The NBA's Absolute Dominance

Chapter 131 Tang Bei: Things that tarnish one's character should definitely not be done.
After the timeout, the Bulls indeed substituted Cartwright with Leonardo, and nothing else changed.

For the Heat, Brian Shaw was replaced by Bimbo Coles.

Kevin Longley's idea for starting Brian Shaw was to increase the team's height and strengthen the perimeter defense.

It wasn't that Brian Shaw's defense was better; he was just a bit taller.

Surprisingly, the defensive effect was not seen. Brian Shaw's playmaking and assist abilities are not as good as Coles'. He not only failed to score on offense, but also failed to defend the opponent.

Tang Bei stood with Leonardo again. When enemies meet, they immediately started trash-talking each other.

“You scum, you just wait,” Leonardo said through gritted teeth.

Tang pushed his back into the penalty area, his left elbow slamming into the opponent's right elbow as he retorted:

"Wait my ass, let's start now. If you dare to lay a hand on me, I'll cripple you and force you to retire from the NBA immediately."

"asshole!"

Leonardo's anger surged, feeling that Tang Bei was even more of a bastard than those bastards in the NFL.

The intense confrontation between the two began, and Leonardo's strength was indeed greater. Tang Bei found that he couldn't squeeze in at all.

Fortunately, he has a strong foundation in horse stance and wrestling, making his lower body very stable. He can stand firm and won't be pushed around by his opponent.

If you don't post up deep, you can't get close to the basket, your shooting percentage will be lower, and it will be more difficult to attack the basket. If the opponent double-teams you, it will give you more time for help defense.

"Oh!"

"Oh!"

Houston Leonardo then jabbed Tang Bei hard in the lower back with his elbow, only to be met with a powerful back elbow strike.

It's basically a back-and-forth elbowing, neither side willing to suffer a loss, even right under the referee's nose, they have to elbow back.

Leonardo's absolute strength is greater, but his explosive power is not as good as Tang Bei's, especially since Tang Bei has trained in elbow strikes.

With the support of technology, the burst of power at close range is particularly strong. Even if it cannot be exerted at full strength, it can still deliver some penetrating power that reaches the internal organs.

He didn't hold back against that bastard Leonardo, so in the back-and-forth, Leonardo was the one who suffered, even though he had a monstrous physique and was in some pain.

At this moment, the ball was passed down from the outside. The next instant after Tang Bei received the ball, he suddenly turned and slid to the bottom, performing a Tai Chi turn.

Under such intense confrontation, performing a Tai Chi turn is extremely difficult, and the movement is very likely to be distorted, resulting in poor results.

Just like shooting in a contested situation, the technique may be distorted, resulting in a lower shooting percentage than an open shot.

Moreover, their arms were entangled, making it even more difficult to break free.

Because of this, although there were no mistakes in this Tai Chi turn, his turning speed and power were not as good as before, giving his opponent more time to assist in defense.

Seizing the rare opportunity, Grant, who had already retreated to the basket, took a big step to the left side of the basket and positioned himself defensively in advance on Tang Bei's path to the basket.

"Oh!"

"Di!"

Tang Bei turned around and rammed into him. Cobra Grant fell to the ground with a thud, and the referee's whistle blew immediately.

"Pretty!"

Phil Jackson clenched his fist tightly.

If Leonardo can hold off Tang Bei for half a second, or even a third of a second, he can create an opportunity for Grant to establish a defensive position earlier.

"That's the role of a meat shield. Leonardo's tough defense thwarted Don's signature tornado move," Bill Russell said.

“That’s rare! Tang has met his match,” Bill Walton said.

Although the attack failed, Tang Bei managed to figure out some of the situation.

Leonardo is stronger than him, but his explosiveness and speed, including his turning speed, are not as good. Just now, when he turned around, I secretly pulled him with my arm, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to keep up with his turning rhythm at all.

So, how do we solve the offensive problem in this situation?
While exchanging trash talk with Leonardo, Tang Bei moved to the backcourt and entered the paint, completely ignoring Leonardo's offensive efforts.

The Bulls' triangle offense was an offensive system that combined Jordan's individual ability with dynamic positioning and flexible arrangements with other players.

其战术构架的核心逻辑是，强侧三人三角与弱侧双人进行联动，将5v5转变成3v3或1V1。

Jordan's one-on-one ability was unparalleled in the entire league, and the biggest tactical manifestation of the triangle offense was to create one-on-one opportunities for him.

After passing the ball to Pippen on the left wing three-point line, BJ ran to the left corner and lurked there.

On the left wing, Leonardo acts as a low-post pivot, responsible for playmaking. As for his role in low-post isolation plays, Phil Jackson didn't consider it at all.

