The NBA's Absolute Dominance

Chapter 178 Victory in G1

At 8:00 AM, Game 1 of the finals officially began.

Tang Bei and Olajuwon jumped for the ball, their eyes blazing with determination.

"Dream, your performance is inconsistent and your offensive efficiency is too low. You are destined to never win a championship in this lifetime."

"Nonsense, this time I'm going to beat you down to win the championship."

While the two were exchanging trash talk, the referee tossed the ball into the air.

"Snapped!"

Tang Bei first passed the ball to Avery Johnson, and the Heat launched an attack.

Entering the frontcourt, he came to the left wing low post and found that Olajuwon was not guarding him, but instead went around him, so he immediately entered the basket.

"Oh, fronting defense, Tang Bei went straight to the basket and blocked Da Meng behind him," Zhang Heli said quickly.

After Tang Bei entered the penalty area, the three-second shot clock started, and Kenny Smith immediately pressed Avery Johnson with all his might.

However, even Jordan could only limit Avery Johnson's individual offensive and playmaking abilities at most. When Tang moved north to the high post to facilitate, he had even less ability to shut down Avery Johnson's passing.

Moreover, Kenny Smith's defense is mediocre, even worse than Avery Johnson's, and his defensive effectiveness against him is even more mediocre.

Avery Johnson is 178 cm tall and weighs 79 kg, while Kenny Smith is 191 cm tall and weighs 77 kg. The former has a lower center of gravity and is more capable of fighting.

Avery Johnson dribbled continuously outside the arc, then suddenly sped past Kenny Smith and drove towards the right arc.

Thorpe, positioned low on the right wing, immediately moved up to cover, and Avery Johnson's ball flew towards Grant Long in the right defensive zone.

Vernon Maxwell quickly moved down to help defend, but he was a step too late. By the time he arrived, Grant Long had already taken his mid-range shot.

Tang Bei and Olajuwon were battling for position under the basket. One weighed 137 kilograms and the other 116 kilograms. Their weights were incomparable. Tang Bei was also taller, faster, more explosive, and his agility was no less than Olajuwon's.

So the result was determined as soon as the battle under the basket began.

"Fuck you!"

Hakeem Olajuwon, who had been pushed aside, cursed under his breath in frustration.

"Bang! Bang!"

At that moment, the basketball bounced off the rim and was pushed back into the basket by Tang Bei's hands.

"Great! Tang Bei has executed a brilliant putback dunk," Sun Zhenping exclaimed happily.

Zhang Heli said, "Hakeem and Thorpe are both good at rebounding, averaging double-digit rebounds per game in the regular season, but the others are average."

In comparison, the Heat were stronger on the boards. Besides Tang Bei, Grant Lang, Glen Rice, Steve Smith, John Salley, and Matt Geiger all averaged four to five rebounds per game in the regular season.

2-0, Rockets on offense.

Robert Horry was lurking in the left corner, Kenny Smith had the ball at the top of the left arc, and Mad Max was outside the three-point line on the right wing, with the three perimeter players spread out wide.

Inside, Hakeem Olajuwon calls for the ball in the low post on the left wing.

As a blue-collar player, power forward Thorpe's main roles are defense and rebounding, but his role on offense is also very important.

For example, he and Olajuwon took turns being responsible for low-post isolation plays, interior defense and pick-and-roll support, and offensive rebounding.

He has the ability to roll to the basket and cut to the perimeter to receive the ball and then pass it out in high pick-and-roll situations, averaging 3.3 assists per game, which shows that he has a good passing ability.

In addition, he has a reliable mid-range shot, with a range that extends even to within a step of the three-point line.

At this point, he moved to the right defensive zone, the same position Grant Lang had been in during the Heat's attack.

"The Heat play a man-to-man offense."

Bill Walton glanced at Barkley and said.

Barkley chuckled and said, "I was just saying the Heat might play a zone defense."

At that moment, Kenny Smith lobbed the ball over Avery Johnson's head toward Olajuwon, and Tang Bei immediately intensified his defense, instantly maximizing the intensity of the physical confrontation.

"damn it!"

Hakeem Olajuwon fought back with all his might, barely managing to withstand the surging force coming from behind.

