The NBA's Absolute Dominance

Chapter 164 Michael, are you begging me?
On the 13th, the Heat and Pacers moved to Indiana.

That night, the Bulls lost on the road, by only two points.

The other game, the Suns' home game against the Rockets, is also attracting a lot of attention, with everyone wanting to know if the Suns can take a decisive lead and advance to the Western Conference Finals.

As a result, Barkley tasted the bitter fruit of his halftime champagne-pumping spree. The Suns lost by 16 points, 118-102, and the series was tied 2-1.

Barkley only made 9 of 22 shots for 19 points, while Kevin Johnson scored 38 points. The Suns also had three other players score in double figures and grabbed 7 more rebounds than the Rockets, including 8 more offensive rebounds.

But the Rockets played better, with 38 assists, 11 more than the Suns. This gave the Rockets a 13-point higher field goal percentage than the Suns. In addition, they had 5 fewer turnovers and a 7-point higher three-point percentage, which helped them defeat the Suns.

After the game, Barkley's act of opening champagne at halftime was ridiculed by many media outlets.

In an interview, Jordan said in his most aggressive tone, "Charles, you better make it to the Finals, or I'm not done with you."

Charles Barkley was angered by the media and enraged by Jordan, unleashing his reckless and defiant nature, and adopting a "what's the use" attitude.
"Michael, I've already won the championship and Finals MVP, so you'd better not provoke me, or I'll never give you the chance to sweep me in the Finals."

Barkley's statement was immediately interpreted by the media as meaning that he would rather never reach the Finals again than give Jordan the opportunity to sweep the Suns and get revenge on him.

"This bastard!"

Jordan was so angry that his chest hurt.

Then, Barkley faced even fiercer criticism from the media, with even local Phoenix media expressing dissatisfaction with his attitude toward the Finals.

Under pressure, Barkley was forced to make a statement, saying, "Sorry, I was just trying to scare Michael. Actually, I really want to make it to the Finals again, and the championship still appeals to me."

Game 3 of the third round of the Pacers' Game 14 will be played at Market Square Arena, the Pacers' home court.

Larry Brown, cornered after two consecutive away losses, resorted to a desperate tactic of hacking, which would result in heavy casualties on his own.

It actually worked! Tang Bei's rhythm was disrupted, and as the Heat's only offensive and defensive core, his rhythm was disrupted, and the whole team's rhythm was disrupted as well.

The Heat failed to play to their potential, and the Pacers had home-court advantage. In the end, Tang Bei only scored 27 points and 17 rebounds. His shooting percentage was low, both from the field and the free throw line, and he committed as many as 5 turnovers. The Heat lost the game.

In another game, the Jazz, also playing away, persevered and defeated the Nuggets 111-109, a narrow two-point victory, marking their third consecutive loss and making them the first of the eight teams to reach the Western Conference Finals point.

As a result, the Jazz became the focus of media attention, and the Jazz players who performed well in Game 3 were all praised by the media.

Jeff Hornacek, the Jazz's leading scorer in Game 3, with a 78.6% field goal percentage and 2 of 4 three-pointers, racking up 27 points and 7 assists, received the most praise.

其次是爵士内线核心，轰下26分13篮板6助攻3抢断1盖帽的邮差卡尔·马龙。

John Stockton also did well, making 11 of 19 shots and scoring 24 points.

Teyron Corbin, a swingman who plays starting small forward, scored 19 points, shooting 9-for-11 with a field goal percentage of 81.8%, and was widely praised by the media.

The Nuggets didn't play badly either, with three players scoring 20+ points. Mutombo delivered another 6 blocks and also scored 20 points and 13 rebounds with a field goal percentage of 75%.

They also had home-court advantage and 17 more free throws than the Jazz, but their assists were too few, 12 fewer than the Jazz, resulting in a 7.7% lower field goal percentage.

Unable to contain his excitement, Mailman Karl Malone said in a post-match interview, "Western Conference Finals, here we come!"

Upon hearing that the Jazz had won on the road, the Heat's management and coaching staff were too scared to sleep. They held a business meeting and worked through the night to devise tactics for Game 4.

On the 15th, the Bulls lost again on the road, tying the series 2-2.

The Rockets continued their winning streak, defeating the Suns on the road and managing to tie the series after losing the first two home games.

Six Rockets players scored in double figures, while only two Suns players did.

Barkley had another terrible performance at home, shooting only 7-for-21 for a dismal 33.3% field goal percentage, including 1-for-4 from three-point range, for a total of 19 points and 14 rebounds.

