The NBA's Absolute Dominance

Chapter 177 Finals

Glen Rice then grabbed the ball, and after the transition from offense to defense, he immediately launched a fast break.

"brush!"

Avery Johnson received the ball at midcourt and made a layup.

"awesome!"

Zhang Heli excitedly praised, "Although the Bulls grabbed two offensive rebounds in a row, Tang Bei blocked the Bulls' shots three times in a row."

Han Qiaosheng exclaimed excitedly, "Tang Bei blocked the opponent three times in a row during one defensive possession! His defensive performance today is phenomenal!"

Sun Zhenping laughed and said:

At 6:14, the Bulls launched an attack and called a timeout.

Bill Walton said critically, "The Bulls went 3-for-8; there's no way they can come back with that kind of offensive performance."

Charles Barkley swung his championship ring on his right hand and chuckled:
"I believe in Michael. Although I swept him in the Finals, he is still very strong. I always believed he had the ability to turn things around."

Upon hearing this, the two Bills looked up at the sky speechlessly.

After the timeout, the Bulls launched an attack.

Toni Kukoc received the ball on the right side of the free-throw line, Jordan cut inside and received the ball, drew a double team and then passed it.

"brush!"

Toni Kukoc received the ball at the right end of the free throw line and made the mid-range jumper.

8:14, Heat on offense.

"Bang!"

Glen Rice missed a wide-open shot, and Rodman grabbed the rebound.

"Glenn missed his first shot today," Zhang Heli said.

Tang Bei set a screen at the high post, rolled to the basket and received a pass from Avery Johnson, but Toni Kukoc blocked him.

Jordan then joined the double team.

"brush!"

Tang Bei threw the ball to the right wing with both hands, and Grant Long, who was wide open in the right defensive zone, calmly jumped and shot, making the shot.

8:16, Bulls attack.

Bill Russell said, "Of the Heat's five starters, four of them scored except for Glen Rice. They're not having a bad time playing at home."

Bill Walton continued, "If they continue playing like this, the Bulls' chances of a comeback are almost zero."

Just then, Pippen passed the ball to Toni Kukoc, who had moved up high, but the pass was somewhat sluggish.

Tang Bei was always wary of the Bulls' lateral passes, and he became even more vigilant when Kukoc moved up to the high post.

"Snapped!"

At this moment, they promptly cut into the passing lane, completed a steal, and launched a counter-attack.

"Oh……"

During this process, continuous shouts erupted in Miami.

Tang Bei dribbled the ball himself and quickly ran down the free-throw line. Toni Kukoc couldn't keep up, and Jordan and Pippen, who were returning to defend the middle from the wings, also fell behind.

"boom!"

"WOW!"

He took the lead, charged into the paint, and soared into the air like a Pegasus, unleashing a thunderous tomahawk dunk over the basket, igniting the Miami Arena.

"At 8:18, the Heat lead by 10 points, and the Bulls call their second timeout of the quarter," Bill Russell said.

Bill Walton said, "When Kukoc moved up to the high post, Pippen's passing awareness was too obvious, giving Tang Bei the opportunity to steal the ball. Tang Bei's defensive range can cover the three-point line."

Barkley continued, "Don's explosiveness is very strong, his first step is very fast, and with his wingspan advantage, you have to be careful when passing to him within two meters."

Trailing by 10 points at the start, the atmosphere on the Bulls' bench was extremely tense, with only a chorus of heavy breathing heard.

"Phil, how should we play?" Jordan looked up at Phil Jackson.

"Reduce unnecessary mistakes and make your passes more unexpected."

Phil Jackson had a fine layer of sweat on his forehead. After giving Pippen a few words of advice, he said, "Michael, we have to close the gap immediately. You have to step up."

He then added, "But today Tang Bei clearly increased his defensive efforts, with one steal and one block both outside the paint. Be careful."

He then told the others, "We need to pull Tang out from under the basket, move him around with repeated passes, and strengthen his weak-side cuts and mid-range jump shots."

"Also, watch out for their fast breaks; they've done it three times already."

"Press in the half-court, continue to intensify the defense against the player with the ball, and double-team him promptly."

After some planning, the timeout ended, and the Bulls launched their attack.

Armstrong came to the top of the arc, passed the ball to Toni Kukoc in the high position, and then ran towards the left bottom corner.

Grant Long was positioned one-on-one at the free-throw line. Kukoc glanced at Jordan's side and, seeing no opening, passed to Pippen on the left wing. Pippen then began to isolate Glen Rice.

