The NBA's Absolute Dominance

Chapter 175 A Great Comeback
2:8, Bulls attack.

Phil Jackson now understands one thing: passes between the strong and weak sides can no longer go through the penalty area. Tang Bei's defensive performance today is too good, and such passes are easily intercepted by anticipation.

But then their passes would have to be made at the high post or beyond the three-point line, which would be pointless.
The cross-court pass between the strong and weak sides mainly involves Pippen drawing the defense on the strong side, and Jordan suddenly passing the ball when he cuts into the paint from the weaker side, creating a back cut.

Therefore, the playing style cannot be changed; he doesn't believe that Tang Bei can make accurate predictions every time.

He then gave the tactical hand signals, continuing with the previously planned offensive strategy: the Bulls' offense had to penetrate the defense.

If they don't break through, the Bulls are doomed to lose.

Pippen was still one-on-one against Glen Rice on the left wing, and after taking two steps in, he suddenly turned and drove to the left elbow area.

He wasn't double-teamed at all, which annoyed him. "Is a superstar who isn't double-teamed still a superstar? Am I not a superstar?"

"Damn it, how dare you ignore me? I'll vote you out!"

But then he saw that Tang Bei under the basket was not moving at all and did not come up to help him, which made him even more furious, and he jumped up.

Jordan, who was cutting into the paint from the weak side along the baseline, stretched out his hands to catch the ball, only to find that Pippen had already shot it, leaving him stunned.

"Bang!"

His angry shooting motion was very erratic; the basketball missed by half a foot, hit the outside of the rim, and was then caught by Tang Bei.

"Boss."

On the left wing, Steve Smith turned and ran, reaching out for the ball.

Upon seeing this, Jordan immediately took off to chase after him, but was two steps behind at the start.

"Whoosh!"

Tang Bei tossed the object with both hands and passed it over.

Five seconds later, he stood on the left wing three-point line, next to Jordan, and then Steve Smith used his screen to dribble two steps to the side behind him, shaking off Jordan.

Three points?

Zhang Heli shouted loudly, then excitedly yelled, "It's in! Steve Smith hit a wide-open three-pointer!"

Han Qiaosheng said in an excited tone: "Dear viewers, it's now 2:11, the Bulls are down by 9 points, and the Heat have made an amazing start."

The Bulls were on offense, and Phil Jackson called another timeout.

Bill Russell said, "Michael Jordan had just cut to the right low post, and Pippen took the shot himself. Do you think that shot was reasonable?"

"Absolutely unreasonable."

In the CCTV live broadcast room, Zhang Heli said, "Pippen shouldn't have come himself; he should have passed to Michael who was cutting behind his back, so Tang Bei could have made another steal."

"Ha ha……"

Sun Zhenping and Han Qiaosheng immediately burst into laughter.

In the NBC studio, Barkley continued, "It makes sense, absolutely makes sense."

"Why?" Bill Walton asked cooperatively.

Barkley said, "Because the passing lane was right next to Tang Bei, passing it over would result in another steal, and Pippen had already broken through the defender, so he had to take the shot himself, which was a reasonable move."

Bill Russell nodded and said, "Michael kept cutting in from the weak side. I think Phil Jackson has set up an offensive tactic to attack the paint."

Bill Walton said, "That's for sure. The interior defense is too weak. Under the defense of Tang Bei and Grant Long, they can't launch any inside attacks and can only rely on the outside to attack the paint."

Barkley chuckled and said, "Don't imagine Tang Bei's defense to be that great. Can his defense, along with that role player Grant Long's, compare to Ewing and Oakley's?"

Bill Russell asked with great curiosity, "Oh, Charles, so how do you think the Bulls should break through?"

Barkley sneered, "Charge into the paint! Charge in like there's no tomorrow! If Tang dares to go all out, foul him out in the first quarter."

The other two were stunned. There was a solution, but after the Eastern Conference Finals, would the Bulls still have enough players to play?
Phil Jackson didn't say anything after the timeout. He didn't think Pippen's shot was wrong, but emphasized that he needed to stay calm on the court, control his emotions, and make more consistent shots.

After the timeout, the Bulls launched an attack.

After the play started, Pippen backed down Glen Rice on the left wing.

Glen Rice is physically imposing, but his core strength is inferior, and his defensive skills are average. After being knocked back, Pippen took the opportunity to break through.

"If you don't help me, I'll vote you out!"

He charged back to the left elbow area, glared resentfully at Tang Bei inside, and then calmed down.

At this moment, on the right weak side, Jordan had just shaken off Steve Smith, but was caught up by Grant Long, who had switched onto him.

