The NBA's Absolute Dominance

Chapter 135 Reimbursement
Tang Bei entered the game at the start of the second quarter.

To maintain their lead, the Bulls brought Jordan back onto the court, but Pippen rested on the bench, his stamina far inferior to Jordan's.

Three minutes later, thanks to Tang Bei's efforts, the score difference was narrowed to 7 points, but he also committed his third foul.

"Bang!"

Jordan drove to the basket again, but his shot missed as he was double-teamed by Tang Bei and backup shooting guard Harold Miner. Tang Bei grabbed the rebound.

Upon arriving at the frontcourt, Tang Bei and Harold Miner executed a pick-and-roll tactic at the high post.

Miner doesn't have a three-point shot, so he breaks through with the ball after the defense is broken up. Tang Bei's screen is excellent, Jordan is blocked, and Leonardo is forced to switch defense and return to the basket.

Tang Bei seized the opportunity to cut to the basket, and Harold Miner suddenly passed the ball to him. He caught the ball and sprang up, flying towards Leonardo under the basket.

"Chubby!"

Despite having been knocked down before and suffering a relapse of his left knee injury, Leonardo, known for his volatile temper and impulsiveness, still jumped up this time.

"Oh!"

"boom!"

Tang Bei was at least two feet taller than his opponent. After colliding with Leonardo, he stabilized his balance with his powerful core strength and then slammed the ball into the basket.

"That beast!"

Jordan's eyes twitched when he saw this.

"Oh!"

Leonardo landed unsteadily, his upper body was behind him, his right leg was raised, and his left foot landed on one foot. When he landed, his foot twisted, and he cried out in pain before crashing to the floor.

Then, he hugged his left knee, rolled around on the floor, clenched his teeth, and looked extremely pained.

"Oops!"

His agent, Tom Ansels, knew his player was in big trouble when he saw Leonardo clutching his left knee.

On the sidelines, Phil Jackson's expression turned serious, and he waved for the team doctor to come onto the court immediately.

In the NBC studio, Bill Russell said, "He got injured once with a defense like that last time, so we should avoid it this time."

Magic Johnson said, "In the NFL, he was a defensive end, right? Facing the opponent's strong attack, there was no such thing as avoiding it, only head-on blocking defense. He still maintains the style of football, it's impossible for him to avoid it, don't even think about it."

Bill Walton nodded and said, "It's the left knee again, an injury on top of an injury, an old injury flaring up, it's going to be very difficult to deal with now."

Magic Johnson said, "If Leonardo can't play, the Bulls will be in trouble. Their interior defense will be weakened, and Tang Bei will lose his only defense."

But then he added, "However, the Bulls played their tactics well in this game. Tang Bei committed too many fouls, so the Bulls still have a good chance of winning."

The atmosphere in the CCTV live broadcast studio was excellent. All the other staff members were smiling, but the three commentators and guests did not show obvious smiles, though they all seemed very relaxed.

"Um, Mr. Xu, do you think the Heat have a chance to come back?" Sun Zhenping asked.

Xu Jicheng said, "Let's see how it goes. This is the Bulls' home court. Tang Bei has three fouls. If he gets called for fouls one or two more times, it will be very difficult for him to play."

Han Qiaosheng nodded and said, "The home-court advantage in the NBA is indeed impressive."

Leonardo was substituted; initial examination revealed a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.

He originally suffered a torn ACL and meniscus in his left knee during his NFL season. He underwent surgery to remove the meniscus and repair the ACL.

The team doctor whispered to General Manager Jerry Krause, "Sir, it's almost certain that he's no longer able to participate in high-intensity sports."

"Shet!"

Jerry Krause muttered a curse under his breath.

There's not much he can regret. The only regret is that Leonardo didn't last until the end of the Eastern Conference Finals before being ruined by Tang Bei. After that, the interior defense lost its ability to compete. Hopefully, Phil Jackson can come up with a way to deal with Tang Bei.

The only consolation for him was that the Knicks' two first-round picks acquired a defensive anchor who was rendered useless in just two minutes, while his player cost almost nothing and even helped the team win a game.

"While we're leading, I need to see him get his fourth, fifth, and sixth fouls as soon as possible. Everyone can attack him; that's the most important offensive task right now."

Phil Jackson called a timeout, emphasizing the strategy of drawing fouls against Tang Bei, even at the cost of offensive opportunities.

Next, substitute center Will Perdo came on to match up against Tang Bei.

In the 9th minute of the second quarter, Pippen did Phil Jackson's job, drawing Tang Bei's fourth foul with a dunk.