As the ball slid down from mid-air, Tang Bei suddenly performed a Tai Chi turn, circling Olajuwon halfway around him while simultaneously pressing down on Olajuwon's center of gravity with his right elbow and right shoulder.

While performing the center-of-gravity disruption technique, he completed the maneuver around to the front.

"Oops!"

When the powerful force opposing him suddenly disappeared, Olajuwon knew he was in trouble, and his center of gravity involuntarily shifted backward.

In that instant, Tang Bei's squeezing force struck, causing his center of gravity to shift downwards and his footing to become unsteady.

At the same time, Tang Bei received a pass from Kenny Smith and immediately launched a counterattack, initiating a fast break for the Heat.

"Great! Tang Bei steals the ball by flanking the defense, the Heat's fast break has begun!" Zhang Heli shouted excitedly.

Kenny Smith moved laterally to block Tang Bei's path, and Tang Bei quickly passed the ball to Avery Johnson, who accelerated past Smith and charged into the attacking third.

As Olajuwon regained his balance and began to retreat on defense, Tang Bei had already rushed to the three-point line, falling several steps behind.

Tang Bei not only left Hakeem Olajuwon far behind, but also Otis Thorpe and his teammate Grant Long.

He even overtook Robert Horry when he crossed the center line.

Although the Rockets tried their best to get back on defense, when Tang Bei rushed over the top of the arc, the Heat even had a four-on-two situation, and at the same time, no one from the Rockets got back in place to defend in the paint.

"boom!"

What happened next was very simple: Avery Johnson assisted Tang Bei, who completed an alley-oop dunk.

Barkley complained, "The Rockets' defensive transition is too slow. From the center to the small forward, they are all slower than Tang's fast break speed."

Bill Walton said, "Robert Horry gave the Rockets a height advantage at the small forward position, raising the overall height of the Rockets, but to a certain extent it was a disadvantage."

Bill Russell said, "Karim, Da Meng almost fell just now. Did Tang Bei use a center-of-gravity disruption technique?"

At this moment, the hanging screen was also repeatedly replaying the moment when Tang Bei and Olajuwon fought.

Looking at the television screen in front of him, Jabbar said, "The elbow movement was minimal. After turning around, he smoothly bumped Hakim's waist, while maintaining contact with his shoulder throughout. It should be a center-of-gravity disruption technique, but the movement is definitely not illegal."

“Tang Bei rarely uses this technique; I haven’t seen him use it in the first three rounds of the series,” Bill Walton said.

Bill Russell said, "No ordinary opponent is worth using this technique on. It's not worth using against Shaq and Olajuwon in the regular season. It's normal to use it against Hakeem in the Finals."

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar said, "This kind of center-of-gravity breaking technique is no longer considered a center-of-gravity breaking technique in combat sports; it is completely in accordance with NBA rules."

On the Rockets' bench, Rudy Tomjanovich looked very serious.

His offensive strategy for the Finals was to drive the offense with an inside core and create space on the outside, which meant low-post isolation plays and three-point shooting tactics.

However, through this offensive and defensive battle, especially since it was Tang Bei defending Olajuwon one-on-one, he realized that Olajuwon's low-post one-on-one play might not achieve his expected goals.

Then the only solution is to improve Thorpe's low-post isolation plays and three-point shooting.

However, Olajuwon's isolation plays couldn't force the Heat to collapse their defense, thus failing to create enough space for outside shots, which was a significant problem.

“Robert…”

During the transition between offense and defense, he shouted at Robert Horry, who was closest to him, and said a few words after Horry got closer.

4-0, Rockets on offense.

The Rockets spread out all three perimeter players, with Thorpe calling for the ball in the low post on the right wing, while Olajuwon moved to the left wing, keeping Tang Bei tied to the left side.

Tang Bei realized that this attack would likely be handed over to Thorpe for a one-on-one against Grant Long.

The Rockets passed the ball twice from the outside, and then passed it to Thorpe on the third pass.

"really."

Rudy Tomjanovich was disappointed to see that the Heat still didn't collapse their defense, because without the Heat's perimeter defense collapsing, the Rockets' three-point shooting strategy wouldn't get enough space.

"Bang!"

Thorpe's first one-on-one attempt failed, and he missed the target under Grant Long's tough defense.

Tang Bei returned to the basket and grabbed the rebound, and the Heat launched an attack.