At this moment, Jordan made a back cut on the right wing and quickly moved towards the top of the arc.

At the same time, Tony Cuconie, who was in the high post, ran down to the low post, clearing out the high post defense, and Pippen suddenly passed the ball to the top of the arc.

Jordan received the pass at the top of the arc and immediately took a jump shot, hitting an open three-pointer.

"brush!"

Splashes of water, and a three-pointer goes in.

11:18, Heat on offense.

Tang Bei received the ball in the low position on the left wing, drew Toni Kukoc's weak-side help defense, and then suddenly passed the ball to the right wing.

On the right wing, Grant Long received the ball, Jordan tackled him, and he immediately passed it to Steve Smith above.

"brush!"

Smith took a jump shot from the 45-degree angle of the three-point line, and the basketball slammed into the basket.

"When it comes to three-pointers, the Heat aren't really afraid of the Bulls," Zhang Heli said with a smile.

“That’s right, Glen Rice is even stronger when he gets going,” Sun Zhenping said.

"Smith made two of three shots, that's his second three-pointer. Grant Long also made two baskets," Han Qiaosheng said.

11:21, Bulls attack.

"Bang!"

Jordan took a shot from the right elbow area, and Grant, with help defense, missed the shot.

"brush!"

After Tang Bei grabbed the rebound, the Heat immediately launched a fast break, and Glen Rice made a layup.

"11:23, Glen Rice has scored his first goal, now all five starters have scored," Sun Zhenping said happily.

"Hey, Jordan, stop struggling. Let me save my energy to play against the Rockets." Tang Bei trash-talked Jordan.

"brush!"

Jordan responded to Tang Bei's trash talk with a precise pull-up jumper.

Tang Bei called for the ball in the low post on the left wing, and Avery Johnson moved to the left wing, set a screen, and then passed the ball down.

Toni Kukoc came along the baseline to help defend on the weak side, but was caught off guard by Grant Long and was a step too slow.

"Sizzle!"

Tang Bei suddenly executed a Tai Chi-like turn, and Dennis Rodman, despite desperately grabbing his jersey and tearing it, couldn't stop him from turning.

"boom!"

After turning around, he charged into the paint and, with a burst of speed, completed a classic dunk over Toni Kukoc, who had just reached the basket.

"Oh!"

With a heavy thud, Tony Kukoc flew backward as if he had sprouted wings, crashing heavily onto the floor and sliding several meters backward.

"WOW!"

The entire stadium erupted in cheers, a roar that seemed to erupt like a volcano.

Zhang Heli excitedly said, "We can't defend against him. Rodman's size and strength are not on the same level as Tang Bei's at all. No matter how good his defensive skills are, he can't overcome him with sheer force."

Sun Zhenping said, "Rodman simply cannot defend against tall centers, and Tang Bei is not just a tall center. Whether it is speed or agility, he is no worse than Rodman."

Han Qiaosheng suddenly said, "The Bulls' team doctor has gone up; Toni Kukoc is probably injured."

“If he gets injured, the Bulls will have absolutely no chance,” Zhang Heli said happily.

On the field, the team doctor examined him and quickly shook his head, saying, "He has a fractured left clavicle and a strained lumbar muscle. He can't play anymore."

"It's over!"

Phil Jackson closed his eyes; for him, the Bulls' playoff run was over.

Bill Russell said, "Unfortunately, without Toni Kukoc, the Bulls' chances of a comeback are further reduced."

Bill Walton said, "Knowing Tang Bei's lethality and your own weak ability to fight back, you should avoid strong confrontations. This is the key to protecting yourself."

Barkley said, "When Tang Bei drives to the basket, you can only defend from the top, not from under the basket."

Jordan stood frozen next to Toni Kukoc, his expression as cold as iron.

"You deliberately."

Somewhat lost in thought, he suddenly spoke to Tang Bei.

"fart!"

Tang Bei retorted, "Just because he's under the basket doesn't mean I can't dunk! If you can't defend me, don't block my way under the basket. That's my territory."

"Shet!"

Jordan, regaining his senses, cursed.

Toni Kukoc's injury exacerbated the Bulls' collapse, and although Jordan did not give up the game, the Bulls' fate was sealed.

In the final score, the Heat won 88-109 at home, defeating the Bulls 4-2 and advancing to the NBA Finals.