But Pippen was also knocked to the ground by Tang Bei and fell hard.

After Tang Bei left the court, the rest of the game fell into the Bulls' rhythm until the end.

His fifth foul occurred in the fourth minute of the third quarter, and he fouled out in the third minute of the final quarter.

When he left the game, the Heat were down by 15 points. His playing time was intermittent, and his performance continued to decline. He only played 25 minutes, scoring 23 points, 11 rebounds, and 2 blocks.

Jordan scored 44 points, including 14 of 17 free throws and 15 field goals, with no three-pointers, for a 54.5% field goal percentage. His drives to the basket were unparalleled.

In the CCTV live broadcast room, Xu Jicheng said with a regretful expression: "Of Tang Bei's six fouls, four were caused by Jordan's breakthroughs. His offensive power is indeed strong."

But of the six fouls, four were clearly fouls. As for the other two, including one by Jordan, which likely wouldn't have been called if it had been in the Heat's home arena, and might even have been called an offensive foul.

Sun Zhenping said, "That's the advantage of playing at home. The team that can be praised or not will be favored. The next game is the Heat's home game, so hopefully we can take advantage of it."

With the Bulls securing a match point, the Eastern Conference Finals seemed to have lost its suspense, and many media outlets that had initially favored the Heat to pull off an upset turned their attention to the Bulls.

However, besides local Miami media, some media outlets still insist that the Heat will pull off an upset. These media outlets emphasize the importance of Game 6 and believe that the Heat will once again tie the series at home.

On June 3rd, the Heat and Bulls moved to Miami.

That night, Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals began.

The Suns had secured a match point, and Barkley was determined to end the Western Conference Finals on the road. He played very hard, but the result disappointed him.

Playing 38 minutes, he made only 4 of 14 shots, a 28.6% field goal percentage. Even with free throws, the Suns' star player only managed 13 points and 11 rebounds.

Only three players on the Suns scored in double figures, with Kevin Johnson scoring 22 points, while the SuperSonics had five players in double figures, including two who scored 20+ points.

102-118, the SuperSonics pulled back the match point, tying the series 3-3 with the Suns. The two teams will face off in a decisive Game 7 on the 5th at the Suns' home court.

"Charles, you gave me a 'wonderful' performance that makes me believe the Bulls will face the SuperSonics in the Finals."

On the morning of the 4th, Jordan gave a live news interview to ESPN at a hotel in Miami, where he discussed Game 6 of the Western Conference Finals.

Barkley quickly responded in a live interview on TNT, saying, "Michael, you'll see me in the Finals."

"Hey man, in the stands?" Jordan then replied.

Barkley, somewhat exasperated, retorted, "Michael, there's a guy in the Eastern Conference Finals who's more like a god than you. If it weren't for Pippen, you'd be fishing by now."

By the way, if I had Pippen by my side, I could average 50 points per game without having to wear your ugly underwear.

Jordan was furious and immediately retorted, "Some guy got cocky after winning one MVP, but does he even know who the Finals MVP is?"

This really broke Sir Charles Barkley's defenses, and he ended the trash-talking performance on television with a simple "Fuck you."

Later, an ESPN reporter interviewed Tang Bei and asked, "Tang, what do you think of Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley's statements?"

"A statement? You call what they said not long ago a statement?" Tang Bei asked in surprise.

"What should it be called?" the reporter asked curiously.

Tang Bei was extremely annoyed by what those two bastards were saying. The Eastern Conference Finals weren't even over yet, and they already thought the Bulls were guaranteed to win?

He thought for a moment before saying seriously, "Flirting? Then I can only wish them a long and happy life together."

"puff!"

Zhang Heli, who was standing next to Tang Bei, burst out laughing on the spot.

Tang Bei's words quickly made it onto ESPN's news channel, infuriating Jordan and Barkley.

“Slander! He’s slandering me and Charles!” Jordan said irritably.

“Don, your trash talk is as obvious as your physique; it doesn’t affect my mindset,” Barkley replied quite rationally.

As evening fell, more and more Hollywood stars arrived at the Miami Arena, making the place even more dazzling.

Tang Bei drove to the stadium, carrying a backpack, and strode along the dimly lit, curved corridor, gradually catching up with the group of people ahead.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a group of Chicago Bulls players, including Michael Jordan, along with several reporters who were interviewing them.

A reporter from The New York Times saw him and immediately ran over to interview him:
"Don, Michael just firmly denied that he and Barkley were flirting. Do you still expect them to grow old together?"

