The NBA's Absolute Dominance

Chapter 176 Michael, you are still one of the strongest people in this league.
That night was Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals, which was broadcast live across the United States by ESPN. Several other television networks, including NBC, TNT, and ABC, each hosted a program about whether the Bulls could turn the tide, inviting many current and retired stars to participate.

ESPN had no choice but to hastily create a similar program in order to boost ratings, and linked it with Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals.

The Game 4 match officially started at 8:00 PM and aired at 7:20 PM. The program aired at 7:00 PM and lasted for 20 minutes.

The hosts and commentators were Michael Brin and Tom Tolbert, and the guests were Thomas the Smiley Assassin and Bill Lambiel.

Far away in Chicago, in Michael Jordan's mansion, he flipped through the remote control, finally stopping at the ESPN channel.

Juanita said, "Michael, ESPN invited Laimbeer and Thomas, it's definitely aimed at your show, why would you watch their show?"

"Let's see what their foul mouths can say," Jordan said stubbornly.

Juanita glanced at the remote control in Jordan's hand, then at the television, somewhat worried that they wouldn't withstand Michael's wrath.

After the show began, Michael Brin gave a couple of opening remarks, and then said:
"Isiah, Beal, you two are very familiar with Michael Jordan. Do you think he has a chance to pull off a comeback in the Eastern Conference Finals?"

What sweet dreams are you having?

Isaiah Thomas immediately retorted, "If we hadn't gotten old and injured, he would never have had a chance to break out of the East. He was lucky enough to win two championships, but now he's going to be crushed in the East by severe fear."

Bill Laimbeer said with a fierce look, "He can't turn the tables, but he can flip the toilet seat, hahaha..."

"Fuck you!"

Jordan felt he was being a bit of a jerk and quickly changed the channel.

Juanita breathed a sigh of relief; thankfully, they hadn't smashed the TV or the remote.

Twenty minutes later, Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals began.

快被唐北气爆的奥拉朱旺在客场打出“疯狂”的状态，18投6中，以33.3%的命中率，轰下16分9篮板3助攻5盖帽3失误4犯规的数据。

Mad Max was completely out of sorts, scoring only 6 points on 2-of-10 shooting.

Fortunately, Kenny Smith was in great form, scoring 25 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists with a 53.3% field goal percentage.

Rookie Sam Cassell made 3 of 6 shots, scoring 10 points.

The Rockets played poorly, losing 80-78, and the Jazz, playing at home, were even worse, giving the Rockets a match point.

The biggest reason for the loss was the free throws. They made 19 of 29 free throws, eight more than the Rockets, but only made two more. If they had made three more, they could have tied the series.

"The Jazz are such a disappointment. Looks like we're really going to have to play the Rockets in the Finals." In the hotel room, Tang Bei went up and turned off the TV.

To be honest, playing the Jazz is definitely easier than playing the Rockets. Once the Rockets get hot, their three-pointers are very difficult to defend. With the Heat's perimeter defense, the Rockets are harder to beat than the Bulls.

Furthermore, the Heat do not have home-court advantage. The Rockets had 58 wins in the regular season, while the Heat only had 56 wins, which is a significant disadvantage.

If it were a game against the Jazz, the Jazz don't have such a strong three-point shooting ability, and the Heat would also have home-court advantage, making it easier for them to win.

On the 30th, at the Chicago Arena, Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals broke out.

The Bulls, playing at home, narrowly defeated the Heat 93-97, winning by only 4 points.

唐北受到了较严厉的吹罚，命中率只有54.5%，拿到36分15篮板2助攻1抢断5盖帽3失误4犯规的数据，东决五场中，单场得分首次低于40分。

Other players performed far worse than at home under the Bulls' relentless defense. Glen Rice, Steve Smith, and Kevin Edwards scored 17, 15, and 11 points respectively, but their shooting percentages were all below 40%.

而乔丹在主场打出了超神的状态，命中率56.5%，轰下51分8篮板8助攻4推断2盖帽的豪华数据。

Pippen scored 21 points, Armstrong 13 points, and Toni Kukoc 12 points.