Glen Rice ran to the top of the arc to receive the ball, Tang Bei went up to the high post to set a screen, and after dribbling the ball two small steps to the side, he took a three-pointer from the top of the left arc.

"brush!"

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

"It's in, a wide-open three-pointer," Barkley said.

"The Rockets need to be careful of the Heat's three-point shooting from the top of the key," Bill Walton said.

Bill Russell said, "Tang's pick-and-roll is very effective. Defenders can't squeeze him; they can only go around him. But he's huge, so they have to go around him at least one step, which gives the ball handler a great open look."

7-0, Rockets on offense.

Kenny Smith pulled to the left wing to break through.

His intention was to draw Glen Rice's double team by dribbling past him, creating an open shot for Robert Horry in the left corner.

However, because the Rockets are so good at shooting three-pointers, the Heat's defensive tactics are very rigid. In order not to give them open three-point shots, they just man-to-man and don't double-team, not even Hakeem Olajuwon.

At this moment, Hakeem Olajuwon came out to set a screen for Kenny Smith, blocking Avery Johnson who was chasing.

Tang Bei didn't follow him out, but instead moved up a step to guard his left waist.

This counts as a defensive switch, because Tang Bei decides how to defend in the paint; he can't let Kenny Smith break in.

With his path blocked, Kenny Smith had no choice but to stop abruptly and take a jump shot.

As he came to an abrupt stop, Tang Bei instantly took his first step, stepping out with his right foot.

Just as he jumped to release the ball, Tang Bei landed on his first step, instantly leaping up and grabbing the ball from mid-air with one hand.

The Heat launched a fast break during the offensive and defensive transition.

Tang Bei passed the ball to Avery Johnson, who then passed it to Steve Smith, who was making a run down the left wing. Smith was caught up by Mad Max when he dribbled to the left elbow area.

At this moment, Tang Bei rushed down from the top of the arc. Smith quickly passed the ball, and Tang Bei leaped up and slammed the ball into the basket with a bang.

"Beautiful! Tang Bei made his second steal and then completed his second alley-oop dunk!" Bill Walton exclaimed excitedly.

With the score at 9-0, the Rockets called a timeout.

Bill Russell said, "Tang Bei played excellent defense, disrupting two Rockets offensive plays. The Rockets' offensive tactics were completely ineffective. The first thing to solve now is the offensive problem."

Barkley said, "The Heat's defense is weird. Glen Rice had a chance to double-team Kenny Smith, but he didn't move at all and just kept his eyes on Robert Horry."

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar said, "The Heat used one-on-one defense the whole time, without a single double-team. I think that's good. The Rockets' three-point shooting strategy is probably the best in the league. This kind of pure one-on-one defense won't give the Rockets many open three-point opportunities."

Bill Walton said, "Coach Rudy Tomjanovich is the head coach in the league who places the most emphasis on three-point shooting tactics."

This is a tactical innovation, and I think it has great tactical foresight. The three-point shot is a spatial revolution ahead of its time.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar nodded and said, "By utilizing Hakim's isolation plays in the low post and stretching the floor with three-pointers, we can create enough space. This is the theoretical basis of the Rockets' three-point shooting strategy."

Barkley said, "But the Heat's man-to-man defense without double-teaming prevented the Rockets from getting enough space."

Bill Russell nodded and said, "In particular, Tang Bei's one-on-one defense against Hakim deprived the Rockets of the opportunity to create space through strong low-post isolation plays."

Barkley said, "Although the Rockets are somewhat passive, they still have a chance. They can get open shots through pick-and-rolls."

After the timeout, the Rockets went on offense.

Robert Horry no longer lurks in the left corner, but instead sets screens with Kenny Smith at the 50-degree angle on the left wing.

After the players were separated, because the Heat did not switch on defense outside the paint, both Kenny Smith and Robert Horry got a brief open shot.

"brush!"

Kenny Smith quickly took a shot from inside the three-point line and made the basket.

After the basket went in, the Rockets fans in the arena breathed a sigh of relief.

9:2, Heat on offense.

Hakeem Olajuwon circled in front of him, and Tang Bei easily entered the paint again, then blocked Olajuwon behind him.

Avery Johnson lobbed the ball toward the basket, and Olajuwon used all his strength to foul Tang Bei from behind.