"Did they break up?" Tang Bei asked casually.

"Ha ha……"

The corridor was immediately filled with suppressed laughter, from Bulls players and reporters alike.

Jordan was so angry that his face turned ashen, and he glared fiercely at Tang Bei.

Tang Bei walked over and curiously looked at Jordan's crotch.

Jordan couldn't help but squeeze his legs together, and said irritably, "What are you looking at?" Tang Bei laughed, "Are your underwear really that ugly? Want me to recommend a brand to you?"

"He was talking about my leggings, not my underwear," Jordan explained, barely containing his anger.

"Oh."

Tang Bei nodded to indicate that he understood, and asked, "You wear it to every competition, are those the leggings you endorse?"

"Shit, who endorses that stuff?" Jordan cursed.

"Ha ha……"

Uncontrollable laughter rang out again.

When I arrived at the locker room, almost all of my teammates and the coaching staff were there.

Kevin Longley said to Tang Bei, "Tang, the Bulls will likely focus on penetrating and attacking you again today."

"Then how should I deal with it?" he asked.

Kevin Longley said, "This is our home court, so you need to start your defense tougher and not be afraid to foul. But also be careful with your movements, don't go too far, and be more discreet with some of your moves."

"OK."

Tang Bei nodded.

At 7:30, both sides announced their starting lineups.

Chicago Bulls: Bill Cartwright, Horace Grant, Scottie Pippen, Michael Jordan, BJ Armstrong

Miami Heat: Tang Bei, Grant Lang, Glen Rice, Steve Smith, Bimbo Coles
"The Western Conference Finals will go to a Game 7. Today is the Heat's home court. I wonder if the Eastern Conference Finals will also go to a Game 7," Bill Walton said.

Bill Russell said, "Jordan's performance was very important in the Bulls' victory over the Heat in Game 5, but the home-court advantage cannot be ignored. Tonight is the Heat's home game, and I don't think there is no chance of a Game 7."

Tonight's commentator is the legendary center Hakeem Olajuwon, who said:
"Without Tang, the Heat wouldn't even have made the playoffs. He really put on a terrifying performance in the Eastern Conference Finals. As he said, anything is possible."

Bill Walton nodded and said, "I also think there's a possibility of a Game 7 in the Eastern Conference Finals. As long as Glen Rice and the others play an average, not terrible, performance, they have a chance."

Bill Russell said, "If the Heat can control the rebounds, Tang can defend the paint, and the outside shooting can improve, plus Tang's scoring, there is indeed a possibility of forcing a Game 7."

Bill Walton said, "Yes, rebounding is the Bulls' weakness against the Heat. Tang alone has more rebounds than all the Bulls' big men combined."

Although this statement was somewhat exaggerated, the other two did not object.

比尔·拉塞尔说道：“唐在东决G2G3G4三场比赛中场均20.7个篮板球，G5战拖了后腿，场均也有18个。

Of course, the combined rebounds of all the Bulls' interior players should still exceed those of Tang Bei.

Bill Walton said, "These statistics show that the Bulls' interior defense is far behind Tang Bei in rebounding."

This is one of the key reasons why the Bulls, despite having a stronger roster and greater overall talent, managed to pull off such a poor series.

Da Meng said, "Michael is really lucky. If Tang hadn't missed Game 1, the score might not be 3-2 for the Bulls now, it might be the opposite."

In China, it's Saturday. Early this morning, countless people turned on their televisions and tuned to CCTV-1.

In the live broadcast room, the commentators are Han Qiaosheng, Sun Zhenping, and Xu Jicheng.

In Huanghuadian Yijie Village, the Tang family moved the television to the front yard because there were too many people and they were afraid the house would collapse from the crowd.

There was also Tang Bei's Hummer H1 in the yard. The fourth brother, Tang Ning, was sitting in the driver's seat with snacks in his hand, and several of her close girlfriends from the village climbed up and shared the snacks.

Children with whom she has a casual or bad relationship can only drool outside the car, and even touching the car will elicit a glare from her.

Today, guests from the city came to the Tang family's home: leaders from the Sports Bureau and several members of the city's men's basketball team.

The 7th National Games will be held in the summer, but the city does not want Tang Bei to participate in this National Games because the Tianjing men's basketball team is not strong enough. The last time they made it to the final stage of the National Games was in the 3rd National Games in 1975, and they failed to make it this year either.

But with Tang Bei emerging, the city has taken notice of the men's basketball team and plans to strengthen its development over the next few years, hoping to qualify for the next National Games. With Tang Bei on the team, they might be able to achieve good results.

