The NBA's Absolute Dominance

Chapter 137 Eastern Conference Finals Game 7
"Michael..."

Phil Jackson stared at Jordan and said, "We have no choice but to cut him. You have to step up."

This was the best solution he could come up with, as it avoided forcing the inside players to fight Tang Bei head-on while also limiting Tang's performance to some extent.

He knew very well that with Tang's free throw percentage, fouling tactics wouldn't stop him from scoring, but they could disrupt his rhythm and ruin his mentality.

In short, he was desperate for survival and had no other solutions.

Jordan, his face ashen, nodded without saying a word.

Pippen, on the other hand, was somewhat indifferent; he didn't have such a strong desire for a three-peat or such a strong competitive drive.

After the match, Tang Bei, who was almost exhausted, sat down on the floor, panting heavily. His sweat quickly soaked the floor.

Although Leonardo is gone and the Bulls lack strong low-post ability, they have to do everything on the court and do it well since the start of the regular season, and his physical reserves are almost exhausted.

Not far from him, Jordan was also panting, his hands on his knees, sweat dripping down his chin and onto the floor.

"Mr. Empty-handed King, congratulations, you're one step closer to participating in the fishing competition." After catching his breath, Tang Bei, as the victor, started spewing trash talk.

Exhausted, Jordan lost the game and had to deal with Tang Bei's trash talk. He was so frustrated that he wanted to rush up and kick Tang Bei to death.

"Tang, don't get cocky, we'll see." He squeezed out the words through gritted teeth, straightened up, turned around, and headed towards the players' tunnel.

"Tang, you scored 50+ points again today and led the team to tie the series. What's the one thing you want to say right now?"

NBC reporters arrived with cameras for a post-match interview. Tang Bei didn't want to move, so the reporters and photographers squatted down to conduct the interview.

"Oh, I already said what I wanted to say to Jordan. You can go ask him," Tang Bei said with a grin, wiping his sweat.

"Tang, Game 7 on the 6th is the Bulls' home court. Are you confident?"

"We will once again make Mr. Jordan the great king of empty stats."

After the game, in the NBC studio, Bill Russell said, "The final score is 82-107. The Heat won by 25 points, that's a big advantage!"

Bill Walton said, "Tang had 51 points, 26 rebounds, and 6 blocks with a 58% field goal percentage. You can tell he was exhausted, and his offensive efficiency was dropping, especially in the second half, where it dropped significantly."

Bill Russell shook his head and said, "Even so, the Bulls' weak interior defense was completely overwhelmed and completely destroyed."

Hakeem Olajuwon said, "Michael had 41 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 steals with a 48.5% field goal percentage, which is not bad, but he ran into a crazier guy."

比尔·拉塞尔道：“篮板球28：42，公牛少了14个。抢断14：7，公牛占优。盖帽4：11，热火占优。失误14：15，差不多。命中率40.5%比47.5%，热火占优。出手65：75，热火占优。”

Bill Walton said, "The Heat's outside shooting was barely passable today. They didn't dig a hole that even Tang couldn't fill, and that's why the Heat won."

Hakeem Olajuwon said, "This game, and even this Eastern Conference Finals series, fully demonstrates one thing: control the paint, control the game."

If the Bulls' interior defense were just a little stronger, and their rebounding a little better, the Heat's current roster wouldn't have had much of a chance.

Bill Walton suddenly laughed and said, "The Heat finished fourth in the regular season. The Bulls only won a few more games than the Heat. The two teams were tied in the regular season, so the gap in strength between them is not insurmountable."

The Heat swept the Celtics in the first round and eliminated the Knicks 4-1 in the second round. With such a great performance, do you think we underestimated the Heat's roster?

Hakeem Olajuwon said thoughtfully, "The Heat are weak on the perimeter defense, but their offensive ability is very strong, no worse than the Bulls."

Aside from Tang and Jordan, the Heat have two sharpshooters on the perimeter: Glen Rice and Steve Smith. They are very accurate from three-point range, shooting 40% in the regular season.

Bill Russell said, "To put it another way, if the Bulls don't play top-notch perimeter defense, the Heat have a very good chance of beating them, and that's what happened in all three of the Heat's wins against the Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals."