Although Leonardo had played basketball, his skills were not up to NBA standards. Without Tang Bei, he wouldn't have been able to make a living in the NBA.

Therefore, he only assigned Leonardo to the offensive end, to be responsible for restraining Tang Bei's defense, and to occasionally enter the paint to establish position.

Pippen receives the ball and begins to back down Glen Rice, drawing the defense while he can score himself and Rice can also attack.

On the weak side, Grant moved up from a low position to a high position to provide support.

At the same time, Jordan quietly cut in from the right corner along the baseline.

After Pippen backheeled the ball twice, he suddenly passed it to Grant at the high post. At that moment, Jordan had already quietly cut into the paint along the baseline, and Grant quickly passed the ball down.

When Pippen passed the ball, Tang Bei, positioned on the left front side of the basket, quickly adjusted his footwork. By the time Grant passed the ball downwards, he was already under the basket. As Jordan received the ball and leaped into the air, Tang Bei jumped up almost simultaneously.

"1v1."

When he saw Jordan get a one-on-one opportunity, a glint of light flashed in Phil Jackson's eyes.

Michael Jordan's one-on-one ability is unparalleled in the league, but in the low post, the most dominant player in the league today is undeniably Tang Bei.

If the Bulls want to overcome the formidable challenge of Tang Bei, Jordan must defeat Tang Bei.

One important reason for losing Game 2 was that Jordan couldn't beat Tang Bei. He not only lost in points, but his efficiency was also inferior to Tang Bei's.

Although Tang Bei jumped, he was cautious. Jordan liked to do difficult layups at this time, so he didn't jump very high, just to make a show of it.

If Jordan had chosen to shoot a floater at that moment, his block would have been just for show, all show and no substance.

But Jordan did exactly as he predicted. Seeing him jump to block, and considering his terrifying defensive height, he immediately gathered the ball, then spun in the air, circling around him to the front of the basket.

Jordan anticipated that Tang Bei should have already landed on the floor by now, and could only watch helplessly as he made his shot.

Tang Bei did land, and because he landed so early, he had already adjusted his footwork. Just as Jordan moved to the front of the basket and took his second layup, Tang Bei suddenly sprang up, clasped his hands together, and caught the basketball.

"what?"

Jordan's eyes almost popped out.

"WOW!"

When Tang Bei blocked the shot, the Miami Arena erupted in cheers.

"Catch the block! Tornado block, Michael Jordan..." The shouts of MC Wensco Thomas echoed throughout the arena.

"Pretty!"

Bill Walton gave a thumbs up.

Bill Russell said, "Don's first jump to block seemed like he was deliberately trying to fool Michael. This is a psychological battle, what we call playing with your brain."

"It's ok."

Phil Jackson didn't seem to care when he saw Jordan get blocked.

Tang Bei's defense has a low success rate and can be considered a risky defense, betting that Michael won't shoot on the first attempt. With Michael's experience, he can easily handle that.

On the offensive end, Tang Bei, who had not yet scored, did not move to a low position, but rather to a high position.

Upon seeing Tang Bei fall to the high post, both Jordan and Pippen on the court frowned, as did Phil Jackson off the court.

One reason the Bulls lost Game 2 was that they couldn't break Tang Bei's high pick-and-roll tactics.

On the court, Leonardo, following the tactical plan, positioned himself one step below the free-throw line.

He had already memorized the NBA's tactics, which he considered very simple, less than one percent of those in the NFL. The NFL's tactical manuals were huge volumes, and you really couldn't play them without a brain.

On the court, Bimbo Coles broke through the wall and, as he reached Leonardo's side, suddenly turned and passed the basketball to Tang Bei.

Tang Bei turned and sprinted to the free-throw line. After receiving the pass, he continued to accelerate and entered the penalty area.

Seeing this, Leonardo took two small steps back and retreated to the basket.

At this moment, Tang Bei grabbed the ball with his right hand and, with great force, leaped into the air.

"You piece of trash, you'll regret this."

Leonardo roared in his violent heart, and with a mighty leap, he didn't block the shot, but instead slammed his elbow down.

He knew that his jumping ability was mostly ruined and he couldn't jump anymore. Moreover, after retreating continuously, he jumped hastily and couldn't jump very high.

He also knew that his blocking skills were average, since he mainly played football in college and only played basketball occasionally.

So he wasn't thinking about blocking the shot; he just wanted to risk getting a defensive foul, or at most a technical foul, to knock Tang Bei down.

Tang Bei leaped into the air with all his might, his head soaring above the rim. The basketball, flying high like a battle axe, slashed towards the basket over Leonardo.

"Why is it so high?"