Because Tang Bei wasn't cultivated by the system, people from the Municipal Bureau often come down to cultivate a relationship with the Tang family.

Besides the people from the Municipal Sports Bureau, there were also the deputy county head and the head of the People's Bank of China who had come last time, all with the same purpose. Tang Bei was about to go home, so they came more frequently, and this time they even brought people from the Municipal Television Station with them.

They have learned that Tang Bei's investment team has arrived in China and is currently in Beijing to investigate investment projects.

Not to mention them, the city government also attaches great importance to this, sending people to Beijing to invite Tang Bei's investment team to Tianjing for inspection, and then sending county officials to keep an eye on the Tang family's side.

At eight o'clock, the competition begins.

After the jump ball, the Heat went on offense.

Without Leonardo, the Bulls' interior defense lost its ability to compete with Tang Bei, and Phil Jackson's goal was the NBA Finals, so he couldn't afford to lose several of his interior players to Tang Bei just for the Eastern Conference Finals.

Therefore, he decided to adopt the same strategy as in the regular season for tonight's game: avoid direct confrontation with Tang Bei and cut off the connection between the outside players and Tang Bei through the outside shots, thereby limiting Tang Bei's offense.

Another thing he did was have Jordan test the waters with the referees' officiating from the start.

If possible, Jordan will continue to employ the strategy of drawing fouls and penetrating Tang Bei after Game 5.

"BJ, you will be the most crucial player tonight. I want to see you play your best defensively."

BJ Armstrong watched Bimbo Coles approach him with the ball, and the words Phil Jackson had said to him when he came on the court flashed through his mind.

"squeak!"

He lunged forward and began a fierce, close-marking defensive press.

Bimbo Coles immediately turned to the right to protect the ball, and at that moment Pippen on the left wing seized the opportunity to help defend and quickly rushed to the top of the arc.

"Watch your back."

Tang Bei, positioned low on the left wing, shouted loudly.

But then Pippen suddenly appeared from behind Coles, poked the ball away, and made a steal.

"Oh dear, we made a mistake right from the start," Xu Jicheng exclaimed.

"boom!"

The Bulls launched a counterattack. Pippen passed to Jordan, who cut into the paint from the left wing and scored the first basket with a flying dunk.

2:0, Heat on offense.

Bimbo Coles advanced with the ball in the backfield, while Armstrong made interfering moves from time to time, disrupting his rhythm.

"Don't panic!"

Tang Bei stood at the free-throw line to receive the pass and shouted, "Go back and receive the pass on the perimeter!"

"High-pressing throughout the game."

Jordan launched a swift counterattack, attempting to establish momentum from the start with a full-court press, suppress the Heat's home crowd's morale, and lay the foundation for today's game.

There was no prior plan, but things can change, and adjusting tactics in time is his right as the leader on the field.

In terms of leadership, he was confident that he was much stronger than Tang Bei, that rookie.

As Glen Rice and Steve Smith returned to the backcourt to receive passes, Jordan and Pippen immediately launched a full-court press, causing the Heat's three perimeter players to scramble and struggle.

With eight seconds left, Coles finally pushed the ball across the center line, saw Tang Bei calling for the ball at the free-throw line, quickly pulled away from the defender to the left, and passed the ball to him.

Tang Bei received the ball, and Cartwright could no longer avoid the contact, so he stayed back and defended.

"Boom!"

While dribbling, Tang Bei pushed Cartwright back a small step with a post-up move.

"Boom!"

"Oh!"

The next instant, a second dribble followed, and a second post-up shot came in quick succession, slamming fiercely into Cartwright's chest.

Cartwright grunted and tumbled over, his back hitting the floor with a painful thud.

Tang Bei turned and dribbled into the paint, soaring into the air towards the basket.

"squeak!"

Cobra Grant returned to the right side of the basket to defend, looking at Tang Bei in mid-air, but suddenly stopped.

"boom!"

"WOW!"

With a tomahawk dunk, Tang Bei shattered the Bulls' rim and ignited cheers in the Miami Arena.

He looked back at Cartwright on the floor and felt that this was a good idea. If the Bulls continued to use the full-court press, he would use this tactic on Cartwright and see how many times he could withstand it.

36-year-old Bill Cartwright got up, panting, and rubbed his chest, which was numb. His skin, muscles and bones seemed to have lost their sense of pain, but his lungs felt suffocated as if from a powerful impact.

(End of this chapter)