NBA: The Dynasty Crasher

Chapter 79

 The score was 4-0, and it was now the Mosaic team's turn to attack. This time, Dameng had the ball near the left-wing paint area. With his incredible footwork, he effortlessly shook off the slower Ewing. Moving smoothly, Dameng made his way to the basket. Zhao Dong, who had already positioned himself in the paint, rushed to block Dameng's path. To be honest, Zhao Dong had heard about Dameng's footwork for two lifetimes, and even superstars like O'Neal had been left in the dust by it. Countless stars had traveled specifically to learn from Dameng. This was the first time Zhao Dong had faced him, and the emotions were stronger than any other competition he'd been in.

Dameng dribbled the ball with one hand and approached the basket. Just as he neared Zhao Dong, he suddenly leaped, disappearing from Zhao Dong's view.

"What?" Zhao Dong reacted too late. Dameng was already soaring above him, and with a resounding bang, he slammed the ball through the hoop in a one-handed dunk that shook the basket.

The commentator screamed, "Oh, oh, oh!" before mockingly adding, "The rookie from the Knicks just got a dunk from the Mosaic team. It's a gift. Hope you enjoy it!"

"Wow, I got dunked?" Zhao Dong gritted his teeth, feeling the sting of the humiliation. At that moment, Dameng taunted him. "Rookie, welcome to the NBA." With a smug expression, Dameng turned and jogged back to the other end of the court.

"It's okay," Zhao Dong muttered to himself. "So many superstars have been dunked on. Even if he got me this time, it doesn't matter. I can take the failure. Damn it, Dameng, count your lucky stars. I'll definitely get you next time."

Gripping his teeth, Zhao Dong rushed back to the frontcourt. On the offensive end, Ewing finally made a shot, putting the Knicks ahead at 6-2. They returned to defense once more.

"Rookie, how's it feel to get dunked on?" Barkley taunted as he pulled up for a three-pointer from the right-wing. Zhao Dong, keeping a defensive distance of two meters, responded with his own taunt. The two exchanged barbs, each trying to get the upper hand.

At this moment, Barkley suddenly made a move, bypassing Zhao Dong as he sprinted toward the paint. Zhao Dong kept up with him defensively, maintaining position but was blocked on the outside, unable to prevent the pass. Barkley received the ball at the top of the arc, and with Oakley helping on the sideline, Barkley executed a slick crossover dribble, using a quick forward change of direction to break past Oakley and leverage him to block Zhao Dong.

"Shh!" Barkley got rid of the defender, took a step jumper just below the free throw line, and sunk the field goal.

"What's the use of two stakes?" Barkley taunted, grinning smugly as he watched the ball go in.

"Just wait, you'll regret it," Oakley shot back, his voice cold.

Barkley chuckled, shaking his head dismissively as he ran back down the court. On the offensive end, Ewing missed a hook shot, and Barkley grabbed the rebound, leading the Mosaic team's counterattack. Barkley asked for the ball in the low post on the right wing. This time, Zhao Dong opted to defend from the side, avoiding direct confrontation with Barkley's powerful frame. The right-wing pass and reception route were well-covered, and Barkley chose to pass the ball to Dameng at the top of the arc.

Suddenly, Barkley made a sharp cut to the basket. Zhao Dong immediately pivoted and chased after him. Dameng, with uncanny awareness, flicked the ball with one hand over Ewing's head to Barkley, who was cutting inside. Zhao Dong, focused and determined, readied himself. With his 90-level shot-blocking ability and Kobe's elite leaping skills, he felt confident in his ability to contest the shot.

As Barkley went up for the layup, Zhao Dong leaped and swatted the ball off the backboard with a resounding snack!

"Boom!" Barkley crashed into the empty basket, and in a panic, he quickly scrambled back to defense. Oakley had secured the rebound.

"Oh, Charles is just too unlucky!" the live commentator lamented.

"Beautiful! Zhao Dong sent him a big block! What a play!" Zhang Lili quickly explained, offering praise for the block.

Zhao Dong came down from the middle of the court. When he crossed the top of the arc, point guard Charles hesitated, missing his window to pass, forcing him to slow down. At that moment, Barkley rushed over to return to the basket. Zhao Dong made a decisive move, charging toward the paint, turning to block Barkley from the ball, and successfully passed it in.

Mosaic's small forward, Glider Drexler, came in to help defend, trapping Zhao Dong in a double-team. Van Gundy, observing from the sidelines, shook his head in disapproval of Charles' decision. He felt the ball should have been passed to Ewing to draw in the defense and then distributed to others. Although Zhao Dong's level 90 low-post technique wasn't as flashy as Dameng's renowned footwork, his comprehensive skill set, bolstered by gold medal-level special effects, made him nearly as effective as a level 95 player in these situations.

After receiving the ball, with Barkley behind him and Glider rushing toward him from the front, Zhao Dong immediately went up for a layup. The move was smooth and realistic, showcasing the precision of his gold medal technique, which left Glider stumbling as he tried to contest the shot. Moments later, Zhao Dong went up a second time, with Barkley jumping in an attempt to block. Both defenders were shaken off, and Zhao Dong rose once more, slamming the ball into the basket with a resounding bang.

The arena fell silent, and the only sound was the helpless voice of the commentator: "Oh, the rookie has just played both the Pig and the Glider, and Charles got dunked by him... this is too much!"

"That's it! This is top-level low-post play!" Zhang Lili shouted excitedly, praising Zhao Dong's performance.

Under the basket, Zhao Dong, brimming with energy, turned to Barkley and trash-talked: "Mr. Stake, I dunked on you, and I'll keep doing it..."

"Shut up!" Barkley snapped, furious, and shoved Zhao Dong away.

"What do you want to do?" Oakley rushed in and pushed Barkley back.

The atmosphere was tense, with players from both teams quickly surrounding the situation, and some on the bench standing up.

"Calm down, calm down..." Dameng shouted, trying to de-escalate the situation.

"Charles..." Zhao Dong also called out, pulling Oakley away. "Now's not the time. We'll teach them a lesson later."

"Okay," Oakley grumbled, glaring at Barkley before turning away.

"Damn rookie, he's acting strange tonight," Barkley muttered angrily as he watched Zhao Dong walk off.

"We're here to play, Charles, don't cause any more trouble," Dameng said, trying to cool things down.

"I won't take any humiliation," Barkley replied, shaking his head defiantly.

Dameng sighed, watching Barkley's stubbornness. "Let's just play," he muttered, feeling the tension in the air.

(End of this chapter)

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