NBA: The Dynasty Crasher

The timeout ended, the game resumed, and the Knicks began their attack. Zhao Dong withdrew from the paint as per the play, Oakley moved in, and Ewing took the ball to shoot.

"Snapped!" At the critical moment, Mourning exploded, swatting the ball away from Ewing with a powerful block.

"Ow!" Excited, Mourning raised his fist and yelled at Zhao Dong, who was a few meters away.

"Shut up, idiot! What the hell are you yelling at me for? Have you hated me this much today?" Zhao Dong shouted back.

"..." Mourning fell silent, his spirits deflated.

The Knicks would now serve from the sideline. Zhao Dong didn't have the right to shoot, so he simply moved beyond the three-point line on the right wing, signaling for the ball. The defenders followed closely, keeping an eye on him. Oakley, who was serving, saw that Zhao Dong had space and immediately passed the ball over.

"Don't worry!" Van Gundy shouted from the sidelines.

"There's no time left, are you in a rush?" Zhao Dong muttered angrily. He immediately took the ball, stepped beyond the three-point line on the right wing, jumped high past Austin, who was one step away, and made the three-pointer. The ball soared through the air on a perfect arc.

Everyone, including Zhao Dong, watched the ball closely as it approached the basket.

"Shh!" The ball swished through the net as the crowd erupted in cheers.

"Ah!" Zhao Dong let out a loud shout. "92:87, the Knicks are still 5 points behind. Come on, Zhao Dong, use your three-pointer to take down the Heat!" the commentator roared.

"Slow down," Pat Riley shouted from the sideline as Tim Hardaway brought the ball up the court.

"The Heat are running out of time, and the Knicks should press immediately," Bill Walton shouted.

As Walton said, without Van Gundy's orders, Childs and John Starks began pressing, forcing the Heat to speed up. Tim Hardaway, feeling the pressure, chose to pass the ball. He saw an opportunity—Ewing's defensive position was slightly off, but Mourning suddenly turned and cut to the basket. Hardaway immediately pushed the ball towards the basket.

"Be careful, long pass from the backcourt!" the commentator shouted.

Zhao Dong, on the right wing, immediately sprang into action, rushing toward the basket. Mourning, spotting the incoming ball, leaped up with a burst of energy.

"Snapped!" Mourning caught the ball with both hands and, in one fluid motion, slammed it toward the basket.

"It's over!" Ewing realized something was wrong too, but it was too late. Zhao Dong sprang up from the opposite side of the basket and rushed toward Mourning, reckless in his attempt to block.

"Snapped!" The basketball flew through the air with a loud thud.

"Yeah!" The crowd went wild, raising their arms in celebration.

The ball was still in play. Ewing managed to recover it, gaining possession at the critical moment. The Knicks now had the ball, and Zhao Dong quickly pushed forward, leaving Austin behind. However, Mourning, disregarding Ewing, gave chase with all his strength.

In the clutch, Oakley set the perfect offensive screen, blocking Mourning with his run.

"Boom!"

After receiving the pass from Chris Childs, Zhao Dong leaped into the air, delivering a one-handed tomahawk dunk that electrified the crowd. 92:89, the Knicks were still trailing by 3 points, with 43 seconds left in the game.

"Oh, the dunk on the fast break, this is the most exciting play of the game!" The live commentator's voice boomed across Madison Square Garden.

"One defense, one offense—Zhao Dong played the best game tonight," Bill Walton said excitedly.

"Just 3 points behind, there's still time," Matt shouted.

The Heat called a timeout. After the break, Zhao Dong's defender was switched to Mourning.

"Wait, is Pat Riley crazy? Does he think the Knicks' biggest threat is Zhao Dong? Where does he put Ewing?" Bill Walton remarked, baffled.

"Yes, the Heat will pay for that," Matt agreed.

Their surprise was understandable, considering the vast reputation Ewing had built over a dozen seasons. Despite his missed shots, he was still seen as the best offensive option.

"Offense to Patrick," Van Gundy shouted to Childs, still choosing to trust Ewing. This mindset was deeply ingrained.

The Heat started their attack. Tim Hardaway initially slowed the pace in the backcourt. When Childs came up to press, Hardaway swerved and quickly broke past the defender, advancing to the frontcourt. However, after crossing the three-point line on the right wing, he didn't make a move and continued with his deliberate pace. Zhao Dong, seeing the lack of progress, lost Austin and rushed over to double-team Hardaway alongside Charles.

Hardaway noticed and passed the ball to Austin. Austin received the ball with Zhao Dong still two steps away. He calmly took the shot.

"Damn it!" Van Gundy cursed, realizing his mistake in keeping the rookie on the court.

At that moment, Zhao Dong didn't fall back on defense. Instead, he turned and rushed toward the frontcourt, confident that Austin, who hadn't had a chance to shoot for a while, would miss. He didn't believe that Austin, with his average strength, could make the shot after such a long pause.

"Boom!" Zhao Dong's gamble paid off as the basketball bounced off the rim.

Ewing and Oakley combined to secure the rebound, and Oakley grabbed it. Seeing Zhao Dong already past the center line, Oakley quickly shouted and threw the ball toward him.

"Zhao Dong, come down quickly! There's no defender within five meters!" the commentator bellowed, as Zhao Dong caught the ball and soared toward the basket, completing a powerful dunk.

"Beautiful fast break! 92:91, the Heat still lead by 1 point. The ball is now in the Heat's hands, with 28 seconds left on the clock."

On the TNT live broadcast, Matt commented, "The Heat still have a timeout, but Pat Riley didn't call it. The initiative is still in the Heat's hands."

The Heat began their attack.

"Tim, keep it steady!" Pat Riley shouted from the sidelines.

"Press, press!" Van Gundy ordered from his position.

Under the pressure from Childs, Hardaway moved the ball quickly to Dan Marley on the left wing. Marley had no chance due to Oakley's defense, so he passed it to Mourning on the right wing. At that moment, Zhao Dong suddenly stepped into the passing lane and intercepted the ball.

"Oh! The ball is stolen! Zhao Dong is racing down the court! He's crossed the center line, and Mourning is chasing him!" The on-site commentator shouted passionately.

Zhao Dong sped forward with the ball, then suddenly stopped at the left-wing three-point line, while Mourning rushed in to try to block him. Mourning slammed on the brakes and quickly turned around, but by then, Zhao Dong was already airborne. The ball flew toward the basket, following an incredibly smooth arc, and everyone's gaze was fixed on it.

"Shh!" A beautiful splash echoed through the arena as Zhao Dong's 90-level shooting skill came into play, and he sank another three-pointer.

"Yeah!" The crowd erupted in excitement.

"Another three-pointer! Zhao Dong hits his second of the game and puts the Knicks ahead for the first time..."

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