Leonardo jumped up and suddenly realized that he was at least two feet shorter than Tang Bei. Not to mention that his elbows couldn't reach Tang Bei's head, his hands could barely reach Tang Bei's face.

"boom!"

"Oh!"

"Di!"

The next instant, the loud thud of the basket exploding, the sound of bodies colliding, and the referee's whistle rang out almost simultaneously.

"WOW!"

As a volcanic eruption of cheers erupted, Leonardo DiCaprio's body flipped backward, crashing onto the floor with a thud. He then slid backward and crashed headfirst into the media section, causing chaos among the crowd.

"Whoa! A super dunk! A super dunk from the Bone Crusher..." MC Winsco Thomas's incredibly passionate roar echoed throughout the Miami Arena, taking the cheers and shouts in the arena to another level.

"Bastard! You damn scum..."

Leonardo got up cursing, staring at Tang Bei with his violent red eyes, and stood there stretching his left leg while cursing.

The referee came over and signaled a foul to Tang Bei, awarding him a free throw.

“He’s limping a bit on his left leg. He injured his left knee in the NFL, right?” Bill Walton said.

"It's the left knee."

The assassin nodded, quite excitedly saying, "His injuries prevent him from playing in the NFL, so he's definitely not fully recovered. Under Tang's impact, it's very possible that his injuries will relapse."

Bill Russell glanced at the replay on the screen and then said:
"Leonardo is only 201 cm tall, with a wingspan of 203 cm and a standing reach of 268 cm. He jumped hastily just now, so he probably jumped a maximum of 45 cm. His defensive height should be around 313 cm, not too far off."

Bill Walton nodded and said, "About right, his hand just reached Tang's face, about ten centimeters above the rim."

The assassin scoffed, "With that kind of defensive height, Tang can easily destroy him."

On the sidelines, Phil Jackson noticed Leonardo's left knee but didn't consider making a substitution.

Leonardo is a expendable asset for the Bulls.

After signing him, he was hardly used in the regular season; he was just a expendable player prepared for the playoffs against the Heat.

Against other teams, Leonardo was useless, completely ineffective. So after the Heat game, Leonardo became obsolete, and it doesn't matter now that he's been wasted.

"brush!"

Tang Beijia's penalty hit.

8-5, Bulls on offense

Pippen backed down Glen Rice again, and after advancing two meters into the three-point line, he saw that Jordan, who was making off-ball movement on the right wing, didn't have a good opportunity, and since he was already close to the paint, he decided to take the shot himself.

He immediately leaned hard against Glen Rice, creating space to turn around and then jumped to shoot.

Just as he turned and jumped, a huge figure pounced from behind Glen Rice and snatched the basketball from his hand.

"Don?"

Frustrated, he rushed forward to steal the ball, but Tang Bei suddenly turned around and swung his massive right elbow at him, startling him so much that he stopped in his tracks.

"WOW!"

The cheers in the stadium rang out again.

"Block! Tang has delivered another block!" The shouts of MC Wensco Thomas echoed through the arena once again.

Bill Russell said with admiration, "It will take at most another season for Tang's defense to reach a top level. At that time, he will be a top-notch two-way super center."

With his mobility, he could even sweep up to the three-point line; he would be a top-tier two-way player with his own built-in defensive system.

Bill Walton said, "With this terrible roster, the Heat made it to the Eastern Conference Finals and played like the Bulls. If they can improve their perimeter defense, the Heat will definitely be a championship-caliber team next season."

On the offensive end, Tang Bei didn't position himself at the high post. Instead, he positioned himself a step inside Glen Rice's left three-point line, standing behind Pippen.

"Houston, push up there, don't let him turn around!" Phil Jackson shouted from the sidelines.

Leonardo immediately positioned himself behind Tang Bei, simultaneously raising his arms and shouting, "You bastard, let's see how you attack the basket."

Tang Bei suddenly turned around, and his left elbow swung out, hitting Leonardo in the face.

"asshole!"

The transparent mask was nearly knocked off by an elbow, and Leonardo felt a sharp pain in his nose after the surgery. He couldn't care less and hurriedly turned around to follow.

But he couldn't keep up. His left knee was severely injured, and his athletic ability had been largely lost. His left knee had just started to ache again, making it even harder for him to keep up with Tang Bei.

At that moment, Bimbo Coles, who was just outside the arc, suddenly took a step to the left, quickly pulled the ball up, and pushed it with both hands, sending the ball flying straight towards his left waist.

When Tang Bei received the ball on the left side, Cobra Grant had already returned to the basket. Teammate Grant Long was on the right side, reaching out for the ball, but Jordan had already moved to Grant Long's side.

"Smith's place is definitely empty."

The thought flashed through his mind, but instead of passing the ball, he charged into the penalty area and leaped into the air.