比尔·拉塞尔说道：“乔丹奋力砍下了35分，但唐北轰下了38分18篮板5助攻3抢断8盖帽，公牛输得没有一点冤枉。”

比尔·沃顿说道：“六场打完，乔丹场均41.7分6.5篮板5.5助攻2抢断1盖帽，而唐北是43.5分16篮板4.2助攻1.5抢断5.8盖帽。

Both players performed exceptionally well, but Tang Bei, as a center, was a level above in offensive efficiency and made a greater contribution on the boards.

“It feels like Michael’s era, which had just begun, has already started to end,” Barkley suddenly said.

Bill Walton thought for a moment and said, "With the Bulls' two consecutive years of failure, the nascent era of the Air Jordan is indeed over."

I feel the NBA is entering an era of fierce competition among top teams; the Heat, Bulls, Rockets, and Jazz will all be strong contenders for the championship.

Barkley said unhappily, "The era of super teams? What about my Suns? Beal, how dare you ignore our Suns? We are a super team that swept the Bulls to win the championship."

Bill Walton chuckled and said, "Suns? It seems like you've lost your edge after winning the championship."

Barkley was stunned for a moment, then shut his mouth in frustration.

Bill Russell then said, "While there are several championship-caliber teams in the league, I think they will all have a headache about how to deal with the Heat and the team with a severe fear of Tang Bei."

Bill Walton nodded and said, "If the Heat can beat the Rockets to win the championship this time, then I think the era of many strong teams may evolve into an era of one dominant team and many strong teams."

How powerful is a hegemon?

This word has entered the ears of countless fans.

Next, the Heat received the NBA Eastern Conference championship trophy.

"Host has achieved the Eastern Conference Championship and advanced to the Finals. Reward: 1. 500 Dongwang Buxin Pills." "Awesome!"

The more heart-nourishing pills you have, the better.

In the visiting team's locker room, Rodman quickly took a shower and left the team. While Jordan was attending a press conference, he boarded the private jet that Madonna had prepared.

"Michael, the Bulls failed to make it to the Finals this time. Do you think the team needs to strengthen its roster?" a reporter asked.

Jordan paused for a moment before saying, "Yes."

"Which position do you think should be strengthened, and what type of player should be brought in?" the reporter pressed.

"That's a management matter, I don't know," Jordan said.

"Do you think the Bulls will still be able to compete with the Heat next season?" the next reporter asked.

“Of course,” Jordan said without hesitation.

"After two consecutive years of failure, do you think the management will strengthen the Bulls or break up the team?" the reporter asked again.

"what?"

Jordan paused, glanced at the reporter, and then looked at Jerry Krause beside him.

He didn't like this fat, pig-like guy. They had clashed back when Pippen was drafted, and now the conflict was getting bigger and bigger.

Jerry Krause smiled but didn't say anything.

Jordan looked away, thought for a moment, and said, "I think we should strengthen the team. Only a fool would break this team up."

"Mr. Klaus, what do you think?" the reporter asked, turning his gun on the gun.

Jerry Krause smiled and said, "I also think we should strengthen the team, not break it up. Michael and Scottie are still leaders and important figures on this team."

Jordan nodded; he was quite satisfied with the fat pig's answer.

"Michael, after losing the Eastern Conference Finals, do you think you're the best player currently playing, or Tang Bei?" the next reporter asked.

"I've said it before, don't ask me these kinds of questions. I never comment on myself," Jordan said expressionlessly.

Following the conclusion of the Eastern Conference Finals, the league immediately released information about the NBA Finals.

The Rockets vs. Heat Finals will begin on June 4th, a best-of-seven series with a 2-3-2 home-and-away format, and the Rockets have home-court advantage.

"Flying man falls, severe fear will dominate the East!" The New York Times.

"One dominant force with many strong opponents!" Miami Sports Daily.

"Hakeem Olajuwon and Don Bei, who suffers from severe phobia, will face off in the Finals to determine the current superstar center," NBC reported.
"Celebrating the advancement of Tang Bei, a renowned Chinese basketball player and super center, to the NBA Finals." (Xinhua)

The following day, not only American media, but also many mainstream media around the world reported on the news.

In New York, at NBA headquarters, David Stern browsed the news, his brow furrowed, his mood somewhat sour.

Jordan was the face of the NBA that he had painstakingly built, and now that he can no longer reach the Finals, it has a significant impact on his development plans.

The Chinese market is important, but Tang Bei is far less important than Michael Jordan, and he is well aware of this.

China's consumer market is far from mature, and even television broadcasts are free, so the NBA cannot realize its profits in China.

Of course, the league is currently developing well, and his main concern is the image of the NBA.

