The NBA's Absolute Dominance

Chapter 159 swept me away and rubbed salt into my wounds?
O'Neal's performance, which was completely outmatched by Tang Bei, drew criticism and condemnation from the media.

In an interview, renowned basketball commentator and analyst Tom Tolbert stated:

"O'Neal's talent has not yet been realized. I cannot call him a bust because although his performance in the regular season was far inferior to Tang's, it was still not bad."

But his performance in the playoffs was terrible. Think about last year's playoffs, what kind of performance did Tang have? He almost made it to the Finals, if it weren't for Crawford stopping him.

Therefore, I believe that if the 92 draft were to be replayed, Tang Bei, who suffers from severe fear of draft picks, would undoubtedly be the number one pick in the first round.

After these words were published in the media, O'Neal began to be labeled a bust, which made him so angry that he yelled at home.

At around 3 p.m. on the 2nd, at the Orlando Magic headquarters, General Manager Pat Williams saw the news of the Heat's arrival on television news.

"I regret it!"

Seeing Tang Bei's tall and imposing figure, he couldn't help but regret his decision to participate in the talent show.

Leaving aside the numerous regular season games over two seasons, O'Neal was completely outmatched in the previous two playoff games; the difference was too obvious.

Many Orlando fans are now questioning his initial choice, and some media outlets frequently raise similar questions.

Of course, he would never admit that his initial choice was wrong. If given a hundred more chances, he would still choose O'Neal.

That night, the Bulls eliminated the Nets on the road, becoming the first team to advance to the second round.

The Knicks suffered a road loss, bringing the series to 2-1 against the Cavaliers.

The SuperSonics also suffered a loss on the road, tying the series 2-1 with the Nuggets.

The SuperSonics lost by 17 points and only had 25 rebounds, while the Nuggets had 43. The SuperSonics also had 3 blocks, while the Nuggets had 12.

Mutombo put on an amazing defensive performance, following his 4 blocks in Game 1 and 5 blocks in Game 2, delivering 6 blocks tonight, effectively shutting down the SuperSonics' attempts to penetrate the paint.

If the attacking team is afraid to enter the penalty area, the consequences will be extremely serious.

First, the inside offense is gone, leaving only outside jump shots, which will significantly reduce offensive efficiency.

Then, when the offense is concentrated on the perimeter, the number of offensive rebounds will increase significantly, but no one will enter the paint, so a lot of offensive rebounds will be lost.

This is a critical issue, because the Nuggets grabbed 32 defensive rebounds, while the SuperSonics only managed 17.

The Nuggets' 32 defensive rebounds also meant that the SuperSonics lost 32 offensive rebounds, compared to the Nuggets' 17 offensive rebounds.

In addition, the Spurs suffered a crushing defeat to the Jazz on the road, falling behind 1-2.

David Robinson had another poor performance, shooting only 8-for-21 for a 38.1% field goal percentage, and scoring just 16 points and 11 rebounds.

This performance provided a temporary reprieve for O'Neal, whose performance was similar, and the media began to focus their attacks on the Admiral.

Meanwhile, the media significantly lowered the Spurs' chances of advancing, while the Jazz were favored by the media.

On the evening of the 3rd, at the Orlando Arena.

In the visiting team's locker room, the atmosphere was excellent for the Heat, who were leading 2-0. Even though it was an away game, the players were very relaxed.

Glen Rice has performed well in the first two games of the series, averaging 22 points per game with a 45% field goal percentage, far exceeding his performance in the previous two playoffs, so he is full of confidence.

"Tang, shall we sweep through magic?" he said with some anticipation.

"Of course, if we can't even sweep the Magic, how can we possibly beat the Bulls and Knicks?" Tang Bei said.

"Sweep."

"Sweep away magic".

The locker room erupted in a cacophony of shouts, the atmosphere growing increasingly heated.

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

Miami Heat: Tang Bei, Grant Lang, Glen Rice, Kevin Edwards, Avery Johnson

Orlando Magic: Shaquille O'Neal, Horace Grant, Dennis Scott, Nick Anderson, Anfernee Hardaway
Michael Breen said, "The outcome of Game 3 is very important. If the Magic lose, they will be swept, but Shaq has boasted that he won't be swept like Michael Jordan..."

"puff!"

This remark made Tom Tolbert and Magic Johnson burst out laughing.

After laughing, Magic Johnson asked with some doubt, "Tom, Michael, you said the Heat had a big advantage in Games 1 and 2, so why did Tang go all out against O'Neal?"

Tom Tolbert said, "Before the 92 draft, O'Neal used inappropriate words to refer to Tang. Although a long time has passed, I don't think the two of them will ever be friends again."

Michael Breen said, "They are all behemoth-level heavy centers that the league has never seen before, and there's probably a competitive factor involved."

Magic Johnson nodded and said, "Yes, with four super centers, plus O'Neal and Mourning, the competition is fierce."

“But this is just our speculation. Why don’t we let our reporters on the front lines find an opportunity to interview them?” Michael Brin said.

At eight o'clock, the competition begins.