With the score at 2-3, the Bulls are still trailing in the Eastern Conference Finals, while the Heat still hold the series lead.

After this game, there was a greater voice supporting the Bulls' comeback.

The New York Times: "The Heat's stamina is waning and they are about to be extinguished. The intense fear is gone, and the Air Jordan is in full form, ready to lead the Bulls to a dramatic comeback in the Eastern Conference Finals."

NBC: "We believe the Bulls have a 35% chance of advancing, an increase of 12 percentage points from yesterday."

TNT: "We expect the Bulls to win a road game. If they do, the Bulls will have the opportunity to become the first team to come back from a 1-3 deficit in the Eastern Conference Finals, and their chances of advancing to the NBA Finals will be as high as 70%."

"Let them dream."

On the private plane bound for Miami, Tang Bei tossed the newspaper aside.

However, he was also very clear that if the game went to a Game 7, the Heat's morale would plummet after two consecutive losses. Moreover, playing on the road would put them at a disadvantage in terms of popularity, the league's official stance, sponsors, and fans, making a Game 7 extremely difficult.

With the Bulls having the chance to pull off a historic comeback, they are bound to be in high spirits and have the home-court advantage in Game 7. It's likely that the Heat will be crushed in the Eastern Conference once again.

He then stood up and said to his teammates behind him, "Guys, we have to finish them at home. We can't let it go to a Game 7. That's their home court."

“Yes, let’s take care of them tomorrow,” John Selye immediately chimed in.

Victory is certain tomorrow!

"Four to two, we advance to the finals."

With one person taking the lead and another cooperating, the others immediately joined in, shouting loudly all at once.

After dinner, around seven o'clock, Tang Bei was preparing to return to his villa when Jia Bao suddenly said, "Wet Tiger, I forgot something. We need to prepare the invitations. Write down a list."

"it is good."

Tang Bei nodded, when suddenly his phone rang.

He glanced at the number and saw it was Liu Yumin from the basketball department. He answered and said, "Hello, Director Liu."

Liu Yumin said, "Hello Tang Bei, the World Championships are coming up soon, from August 4th to 14th. I'm asking if you're going to meet up with us in China or in Canada?"

"..."

Tang Bei's scalp tingled. Oh no, he'd completely forgotten about the World Championships.

"Tang Bei?"

Seeing that Tang Bei didn't respond, Liu Yumin quickly asked.

"Oh, Director Liu, I'll tell him later. I'll call him back in a bit," he said hurriedly.

"Okay, okay, I'll wait for your call."

Liu Yumin felt something was off. It had been so long, hadn't the schedule been arranged yet? The finals would only go on until mid-June at most, so there shouldn't be any problem.

"What's wrong, Wet Tiger?" Jia Bao asked.

Tang Bei said awkwardly, "Jiabao, there's something I forgot."

"Wet Tiger, is there a bank account you haven't told me about?"

Jia Bao, her little face contorted with anger, gave her four personal maids a meaningful look. "Go, get me a sword. That wet tiger is hiding his money from me. I'll chop him up today."

These four maids came from the Nemur family and grew up with her from elementary school to university. They also served as her bodyguards and could understand her meaning with just a glance.

"no no."

Tang Bei quickly replied, "After the finals, I have to go to the Men's Basketball World Championship. If we make it to the finals, the tournament won't be over until the 14th."

Jia Bao smiled broadly and said, "Wet Tiger, you're so silly. Didn't you say that your national team is very weak? Even with you, it's impossible to make it to the finals. Our wedding is on the 15th, we'll definitely make it."

"Not ahead of time?" Tang Bei asked hurriedly.

“Of course not earlier. August 15th is the Feast of the Assumption of Mary, and we can’t change it,” Garbo said earnestly.

"Miss, the gun is here."

At this moment, four maids ran over. The first one was carrying an AK47, the second one was carrying two Glock 17s, the third one was carrying a Remington shotgun, and the fourth one was carrying an M16 semi-automatic rifle.

"What are you doing?" Tang Bei's eyes widened.