That morning in Houston, the Rockets held a tactical meeting, chaired by head coach Rudy Tomjanovich.

"The Heat's perimeter defense is a weakness. We need to use our drives and passes to break down their perimeter defense and then strengthen our three-point shooting strategy."

"Robert, Glen Rice is probably their worst perimeter defender, so you can be a little bolder with your shots."

"Regarding the inside offense, Hakim, you draw Tang Bei's defense. Thorpe, you need to step up and strengthen the offense."

"Tang Bei has a strong ability to control the rebounds, so we need to improve our rebounding efforts."

"On the defensive end, our interior defense is second in the league, if not the best. We must strengthen our defense against Tang Bei."

"But be careful not to force it, so as to avoid injury."

"So, Hakim, your defense against Tang Bei should focus on fronting him. At the same time, you need to strengthen your defense on the perimeter against the ball handlers and cut off their passing lanes."

"The Heat's outside penetration ability is not very good. When the Bulls play against the Heat, they always use man-to-man defense, and we also use man-to-man defense."

"Let's try defending Tang Bei one-on-one first, with Thorpe helping on the weak side. If that doesn't work, then we'll consider double-teaming him off the ball."

"Tang Bei is good at using high post play to break off double teams. After they break up, we immediately double team the ball handler to prevent him from passing the ball to Tang Bei."

On the afternoon of the 2th, the Heat returned to Miami.

On the morning of the 3rd, the team held a tactical meeting.

"Our offensive tactics remain the core of 'one inside and four outside'."

"If Tang Bei is double-teamed off the ball, move up to the high post to facilitate. If not, pass the ball down so Tang can either take a one-on-one shot or pass it out."

"We rely on Tang's low-post offense, but we need to strengthen our three-point shooting strategy and not let the Rockets concentrate all their defensive efforts in the low post."

"On the defensive end, the Rockets are very good at three-pointers. All three positions can shoot threes. We should play man-to-man and try to disrupt their shots."

"We defend in the low post, one-on-one."

"Grant, Thorpe is a very strong scorer. When Hakeem Olajuwon is having a bad day, Thorpe can step up on offense. You need to strengthen your defense against him."

"Tang, Da Meng's defensive range is very wide. You should use a strong low-post offense to keep him firmly in the low post."

"Their starting five are all capable of mid-range shots and passing, and their assist abilities are all strong. The Finals will test our defense."

"But they don't have a super scorer like Jordan, so Tang, you just need to guard the paint, and you decide how to defend him."

"In other positions, everyone is man-to-man, no switching."

"Remember, don't switch guards, just keep marking your man."

"It's better to give them a small open space than to switch on defense."

"Once you switch on defense, you may give them open three-point shots or mismatch opportunities."

"Remember, we have Tang's efficient offense in the low post, that's our biggest advantage, and their small open shots won't kill us."

"Of course, if they have a hot streak, we might lose, but I absolutely do not believe they can maintain that level of play throughout the entire series."

On the morning of the 3rd, the Heat traveled to Houston.

Accompanying the team was a chartered plane carrying the players' families.

Garbo didn't go; she was too busy and was still dealing with the liquidation of the family's assets. Leo Nemur had entrusted her with many tasks.

Hundreds of fans accompanied the Heat to Houston.

After checking into the hotel in the afternoon, I trained for two hours in the hotel's training hall, which was basically just warming up and shooting some hoops to get back into shape.

On the morning of the 4th, after breakfast, the team held a press conference at the request of the media.

"Tang, major mainstream media outlets believe the Heat and Rockets have a 50/50 chance of winning the championship. What do you think?"

"Too conservative."

What do you think the Heat's chances of winning the championship are?

"I can't calculate the exact odds of winning the championship, but our Heat are definitely stronger."

Why do you think the Heat are stronger?

"Because my offensive efficiency is far superior to Olajuwon's, unless they can rain down accurate three-pointers every game, the Heat will definitely be the winner."

"Hakeem Olajuwon had a field goal percentage of 53.5% in the Western Conference Finals. Do you think that's low?"

"Come on, out of five games, he only had a shooting percentage above 50% in two of them."

Tang Bei's remarks about Hakeem Olajuwon at the press conference were full of denigration, which greatly displeased the local media and fans.

"Everyone knows he's just a big mouth, I have nothing to respond to."

Hakeem Olajuwon gave a brief response in a phone interview, as all his energy was focused on the upcoming Finals.

94年6月4号，NBA联盟93/94赛季总决赛拉开了帷幕。

In the evening, the summit center stadium was packed to capacity.

