NBA: The Dynasty Crasher

Chapter 15: Team Personal Efficiency

The left wing was low as Coleman and Zhao Dong faced off. Standing at 208 cm and weighing 104 kg at his peak, Coleman had packed on some pounds after a serious injury last year, now tipping the scales at 130 kg. Facing such a powerhouse, Zhao Dong received the ball in the low post, taking off with a quick move and making a straight-arm jumper. Coleman was caught off guard, and Zhao Dong swiftly turned, gliding toward the basket, finishing with a powerful tomahawk dunk that sparked a roar from the crowd.

"Zhao Dong has hit 4 out of 4 shots in the first quarter, scoring 8 points. His efficiency is through the roof, all coming from low-post offense," Sun Zhenping commented with a laugh.

In the next few minutes, Zhao Dong faced Coleman again. This time, he drew a foul after being knocked to the ground, earning two free throws. Zhao Dong, known for his solid free-throw shooting, made both attempts, bringing his point total to double digits in just a single quarter. By the end of the first quarter, the score stood at 15-26, with the Knicks leading by 11 points.

Fast forward to the sixth minute of the third quarter, with the score at 48-60, and the Knicks holding onto a 12-point lead. Zhao Dong was back on the court, replacing Ewing. Iverson, who had barely rested, was already on fire with 16 points. Zhao Dong's task of guarding Iverson had failed, leaving him with four objectives remaining. He realized that reaching five blocks was unlikely, and three steals were even more challenging. However, scoring 20+ points and grabbing double-digit rebounds still seemed attainable, so he shifted his focus to completing those tasks. Additionally, he had to meet the requirements for consecutive games to finish his challenge.

The Knicks were on the attack. Alan Houston missed a mid-range shot, but Zhao Dong grabbed the offensive rebound over Coleman. With a quick hook shot, he not only scored but also drew a foul from Coleman. With the additional free throw, he hit 13 points.

Iverson, determined to get his, broke through again, stopped abruptly at the edge of the paint, and nailed a jumper.

Zhao Dong quickly turned around, shoving Coleman into the basket, but the ball was already in Alan Houston's hands. He hesitated for a split second, and by the time the pass came, it was too late. Zhao Dong snatched the ball out of the air, but Coleman had already recovered and was blocking the basket. Zhao Dong turned and shook off Coleman with a quick move before taking a straight-arm jumper. The shot was fast, smooth, and with his high jump and long arms, the ball soared over the basket, making it impossible for Coleman's defense to catch up.

Boom! The ball hit the rim, bounced twice, and rolled out.

"Dammit!" Zhao Dong cursed under his breath as he watched the miss. Coleman grabbed the rebound, looking to pass.

"Here!" Iverson shouted, running to get the ball.

Coleman passed it to Iverson, but Zhao Dong anticipated the move, cutting in to intercept. He quickly turned and sprinted toward the basket, finishing with a dunk.

"That rookie loves to dunk. Don't let him do it!" Davis, the head coach of the 76ers, called a timeout and barked at Coleman to step up his defense.

In this era, there was no three-second violation, so Coleman could stay under the basket as long as he wanted. He nodded in acknowledgment.

When the timeout ended, the Knicks were on the attack again. Zhao Dong saw Coleman stationed directly under the basket and smirked. Was this guy seriously underestimating him because of his perceived weak shooting? Zhao Dong decided to show him otherwise, using a variety of shooting techniques to demonstrate that, though his shooting wasn't elite, he was still a threat anywhere on the court.

By the end of the third quarter, Zhao Dong had scored 18 points and grabbed 7 rebounds. The Knicks were comfortably ahead, 72-58. In the fourth quarter, Ewing took the court, and Zhao Dong returned to his usual position. By halftime, Zhao Dong had already hit 25 points. With a solid lead and enough points on the board, he shifted his focus to securing every rebound.

The final buzzer went off, and the Knicks defeated the Philadelphia Team 92-75, securing a 17-point win. Zhao Dong played 30 minutes, making 11 of 15 shots and 5 of 6 free throws, totaling 27 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 3 blocks, 1 turnover, and 4 fouls. His shooting efficiency was an impressive 75%. This was his first double-double and his first 20+10 game. Ewing contributed 26 points, while Charlie Ward added 12. Mid-range shooting king Alan Houston had a rough night, making only 2 of 10 shots, 1 of 5 three-pointers, and 2 of 2 free throws, totaling just 7 points with 1 rebound and 6 assists.

Allen Iverson, playing against Zhao Dong, scored 32 points with 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, and 5 turnovers in 44 minutes. He made 10 of 18 shots, 5 of 9 three-pointers, and 7 of 13 free throws, putting up impressive numbers despite the loss. After the game, Ewing was named Player of the Game for his 26 points and 15 rebounds, earning him the best performance of the night.

"Hey, rookie, you played well tonight. Hope to see more of this," Spike Lee yelled at Zhao Dong as he walked off the court.

With a smirk, Zhao Dong replied, "With a body like mine and eyes like these, why the hell would you doubt you'd see more?"

"You sure are cocky," Spike Lee shot back, turning away with an unimpressed look, clearly ignoring Zhao Dong's response.

Larry Johnson stood up from the bench, looking sour. He didn't expect to be injured just two games into his Knicks stint, and he didn't expect the team to find someone who could replace him so perfectly, so quickly. It stung.

"Congrats, host. You've completed two mission objectives and earned three skill points as rewards."

"Congrats, host. You've completed the 20+10 task in the continuous game challenge. Keep pushing forward."

Zhao Dong had already decided to focus on strengthening his shooting, so he allocated the three skill points to shooting. This bumped his shooting skill from 85 to 88. With more practice, his shooting could reach top-tier levels, which would help him complete his ongoing training tasks.

Meanwhile, on TNT's live broadcast, Bill Walton and Matt discussed the performances of Iverson and Zhao Dong. Bill Walton commented, "Both players performed well, but Zhao Dong's efficiency in the low post was especially impressive. Iverson had excellent offensive skills, but Zhao Dong's defense is where the 76ers fell short. Scott Williams couldn't contain him, and Coleman's strength has declined, making it hard for him to keep up with Zhao Dong's speed in the paint."

Matt chuckled, "Are you saying Zhao Dong's stats are inflated?"

Bill Walton shrugged and grinned, "He's still good. We can't predict his future just yet. But when anyone shows promise, we hope they can keep it up. Only then will they deserve the big contract the Knicks gave him."

Matt nodded, picking up a piece of data, saying, "It's also worth noting that in this game, Zhao Dong's personal efficiency ranked first on the team, even higher than Ewing's."

Bill Walton added, "Ewing's offense has leaned more toward mid-range shots, solving battles with jumpers. Meanwhile, Zhao Dong focuses on attacking the basket, which makes his efficiency unsurprising."

--------

Thanks for reading! Send a Power Stone to support the story!

-----

Read Chapters ahead

Påtreon.com/FanficLord03