Seeing that Jordan hadn't made it out of the open space, Tang Bei quickly lunged towards the left elbow area, taking off from three meters away just as Pippen released his shot.

"Snapped!"

When it reached its highest point, it stretched out its left arm and grabbed the ball with its large hand.

boom!
This block, spanning nearly five meters, instantly sent Miami Arena into a frenzy, with a massive roar creating a shockwave that reverberated through everyone's ears and soul.

"Didn't you say you wouldn't make it up to me?"

Pippen wanted to curse, and in a fit of resentment, he turned around and chased after Tang Bei.

Tang Bei passed the ball to Glen Rice, who was running down the court. Pippen quickly chased after Rice, but fell behind and could not catch up.

"boom!"

Jordan on the left wing was a couple of steps too slow, and the Bulls failed to get back on defense in time. Glen Rice ended the fast break with a powerful dunk.

Sun Zhenping said excitedly, "Tang Bei's defensive performance today was really good, with both anticipatory steals and high-flying blocks."

Zhang Heli suggested, "This kind of block is too physically demanding, and the impact on the knees when landing is too great, so it should be used less often."

Han Qiaosheng said, "I don't know where I heard it from, but this kind of landing can have an impact force of up to one ton on the knees."

Sun Zhenping nodded and said, "Then we should use them less often. Centers are most prone to knee injuries. That superstar center, Ewing, injured his knee during college."

Zhang Heli said, "Ewing is the most technically skilled of all the super centers. Not counting Tang Bei, his physical strength is the strongest. If his knee hadn't been injured, his potential would have been even higher."

The Bulls trail by 11 points, 2:13.

Even Pippen, after such a start, seemed a bit lost, glancing towards the coaching bench during offensive and defensive transitions.

After two timeouts, Phil Jackson called for a third.

We had to intervene. Apart from Jordan, whose vision remained firm, the morale of the others was somewhat low, so we had to step in.

"The Bulls have already been forced to call three timeouts by the Heat right at the start of the first quarter, making Game 4 a bit risky," Bill Walton said.

Bill Russell said, "The Bulls' offense just isn't working, and Tang Bei's defense is just too good today."

Barkley chuckled and said, "Michael just wants to drive in, his offensive style is too one-dimensional, and his offensive behavior is easily predicted by the opponent."

Pippen doesn't want to drive in at all. He just wants to shoot from the outside, and he's afraid of getting his pass intercepted. How can he play like that?
"Of the five Bulls players, only those two are playing; the other three haven't contributed much to the offense. How can their triangle offense possibly work?"

Bill Russell and Bill Walton were taken aback. Did Pippen not dare to go in?
Upon reflection, they realized it was true; Pippen hadn't entered the penalty area even once today.

Barkley's subsequent words convinced them that the Bulls' offense was terrible today; they only focused on attacking the paint and gave up on everything else.

Barkley continued, "Pippen has to drive in, completely draw Tang Bei's defense, and then pass the ball to Michael. That's the proper drive-and-kick tactic."

The other three players must get involved; otherwise, if it's always Pippen and Michael, the Heat's defense will become inherently predictable.

On the Bulls' bench, Phil Jackson said, "Gentlemen, your offense is too rigid. From start to finish, only Scottie and Michael are involved in the offense. What about our triangle offense?"

"Tony, you need to move up to the high post as a playmaker and the offensive hub."

"Scottie, don't pass directly to Michael, you need to avoid Tang Bei's interception range."

"Don't forget the corner three-pointers, they're a very important offensive tool for us. You have to pass them the ball and get all the offensive power going."

"Also, you have to break in and not give Tang Bei a chance to help defend Michael. You have to draw his defensive attention."

"Michael, you need to combine mid-range shots with drives to the basket to diversify your offensive options and better engage their defense."

"Dennis, we're counting on you for defense and rebounding. You're our most important asset."

The time has come, and the players are getting up to prepare to go on the field.

“The Worm…” Jordan said.

"Please call me Flower Butterfly."

Rodman interrupted Jordan, speaking seriously.

"..."

Jordan was stunned.

"Are you really sick?"

He cursed under his breath, deciding to forgo the nickname altogether, and said, "Dennis, when Tony moves up, remember to get to the basket in time to fill the gap there."

"I know that. I'm just as good at the triangle offense as you are," Rodman said rather arrogantly.

Jordan gritted his teeth and thought, "Fine, as long as he listens, I won't hold his attitude against him."

The timeout ends and the game resumes.

After the timeout, the Bulls' offense improved somewhat.

Pippen started driving into the paint, Jordan added mid-range shots and even three-pointers, and Armstrong and Toni Kukoc also made their contributions.

