NOVEL NEXT Chapter 52: Chapter 52
Chapter 52: Stake No. 33, It's So Easy to Score on Your Head
"It's really difficult to block him five times," Zhao Dong thought as he made his way to the frontcourt. In the low post, the ball was passed to him. As soon as he caught it, he executed a down swing, then slid to the baseline. He quickly spun back up and shot a jumper above the edge of the paint. Austin, completely caught off guard by the down swing, couldn't keep up with Zhao Dong's rhythm on the upswing. As a result, he had no choice but to foul him to stop the shot, grabbing his jersey and pulling him down. The ball flew out, missing the mark.
"Di!" The referee blew his whistle, awarding Zhao Dong a second free throw opportunity. After making both free throws, the Knicks regained the lead at 19:21.
In the brief moments that followed, both teams missed their shots, and the first quarter came to an end. Zhao Dong had taken 6 shots, making 5 of them. He missed the last one but made all 3 of his free throws, finishing the quarter with 13 points, 4 rebounds, 1 block, 2 turnovers, and 1 foul.
At the start of the second quarter, except for Charlie Ward, the Knicks had their bench players on the floor. By the 6th minute, the score was tied at 33:33. When the starters returned, Ewing once again took control of the offense in the paint, but the Knicks' inside game quickly declined in quality.
At halftime, the Knicks trailed by 6 points with a score of 48:42.
In the locker room, Zhao Dong sat next to Ewing and quietly asked, "Patrick, is that club fun?"
Ewing's eyes lit up as he replied, "Oh, it's a blast. I bet you regret not going. There's everything there..."
Zhao Dong asked curiously, "Did you have a good time?"
"It was amazing," Ewing said with enthusiasm. "I have a plan. Next time we play an away game in Atlanta, I'm going again. Want me to call you?"
"No, I prefer dating schoolgirls," Zhao Dong replied decisively. "You know, they're highly educated, which makes me feel more fulfilled."
Ewing chuckled softly, "Haha... you bastard. When they've had enough of you, they'll dump you again."
Zhao Dong shrugged nonchalantly. "I only care about the process. I enjoy the pleasure of being with beautiful women and chasing the strongest desire for love. When we no longer need each other, I'll let her go. I won't force her to stay."
"And then you'll turn around and look for the next one?" Oakley chimed in, shaking his head with disdain. "A man who always chases novelty. Don't make your scumbag nature sound all emotional and beautiful. Your eyes are always searching for the next beauty. Zhao Dong, your reputation as a scumbag has spread all over North America, even at Stony Brook University."
"Haha..." Laughter filled the locker room.
At the beginning of the second half, Van Gundy sent all the starters back onto the floor, aiming for a comeback. But in the third quarter, Ewing continued to dominate the ball. By the end of the third, with the score at 75:65, the Knicks were now trailing by 10 points.
The fans began to curse as Ewing sat on the bench in disgrace. He had made only 4 of his 15 shots in three quarters and hit 2 out of 2 free throws, scoring a total of 10 points. Not to mention his inefficiency, but he also barely got into the paint, managing just 4 rebounds. On the defensive end, however, he had done well, limiting Mourning, who wasn't very strong offensively. Mourning had only scored 7 points in three quarters, making 2 out of 13 shots and 3 out of 4 free throws. He also had very few rebounds, just like Ewing.
In the third quarter, Zhao Dong took fewer shots, and his shooting touch had declined. He made 1 of his 3 attempts and 2 out of 2 free throws, scoring 4 points. However, he grabbed 4 rebounds, delivered [X] assists, [Y] blocks, and [Z] steals. One of those blocks was against Mourning.
By the end of the third quarter, Zhao Dong had made 7 of 10 shots, 6 of 7 free throws, and accumulated 20 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 3 blocks, 2 turnovers, and 2 fouls.
In the fourth quarter, Ewing did not play again. Zhao Dong paired up with veteran Buck Williams inside, while Oakley, John Starks, and Chris Childs were on the outside.
"Chris, give the ball to Zhao Dong," Van Gundy told the point guard before the start of the fourth.
"I understand, Coach," Charles nodded.
Zhao Dong was in high spirits. This was the first time Van Gundy had given him offensive control, and with an entire quarter left, he was determined to take full advantage of the opportunity.
The first possession of the fourth quarter belonged to the Heat. Without Ewing, Mourning became more aggressive. When he received the ball, he backed down, maneuvering around Buck Williams to the basket and attempting a small turnaround hook shot. Old Buck couldn't jump high enough anymore and could only watch as Mourning went up for the shot. But just as Mourning was about to release the ball, a figure flew past him.
"Zhao Dong?" Mourning's eyes widened as he noticed the movement.
"Snapped!"
Zhao Dong leaped into the air with all his strength and swatted the ball out of the air with one hand.
"Yeah!" The rare block immediately sent the fans into a frenzy.
"Haha, Zhao Dong caught Mourning! He blocked him again! Mourning was humiliated once more!" the commentator shouted excitedly.
As Zhao Dong landed, he quickly grabbed the ball and rushed up the court.
"Take that, you can't shoot! Your shot height isn't enough, you should've dunked on this kid's head!" Mourning, who was chasing from behind, regretted not going for a dunk instead of the small hook shot. The block felt even more humiliating for him, a superstar center. It was worse than having his shot slapped away — it felt like a slap in the face.
Zhao Dong, still blocked, managed to get the ball past Mourning and reach the frontcourt. He chose to pass the ball and then moved to the low post.
"Alonzo, you guard him!" Pat Riley shouted.
The defense shifted. "Oh, the Heat have switched defenses. They're putting Mourning on Zhao Dong. This is a huge acknowledgment of the rookie's threat," Bill Wharton remarked in surprise.
"Damn boy, you're done for!" Mourning muttered to himself, bracing for the next challenge.
On the right wing, Mourning positioned himself low, standing behind Zhao Dong and applying tight defense while also engaging in trash talk.
"Damn it, did you deodorize before hitting the court? Don't you know how to respect your opponent? You trying to suffocate me with your body odor?" Mourning taunted.
Zhao Dong, irritated, shot back, "You wish."
Mourning was momentarily taken aback by the retort, but before he could react, Zhao Dong suddenly shifted, jumping sideways while blocking Mourning with his left hand. He then raised his right arm high and took a straight-arm jumper.
Boom!
The ball bounced off the rim and rolled into the basket.
"Damn, fooled!" Mourning cursed under his breath. He had been too slow to react, and as he turned around to see the ball go in, his frustration only grew.
"Stake 33, it's that easy to score over your head," Zhao Dong taunted with a grin.
"Just wait," Mourning muttered bitterly, his anger simmering.
As the game progressed, Zhao Dong and Mourning continued their one-on-one showdown. Mourning, having been blocked three times by Zhao Dong, decided to abandon his offensive efforts and focus solely on defense. This shift allowed Zhao Dong to pay more attention to the outside defense, where he kept pressing forward.
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