Hakeem Olajuwon said, "The root of the problem lies in the failure of the interior. When Tang destroyed the Bulls' interior, the Bulls' defense started to collapse from the low post. No matter how strong the perimeter was, it would collapse as well. The Heat's perimeter players could just lob the ball to the basket."

Bill Walton said, "The interior defense has always been a weakness of the Bulls, and this weakness has not been exploited by opponents before."

For example, the Knicks haven't been able to capitalize on this weakness in the last two seasons. Last season, they were swept 3-4 by the Bulls in the second round, and the season before that, they were swept in the first round by the Bulls. Jordan is better than Ewing.

Hakeem Olajuwon continued, "Now the Bulls have run into Don, whose dominance and rebounding ability surpass Patrick's, and he has exploited this weakness of the Bulls."

“So, we, the media, all of us underestimated the Heat,” Bill Russell sighed.

Bill Walton suddenly said, "Bill, you said this Heat team is like Chamberlain in '60 and Jordan in '86. Do you still think so now?"

At this point, he reminded everyone: "The 1960 playoffs were also Chamberlain's rookie season. In the Eastern Conference semifinals, they lost to the Celtics 2-4, but he averaged 30.5 points and 27.5 rebounds per game."

Bill Russell said in a nostalgic tone, "Wilt was really strong, just like Don today."

Bill Walton added, "Jordan averaged 43.7 points per game in that series in '86, which is slightly higher than Tang's average points per game in this Eastern Conference Finals."

“How much is Tang now?” Bill Russell asked.

"42.8 points, 19.8 rebounds, and 5 blocks. His scoring is slightly lower than Jordan's 86 points," Bill Walton said, looking at the data sheet.

Hakeem Olajuwon said, "That was our second season. Michael suffered a serious injury during the regular season, but when he returned for the playoffs, he played like a superhuman. He was really too strong. He was stronger than Chamberlain in the playoffs."

Bill Russell thought for a moment but shook his head and said, "It's normal that Wilt from 60 couldn't beat me."

In 86, Michael faced Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish, all at their peak – three superstars. It's understandable that Michael, without any help, couldn't win.

Although the current Bulls have a formidable trio, their interior defense is still far too weak against a legendary superstar center like Tang.

Tang's terrifying performance in the Eastern Conference Finals is enough to demonstrate just how weak the Bulls' interior defense is.

Hakeem Olajuwon looked on with envy and said, "If the Heat can get past Game 7, they'll make it to the NBA Finals."

"A Game 7?"

Bill Russell said, "I think the Bulls have no way out. They have to change their defensive strategy against Tang and strengthen their low-post defense. Even if all the inside players are injured, Phil Jackson can't care less."

Bill Walton nodded and said, "Even if Grant can play in Game 7, I think the Bulls will have to strengthen their low-post play; avoiding the game is not the solution."

"Who do you think has a better chance in Game 7, the Bulls or the Heat?" Bill Russell asked.

Bill Walton said, "We may have underestimated the Heat, but the Bulls are really strong. After all, they are a two-time champion team, and Game 7 is being played at the Bulls' home court. So I think if Grant can return, the Bulls' chances... should be slightly better."

Hakeem Olajuwon hesitated for a moment before saying, "It depends on how big the home advantage is and how well the referees are blowing the whistles. That's crucial."

Bill Walton said, "The Bulls' perimeter defense is crucial. If the Heat's perimeter shooting goes cold, no matter how strong Tang is, he can't beat the Bulls."

Furthermore, Tang's stamina is likely a problem. Of course, as a rookie, to deliver such a terrifying performance in the playoffs is already incredibly impressive.

Bill Russell said, "Glen Rice and Steve Smith both played well today, with shooting percentages above 40%."

But their away performances have consistently been poor, and coupled with Tang's stamina issues, it's really hard to say who has a better chance of advancing.

The victory in Game 6 sent Miami and Florida into a frenzy of celebration.

The same is true domestically. With Tang Bei's sudden emergence, the basketball fan base has expanded rapidly, viewership has increased, profits have grown, and the construction of CCTV's sports channel has accelerated.