Tang Bei suddenly turned around with a Tai Chi move, the force of which was like a volcanic eruption, directly knocking Olajuwon to the ground.

"boom!"

The referee didn't blow his whistle. The basketball bounced off the backboard, and Tang Bei caught it and smashed it down.

"damn it……"

Hakeem Olajuwon got up, cursing as he did so.

Barkley chuckled and said, "Hakim should thank the referee for not calling a foul on him for pulling someone. If this were an away game, it would definitely have been called."

"Otis".

Tomjanovich yelled and gestured to Thorpe to double-team Tang Bei. Thorpe nodded, and it was now his turn to double-team Tang Bei on the weak side.

"We don't confront them head-on, we don't stand under the basket and try to block them; we can only double-team them from the side."

According to rumors about the encirclement of Tang Bei, Tang Bei's lethality was mostly borne by the defenders, so he had already devised a defense strategy.

He weighs 111 kilograms, a weight that makes him aware that he cannot withstand several shocks from severe fear.

11-2, Rockets on offense.

Thorpe set a high screen, Kenny Smith drove to the basket without switching, Thorpe didn't get an open shot, and he got a small open shot after driving into the paint.

But at this moment, Tang Bei had already returned to defend under the basket. Instead of shooting rashly, he suddenly made a bounce pass to Da Meng, who had moved to the left side of the basket.

Tang Bei instantly executed a Tai Chi spin, leaping from two meters away to block the shot, thus disrupting Hakeem Olajuwon's attempt to catch and shoot.

"Bang!"

Kenny Smith grabbed the rebound under the basket, but his layup attempt was blocked by Grant Long.

Tang Bei got the ball, swung his huge elbows, scaring away Da Meng and Thorpe who wanted to steal it, and then passed it to Avery Johnson next to him.

"The Rockets' offense still isn't working. They're not getting opportunities to shoot threes, and their inside offense isn't working either," Bill Walton said.

Bill Russell said, "Tang Bei's defense is currently no weaker than Olajuwon's, and he is faster and has a better jumping ability. If it weren't for his lack of experience, his defense would definitely be better than Olajuwon's."

"Bang!"

Steve Smith took a mid-range shot after a pick-and-roll, but missed +1.

Hakeem Olajuwon grabbed the rebound, and the Rockets went on offense.

Robert Horry received the ball at a 45-degree angle from the left three-point line.

The established tactic was to exploit Glen Rice's poor defense and force him to take more shots.

However, this doesn't mean he should be allowed to play one-on-one, because his current ball-handling offensive ability is not good, his athleticism is average, he has no driving threat, and his starting speed is slow. He is at the basic level of a role player, and ball-handling offense is not his role with the Rockets.

His role is that of a wing player and a rotation player in the paint.

He is an off-ball finisher on offense, and there are almost no offensive plays designed for him to have the ball.

So after receiving the ball, he immediately passed it back as Kenny Smith ran past him.

Kenny Smith received the ball on Horry's left side, bypassed Glen Rice, and broke into the left wing.

He still hoped to draw Glen Rice's defense, because if Rice blocked him, Robert Horry would have an opportunity.

But Glenn Rice seemed to be blind, not even glancing at him.

"Shet!"

Kenny Smith had no choice but to take matters into his own hands.

"rebound."

At that moment, Avery Johnson caught up to him and leaped to block his jump shot. Although he didn't touch the ball, he knew the shot wouldn't go in.

"Bang!"

The basketball bounced off the rim and soared up. Tang Bei tightly marked Olajuwon behind him and grabbed the rebound.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar said, "The Rockets' offense went wrong. They didn't expect the Heat to defend like that, which threw them off balance, and they couldn't come up with a suitable strategy for a while."

The ball then reached the Heat's frontcourt.

Tang moved up to the high post, Avery Johnson broke through using the wall, encountered Thorpe's help defense, and passed the ball to Grant Long on the right wing.

"brush!"

Grant Long took his second open shot and made it.

With the score at 13-2, the Rockets called their second timeout.

After falling behind 13-2 at the start, the summit center was eerily quiet. Not only were the Rockets players somewhat bewildered, but the Rockets fans were too.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar said, "If we can't get going on offense and we can't stop on defense, the Rockets' offensive and defensive tactics have to be completely overhauled. If we don't break through, it will definitely hurt morale."