After the jump ball, the Heat went on offense.

Magic head coach Brian Hill was in a difficult position because he wanted to double-team Tang Bei early to cut off Tang Bei's path to receive the ball.

However, the Heat's perimeter players performed well in Games 1 and 2, making it impossible to leave them open, while the Magic's defensive system was mediocre, with poor rotation defense, so they couldn't double-team Tang Bei in advance.

Ultimately, he could only decide to adopt a collapsing defense strategy. Once Tang Bei received the ball in the low post, he would collapse the defense, only giving the Heat's perimeter players a few open shots.

What troubled him was also the difficulty in choosing which zone defense formation to use when arranging defensive tactics.

Ultimately, he opted for a two-three zone defense.

Avery Johnson and Kevin Edwards can both drive to the basket, but neither is top-tier and they aren't particularly threatening.

Glen Rice, who is more capable of scoring, is weak in ball-handling offense, so two defenders on the perimeter are sufficient.

Zhang Heli quickly explained: "The Magic's defense is a 2-3 zone defense, with O'Neal under the basket, two forwards on either side of the free-throw line, and two guards on the wings of the baseline."

On the court, in response to the 2-3 zone defense, the Heat's three perimeter players spread out.

The point guard had the ball at the top of the key, Kevin Edwards was at the 45-degree angle of the right three-point line, and Glen Rice was positioned directly in the left corner, setting up the triangle offense setup that was most effective at breaking down the two-three zone defense on the perimeter.

To counter this offensive formation, the defensive strategy of a 2-3 zone defense is to prioritize defending the strong side while also covering the weak side, with the inside players covering the outside players' weaknesses.

Tang Bei attempted to enter the penalty area from the low post on the left wing, but O'Neal defended him with all his might.

At this moment, Avery Johnson brought the ball close to the top of the key, and Magic point guard Anfernee Hardaway quickly moved to closely guard the ball handler.

Hardaway's defensive strategy consisted of two parts: first, preventing the ball carrier from breaking into the penalty area; and second, blocking the ball carrier's passes to the wings at a 45-degree angle.

Magic shooting guard Nick Anderson positioned himself between the top of the key and the left corner, both to help defend the top of the key and to cut off Glen Rice's passes between the top of the key and the left corner.

At this moment, Magic small forward Dennis Scott, positioned on the left side of the free-throw line, moved up to double-team Avery Johnson.

Avery Johnson faced close defense and a double team, so he quickly pulled the ball back and, in the instant he got rid of Hardaway's close defense, he made a behind-the-back dribble, pulled the ball to the left arc, and lobbed it towards the left wing low post.

He could only lob the ball in because Magic small forward Dennis Scott was positioned to cut off his and Tang Bei's passing lanes.

Nick Anderson also moved in time to continue cutting off his and Glen Rice's passing lanes.

The Magic's defensive formation immediately began to shrink towards the paint.

Small forward Scott quickly moves down the court, and Cobra Grant on the right side of the free-throw line does the same, immediately forming a three-on-one situation against Tang Bei.

If it's a straight pass, the Magic's collapsing defense will be a beat slower, but a lob gives the Magic a lot of time to collapse.

When Tang Bei received the ball, a three-team formation was complete. "Whoosh!"

He threw the ball with both hands, and it flew towards Glen Rice in the bottom left corner.

When Glen Rice caught the ball, Nick Anderson was already two steps away, just one step away from touching him.

Having gained confidence, he received the ball and, without hesitation, launched a three-pointer from the corner.

"brush!"

A splash of water, and the three-pointer hits.

"Beautiful! Tang Bei assists Glen Rice, who sinks a wide-open three-pointer from the left corner," Sun Zhenping exclaimed excitedly.

"Passing the ball to an open teammate in a timely manner is the best way to break the double-team tactic," Zhang Heli praised.

"Tang Bei's role has changed this season, which shows that head coach Langley is quite capable," Han Qiaosheng said.

Zhang Heli said, "His tactical ability is average, but he made full use of Tang Bei's various abilities and grasped the most important point."

Han Qiaosheng nodded and said, "If Tang Bei provides one or two more assists, the Magic won't dare to double-team him like that."

Sun Zhenping nodded and said, "The Magic's defense was quite good just now."

Zhang Heli said, "Nick Anderson's help defense was a step too slow. He should have covered the left corner when Avery Johnson passed the ball to Tang Bei."

Tang Bei has two passing options on the strong side: Glen Rice in the left corner or a back pass to Avery Johnson.

But small forward Scott was positioned between Tang Bei and Johnson, and Hardaway was also defending Avery Johnson at the high post.

So Avery Johnson didn't actually have an open shot; he had to cover the left corner early, that's where the open shot was, and he was too late.

"brush!"

Hardaway pulled up for a jump shot and made it from a position one step inside the three-point line at a 45-degree angle.

3:2, Heat on offense.

Avery Johnson has the ball at the top of the arc, Glen Rice is at the left 45-degree angle, and Kevin Edwards is at the left bottom corner.