CCTV's sports department has applied to expand the scale of its live broadcasts of the regular season next year, but without a sports channel, the limited broadcast time of CCTV-1 is simply insufficient to achieve such a large-scale broadcast.

Unfortunately, after several discussions, the station had no choice but to allocate some time slots from Channels 2 and 4. However, the expansion was limited, and the station could only broadcast a maximum of 28 games live next season.

On the 5th, the media made various predictions about the Bulls' and Heat's chances of advancing.

"Given that Game 7 will be played at the Bulls' home court, the Heat have a 48% chance of advancing to the NBA Finals, while the Bulls have a 52% chance," TNT reported.

"If the Heat had played Game 7 at home, we would have considered their chances of advancing to the Finals to be 65%, but unfortunately that's not the case. So we think their chances of advancing are only 45%, and the Bulls are more likely to advance to the Finals," ESPN reported.

Tang Bei looked at the media's predictions, and they were still the same as before, except that the Heat's chances had increased slightly.

"Eric, do you think these media outlets really believe we're not as good as the Bulls?" he asked, puzzled.

Eric Fleischer said, "Game 7 is crucial, and in crucial games, the home-court advantage is very important." Tang Bei scoffed, "Pippen and Jordan can't really shut down our perimeter, but I can dominate their interior and grab all their rebounds. Our chances are much greater in Game 7."

Eric Fleischer opened his mouth, but then closed it again.

In his opinion, it's really hard to say what will happen in this Game 7; Tang Bei is still too inexperienced.

However, Tang Bei's performance in the Eastern Conference Finals was so strong that it surpassed Michael Jordan's. Now he has received many endorsement contracts from top brands, half of which are Fortune 500 companies. Tang Bei's commercial value has exploded.

It would be even better if we could make it to the finals this time, but it's okay if we fail; we've gained so much already.

But if he really fails, he will still feel very sorry.

Because we don't know what the situation will be like next season, just because the Heat made it to the Eastern Conference Finals this season doesn't guarantee they'll make it to the Eastern Conference Finals next season.

The Heat made the playoffs last season, and they even strengthened their roster at the beginning of this season, but their record was abysmal, ranking at the bottom of the league. That's the point; nobody knows what the future holds, and the uncertainty is too high.

Hakeem Olajuwon made it to the Finals in his second season, but in the years that followed, he never touched the Finals again. He never made it to the Western Conference Finals, and only made it to the second round once. He was so embarrassed that he couldn't face anyone.

Barkley reached the Eastern Conference Finals in his rookie season, but never made it back. This time, after changing teams, he finally reached the Western Conference Finals and the NBA Finals for the first time.

If Tang Bei doesn't make it to the finals this season, no one can guarantee when he'll make it to the finals again, which is what he finds regrettable.

"Tang, are you still in good physical condition?" he asked.

"Barely okay."

Tang Bei didn't push himself too hard. His recovery wasn't going well today, and his physical recovery speed wasn't as fast as before. His body was getting more and more tired.

Eric Fleischer said, "You're a rookie, and your playing style is so physically demanding. It's amazing that you've made it this far and put up this kind of playoff performance."

In the afternoon, the Heat arrived in Chicago.

That night, the Western Conference Finals Game 7 proceeded as scheduled.

Barkley delivered an amazing performance at home, shooting 12-for-20 from the field, including 1-for-1 from three-point range, and 19-for-22 from the free-throw line, racking up 44 points and 24 rebounds. His field goal percentage was an impressive 60%, and his free-throw percentage was an impressive 86.4%.

Kevin Johnson also scored 22 points, and four other players scored in double figures.

The SuperSonics lost on rebounds, 31-48, a difference of 17 rebounds.

Ultimately, the Suns won Game 7 at home, 110-123, and became the first team to advance to the NBA Finals.

"What the hell!"

"Is this what a Game 7 is like? Could it get any worse?"

"Damn, they blew it again?"

Tang Bei watched the game while swearing profusely.

The SuperSonics didn't lose on rebounds, they lost because of home-court advantage.

In terms of free throws, the Suns had an astonishing 64 free throw attempts and made 57, which is almost the points of a whole game.