The NBA has gained increasing popularity in the United States in recent years, surpassing the hockey league to become the third largest of the four major professional sports leagues. The Finals are always full of Hollywood stars, and no matter where they are held, there are always some celebrities who come to the scene.

Many NBA stars were present, including at least fifteen current and retired All-Star level players.

The finals were broadcast live across the United States by NBC, and 186 television stations of all sizes around the world purchased the broadcasting rights.

After the Heat took a 3-1 lead in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals, David Stern became somewhat worried about the impact of the NBA Finals.

Without Jordan, is the NBA Finals still attractive?
Of course, he believes it should be stronger than last year's Finals. Although Jordan made it to the Finals last year, the weakened Bulls were swept by the Suns, and the Finals ratings were very poor, far less than the two Finals in 91 and 92 when Jordan won the championship.

Now we can finally breathe a sigh of relief. The sales of television broadcasting rights, ticket prices and sales, and sponsorships are all going very well. This shows that even without Jordan, the Heat vs. Rockets Finals still had a significant impact.

However, it's still not as good as the 92 Finals, which shows that his idea was correct: Jordan is the face of the NBA with the greatest influence.

In comparison, Tang Bei's global influence is still not as great as Jordan's.

As for Hakeem Olajuwon, he's far inferior. Although he was a strong player, his playing style wasn't very entertaining, and his influence was much less than Tang Bei's, let alone his global influence.

However, the finals still have to vet the viewership ratings. If the ratings are good, then this season will be a success.

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

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

Rockets: Hakeem Olajuwon, Otis Thorpe, Robert Horry, Vernon Maxwell, Kenny Smith

The finals were broadcast live on NBC, with Bill Russell and Bill Walton as commentators, and Charles Barkley and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as guests.

“Kareem, Charles, all the major media outlets are predicting a 50/50 chance of winning the championship. What do you think?” Bill Walton asked.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar said, "I favor the Heat a bit more, but the Rockets are also a strong team. The key is the outcome of the matchup between Hakeem Olajuwon and Don."

Barkley, however, said, "If the Rockets make their three-pointers, the Heat are basically doomed. Of course, I'm referring to a particular game, because the Rockets can't be that accurate from three every game."

Bill Russell disagreed, saying, "Even if the Rockets make their three-pointers, they need to improve in other areas, such as rebounding, defending Tang Bei, and defending the Heat's perimeter."

Bill Walton nodded and said, "That's right. The Heat also have three players who are good at shooting three-pointers, while the Rockets' perimeter defense is not as good as the Bulls'. Once they get hot, the Rockets will be in trouble."

Bill Russell continued, "The inside game is even more troublesome. Although Hakeem Olajuwon was selected to the All-Defensive First Team and won the Defensive Player of the Year award for two consecutive seasons, I don't think it's possible for him to stop Tang Bei by himself."

Barkley laughed and said, "You guys are right. The Rockets and the Heat actually have some similarities. They are both strong in the paint and have accurate three-point shooting."

However, the Rockets have a stronger ability to penetrate from the outside, while the Heat are weaker in this area. The Heat will need Tang Bei's low-post offense to suppress the Rockets' defense and create space for their outside shooters.

Bill Walton said, "I don't think either team will play zone defense in this series."

Barkley immediately objected, saying, "The Rockets should play man-to-man defense because the Heat don't have enough outside penetration ability, but I think the Heat will play zone defense because the Rockets have stronger penetration ability."

Bill Russell chose to support his old friend, saying, "While the Rockets' outside penetration is stronger, it's not strong enough to force the Heat to play a zone defense."

Furthermore, considering the Rockets' three-point shooting ability, the Heat are even less likely to choose to play a zone defense, as a zone defense cannot stop three-pointers.

"Shh!"

When Tang Bei made his first appearance, he was met with a huge chorus of boos.

"Tang Bei has made his appearance."

"In the CCTV live broadcast studio," Zhang Heli said excitedly.

At the Tianjing Sports School, on Sunday, a meeting room was packed with teachers and students, with a television set in front of them.

"Look, my older brother is out."

Tang Ning sat at the front with several teachers. When Tang Bei appeared, she excitedly pointed at the TV and shouted at the top of her lungs.

Tang Ning now holds a high position at the sports school. With the influence of her older brother Tang Bei, the $100,000 left by her sister-in-law, and her own talent, she is highly valued.

"Clap clap clap..."

Applause immediately erupted in the conference room.

(End of this chapter)