This type of perimeter positioning is called a single-sided stacking formation. Its purpose is to create a two-on-one advantage in a localized area, forcing the opponent to collapse their defense, and then pass the ball to an open player.

This tactic, combined with Tang Bei's ability to draw double teams, is one of the key offensive tactics implemented by the Heat coaching staff.

The Magic's 2-3 zone defense uses the same defensive strategy against this offensive positioning.

Avery Johnson used his quick movement to get past defender Hardaway and move to the left arc. Finding no opportunity to pass directly to Tang Bei, he then went towards Glen Lesla.

Glen Rice quickly moved towards the top of the key, and after the screen, Avery Johnson moved to the left wing at a 40-degree angle, near the sideline, and finally got a chance to pass the ball straight through.

On the left wing, Tang Bei received the ball. Before the Magic's double team could get in, he immediately started posting up Shaquille O'Neal.

"Oh!"

During the dribbling, a fierce collision occurred, and O'Neal was knocked back a small step.

The next instant, Tang Bei Tai Chi, having completed the ball combination, turned and slid to the bottom.

O'Neal took a step back, not having time to react defensively, and instinctively reached out his right hand to tug at Tang Bei's jersey.

This was the Magic's home court, and the referee ignored O'Neal's foul, but O'Neal's actions could not stop Tang Bei's attack.

"boom!"

With a sudden burst of speed, Tang Bei delivered a powerful one-handed slam dunk, smashing the Magic's basket.

Cobra Grant, who had retreated to the basket, didn't dare to step forward to block him. He had suffered too many losses against Tang Bei, but fortunately, his injury had healed and Carterwright had retired.

Zhang Heli said with a smile, "Avery Johnson's passing is not bad, but it is not top-notch. He only averages 8.8 assists per game this season."

Sun Zhenping said, "I think 8.8 assists is good enough. None of the Heat's point guards last season reached his level. The highest number of assists was only 4.5."

Han Qiaosheng nodded in agreement, but Zhang Heli added, "8.8 times is certainly good for other teams, but it's not good for the Heat. It's not top-tier."

"Why, Coach Zhang?" Sun Zhenping asked.

Zhang Heli said, "Because Tang Bei is in the low post. With Tang Bei's ability to attack the basket, his alley-oop ability, and his speed as a small forward, he's a true top-class point guard. Wouldn't he get more than ten assists a game?"

"Ha ha!"

"That's right."

The other two laughed.

Zhang Heli laughed and said, "If you put Kevin Johnson, Mark Price, and Gary Payton at the Heat's point guard position, they can all compete with John Stockton for the assist title."

On the court, O'Neal received the ball in the low post on the left wing.

The Heat played a 3-2 zone defense, primarily defending the perimeter. The task of guarding O'Neal mainly relied on Tang Bei, while Avery Johnson in the high post provided help defense, just like the defensive strategy in the previous two games.

O'Neal dribbled upwards, posting up against Tang Bei, then quickly turned and slid down the court.

“The shark turns around,” Zhang Heli said quickly.

However, O'Neal's shark spin move did not achieve the desired effect, because the purpose of a post-up move is to shift the defender's center of gravity and create an opportunity for a spin move, but he did not shift Tang Bei's center of gravity.

So when he turned around, Tang Bei moved to the side in time and blocked his way.

The two collided, each taking a half step back. The ball immediately went out of control, but did not roll out of bounds.

"Di!"

The referee blew his whistle, pointed at O'Neal, and made an offensive foul gesture.

"This is a victory of strength in the face of adversity; the strong will always be strong," Zhang Heli said with a smile.

“Yes, if the center of gravity is shifted by the impact, there will be no way to move in time,” Sun Zhenping nodded.

Zhang Heli laughed and said, "O'Neal's move is very effective against other opponents because he can knock them over. But against Tang Bei, he can only suffer. This is an important reason why he was crushed by Tang Bei."

Han Qiaosheng said with a smile, "O'Neal's talent is really strong, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to surpass Tang Bei to become the number one draft pick, but unfortunately he just ran into Tang Bei."

Zhang Heli said, "This is also a matter of bad luck. He can be called a lifelong rival. But if Tang Bei is not seriously injured, it will be difficult for O'Neal to make a comeback, given his current strength."

The game continued, and even at home, the Magic were constantly dominated by the Heat, never having a chance to take the lead.

In the final score, the Heat defeated the Magic 91-114 on the road, sweeping the series 3-0 to advance.

The Magic made it to the playoffs for the first time in their history, only to be swept in the first round, much to the disappointment of the fans in attendance.

After the game, Tang Bei shouted, "Hey, Sardine, do you idolize Michael Jordan that much? You have to imitate his experience of being swept?"

O'Neal was so angry his chest ached. "That damn guy swept me and then rubbed salt into my wounds. He's inhuman!"
"Michael Jordan has another skill that you need to learn," Tang Bei added.

"What skills?" O'Neal asked, bewildered.

"Fishing, huh? Haha!" Tang Bei laughed and went off.

"asshole!"

O'Neal glared fiercely at Tang Bei's back; if he could win, he would have already thrown a punch.

(End of this chapter)