Once the offense clicked, the defense also improved.

The Bulls pushed their defense to the limit, using tough man-to-man defense to reduce the offensive efficiency of the Heat's other positions, forcing Tang Bei to frequently move up to the high post to break through the Bulls' perimeter defense and strengthen his individual offense.

Although the Heat's offensive efficiency declined in other positions, Tang Bei continued to score, improving the team's overall offensive efficiency.

Meanwhile, on the defensive end, Tang Bei intensified his blockade of the paint, delivering a series of blocks and steals, forcing the Bulls to increase their outside jump shots.

His defense hampered the Bulls' inside offense, significantly reducing their chances of scoring inside and lowering their overall offensive efficiency.

This forced Jordan to launch a frantic offensive attack, but he was unable to achieve high efficiency against the Heat's double-teaming and Tang Bei's help defense.

So although the Bulls' situation improved, they were unable to fundamentally change the game, and the Heat maintained their lead.

"At 22:30, the Heat still lead by 8 points, but the game became quite close in the second half of the quarter," Bill Russell said after the first quarter.

Bill Walton said, "The situation is still firmly in the hands of the Heat, no, it should be said that it is in the hands of Tang Bei. His fear is always hanging over the Bulls."

比尔·拉塞尔点头道：“唐北打了11分钟，10投8中，4罚2中，单节18分4篮板1抢断2盖帽。乔丹8投4中，三分球2投1中，2罚2中，得到11分。”

巴克利说道：“皮蓬6投2中，4分1篮板1助攻3失误，他的表现不怎么样时，拖累了公牛的进攻。”

Bill Walton immediately seized on the topic and asked, "Charles, do you mean that Pippen is more important than Michael Jordan, and that he is the key to deciding the outcome of the game?"

Barkley laughed and said without any hesitation, "He is the Bulls' playmaker, and his performance will certainly determine the outcome."

"So Charles, do you think the Bulls have a chance to win Game 4?" Bill Russell asked.

Barkley thought for a moment and said, "It's only been one quarter. If the Bulls maintain the same level of defensive intensity, they have a chance."

Bill Russell nodded and said, "Once the Bulls' offense got going, the Heat's poor perimeter defense was exposed."

"The Heat's perimeter defense is much better than last season."

Bill Walton added, "I think the Heat have a better chance if the game continues like this." "Bill, you're biased towards the Heat," Barkley said without hesitation.

“No, I didn’t,” Bill Walton immediately denied.

"You have."

"I do not have."

"You have."

"I do not have."

"Alright, alright, Charles, let Bill have his opinion, okay?" Bill Russell quickly stopped the two from arguing.

"OK, I'd also like to hear how he tries to justify himself."

"Ha ha……"

Bill Russell burst out laughing.

Bill Walton jokingly retorted, "Charles, you bastard, why don't you become a commentator after you retire? I think you'll get a higher contract than you did playing basketball."

“I think so too,” Barkley said smugly.

Bill Walton then said, "The reason I think the Heat have a better chance if the game continues like this is because the Bulls still can't solve Tang Bei's offense."

Barkley shook his head and said, "No, as long as the Bulls shut down the other four, that's enough. Tang Bei can't beat all five Bulls players by himself. That's the essence of extreme defense."

Bill Walton shook his head and said, "Tang's fighting power in the series is too strong, stronger than Chamberlain, averaging 30+ points per game, and he is highly efficient."

The Bulls would have to pay a higher price to erase Tang Bei's advantage, and they couldn't completely shut down the rest of the Heat's players, nor could they allow Tang Bei to score alone.

Barkley said, "I admit you have a point, but I believe that in this must-win Game 4, Michael and his teammates will put on an amazing performance on both offense and defense."

"That's too idealistic. You have to remember, this is the Heat's home court, the Heat are leading by a large margin, and the Heat are stronger in terms of overall strength," Bill Walton complained.

"Impossible! How could you possibly think the Heat are stronger than the Bulls?" Barkley exclaimed.

After some debate, Bill Walton took it seriously and immediately said, "If the Heat aren't stronger than the Bulls, why are they leading by such a large margin? Did the Heat rig the game?"

"..."

Barkley was speechless.

Bill Walton continued his attack: "In terms of roster, the Heat are actually no less than the Bulls. The reason you think the Bulls are stronger is because of the impression left by the Bulls' two consecutive championships and Michael's greatness."

But I think Tang is the most dominant super center in NBA history. He could destroy the Bulls' interior defense with just one hand.