How dare a mere cobra risk its life to block his dunk?
"What a bastard!"

Grant cursed inwardly and had no choice but to move aside from under the basket.

He really didn't dare to block it; he was afraid of being hit and thrown into the air.

"boom!"

"Oh!"

Amidst the deafening thud of the rim slamming against the basket, the Miami Arena erupted into a sea of ​​cheers, the shouts soaring high and echoing in all directions.

"He elbowed Leonardo as he turned around; you can watch the replay."

Phil Jackson, unlike his usual composed self, shouted loudly at the referee on the court.

The referee glanced at it but ignored it.

"Shet!"

After cursing, Phil Jackson called Leonardo over and shouted, "Next time, only defend up to the midfield position, don't go out of the penalty area."

Bill Russell said, "Given Don's athleticism, Leonardo wouldn't be able to defend him once he went out there."

Bill Walton nodded and said, "This time, Tang didn't run the pick-and-roll at the high post, but on the wing. It's probably because the wing's defensive distance is farther."

"Yes."

Bill Russell nodded.

8:7, Bulls attack.

"brush!"

This time, Pippen scored a long two-pointer against Glen Rice in a one-on-one situation.

“Lock down their external lines.”

Phil Jackson gave instructions from the sidelines.

Pippen and Jordan intensified their defense against Glen Rice and Steve Smith, denying them any chance to receive the ball.

Bimbo Coles was in possession of the ball when he was closely marked by BJ. Just then, Pippen, who was closer to him, suddenly double-teamed him and stole the ball.

"boom!"

Michael Jordan immediately launched a fast break, received a pass from Pippen, drove into the paint from the wing, and slammed it home with a dunk.

Although Tang Bei tried his best to get back on defense, he was on the baseline when Jordan launched a fast break from the three-point line. The distance was several meters too far for him to catch up.

“It’s 12:7,” Xu Jicheng said.

Sun Zhenping said, "The Heat can actually play fast breaks too, but their interior players aren't as fast as Tang Bei."

Xu Jicheng said, "Tang Bei's burden is too heavy. Fast breaks consume more physical strength. The Heat should have this concern."

"Right."

Sun Zhenping nodded.

The Bulls made a substitution because Leonardo's nose was crooked and bleeding again.

Phil Jackson substituted in backup center Will Perdo, instructing him to use a fouling strategy and have Tang Bei take the free throws.

Using foul tactics against Tang Bei now doesn't offer much advantage, but he has no other choice. At least the foul tactics won't cause injury and can disrupt Tang Bei's rhythm.

He also reiterated his demand that the perimeter players strengthen their defense, cut off the connection between the inside and outside, and minimize Tang Bei's shot attempts.

After the Bulls once again put up a suffocating perimeter defense, the turnovers of his perimeter teammates began to increase, and they missed one shot after another. Tang Bei was also subjected to fouling tactics and felt somewhat isolated and helpless, and the score gradually widened.

Steve Smith was only a sophomore, and in terms of experience, skills, and physical fitness, he was far inferior to Jordan. Facing Jordan's defense, he was completely suppressed and couldn't even receive the ball.

The same goes for Glen Rice; Scottie Pippen's defense is on par with Jordan's, and perhaps even better.

As a result, point guard Bimbo Coles and guard Brian Shaw, whose individual offensive abilities at position one are average, are unable to pass the ball out and are forced to take more shots.

Head coach Kevin Longley was also unable to come up with any specific tactics. In this game, the Bulls defeated the Heat 102-81 on the road, taking a 2-1 lead in the series.

"Damn it!"

Tang Bei must be quite frustrated to lose at home.

He played 40 minutes today, and was substituted out with 4 minutes left in the fourth quarter as the head coach gave up on the game.

"Hey, Tang, if you don't provoke me, maybe I'll go easy on you." Jordan came over and started trash-talking.

He likes to do that, trash talk after winning against his opponent.

"Get the hell out of here!"

Tang Bei casually cursed in Mandarin.

"You're welcome to visit my locker room again next time."

Jordan's smile and words became even more cheerful, and he left after throwing down another infuriating piece of trash talk.

Glenn Rice whispered, "Don, shall we go again next time?"

"Doing something that damages one's character once is enough."

Tang Bei shook his head and said with a helpless expression, "Last time Jordan came to our locker room, he lost the game. Today it's our turn. This world is indeed fair."

Glenn Rice was speechless. Did you know it would damage your character and you still did it?
He nodded and said, "So today's loss is all because of you, not because we couldn't make the shots. That makes me feel much better."

Tang Bei clenched his fist. Forget it, beating up a teammate would be a disgrace.

(End of this chapter)