He didn't perform well defensively either, with only one block and a total of four turnovers. His defense was weak, and he only committed one foul.

The Suns' mainstay remains point guard Kevin Johnson, who scored 38 points again after his last game.

On the morning of the 16th, the Heat held a tactical meeting at the hotel, and all the management and coaching staff had dark circles under their eyes.

"Tang, the team needs you to step up now."

At the start of the meeting, Kevin Longley put pressure on Tang Bei without any regard for whether Tang Bei could handle the pressure.

Because they had discussed it all night, they had no other choice but to place their hopes on Tang Bei.

Without Tang Bei, judging from the start of the 92/93 season, the Heat would have had a hard time even making it to the playoffs.

"What do I need to do?" Tang Bei asked calmly.

Kevin Longley said, "If they keep hacking you, you must not panic. You must maintain your rhythm, play one ball at a time, defend one ball at a time, and not try to overwhelm your opponent in one go."

Tang Bei nodded. He admitted that he had been too hasty in the last game, trying to crush the Pacers in one fell swoop, but his mentality got the better of him and he ended up getting shot down by the opponent.

Kevin Longley added, "There are no weak teams in the NBA. Even the worst team can beat the strongest team if they have a breakout performance."

"So, Tang, you must keep a low profile and not think that the Heat can beat the Pacers no matter how they play. That will cause problems."

"Moreover, the Indiana Pacers are not a weak team. They are a strong playoff team that can pull off a seventh-place upset and are very competitive."

"OK."

Tang Bei readily agreed and nodded.

"Also, Tang, you need to strengthen your offense under the basket and try to get more and-ones, so that the Pacers' starting center gets a few fouls first."

"We should also run the high pick-and-roll offense. Players with three-point shooting ability can run pick-and-roll offenses with Tang at the high post."

"When Tangla moves to the high post, the wing players need to make more runs into the box."

……

That evening, Game 4 began.

The Pacers continued to execute the offensive and defensive tactics from Game 3 because it was effective.

Tang Bei also strengthened his mental management, playing steadily and defending one ball at a time.

In this way, as the core of the Heat's offense and defense, he maintained his rhythm, and the Heat's rhythm was not disrupted.

The Heat didn't fall into disarray, but the Pacers did.

Due to numerous fouls, the Pacers' defense faltered in the second half. With one minute remaining in the third quarter, Dale Davis fouled out, and the Pacers were already down by 11 points.

After the start of the final quarter, Tang Bei controlled the paint, and Rick Schmitz, who had five fouls, dared not make any reckless moves. The Pacers' fate was sealed.

At the end, the Heat won 109-89, a 20-point victory, taking a 3-1 lead over the Pacers and gaining a match point to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.

唐北16投14中，命中率87.5%，24罚17中，命中率70.8%，轰下了45分18篮板3助攻1抢断6盖帽1失误4犯规的数据。

His strong performance created more open shots for his teammates. Glen Rice scored 18 points, Steve Smith scored 18 points, and Dell Curry scored 16 points, giving the Heat a total of four players scoring in double figures.

In another game, the Jazz, who had a match point, played away against the Nuggets and battled on defense, ultimately losing 82-83 by one point and failing to complete a sweep to advance.

The Jazz's core center, Karl Malone, played terribly, shooting only 6-for-20 (30%) and 8-for-8 from the free-throw line, barely managing 20 points.

The other three players who performed exceptionally well in Game 3 were also lackluster and underwhelming in this match.

In contrast, the Nuggets displayed amazing rim protection, with the Jazz managing only 5 blocks while the Nuggets delivered an astonishing 14, including 6 by Mutombo alone.

In terms of rebounds, the Nuggets had 10 more rebounds, 28 to 38, which was a key factor in deciding the outcome of the game.

On the 17th, the Heat returned to Miami.

That evening, back at home, the Bulls defeated the Knicks by one point, 86-87, taking a 3-2 lead and securing match point.

In another game, the Rockets, who had previously suffered two consecutive home losses, returned to Houston and, spurred by their defeat, finally had a big breakout performance at home.

86-109, a resounding 23-point victory.

After losing the first two games, the Rockets won three straight, taking a 3-0 lead and securing a match point to advance to the Western Conference Finals ahead of the Suns.

Barkley scored 30 points in the game with a field goal percentage of 56%, but his playing style was sluggish, with only two free throws, both of which he missed.

In addition, grabbing only 5 rebounds was a significant drop in performance for him.

Kevin Johnson also struggled, scoring only 10 points.