With shooters like Glen Rice and Steve Smith, a consistent point guard like Avery Johnson, and a bench unit featuring John Salley, Dell Curry, and Kevin Edwards, the Heat's roster is a match for the Bulls.

"But the Bulls' defense is far superior to the Heat's."

Barkley got a severe beating from Tang Bei. He doesn't like the Heat, and he dislikes Tang Bei even more.

Bill Walton smiled dismissively and said, "Defense? The Bulls' defense is only better than the Heat's on the perimeter and inside, right?"
No, quite the opposite. The Heat's interior defense is far superior to the Bulls', and Tang Bei is already a top-tier all-around superstar.

If he wanted to, his defense could rival Hakeem Olajuwon's. If he wanted to, he could turn the penalty area into a no-fly zone, completely shutting it down.

In fact, throughout this series, the Bulls' offense struggled to operate in the low post, as Tang only needed one hand to shut down the Bulls' weak inside offense.

He also had a better rebounding ability than Rodman, and with Grant Long on the team, the Heat consistently outrebounded the Bulls.

He also possesses a superior high-post playmaking ability compared to Toni Kukoc, which can break down the Bulls' defense against the Heat's perimeter offense.

No matter how the Bulls defended, they couldn't shut down the Heat's offense, and no matter how the Bulls attacked, they couldn't truly break through Tang's blockade of the paint.

The Bulls couldn't score, and they couldn't shut down the Heat; that's why they lost.

"Damn stutterer!"

Barkley cursed under his breath, then laughed awkwardly, "Bill, you're a huge fan of Don, aren't you? Your praise for him is way too much, haha!"

Bill Walton chuckled and retorted, "No, Charles, I'm not a die-hard fan of his, nor am I praising him; I'm just stating the facts."

"Alright, let's look forward to both of them playing better now," Bill Russell said, bringing the argument to a close.

The game ended with the Bulls making a desperate comeback, with the score at 95-103, but the Heat ultimately prevailed.

Bill Russell said, "Michael Jordan played the entire game, 48 minutes, shooting 16-for-32 from the field, including 3-for-6 from three-point range, all at a 50% shooting percentage, which was very efficient."

加上11罚10中，迈克尔轰下45分6篮板5助攻4抢断2盖帽3失误3犯规的豪华数据。

In the four games of the Eastern Conference Finals, he scored 33, 42, 44, and today's 45 points, averaging 41 points per game. His performance was undeniably excellent, a truly dominant display.

比尔·沃顿说道：“皮蓬16投7中，命中率43.8%，拿到18分5助攻3抢断1盖帽4失误2犯规的数据，表现一般。”

He then added, "Three Bulls players scored in double figures, with Armstrong adding 11 points, but the main scoring came from Michael alone."

Bill Russell, pointing to the Heat's stats, said, "Tang Bei played 44 minutes, took a lot of shots, 21 of 28 (75%), and 11 of 16 free throws (68.8%)."

他本场轰下了53分15篮板3助攻3抢断6盖帽3失误2犯规，数据超级豪华。

唐在四场东决中，分别轰下45分15篮板4盖帽、49分17篮板6盖帽、40分16篮板6盖帽、53分15篮板6盖帽。

场均46.75分15.75篮板5.5盖帽，打出超级惊人的表现，3场40+和1场50+。”

After reading out the data, he said with emotion, "Tang broke his personal playoff single-game scoring record, which is also the first 50+ point game in this season's series."

His first 50+ point playoff game was Game 2 of last year's Eastern Conference Finals, also against the Bulls, where he scored 52 points and grabbed 24 rebounds.

Bill Walton said, "The Heat also had three players scoring in double figures: Glen Rice with 15 points and Steve Smith with 12 points. Out of eight players in the rotation, seven scored."

Barkley said with a hint of helplessness, "The Bulls have lost three straight games and dropped a match point. This is troublesome. Luckily, they won Game 1, otherwise they would have been..."

Bill Walton, with a strange expression, prompted, "Charles, what else could happen?"

Barkley said with a look of relief, "Otherwise, Michael would have been swept again."

"Pfft!"

The other two couldn't help but laugh.

"Hey, God of Gamblers, if you surrender obediently in Game 5, I won't humiliate you." Tang Bei greeted after the match.

When Jordan heard this after losing the match point, he felt like his backside was on fire. He didn't care about the God of Wealth, surrender, or massacre.

He stared at Tang Bei with the fiercest look in his eyes and roared, "You?"

"Can't I do it?" Tang Bei asked in surprise.

"..."

Jordan was furious, but luckily an NBC reporter came by, and he turned around and headed towards the player tunnel, ignoring the bench.

"Do you think Game 5 can end the Eastern Conference Finals?" an NBC reporter asked.

