NOVEL NEXT Chapter 81: Chapter 81
Chapter 81: Killing You, Still Despising You
Zhao Dong walked confidently toward the backcourt, his teammates rushing to catch up with him. Countless Mosaic fans watched him in silence, but at that moment, he was the center of attention. "Yan She, this is my punishment for you," Zhao Dong suddenly turned, mocking Barkley, who stood frozen in place. Barkley had no immediate reaction and rushed forward, fists clenched like a wild boar. Zhao Dong dodged to the side, causing Barkley to charge into the stands, his large backside sticking out.
"Stupid pig," Zhao Dong muttered, glancing at the mess before being surrounded by Oakley and the others.
"Zhao Dong, you're really good at stirring things up! Is Barkley about to lose it?" Oakley shouted excitedly.
"Zhao Dong, you're incredible!" Larry Johnson roared, jumping in front of the bench, his enthusiasm clear.
Barkley stood up, embarrassed and red-eyed, staring at Zhao Dong as he attempted to rush over, but Dameng and the others quickly restrained him.
At this point, Barkley was no longer playing at his best. If it weren't for his strong will, he might have collapsed on the court. Mosaic's coach, Rudy Tomjanovich, could only watch helplessly, knowing a timeout was inevitable. The morale of his team had been shattered by Zhao Dong's dominance. Not only had Barkley's confidence been crushed, but the rest of the team's spirit was also broken. No one could withstand such a humiliating scene repeated three times in a row, not even a superstar like Dream.
The Knicks led 13:7, and after a timeout, Mosaic began their attack. Zhao Dong had already made 5 out of 5 shots, including a three-pointer, scoring 11 points and 1 block in the first 5 minutes. In the TNT live broadcast booth, Bill Walton listened to the director's prompts, his face showing surprise. Matt, noticing this, asked, "What's going on?"
Bill responded, shaking his head in disbelief. "That kid—Zhao Dong—just humiliated Barkley with a trash talk after stopping his shot. He said, 'A shot without a defender has no soul.'"
Matt's eyes widened. "That's what set Barkley off?"
"Yeah," Bill replied. "Zhao Dong made that advance celebration three times in a row in front of him. This trash talk shattered Barkley's control, and now he's completely rattled."
"Barkley is pitiful tonight," Matt said with sympathy. "He's practically broken."
"From now on, they'll need to double-team Zhao Dong," Bill said seriously.
Matt nodded. "Zhao Dong is using a ruthless method to destroy Barkley and the entire team. His strategy: kill you and then despise you."
"Dameng has to step up now," Bill said, his voice firm. "This is more than just a regular season game; it's like the finals."
Sitting back on the bench, Zhao Dong spoke to Ewing through Oakley. His seat was between Ewing and Oakley.
"Of course," Ewing replied, his excitement evident. He was as eager to win as anyone.
"Zhao Dong, drink some water," McCarty, the No. 17 pick, handed him a bottle. Zhao Dong accepted it naturally, and then took the towel from John Wallace, the No. 16 pick. These two rookies no longer harbored any thoughts of competing with him. They were happy to follow his lead.
The timeout ended, and the game resumed. Without Barkley on the court, no one on Mosaic's team could keep up with Zhao Dong. As soon as he received the ball, he was double-teamed, both in the post and on the perimeter. Zhao Dong adjusted his play by passing more, minimizing direct attacks, and relying on pick-and-roll tactics to break the double team.
By the 9th minute of the first quarter, Zhao Dong was substituted out. He had made 6 of 7 shots, including a three-pointer, and had 2 free throws out of 2 attempts, totaling 15 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block, and 1 foul.
At the end of the first quarter, the score was 30:20, with the Knicks leading by 10 points. Zhao Dong took the court again in the second quarter, dominating the offense in Ewing's absence. Barkley and Dameng were also benched. Even though he faced double teams, Zhao Dong frequently posted up, and Mosaic resorted to aggressive fouling to slow him down. In the second quarter, he made 2 out of 5 shots and 6 of 7 free throws, adding another 10 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block, and 1 foul to his tally. By halftime, the Knicks were up 57:45, leading by 12 points.
"Congratulations to Zhao Dong, with 25 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 2 blocks at halftime! A 40-point game seems very likely!" shouted Zhang Lili with excitement.
During halftime, Jordan led his teammates back to the locker room. The TV screen showed ESPN's live coverage of the game, with highlights of exciting moments from other games. The ESPN commentator, sounding surprised, said, "Oh my God, a celebration that drove the defender crazy! This is an iconic moment!"
"That kid is insane!" Jordan exclaimed, pointing at the TV. He had initially expected Barkley to humiliate Zhao Dong, but now it was Barkley who was humiliated, and it was done with a celebration that had never been seen before.
"This moment will be remembered forever," Jordan said, shaking his head.
Pippen added, "That celebration is one for the history books. I might even consider doing it myself."
All the players who were known for their shooting skills were excited, nodding in agreement.
Rodman, however, cursed, "I don't want anyone doing that to me. If they did, I'd overthrow them right on the spot."
Jordan nodded. "Dennis, you could definitely do that."
The team then watched as Zhao Dong made a second and third 3-pointer in front of Barkley, followed by the famous trash talk, "A shot without a defender has no soul."
There was a brief silence in the locker room before Jordan spoke again. "This kid—he's like Larry Bird."
Pippen, enviously, added, "That's going to be a famous quote."
Rodman grumbled, "Famous quote? That's just pure provocation."
For him, it was the perfect humiliation.
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