The NBA's Absolute Dominance

Chapter 125 The plan cannot keep up with the changes

Michael Brin said, "The fact that the second-round series between the two teams has come this far highlights the importance of Game 1."

Tom Tolbert said, "The Knicks lost a home game, while the Heat won two home games, resulting in the Knicks losing the series lead and the Heat taking the series lead."

Larry Bird said, "Now that the Heat have a match point, it's going to be tough for the Knicks. They'll need to win three straight games to come back, which is going to be very difficult."

Michael Breen stated with great familiarity: "In NBA history, there have only been four instances of a team coming back from a 1-3 deficit in a series to win a comeback."

"In the 68 Eastern Conference Finals, the Celtics reversed the deficit against Philadelphia. In the 70 Western Conference Second Round, the Lakers reversed the deficit against the Suns. In the 79 Eastern Conference Second Round, the Bullets reversed the deficit against the Spurs. The Spurs were only transferred to the Western Conference in 80. In the 81 Eastern Conference Finals, the Celtics once again reversed the deficit against Philadelphia."

Larry Bird joked, "Of the four comebacks in history, three were in the East. I think the Knicks have a chance this time too."

"Ha ha……"

The other two just took it as a joke.

Ewing is not a mentally strong player; on the contrary, the Heat's Tang is the one with the best mental fortitude. It will be too difficult for the Knicks to reverse the Heat's fortunes.

Its difficulty should be comparable to a comeback from a 1-3 deficit in the Finals, and historically, there has never been a comeback from a 1-3 deficit in the Finals, and it is unlikely to happen again in the future.

"Don, do you think the Knicks have a chance to turn things around in the next series?" an ESPN reporter asked in a post-game interview.

"A reversal? Haha!"

Tang Bei chuckled dismissively before saying, "They need to win three more matches, three in a row, to defeat us. What are the chances of that?"

The reporter then asked, "So far, in the four games of the series, Tang, you've averaged 33.75 points, and Ewing has averaged 21 points. How would you rate your and his performance in the second round?"

Tang Bei grinned and said, "I don't need to be modest, because it's the truth. In this series, my performance completely crushed him."

The reporter then asked, "You averaged 37 points, 15 rebounds, and 4.5 blocks per game in the first round series, making you the best player in the series. Jordan only averaged 35 points per game. Do you think your scoring ability is better than Jordan's?"

Tang Bei thought for a moment and said, "To be honest, my scoring ability is definitely not as good as his right now. He is an outside player, so scoring is easier for him than for me."

After the interview, the Heat said goodbye to the fans and returned to the locker room.

Shortly afterward, the other two matches also came to an end.

The Spurs defeated the Suns again at home, tying the series 2-2. The Rockets also tied the series 2-2 with the SuperSonics.

"Coach Riley, the Knicks have lost the series lead. What do you think the Knicks should do in the remaining games to have any hope of a comeback?"

More than an hour later, at the post-match press conference, a reporter from The New York Times asked.

Pat Riley's usual gentlemanly smile was gone; instead, he said with a wry smile, "Don's strength has exceeded my expectations. I didn't expect him to still be able to put on such an incredible performance in the playoffs."

To put it simply, the current situation is no longer under our control; his performance will determine the final outcome.

Given his status in the NBA, even if he loses this series, it won't damage his prestige, so there's no need for him to say anything superficial.

If the Knicks had a good chance of a comeback, he would definitely have said so, but since the chances of a comeback are really slim, he doesn't have confidence in Ewing. Saying something polite would only make him look foolish, so naturally he won't say it.

Pat Riley's words were essentially tantamount to believing that the Knicks were about to be eliminated, which disappointed Ewing, who then thought of Oakley's suggestion.

On the 17th, major mainstream media outlets provided various reports on the four matches last night.

All four super centers played last night. Tang Bei received the most praise, while Ewing was criticized by major media outlets.

The New York media, in particular, criticized him by name, saying that his performance against Tang Bei was terrible and that he didn't play up to the level of a super center.

That night, Jordan scored 31 points, and although his field goal percentage was only 45.8%, he still led his team to a two-point victory, sweeping their opponents once again in the second round of the series.

The Heat have arrived in New York, and Tang Bei and his teammates watched the game from their hotel.

After the game, head coach Kevin Longley asked everyone to share their thoughts on the Bulls.