Jia Bao's mouth gaped open, then her eyes darted around, and she chuckled, "By the way, Wet Tiger, I'm going to practice my shooting, do you want to come?"

"Nonsense, what shooting practice at night?"

Tang Bei glared at Jia Bao with annoyance.

"Hehe, then I won't practice."

Jia Bao glared at the four stupid maids who couldn't understand her gaze. Look what happened to them; they got a scolding from Shi Hu.

After Tang Bei left, she said irritably, "You guys are really useless. I told you to take swords, why did you take guns?"

"Miss, aren't you no match for Mr. Tang with a sword?"

"If I can't beat them, I'll just act spoiled and act cute, and then the wet tiger will give in."

"Hehe, Miss, we were wrong."

"Wrong? If you're wrong, you have to be punished."

"Miss, what should the punishment be?"

"You will each be punished by eating a preserved egg, without any seasoning."

"Oh, miss, please spare us!"

On the evening of the 31st, in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals, the Rockets hosted the Jazz.

Ultimately, the Jazz lost on the road, 83-94, and were eliminated with a score of 1-4, while the Rockets became the first team to advance to the Finals.

大梦奥拉朱旺22分10篮板6助攻4抢断7盖帽6失误3犯规，虽然打出了攻防一体的表现，但命中率只有47.6%，杀伤力也不够，只有5罚4中。

Robert Horry was the Rockets' best performer, racking up 22 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 assists with a 61.5% field goal percentage.

The rebounds, turnovers, and fouls were roughly the same, but the Jazz had 8 more free throw attempts and made 5 more.

The Rockets won because of their shooting; their 47.2% field goal percentage was nearly 14 percentage points higher than the Jazz's.

In addition, the team won on defense, with 10 steals and 10 blocks compared to the Jazz's 3 each.

The Rockets also had a better three-point shooting performance, making 8 of 21 attempts for a 38.1% success rate, while the Jazz made only 4 of 14 attempts for a 28.6% success rate.

Hakeem Olajuwon, who had finally made it to the Finals, was extremely excited. During the post-game interview, he looked at the ESPN live broadcast camera and said:
"Michael, take down that big mouth, and we'll meet in the finals."

In a Miami hotel, Jordan raised his fist forcefully in front of the television as a response.

"Hakeem, do you think the Bulls are easier to deal with than the Heat?" the reporter asked.

“Of course,” Hakeem Olajuwon blurted out.

"Fuck you!"

Feeling betrayed, Jordan cursed and immediately pointed his middle finger at Hakeem Olajuwon on the TV screen.

"Michael..."

Jordan's agent, David Falk, accompanied him to the away game today and said:
"You should think of it this way: if Olajuwon were facing Tang Bei, he would be facing the most intense pressure directly."

But against the Bulls, it won't be the same. He'll have a very easy time against Rodman and Toni Kukoc, so you should understand his desire for the Bulls to reach the Finals.

Jordan nodded helplessly and said, "David, do you believe we can turn this around?"

"of course."

How else could David Falk answer this question?
"What if we fail?" Jordan asked.

David Falk paused for a moment, then said, "You are still you, and you are still one of the most powerful people in this alliance."

"One of them? One of the damn things," Jordan cursed under his breath.

Before Tang Bei appeared, he had two championships, two Finals MVPs, three MVPs, one All-Star MVP, six scoring titles, two steals titles, and a lot of All-NBA First Team selections and All-Star starts. After winning two consecutive championships, he was the best player in the league.

But now, even David Falk believes he is just one of the most powerful people in the league.

David Falk noticed Jordan's grim expression but still advised, "Michael, go to the casino less during the offseason. You're going through a tough time right now, and you can't afford any more scandals."

"You don't think the Bulls can pull off a comeback?" Jordan said irritably.

David Falk shook his head and said, "I hope you win your third championship, but the Heat are really strong, Tang Bei is too strong, you should know that."

Jordan snorted coldly.

David Falk sighed inwardly. If they lost again this time, the Bulls management would probably have to make changes to the roster, and it would be difficult for Michael to win another championship.

But he dared not say it, because if he did, Michael Jordan would probably rush to Jerry Krause's room immediately.

Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals will begin on June 1st.

This game attracted a large number of Hollywood stars to Miami, and front-row courtside tickets were selling for thousands of dollars on the black market, yet they were still hard to come by.

The Heat's official average ticket price has risen to $270, exceeding the average ticket price for last year's NBA Finals.

Also present today is Madonna, the queen of pop music.

This pop star has a beachfront villa in Miami, where she sometimes stays for a while.

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

Chicago Bulls: Dennis Rodman, Toni Kukoc, Scottie Pippen, Michael Jordan, BJ Armstrong

Miami Heat: Tang Bei, Grant Lang, Glen Rice, Steve Smith, Avery Johnson

Bill Russell said, "Since Luke Longley and Will Perdo got injured, the Bulls haven't double-teamed Tang Bei. Currently, there are four players in the rotation in the frontcourt on the 12-man roster."

Bill Walton said, "The Bulls' defense was good in the last game, which reduced Tang Bei's number of touches and lowered his scoring."

Barkley, the guest tonight, said, "The Bulls will definitely play all-out defense tonight, and I believe Michael can turn the game around."

"Hey, Michael..."

At this point, he raised his fist and shouted at the camera, "Old buddy, stop sleeping and take down that good-for-nothing Tang Bei!"

"Chubby!"

In the away team's locker room, Jordan cursed angrily.

"idiot!"

In the home team's locker room, Tang Bei also cursed.

"Tang, if your teammates are on a hot streak today, try to get more rebounds," Kevin Longley instructed. "OK."

He nodded.

"And defense too. The Bulls can't afford to lose again, so they're going to go on a crazy offensive today. You have to defend the paint."

"Leave the restricted area to me."

"Hey, Dennis."

Upon his first appearance, Madonna gave Rodman a hug from the diva.

"I'll be waiting for you in New York after the playoffs."

"OK."

Madonna spoke to Rodman in an unquestionable tone, like a queen.

"OK."

Rodman was thrilled by the news of the Queen's invitation to play, and he looked at Jordan and the others with a smug grin, showing his big front teeth.

Many reporters rushed over with their cameras and started snapping pictures.

"Are they together?" Tang Bei asked curiously.

John Salley, who was standing next to him, said, "Dennis was a special guest on the cover of Madonna's magazine, and the photo was taken in Miami."

"And then you got together?"

Tang Bei nodded; there had been news reports about it at the time.

John Salley laughed and said, "It happened after the magazine shoot. Dennis even called me to brag that Madonna was very happy with his body."

At eight o'clock, the competition begins.

After the jump ball, the Heat went on offense.

Tang Bei moved down from the free-throw line, and Rodman tried his best to defend him.

He suddenly executed a Tai Chi turn, bypassing his opponent and entering the paint, effectively blocking Rodman outside.

Upon seeing this, Toni Kukoc had no choice but to rush over and double-team the player off the ball.

The next moment, Avery Johnson, who had just crossed the center line, saw Tang Bei's key position and immediately made a long pass of more than ten meters.

Upon seeing this, the Bulls immediately tightened their defense, and Pippen and Jordan also turned and rushed towards the paint. The long pass gave them enough time to get back on defense.

Tang Bei jumped to receive the ball under the basket, and was immediately surrounded by multiple players after landing.

The next moment, a giant beast like a tiger suddenly sprang up from the crowd, instantly knocking away those who were surrounding him, and two of them were knocked over.

"Di!"

The referee blew his whistle.

"boom!"

At the same time, as the basket rim slammed down, Tang Bei smashed the Bulls' rim with a powerful two-handed dunk.

"WOW!"

Cheers erupted from the crowd, with thousands raising their arms and shouting.

"Pretty!"

"Tang Bei dunked while being surrounded by four players."

"Rodman and Tony Kukoc were knocked over."

"Jordan almost fell too."

"Rodman committed a foul, Tang Bei gets a free throw."

"They gave the Bulls a real shock!"

In the CCTV live broadcast studio, Zhang Heli and Sun Zhenping and Han Qiaosheng excitedly provided commentary.

