NOVEL NEXT Chapter 82: Chapter 82
Chapter 82
Compaq Center Arena, third quarter began. Barkley returned to the court, and it seemed like his mood had improved. The Mosaic team attacked, with Barkley positioned low on the right wing. Zhao Dong maintained side defense, avoiding top defense, and tried to intercept the passing lane. Suddenly, Barkley spun around, cutting into the paint, and signaled for a pass at the top of the arc. Zhao Dong's turning speed couldn't match Barkley's, and he was too slow to keep up, losing his defense.
"Shh!" Barkley faced Ewing's help defense, but with a quick flick of his wrist, he made the shot. After scoring, he didn't trash talk but merely glared at Zhao Dong before quickly retreating to defense. On the other end of the court, Zhao Dong focused on setting offensive screens and grabbing rebounds. He had already scored a lot, just 30 points away from the 5-point task requirement. He first cleared Barkley out of the post, then turned around and rushed back for the offensive rebound. But this time, after Ewing made his shot, Alan Houston connected on a mid-range jumper. Barkley once again called for the ball in the low post on the right wing.
Zhao Dong realized his turn-around defense wasn't as effective as his opponent's, so he decided to switch to top defense. At that moment, Barkley felt confident, and his signature "ass magic" skills were finally coming into play. He wanted to use his strength to teach the rookie a lesson. He began dribbling the ball while backing into Zhao Dong, using his large backside to push him aside. But just as he was about to make his move, Oakley came down from above to double-team. Barkley quickly turned, evading the double-team and using his left hand to block Zhao Dong while attempting a hook shot. But Zhao Dong was prepared. As soon as Oakley came to double-team, Zhao Dong dropped back, positioning himself to defend the weak side. When Barkley turned, Zhao Dong took a step forward and swatted the ball out of the air, sending it flying.
"Oh, good double-team! Barkley swallows another block—he's having an unlucky day," Bill Wharton laughed in the TNT live broadcast.
"I hope Barkley can adjust in time," Matt commented.
On the court, the Mosaic team was on the attack again. Barkley pulled out from the low post to get the ball, backpedaling into Zhao Dong. He kicked his backside twice against Zhao Dong before turning around for a jumper. The move was smooth, and Zhao Dong's defense wasn't enough to stop it. The ball slipped past his fingertips and swished through the basket.
Looking back, Ewing missed a mid-range shot, and Oakley competed with Dameng for the rebound but couldn't secure it. The ball bounced out, and both Zhao Dong and Barkley were in position to grab it. They fought for the ball, but the result was clear. As soon as Barkley pouted his big butt, Zhao Dong was pushed aside. However, Zhao Dong's rebounding ability, demonstrated when he grabbed 33 rebounds in a single game, was evident as he easily secured the ball.
The action shifted back to the other end of the court. Dameng was isolating Ewing in the low post on the left wing. He spun, broke through Ewing, and headed toward the basket. But as he made his move, Zhao Dong came over to help, and the two made contact, causing Dameng to lose control of the ball. Zhao Dong, with his quick reflexes, swiped the ball away before Dameng could recover it. He passed it to Charlie Ward, who quickly moved down the court, heading straight for the basket. Charlie Ward kept his defender occupied on the left wing while Alan Houston stayed at the right-wing three-point line, guarding the shooting guard. Oakley controlled the ball on the left. Zhao Dong rushed to the top of the arc, with Barkley desperately trying to return to defense. At that moment, Charlie Ward passed the ball to Zhao Dong, who slowed down after receiving it, luring Barkley to rush over. Then, Zhao Dong accelerated toward the basket. As Barkley positioned himself to block the shot, Zhao Dong quickly turned and dunked the ball with authority, slamming it into the basket.
"Boom!" The arena erupted as Zhao Dong dunked over Barkley again, this time with even more force.
"Oh, beautiful! Another dunk! Zhao Dong dunks on Barkley, and this time, he truly humiliated him!" Bill Wharton shouted excitedly in the TNT broadcast.
"Barkley is really having a tough day," Matt laughed.
In the CCTV live broadcast, Zhang Lili and Sun Zhenping were equally thrilled to describe the dunk.
Barkley got up, panting, just as Zhao Dong landed from the basket. The two shared a fierce look, neither backing down.
"Today, I'm going to beat you!" Zhao Dong spoke provocatively.
"You don't have the qualification," Barkley spat viciously.
"Soon, you'll be as powerless in front of me as you are in front of Michael Jordan. You'll be desperate," Zhao Dong shot back. Then, without turning around, he walked away.
"Boy, you're not even worthy of being compared to Michael Jordan," Barkley yelled from behind.
"What I'm going to do is beat him, crush him, rub him into the ground. You're not even worthy to give him a challenge," Zhao Dong said without turning his head.
Barkley was shaking with anger but couldn't do anything.
"Looks like Barkley's losing it. I really want to know what they're saying," Bill Wharton remarked in the TNT broadcast.
"Just ask a speaking expert," Matt joked.
Back on defense, Zhao Dong intensified his focus on Dameng. Along with his team mission and his personal sniping mission, he was determined to complete Dameng's task, which only required a steal this month. After several rounds, Dameng caught the ball in deep position, shook Ewing, and suddenly turned for a layup. Zhao Dong, always alert to Dameng's movements, immediately dropped Barkley and implemented weak-side defense. Just as Dameng went up for the shot, Zhao Dong slapped the ball away, sending it crashing into the backboard.
"Oh, what a block! Zhao Dong with another big rejection—this is not looking good for the Mosaic team," the commentator lamented.
The Knicks attacked again. Ewing missed a mid-range shot, and Oakley grabbed the rebound, passing it to Zhao Dong, who was positioned on the right wing. Zhao Dong received the ball, one step outside the paint, facing Barkley's defense. He pulled up for a shot, but Barkley didn't react in time.
"Boom!" The ball missed the target.
"Ah, so close! That was a good opportunity," Zhang Li sighed.
Barkley quickly turned and rushed into the paint. As the rebound came off the rim, he leaped up to grab it. But Zhao Dong, coming from behind, extended his arm and flicked the ball away, securing the rebound for himself.
"Good job grabbing the offensive rebound!" Sun Zhenping cheered.
Zhao Dong noticed that Dameng was defending the basket and quickly made a move. He shook off Barkley, rushed to the basket, but instead of passing to Ewing, who was positioned on the left wing, he decided to take the shot himself. He rushed into the paint, made an emergency stop, and pulled up for a shot. Barkley, caught off guard, jumped to block it. This action distracted Dameng under the basket.
With perfect timing, Zhao Dong took off for a dunk, meeting Dameng's defense head-on. With one powerful motion, he slammed the ball into the basket, sending the crowd into a frenzy.
"Boom!" The basket shook violently as Zhao Dong soared through the air, sending Dameng stumbling backward and falling to the floor. The arena fell silent in disbelief.
"Squeak..." The noise of the backboard echoed as Zhao Dong hung on the rim, looking down at the fallen Dameng. He then jumped down and spoke coldly: "My name is Zhao Dong. Welcome me to the NBA. This is my reward for you."
"Damn rookie," Dameng muttered under his breath, seething with frustration.
"Get out of my way!" Barkley stormed up to Zhao Dong, pushing him away.
Zhao Dong laughed, pulled Oakley aside, and walked off, not wanting to escalate the situation. With this dunk, he was just one steal or block away from completing Dameng's task. He didn't want to risk further confrontation.
After the third quarter, the score stood at 83:72, with the Knicks leading by 11 points. The Mosaic team had managed to pull back one point in the third quarter.
(End of Chapter)
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