Everyone looked at Tang Bei, as the team leader, he had to speak first.

Tang Bei recalled the game and said, "We had to defend against Jordan's drives. He had eight or nine free throws tonight, making him the Bulls' most frequent driveer and the most free throw shooter."

“Not bad,” Kevin Longley nodded.

Tang Bei added, "Pay attention to rebounding. Jordan, as an outside player, grabbed 9 rebounds, making him the Bulls' second-best rebounder, only one less than Grant."

Kevin Longley said, "The Bulls grabbed 35 rebounds, while the Cavaliers grabbed 36. The fact that the Cavaliers, with an All-Star frontcourt duo of Brad Doherty and Larry Nance, only managed one more rebound than the Bulls shows how hard the Bulls fought for rebounds."

Tang Bei thought for a moment and then said, "The Bulls' perimeter defense is indeed good, but I think their overall defense is not as good as the Knicks', and their interior defense is much weaker."

Kevin Longley laughed and said, "That's right, this is our opportunity."

At this point, he flipped through the data sheet in his hand and continued, "The Knicks' average points allowed per game this season is 95.4, and their average points scored per game is 101.6. The Bulls' averages are 98.9 and 105.2 respectively."

The Bulls' overall defense is weaker, but their offense is stronger. However, as Don said, the Bulls' defense is weak in the paint, while their perimeter defense is stronger than the Knicks'.

Tang Beidao said, "So coach, we need to strengthen our inside offense, but what if the Bulls use their strong perimeter defense to cut off our inside-outside connection?"

Kevin Longley had already considered this and said, "Tang, although they have a human shield, it's no match for you at all, and the other inside players are far smaller than you."

My idea is that you should go directly to the basket to establish position, close to the rim, which will greatly reduce the difficulty of passing the ball from the outside.

Additionally, you can run high pick-and-roll plays with the ball handler more often. This allows you to directly coordinate with the ball handler, making you a threat whether it's a high-post jump shot or a powerful dunk.

Kevin Longley added, "With the Bulls' strong perimeter defense, our perimeter offense and playmaking will definitely be greatly suppressed. So, on offense, Tang, your task is even more important than against the Knicks."

Tang Bei nodded. The Knicks couldn't really suppress the Heat's outside shooting, but the Bulls had that ability.

If the Heat's outside shooters go cold and their ball-handling and penetration abilities are insufficient, and they lack the ability to break through defenses from the outside, the offensive burden will likely fall entirely on him.

"Damn it, none of them are reliable!"

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel a sense of dread.

On the 18th, the remaining three groups will have matches.

At 8:00 AM, the game between the Knicks and the Heat began as scheduled.

After the jump ball, the Heat went on offense.

In their final chance, the Knicks fought desperately, acting as if there were no referees on the court, making extremely aggressive moves.

Fortunately, Tang Bei continued to dominate the offense in the low post, supporting the Heat's offense and scoring 12 points in the first quarter.

With five minutes left in the second quarter, the score was tied at 28. Glen Rice missed a mid-range shot, and Tang Bei grabbed the offensive rebound.

Ewing and Oakley immediately double-teamed him, elbowing him directly in the body, but the referee didn't call a whistle.

Unfazed, he suddenly spun around like a Tai Chi master, using the elbows of the two men to push them aside and create some space. He then sprang up on the spot and delivered a powerful slam.

But just as he was airborne, substitute Anthony Mason rushed up behind him, grabbed his throat, and pulled him down sharply.

With a thud, his back slammed onto the floor.

"Di!"

The referee finally blew his whistle.

To thoroughly enrage Tang Bei, Mason, burdened with a heavy responsibility, actually moved his foot, attempting to step over Tang Bei.

"Fuck you!"

Tang Bei, unlike Han Xin, was not about to suffer the humiliation of crawling between someone's legs. He instantly exerted his strength in his waist and abdomen, and with a twist of his abdomen, he kicked out with a back kick. With a thud, Little Mason was hit in the face and was kicked over with a scream.

"Fuck you!"

Oakley, who was nearby, saw this and charged forward with a shout.

But Ewing, who was nearby, didn't move, nor did the other Knicks players.

"Beep beep..."

The referee noticed something was wrong and quickly blew his whistle.

Just as Oakley charged forward, Tang Bei sprang to his feet and delivered a powerful backhand hook with a twist of his waist.