"brush!"

Tang Beijia's penalty hit.

0:3, Bulls attack.

“The Heat are still using a 3-2 zone defense. Pippen has the ball and is attacking. Armstrong went to the left corner,” Bill Russell said.

Bill Walton said, "The Heat are still going to focus on double-teaming Michael on the weak side when he's moving off the ball, and let Pippen isolate on the strong side. This is the defensive strategy they've used throughout the Eastern Conference Finals."

"brush!"

Pippen didn't pass the ball; the opportunity was too good. He bumped past Glen Rice, turned around, and jumped to shoot, hitting a long two-pointer.

2:3, Heat on offense.

"brush!"

To quickly double-team Tang Bei in the low post, Toni Kukoc left Grant Lang too much space. Grant Lang received a pass from Avery Johnson in the right paint and made a wide-open mid-range jumper.

"Jordan still personally guarded the point guard position and failed to shut down Avery Johnson's passing," Bill Walton said.

“The Bulls are still man-to-man marking; they didn’t double-team Tang Bei beforehand,” Bill Russell said.

Barkley shook his head and said, "The Heat have one inside and four outside players. All four of them can shoot, and two of them can shoot threes. Once the four outside players spread out, the Bulls can't double-team Tang Bei in advance."

The Bulls then got the ball in the frontcourt, and Pippen went one-on-one against Glen Rice. Feeling the opportunity was good, he took another mid-range shot.

"Bang!"

However, this time the shot missed (+1).

Tang Bei grabbed the rebound in the backcourt, and the Heat launched an attack.

Avery Johnson dribbled the ball up the court, then suddenly pulled to the right, dodging Jordan, and crossed the midline from the right wing.

Tang Bei immediately moved to the low right wing, while Grant Long moved to the left wing.

After Steve Smith screened Jordan on the right wing three-point line, Armstrong quickly switched to defend him, and Avery Johnson suddenly jumped up and passed the ball.

"boom!"

On the right wing, Tang Bei received the ball and suddenly performed a Tai Chi spin move, quickly cutting to the basket and then throwing down a powerful dunk.

Bill Russell said, "Rodman's lunge stance, while increasing lower body stability and strengthening his defensive power, lacks flexibility, especially his inability to turn quickly, which makes him unable to defend against Don's tornado."

“Toni Kukoc’s help defense on the weak side didn’t come in time either,” Bill Walton said.

2:7, Bulls attack.

"brush!"

Jordan received the ball on the right wing three-point line, faked a shot and then drove past Steve Smith to break through, but then stopped and jumped to shoot, hitting a long two-pointer.

4:7, Heat on offense.

After two failed defensive attempts, Jordan immediately initiated a half-court press. Avery Johnson used the same tactic, moving to the right wing to request a screen from Steve Smith.

But this time Jordan took a half-step ahead to close in and successfully defended the pick-and-roll, while Armstrong promptly double-teamed him, helping Jordan to successfully steal the ball.

"boom!"

Jordan dribbled down the court and ended the fast break with a tomahawk dunk.

“That was a good defense,” Bill Russell said.

6:7, Heat on offense.

Jordan continued his half-court press defense, but this time, after being double-teamed, Avery Johnson promptly passed the ball to Steve Smith and then ran to the right corner.

Steve Smith catches the ball, and Jordan pounces on him from two meters away.

He immediately jumped, and Jordan jumped from the right side to block the shot.

At the same time, Tang Bei, in the low post on the right wing, suddenly did a Tai Chi spin, bypassing Rodman and entering the paint to grab the rebound.

"Bang!"

It was slightly off-center; the basketball bounced off the rim.

Just then, Tang Bei rushed into the paint and jumped at the same time as Rodman to grab the rebound. Taking advantage of his height and aerial dominance, Tang Bei secured the offensive rebound.

"boom!"

He jumped a second time and easily slammed the ball in.

"Rodman was knocked away in mid-air. Although he was a three-time rebounding champion, he couldn't out-rebound Tang Bei," Bill Russell said quickly.