On the other hand, the Rockets had Hakeem Olajuwon and Thorpe both scoring 20 points, grabbed 11 more rebounds than the Suns, and had a 17 percentage point higher field goal percentage. Five players on the Rockets scored in double figures, making them a complete blowout of the Suns.

Jordan led his team to victory and had just returned to the locker room when he received news that the Suns had lost and the Rockets had a match point.

"Fuck you!"

"Barkley, you useless idiot."

With a bang, he angrily picked up a chair and smashed the television on the wall.

"The psychological transformation from collapse to rebirth: Houston last night was a resilient city."

The following day, the Houston Chronicle published a lengthy article praising the Rockets under the headline "The Resilient City."

"The Rockets have shown great resilience, which will be beneficial for their push to the Western Conference Finals," Larry Bird praised the Rockets.

"I'm optimistic about the Rockets advancing to the Western Conference Finals. Barkley's performance in Games 3, 4, and 5 was terrible," Magic Johnson said.

The Suns lost three straight games after being up 2-0, giving the Rockets a match point. Jordan was furious about this and was the most hurt, even more so than Barkley.

During a television news interview, he publicly shouted: "Charles, you idiot, what are you doing? Make it to the Western Conference Finals, and I'll reward you."

"Ha ha……"

Tang Bei burst into laughter after seeing the news of Jordan's interview.

Like him, there are too many people who laugh at Jordan. Now everyone knows that the person who most wants the Suns to make it to the Western Conference Finals and then to the NBA Finals is Jordan.

On the 18th, Game 5 between the Heat and the Pacers will begin.

Taking advantage of their home court, the Heat ultimately defeated their opponents, winning 4-1 and becoming the first team to advance in the second round.

唐北轰下37分17篮板4助攻8盖帽的数据，投篮命中率高达75%，罚球命中率68%，攻防两端打出无敌的状态。

系列赛五场比赛，场均36.2分15.6篮板4.6助攻1.2抢断4.2盖帽的豪华数据。

In another game, the Jazz, playing at home, lost again and are currently leading the Nuggets 3-2.

Mutombo recorded 7 blocks, bringing the team's total to 16, while the Jazz only managed a paltry 1 block.

The Nuggets lost three straight games and lost match point, which is worse than the Rockets' situation. However, like the Rockets, their performance of winning two straight games has once again earned praise from the media.

ESPN reports: "The Nuggets' dark horse status continues, showing the same resilience as the Rockets. We believe the Nuggets have the strength to pull off an upset."

TNT reports: "The Pacers, who were the seventh seed, have already been eliminated in the second round and sent back home by the Heat. Now we are hoping that the Nuggets, who were the eighth seed, can continue their upset and give fans a surprise."

The Rockets and Nuggets, who came from behind to win, received a frenzy of praise from the media and fans, especially the fans, who love to see the underdog triumph and the underdog achieve a remarkable comeback.

These things are irrelevant to Tang Bei anyway. He's not Jordan; he wasn't swept in the Finals, and he doesn't care who makes it to the Finals in the West.

After advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals, as the first team to advance, they had more time to rest, and he began to relax.

At this time last year, his fitness level was 94, it improved to 95 during the regular season, and now it's 96.

He currently feels that his physical reserves are quite good, much stronger than at this time last season, especially since he doesn't feel the slow recovery speed after expending so much energy last season.

On the evening of the 19th, before the game started, Jordan, who hadn't contacted Barkley for a long time, couldn't resist and made a phone call.

"Hey Michael, what's up?" Barkley's somewhat greasy voice rang out.

"Charles, my brother, play well tonight and try to make it to Game 7," Jordan said earnestly.

“Michael, are you begging me?” Barkley said.

"Shet!"

Jordan suddenly jumped up from his chair, leaping three feet high.

"Ha ha……"

Barkley laughed heartily and then said, "Alright, Michael, I know you want to sweep me in the Finals. I'll try my best, I swear to God."

Jordan said, frustrated, "If you make it to the Finals, Charles, my brother, I'll make sure all my business deals include you."

"really?"

Barkley's voice suddenly became shrill, as if it had been instantly neutered.

Attending brand events can be lucrative; Jordan now earns between $50 and $100 million per event, and if he attends, he could easily make half of that. It's easy money.

"Of course, brother, I look forward to seeing you in the Finals," Jordan encouraged.

“You’ll see, I swear,” Barkley said confidently.

Jordan breathed a sigh of relief. He vowed to sweep the Suns and kill that idiot Barkley once the Suns made it to the Finals.

(End of this chapter)