouted, clearly furious, but before he could rush at Zhao Dong, his teammate Austin stepped in to restrain him.

"Feilong, don't provoke your opponent too much. Don't you want to avoid a technical foul?" the referee warned Zhao Dong.

"No, sir," Zhao Dong replied with a grin. "This is just a friendly way of communicating. As you can see, no hands or feet were involved. That's just not my style. I'm a modest gentleman who only talks. My friends call me Junzi Zhao."

Ewing and the others couldn't help but laugh. Mourning, however, was seething with rage, his teeth grinding in frustration at Zhao Dong's taunts.

"Feilong, stop causing trouble!" Van Gundy shouted from the sidelines, shaking his head.

Zhao Dong made the free throw, bringing the score to 5-7 in favor of the Knicks. Ewing continued to struggle with his shots, missing 5 of 1 attempts, following a previous 7 of 1. Zhao Dong fought hard for offensive rebounds and putbacks, but Ewing's defense was still holding firm. By the seventh minute of the first quarter, with the score at 7:19, the Heat had built a 15-point lead.

Ewing was substituted out in favor of veteran Herb Williams, and Zhao Dong took over the offensive responsibilities in the paint. On the right wing, near the sideline, Zhao Dong received a pass from point guard Chris Childs. He suddenly faked a move upward, shaking Austin off behind him, then drove to the basket with the ball, finishing with a powerful tomahawk dunk that ignited the crowd.

"Beautiful low-post move! The footwork was so smooth!" Bill Walton exclaimed on the TNT broadcast. "Zhao Dong's low-post game has clearly improved since earlier in the season."

"Yeah, it's making him a much bigger threat in the paint," Matt agreed.

"Do you think Pat Riley will double-team Zhao Dong now?" Bill Walton asked, watching as Pat Riley stood silently on the sidelines, observing Zhao Dong carefully.

Pat Riley remained still, his expression serious, deep in thought. Meanwhile, on the court, Tim Hardaway missed a mid-range shot. Zhao Dong grabbed the defensive rebound and quickly pushed the Knicks' offense forward. On the right wing, Zhao Dong got the ball again. Austin, now nervous after being shaken by Zhao Dong's earlier move, prepared to defend. He knew he had to make up for his previous mistake or risk facing Pat Riley's wrath.

"Defend him!" Pat Riley shouted from the sidelines.

"Remember, No. 8, your job is to stand your ground," Pat Riley added, his voice stern.

Zhao Dong, with a smirk, spat out some trash talk and suddenly spun around. Austin quickly backpedaled to keep up, but his feet slipped, and he ended up sitting down on the floor as Zhao Dong made his move.

At this moment, Zhao Dong unexpectedly stopped his drive, coldly stared at Austin on the floor, and then calmly took off. "Shh!" The ball swished through the net. "Papa..." Madison Square Garden erupted in thunderous applause.

"Haha, a humiliating jump shot!" the on-site commentator exclaimed, defining Zhao Dong's play.

"Look, No. 8, all your defense is futile. Accept your fate!" Zhao Dong taunted, then immediately turned and sprinted back to defense.

Boom! Austin, humiliated beyond measure, slammed his fist into the floor in frustration. Yet, it was not Zhao Dong who was hurt by the play, but Austin himself.

The Heat attacked again. On the left wing near the low post, Mourning began to call for the ball. His shooting efficiency had been much better than Ewing's, making 6 of 1 attempts. Although Ewing had struggled, Zhao Dong's help had kept his performance in check. But now that Ewing was sidelined, Mourning felt it was his time to shine. He planned to dominate, believing the veteran behind him couldn't handle his power. Mourning made his move, executing a quick dunk after his run-up.

He charged toward the basket, aiming to dunk over Zhao Dong once more. As he soared into the air, his head reached the level of the basket, and his right arm, holding the ball, was fully extended above the rim.

"Ah!" Mourning screamed as he saw Zhao Dong, leaping to block his shot. He quickly retracted his body, pulling his arms back to adjust his dunk. His core strength exploded as he attempted to finish the dunk with all his might.

Zhao Dong, too, took off with all his strength. He raised his right arm high, fighting to block the ball and avoid being humiliated. Despite not jumping lower than Mourning, his wingspan, at 220 cm, was 10 cm shorter than Mourning's, making him regret not using the jumping talents of Kobe or Rain Man.

"Predict!" Zhao Dong's palm barely grazed the bottom of the ball, but he was ultimately pushed down by Mourning's immense force.

Boom! Mourning slammed the ball into the basket with all his power. As he descended, his eyes widened in disbelief.

"Oh! Dunk! Mourning dunks the ball!" The on-site commentator shouted with excitement, but then his voice grew more urgent, "No, wait! It's not a dunk! Watch the replay! Feilong touched the ball! He blocked it!"

"Asshole!" Mourning, furious after missing the dunk, grabbed the rim in frustration before jumping off.

Zhao Dong, who had avoided being dunked on, yelled excitedly, "Old man, if you want to block me, save your energy and go home for some milk."

"Go away!" Mourning shouted, his fists clenched in anger.

The ball cleared the backboard, and the referee signaled the Knicks' possession, ruling that the shot was not a successful dunk due to Zhao Dong's block.

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