Barkley chuckled and said, "The Bulls are at a huge height disadvantage under the basket. Neither Rodman nor Kukoc has the ability to block shots, and they are powerless against Tang Bei's dunks under the basket."

Bill Walton looked at Barkley and said, "Charles, how do you usually defend Tang Bei?"

Barkley's face stiffened, and he said irritably, "I'll give him a big block, I've experience with that."

“Haha, when have you ever hated Tang Bei?” Bill Walton laughed loudly.

“I’ll block him, one day,” Barkley chuckled.

6:9, Bulls attack.

"Clang."

Jordan missed his shot, and Grant Long grabbed the rebound.

This time, when Avery Johnson saw Jordan closing in, he immediately passed the ball to Steve Smith on the right wing.

Although Smith is 201 cm tall, he is a combo guard who, like Kevin Edwards, has the ability to attack with the ball and is also a good assist provider, averaging 5.1 assists per game this season.

Armstrong is only 188 cm tall. When he was mismatched against Steve Smith, he was not tall enough and not heavy enough, which was a clear mismatch.

After receiving the ball, Steve Smith immediately went one-on-one against Armstrong.

After he started his one-on-one play, Tang Bei once again entered the paint to prepare for the offensive rebound.

"brush!"

With Tang Bei providing rebounding support and playing at home, Steve Smith took a very bold shot, faking a drive and then sinking a three-pointer.

"You made a decisive shot, and your three-pointer was spot on!" Sun Zhenping said with a smile.

Zhang Heli warned, "He is a member of the Dream Team II and will soon be an opponent of our Chinese men's basketball team. Be careful of his three-pointers."

“Yes, we’re in the same group as the American team,” Han Qiaosheng said.

However, their words had no effect, because the difference in strength was too great. The Dream Team I was in a class of its own and shocked the world. The Dream Team II was certainly no less strong, and no one believed that the Chinese men's basketball team had a chance to defeat the Dream Team II.

6:12, Bulls attack.

Bill Walton said, "The Bulls made 3 of 5 shots, which was actually a pretty good offense. Pippen and Jordan each missed a shot."

Three rebounds were generated, two offensive and one defensive, but the Bulls failed to grab any of them, including the only defensive rebound.

Bill Russell said, "The Heat went 5-for-6, which was more efficient, but they protected the defensive rebounds better and had an advantage on offensive rebounds, but they committed one turnover on the perimeter."

Tony Kukoc received the ball in the right defensive zone, Grant Long guarded him, and Jordan made a back cut to the basket, at which point Kukoc quickly passed the ball.

"We missed someone," Zhang Heli said urgently.

Jordan received the ball a step outside the right waist position and saw that Tang Bei had moved to the right front side of the basket. He immediately stopped and jumped to shoot from the right waist position.

Tang Bei jumped to block the shot, but Jordan adjusted his release angle and missed the ball. He landed and immediately did a Tai Chi spin.

"Bang!"

The basketball went slightly off course, bounced off the rim, and was caught by Rodman under the basket.

"WOW!"

A thunderous cheer erupted at the Miami Arena.

"Snapped!"

Rodman jumped for a second layup, but Tang Bei swatted the ball away from the basket.

Jordan quickly moved to the basket, grabbed the ball, and then turned and shot a fadeaway jumper.

"Get out!"

Tang Bei jumped to block Jordan's shot from the left, swatting the ball away once again.

"WOW!"

The continuous blocks and brilliant rim protection raised the cheers in Miami Arena to a whole new level.

“Tang Bei delivered consecutive blocks,” Bill Russell said quickly.

But the game continued. Tang Bei didn't use much force, and the ball was swatted to the left wing, where it was caught by Pippen a step outside the left waist position.

Glen Rice quickly stepped in front of him, but was immediately knocked away by Pippen.

Then Pippen got up for a second jump shot, but Tang Bei had already lunged a step away, leaping to block the shot and pressing down on the basketball before it could be released, then slamming both the ball and the player back to the floor.

"WOW!"

The Miami Arena erupted in a deafening roar of cheers.

"Tang Bei has blocked the shot for the third time!" Barkley shouted excitedly.

(End of this chapter)