Bill Walton said, "The Heat's non-switching man-to-man defense is surprising. How should I put it, if the Rockets are hot, they can blow the Heat out, but if they're not so hot, they'll end up taking a lot of shots."

Barkley continued, "Without overestimating Tang Bei, he can efficiently score 30+, 40+, or even 50+ in the low post."

In contrast, neither Hakim nor Otis has such efficient low-post offense, which creates a major problem for the Rockets in their low-post offense.

This huge hole will require the Rockets to make a lot of three-pointers to fill; if they can't make those threes, it will be very troublesome.

Bill Russell said, "It depends on Hakim's low-post offense. If he can score 30+ points on 60% shooting, the Rockets have a chance to win."

Another option is that the Rockets can win by containing the Heat's outside shooting.

On the Rockets' bench, Rudy Tomjanovich's back was soaked with sweat.

He held up a tactical board and drew offensive routes on it, saying, "First, we need to develop our inside offense so that we can create space for the outside."

"Kenny, Vernon, you guys dribble and break through. Tang Bei switched defense in the paint just now, use your breakthrough to draw his defense."

"Hakim, take this opportunity to cut to the basket."

"Otis, you go out and set a screen to cover Kenny and Vernon's drives to the basket."

"Other players need to move around more, try to create open spaces, and be careful to receive the ball."

The timeout ended quickly, and the Rockets launched their attack.

Sopra set a screen for Maxwell on the right wing, and Maxwell broke through the wall. Grant Long didn't switch on defense, allowing him to easily drive into the paint from the right elbow area.

Tang Bei returned to defend the right front side of the basket. At this moment, Olajuwon moved to the left waist position, creating a wide-open space with no one to help defend.

"Whoosh!"

Maxwell jumped to shoot, but after Tang Bei jumped to block the shot, he threw the ball with both hands and passed it to the left side of his waist.

"brush!"

Hakeem Olajuwon caught the ball and made a jump shot.

"call!"

The successful attack brought a sigh of relief to everyone on the Rockets' side.

In front of the Heat's bench, Kevin Longley appeared relaxed, but he was still somewhat apprehensive.

He devised the strategy of not switching on defense. If the Rockets use this strategy to blow up the Heat, it will be his responsibility. If they lose the Finals, he will definitely be fired.

Tang Bei also regretted that he should have been more proactive and aggressive when he was covering for the enemy.

Zhang Heli said, "The Rockets' offense just now was the same as the last time Kenny Smith broke through and passed the ball to Hakeem Olajuwon."

But that time Kenny Smith made a direct bounce pass, while this time Maxwell jumped to shoot, drawing Tang Bei's attention before passing the ball, thus denying Tang Bei a chance to get back on defense for Dream.

Sun Zhenping nodded and said, "The Heat need to be careful next. Their man-to-man defense without switching will give the Rockets a lot of open looks."

Han Qiaosheng said, "Like that wide-open shot just now, it's easy to run a drive-and-kick offense. I think we need to switch on defense appropriately."

13:4, Heat on offense.

"brush!"

Steve Smith took another three-pointer from the top of the arc using Tang Bei's screen, and it went in.

Barkley complained, "Right now, the Heat are actually shooting better. They've already made two three-pointers, while the Rockets haven't made a single one."

16-4, Rockets on offense.

Maxwell once again used Thorpe's screen to break through from the right elbow area.

This time, Tang Bei directly filled in front of him and cut off his and Da Meng's passing lane, forcing him to be unable to pass the ball. At the same time, Steve Smith chased after him and double-teamed him, causing him to lose his shooting opportunity.

Da Meng quickly cut to the basket to call for the ball, but Steve Smith poked the ball away from behind, and Tang Bei got the ball.

"The Rockets are supposed to have a stronger defense, but the Heat played a beautiful defensive game today," Bill Russell praised.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar laughed and said, "The Rockets didn't expect the Heat to defend like this, and they lost their composure."

Glen Rice passed the ball to Tang Bei on the left wing in the low post, and then ran towards the left corner.

Robert Horry, who was running downhill, suddenly turned around, accelerated, and pounced on Tang Bei, starting to double-team him.

"Whoosh!"

Tang Bei pushed with both hands, and the basketball flew past Horry's ear to the left corner in an instant.

"not good!"