Tang Bei cautiously said, "That's not necessarily true. The Bulls will definitely fight back desperately. After all, they still have the advantage of two home courts. If they win Game 5, the Bulls should think they have a chance to turn things around."

He said this with the league's attitude in mind. The Eastern Conference Finals have very high viewership, and the league certainly hopes that the Eastern Conference Finals can go on for a longer period of time, preferably to a Game 7.

"If the Heat advance, how high do you think their chances of winning the championship are?" the reporter asked again.

Tang Bei thought for a moment and said, "Very high, second only to the Suns' chances of winning the championship last year."

"Pfft!"

The reporter burst out laughing, but quickly suppressed it and asked, "Tang, you and Hakeem Olajuwon are both considered the four greatest centers. Who do you think is stronger?"

Tang Bei casually said, "Olajuwon can't defend my offense, but I can keep him from getting close to the basket. His mid-range shot is even worse than mine, so I'll make his offensive efficiency drop significantly."

His ability to break through defenses is so-so; once he's away from the basket, he's useless. He relies on fancy footwork, but that's ineffective; he can't fool me.

"Tang, you, you really think Dream is trash, that weak?" His rambling left even the NBC reporter speechless.

"Of course, I'm not just making this up," Tang Bei said seriously.

"Idiot, you damn trash, I'll shake your big mouth off."

In a hotel in Salt Lake City, in front of the television, Hakeem Olajuwon, after being belittled by Tang Bei, looked very unhappy. His heart felt like it was burning with anger.

"Boss, we must get revenge on him!" Mad Max shouted.

The leader was humiliated, and the rest of the Rockets looked equally grim, but upon hearing Maxwell's words, they all rationally shook their heads.

Kenny Smith quickly advised, "Hakim, don't fight him. I heard Larry Johnson say that he has the strength of a professional boxer. He's a heavyweight, and he could blow our heads off with one punch."

These words quickly calmed Olajuwon and Mad Max down. Olajuwon struggled to say, "It's close to the level of a professional boxer."

“That was last year’s All-Star Game, and the media reported that he had been training as a professional boxer, right?” Kenny Smith said.

At this point, he thought for a moment and added, "Even if they are close to the level of professional heavyweight boxers, if we all go up against them, we'll just be throwing our heads away, right? If we splatter our brains, we'll only be able to collect them with a mop."

Hakeem Olajuwon immediately pictured a person in a white coat collecting his own brains with a mop, and a chill ran down his spine.

He glared at Kenny Smith and said irritably, "Kenny, did I just say I was going to fight him?"

Kenny Smith was startled upon hearing this and hurriedly said:

"Hakim, you're not thinking of doing something dirty to him on the field, are you? NO NO NO, please don't do that, it will completely enrage him."

Before Olajuwon could speak, Mad Max said irritably, "Kenny, what are you afraid of? There are so many of us, why would we be afraid of just one guy?"

Kenny Smith retorted angrily, "Vernon, the Heat also have 15 players. Do you think we have more players than them?"

"Go ahead and try to take him down on the sidelines, I'll support you in spirit. If you win, I'll throw you a party; if you lose, I'll call an ambulance for you."

"you?"

Maxwell is just impulsive and a little manic, but he's not an idiot. He's an 82-kilogram guard, not someone with severe fear who can be beaten with one hand.

"Alright, shut up, all of you. We're just playing ball, not fighting. Nobody messing around," Hakeem Olajuwon said irritably.

“That’s right, we’re going for the championship, not the morgue.” Kenny Smith finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Kenny, can you say something nice?"

Hakeem Olajuwon glared at Kenny Smith again.

"Ha ha……"

Kenny Smith chuckled.

On the 29th, major media outlets across the United States and around the world lauded the Heat and Tang Beigao, while the Bulls and Jordan were criticized.

"Three to one, a deep fear grips the Chicago sprinter!" - Los Angeles Times.

The New York Times: "Michael Jordan has delivered a historic performance with an average of 41 points per game, but he still can't beat Tang Bei, who averages 46.75 points, 15.75 rebounds, and 5.5 blocks per game."

"The Heat rise to power, their overwhelming fear reigns supreme; their dynasty's ambitions thwarted, the Air Jordan tragically ends." - Asahi Shimbun.

The Washington Post: "In NBA history, there has never been a comeback from a 1-3 deficit in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Bulls are about to be eliminated."

As the team leader, Michael Jordan will bear the greatest responsibility; the brilliance of the current best player will gradually fade.

"Michael Jordan blasts Tang Bei, staging a dramatic comeback." Chicago Daily News.

(End of this chapter)