"This is absolutely outrageous!"

Tang Bei had played a whole season and never imagined that there could be so many free throws in a single game, which broadened his horizons.

The visiting SuperSonics made 28 of 36 free throws, losing by 29 points in free throws alone. How could they possibly win Game 7?
Just like Jordan's attack on Tang Bei in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Suns went all out to attack the paint, and the referees were too strict in their calls against the SuperSonics' defensive actions, exceptionally strict.

This kind of officiating directly disrupted the balance between the two sides, and in fact, seven out of ten possessions ended with a free throw.

The SuperSonics had three players foul out: starting power forward Shawn Kemp, their leading scorer tonight, Eddie Johnson who came off the bench to score 34 points, and Nate McMillan. Meanwhile, no one from the Suns was ejected.

Eddie Johnson only played 26 minutes; had he not been ejected, he could have scored 50+ points in the game. He cried when he left the court.

McMillan played only 23 minutes. This perimeter defensive stalwart, who averaged 2.4 steals per game in the regular season, took off his shoes and threw them on the floor when he left the game.

"Damn it, if the league does the same thing in our Game 7, what's the point of even playing?" Tang Bei said to his teammates with great dissatisfaction.

"The league clearly wants the Suns to make it to the Finals, and maybe they want the Bulls to make it to the Finals too," Glen Rice said dejectedly.

"No maybe. No one in the league wants us to make it to the Finals. The Bulls are their favorite team."

"Yes, Jordan is the face of the NBA."

"Tang is still Chinese. Surely no one in the higher-ups wants a Chinese person to ruin the Bulls' three-peat?"

"The SuperSonics have no popularity and no commercial value. The league should hope that the Suns and Bulls meet in the Finals, as that would be more commercially valuable."

"Yes, a Finals matchup between regular season MVP Charles Barkley and the current best player Michael Jordan will definitely be a smash hit in terms of both commercial sponsorships and viewership."

The crowd started talking all at once, and morale was extremely low and disorganized.

"What's the referee's name?" Tang Bei asked.

"Dick Bavita."

Kevin Longley remarked, "His officiating style is unique; he often calls an unusual number of free throws in crucial games, demonstrating a strong control of the game."

"He's definitely up to something, damn it!" Tang Bei just wanted to curse.

During Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals, the SuperSonics did not publicly criticize anything, but instead left the court directly.

When interviewed by the media, Barkley excitedly said, "The Finals, here I come!"

"You're here, so you'd better get the hell back. Can you beat me or Jordan?" Tang Bei cursed.

"Charles, do you think there was a problem with the officiating tonight?" the reporter asked.

Barkley exclaimed in surprise, "What could be wrong? We played really well, and all they could do was foul us to stop our offense, that's all."

"Go to hell! You fat maggot, you'll never win a championship in your life, I'm telling you!" Tang Bei cursed again in front of the TV.

Then he asked General Manager Lewis Shaffer, "Sir, what do we do?"

Shafir frowned and said, "Barkley's jersey sales this season rank second in the entire league, enough to surpass the entire SuperSonics team."

"what?"

Tang Bei was stunned. This fatso has such a huge influence?
Head coach Kevin Longley said, "The influence of the Dream Team members has increased significantly since the Olympics."

Shafir continued, "Jordan's influence increased rapidly after the Olympics, and his jersey sales this season exceeded the combined sales of the second to tenth ranked players."

"what?"

Tang Bei was stunned once again.

Barkley, who was like a lackey in front of Jordan, put on such an absurd Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals. And they were facing Jordan. How ridiculous would Game 7 be?
June 6, 93, Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

“We have to soften our stance because any contact would be a foul.” The Los Angeles Times reported early this morning on Gary Payton’s interview.

"This was one of the most unfair games of my coaching career," SuperSonics head coach George Karl said in a media interview.

Other media outlets also questioned the fairness of last night's game, but none of them could provide evidence to prove that there were problems with the Western Conference Finals Game 7.

Meanwhile, the media significantly increased the Bulls' chances of advancing, while the Heat's chances of advancing plummeted.

(End of this chapter)