Robert Horry quickly turned around, but it was too late. Glen Rice received the ball in the left corner and calmly jumped to shoot a three-pointer.

"brush!"

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

"ah!"

Glen Rice pumped his fist and shouted excitedly after sinking his second three-pointer of the night.

"Another three-pointer! We can't play anymore, haha, the Rockets are finished!" Zhang Heli laughed excitedly.

Sun Zhenping also laughed and said, "19:4, I didn't expect that, I really didn't expect that, haha..."

Han Qiaosheng said in surprise, "Yes, I didn't expect the Heat to be in such good form while the Rockets are in such poor form at home."

Zhang Heli laughed and said, "The Heat neither double-teamed nor switched on defense, so the Rockets couldn't get wide-open shots. Their tactics were completely unexpected by the Rockets."

Rudy Tomjanovich was ice-cold; he had hoped for a winning start, but he hadn't expected Game 1 to turn out like this.

He quickly called a third timeout.

But the timeout had no effect; the Heat found their rhythm, opened up completely, and were full of morale, remaining incredibly aggressive from then on.

Of course, after adjustments, the Rockets' own offense gradually improved, but they were unable to suppress the Heat's offense.

Hakeem Olajuwon was unable to get close to the basket on offense, his inside scoring was limited, and he could only rely on a lot of mid-range shots.

In addition, he did his best on the defensive end, which limited Tang Bei's individual offense to some extent.

However, Tang Bei's role this season is largely about playmaking and passing. Even if his individual offense weakens, as long as his teammates are in good form, the Heat's offense will be more fluid.

At the end of the game, the Heat won by 20 points, 85-105, on the road, easily winning Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

Tang Bei only played 36 minutes, including only 5 minutes in the final quarter.

总共21投14中，命中率66.7%，10罚7中，得到35分14篮板7助攻4抢断5盖帽3失误3犯规的数据。

Of his 21 shots, 11 were taken under the basket, with 10 successful. He made 4 of his 10 mid-range shots.

奥拉朱旺25投10中，命中率40%，加上5罚4中，拿到24分12篮板3助攻2抢断3盖帽3失误2犯规数据。

Of his 25 shot attempts, only 3 were under the basket, with 2 successful.

He made 7 out of 22 mid-range shots, for a mid-range shooting percentage of 31.8%.

Holding up the statistics sheet, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar said, "Comparing Tang Bei's and Olajuwon's stats, the difference in points is a whole level, and the difference in offensive efficiency is even greater."

Bill Russell said, "Hakeem Olajuwon can't easily get into the paint. He almost always takes jump shots, which are not only harmless but also inefficient."

This makes him seem like a player in a completely different league from Tang Bei, who is the true top-tier all-around superstar.

Bill Walton said, "After the team took a big lead, Tang Bei didn't go all out on offense, otherwise they could easily have scored 40+ points."

Furthermore, he was just one steal away from achieving his first career playoff 5x5 stat line, truly showcasing his all-around ability.

The other three nodded.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar said, "Don's stamina is really good. He maintains a lot of energy despite so many attacks under the basket, just like Chamberlain."

In comparison, neither Shaquille O'Neal, a player of the same type, nor a superstar center like Hakeem Olajuwon could match his stamina.

Bill Walton nodded and said, "Physical ability is also a powerful talent, a talent that cannot be reflected in draft statistics."

If we quantify physical fitness, and Tang Bei's fitness level is 100, then Shaquille O'Neal would be at most 80, and Hakeem Olajuwon and others at most 90.

Barkley changed the subject, complaining: "The Heat shot 48.2% overall and had five players score in double figures, while the Rockets, playing at home, only shot 37.4% and had only three players score in double figures."

比尔·拉塞尔说道：“热火三分球24投9中，命中率高达37.5%。而火箭26投仅7中，命中率26.9%。”

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar said, "The Heat went to extremes on defense today, not giving anyone wide open looks, betting that the Rockets wouldn't have a hot hand."

But I believe that as long as the Rockets adjust their offensive and defensive tactics and are mentally prepared, they can come back in Game 2.

Barkley joked, "In the second round, we play the Rockets. They lost their first two home games, so I have reason to doubt that they will have much of a chance in Game 2."

"Ha ha……"

The group burst into laughter.

(End of this chapter)