"Oh!"

The moment Oakley was struck in the abdomen, he turned ashen, his face turned deathly pale, he lost all reaction, and his knees buckled, causing him to kneel down.

"You beat me up even though I didn't lay a hand on you, where's your martial ethics?"

Oakley was furious. His plan was to avoid physical violence; he'd only intended to demonstrate his usual toughness by rushing forward and spewing insults to provoke Tang Bei. Little did he know Tang Bei wouldn't let him off the hook. "Bang!"

He continued to fight, and Oakley would likely be blown off the court next. So, without further ado, Tang Bei delivered another hook punch, slamming it into Oakley's chin as he was about to kneel down.

Oakley rolled backward, and despite the excruciating pain in his stomach, he was knocked unconscious. Some of his bloody teeth were knocked out, fell onto the board, and rolled far away.

The conflict lasted no more than two seconds from start to finish.

"Oh!"

At this moment, gasps erupted from Madison Square Garden, and the fans began to react.

"..."

Heat head coach Kevin Longley and general manager Shaffer Lewis were stunned. After they realized what was happening, they knew they were in trouble and Tang Bei was likely to be suspended.

Eric Fleischer was also shocked and stood up, thinking to himself, "Now Tang's reputation as a violent thug can never be washed away."

"Charles!"

Ewing rushed to Oakley's side and saw that Oakley's chin had been ripped open and was bleeding profusely. His mouth was full of blood and he had very few teeth left. Ewing felt both regret and anger.

He glanced at Mason again; he was also unconscious, his face covered in blood.

"Damn guy!"

He suddenly turned around and stared at Tang Bei. Overwhelmed by passion, he forgot all his plans and pounced on him, swinging his fist.

"Di Di!"

The conflict reignited, and the referee rushed over to try and stop Ewing, but it was too late.

"Well done!"

Tang Bei delivered a straight right punch, striking Ewing in the face. Like Oakley, Ewing tumbled backward and fell unconscious.

"It's over!"

John Starks and the rest of the Knicks were at a loss.

The original plan was for Mason to exchange pieces while the others remained still, and Oakley to continue provoking Tang Bei and further enrage him.

But plans can't keep up with changes. First, Oakley rushed in and was knocked down, then Ewing rushed in and was also knocked down. What should we do?
Pat Riley was already a Muggle; he didn't know Oakley's plan. Looking at the three men who had been knocked unconscious on the field, he wished he could faint too.

"Worth a drink. No, three drinks."

Back in Chicago, Jordan saw this and burst into excited laughter.

Soon after, Tang Bei was called for a technical foul and ejected from the game, leaving the court and returning to the locker room.

All three of them, including Ewing, were carried away on stretchers because they were all unconscious and needed to be taken to the hospital for examination.

However, Mason was called for a technical foul, Ewing was called for a technical foul for throwing a punch, while Oakley was fine even though he didn't throw any punches.

In the next game, the Heat lost Tang Bei, and the Knicks lost two key interior players and an important rotation player, Mason. They still have a fighting chance.

However, in terms of morale, the Knicks, trailing 1-3, have hit rock bottom, far worse than the Heat.

"Brothers, we can't let Tang down. Let's fight them to the death today!" Old John Selye stepped forward and roared.

"Fight."

Glenn Rice and the others shouted loudly.

Tang Bei returned to the locker room and saw this scene on TV. He believed that John Salley, this veteran, was qualified to be one of the leaders of the Heat's locker room.

Eric Fleischer followed him into the locker room and instructed him, "Don, from now on, turn off your cell phone and don't give any interviews to the media."

"it is good."

Tang Bei took out two cell phones from the closet. The one he was using to contact others already had several missed calls, so he quickly turned it off.

Eric Fleischer then analyzed, "Don, you attacked first and seriously injured Oakley and the others. You are very likely to be suspended."

"Bull got a bargain," Tang Bei said helplessly.

Eric Fleischer said, "If it's within two games, that's fine. Games 1 and 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals are at the Bulls' home court, so they'll most likely lose. You can take the opportunity to recover your energy, which will actually benefit your home games later on."

Two games?

Tang Bei felt that this made sense, and his mood improved considerably.

Eric Fleischer analyzed, "If there are too many suspensions, it will definitely affect the quality of the Eastern Conference Finals. Without you, the Heat are no match for the Bulls and will be easily swept. Such an Eastern Conference Finals will not have any viewership."

"Is that so?"

Eric Fleischer said, "David Stern is unlikely to go all out against the Heat; he definitely doesn't want to see a one-sided Eastern Conference Finals series."

So one or two games are the most likely outcome, which would both punish you and prevent the Eastern Conference finals from losing their suspense.

Ultimately, the high-spirited Heat defeated the demoralized Knicks, eliminating their opponents with a 4-1 series victory and advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals.

After the game, in the CCTV live broadcast room, Sun Zhenping happily said: "Congratulations to the Heat, congratulations to Tang Bei, for advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals with a score of 4-1."

Xu Jicheng said with a smile: "When Tang Bei was ejected from the game, his stats were 12 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 block."

五场次轮系列赛，场均29.2分12.8篮板3.6盖帽，如果除掉现在的G5战不算，前四场则是33.75分15.25篮板4.25盖帽。”

Sun Zhenping said, "The stats are a bit worse than in the first round, but the Knicks' defense is stronger than the Celtics', so it's normal for the stats to be a bit worse."

Xu Jicheng took a deep breath and said excitedly, "In the Eastern Conference Finals against the Bulls, the Bulls' interior defense is no match for the Knicks. Tang Bei's stats might even be stronger than in the first and second rounds."

Sun Zhenping speculated: "It is indeed possible that the Bulls avoided intense confrontations with Tang Bei in the paint during the last two games of the regular season."

If Tang Bei continues this strategy in the Eastern Conference Finals, his stamina expenditure in the low post will be far less than in this second round, allowing him to dedicate more energy to offense.

Xu Jicheng nodded and said, "It's clear that Tang Bei was very tired playing against the Knicks. Their opponents are the strongest frontcourt duo in the league, and their physical exertion was enormous. It will definitely be easier against the Bulls."

As the game ended, back in Charlotte, Hornets general manager Denver Twitchell sighed deeply. Now that the Heat had advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals, it was time for him to leave the Hornets.

In the other two games, the Suns defeated the Spurs at home to take a 3-1 lead, and the SuperSonics also defeated the Rockets at home to take a 3-1 lead.

Tang Bei was somewhat disappointed. There was no reward in the second round, and now that he had made it to the Eastern Conference Finals, there was still no reward. He wondered if there would be a reward if he made it to the Grand Finals.

"Tang, you acted impulsively today. Mason was clearly trying to provoke you. You struck first, and you may face further punishment."

As the Heat returned to the locker room, General Manager Lewis spoke.

"What should we do now?"

Tang Bei felt very unhappy when he thought of Michael Jordan's despicable face after winning the game, and could only hope that he would not be suspended.

Shaffer Lewis glanced at head coach Lengley, but said with a smile:

"We've already exceeded expectations by making it to the second round, let alone now that we've reached the Eastern Conference Finals, so there's no problem. Everyone, enjoy the upcoming Eastern Conference Finals!"

Matt Geiger, whose annual salary on the injury list is only $14, is the poorest player on the Heat. He has to pay taxes on that little bit of money, and the rest has long been spent. He excitedly asked, "Mr. Lewis, when will the second-round bonus be paid?"

Lewis laughed and said, "According to the league's standards last season, the second round is worth one million dollars. Each of you can get thirty-three thousand dollars, which will be paid when you get back to Miami."

"awesome!"

The Heat have seven players with annual salaries below one million dollars, and Matt Geiger and others excitedly shouted about it.

As they emerged from the locker room, Kevin Longley said to Lewis, "Shaffer, we should appeal to the league. The Knicks are down 1-3, and I suspect they did it on purpose."

Shaffer Lewis nodded and said, "I've already instructed people to collect the materials, and the team will file an appeal with the authorities overnight."

Kevin Longley said regretfully, "It's a pity, the Bulls got a good deal."

Shaffer Lewis shook his head. The Bulls were really going to get a huge advantage. Everyone in the world knew that David Stern was a big fan of Jordan.

After he left, he called his assistant and said, "This is very likely premeditated. I'll give you $100,000. Go find some reporters you know and have them dig up information about the Knicks' minimum-salary players. Find them tonight."

"OK."

The assistant went right away.

(End of this chapter)