The NBA's Absolute Dominance

Chapter 181 The Unfillable Pitfall of the Inside Line
"Bang!"

Mad Max struck again, but this time he missed the target once more.

John Salley grabs the rebound in the backcourt, and the Heat go on offense.

Kevin Edwards once again used John Salley's screen to drive into the right elbow area, Olajuwon quickly helped defend, and Thorpe returned to defend the basket.

"ball!"

Tang Bei drove toward the basket and shouted.

Upon hearing this, Kevin Edwards jumped up and tossed the ball towards the basket.

"It's done."

Zhang Heli shouted excitedly.

"boom!"

"Di!"

The next moment, Tang Bei leaped high, his head level with the basket, his hands a foot and a half above Thorpe, and in the instant he caught the ball, he slammed it into the basket.

"Haha, it's two plus one again."

Zhang Heli laughed loudly: "Olajuwon helps with defense, Thorpe guards the basket. This move works well for the Rockets against other teams. Thorpe's defense is very strong, but can he stop Tang Bei's offense under the basket?"

At this point, the Rockets called a timeout.

Sun Zhenping laughed and said, "Even if he and Da Meng joined forces, they couldn't stop Tang Bei."

"Yes."

Han Qiaosheng laughed.

Zhang Heli said, "This is the Rockets' predicament. No matter how they defend Tang Bei, they can't stop him, whether it's one-on-one defense or double-teaming him under the basket."

"If we double-team Tang Bei off the ball like the Bulls do, then Tang Bei can move up to the high post to facilitate and break the deadlock."

"Moreover, the Rockets' perimeter defense is far less strong than the Bulls' perimeter defense. The Rockets' defense is actually strong in the paint. If they can't defend the paint, they simply can't stop the Heat with their perimeter defense."

Han Qiaosheng nodded and said, "Yes, yes, let's keep the score close and wait for the Heat's perimeter players to regain their touch."

“Yes, that’s it,” Sun Zhenping said.

After the timeout, Tang Bei made the free throw, tying the score at 31-31.

"brush!"

With the help of a screen, Robert Horry hit a wide-open three-pointer from the left corner.

"The Rockets were really hot today, better than in the first three games," Barkley said.

"But they still couldn't stop Tang Bei, so even with good shooting, they couldn't widen the score gap," Bill Walton said.

34:31, Heat on offense.

"Hey, an off-ball double-team! The Rockets are double-teaming Tang Bei off-ball!" Kareem Abdul-Jabbar suddenly shouted.

“The three-on-four defense in other positions will be a test of the rocket’s rotation speed,” Bill Russell said.

"If the Bulls can't do it, can the Rockets?" Bill Walton said.

"Tang Bei, move up here and see how the Rockets defend," Barkley shouted.

On the left wing, Tang Bei, who was double-teamed off the ball, did not hesitate and immediately moved up to the high post.

By establishing a stronghold at a high position, he can provide comprehensive and seamless support to the flanks, outer lines, and lower positions.

In addition to his all-around playmaking, he also has accurate mid-range shots from the high post and quick drives to the basket, so the Bulls have no way to break down his high-post playmaking style.

Hakeem Olajuwon quickly followed up, positioning himself below Tang Bei, while Thorpe also moved up, moving in front of him to continue double-teaming him from the high post.

"A high-post, off-ball double-team, the paint is completely open, isn't that too risky?" Zhang Heli exclaimed.

With Sam Cassell on the high post and three defenders in total, Kevin Edwards immediately shifted his position, moving to the left wing and accelerating down the left arc to break through.

At this moment, shooting guard Dell Curry made a back cut and quickly drove from the right wing towards the basket, leaving Maxwell behind.

Kevin Edwards quickly passed the ball to Dell Curry, who cut to the basket, jumped up from under the rim, and then made a reverse layup.

Maxwell has good stealing ability, but poor blocking ability. Although he jumped to block, he didn't touch the ball.

"brush!"

The next moment, the basketball swished through the hoop.

"Can not be done!"

Tomjanovich shook his head and immediately instructed the players on the field to cancel the off-ball double-teaming.

Zhang Heli laughed and said, "See, I told you that double-teaming without the ball at the high post wouldn't work. The area under the basket is completely open, and we can cut in from the wing and break through the defense directly."

Sun Zhenping also said, "Even in zone defense, we rarely double-team the ball handler on the perimeter. Double-teaming the ball handler off the high post is definitely not going to work."

Han Qiaosheng nodded and said, "Zone defense usually only double-teams the ball carrier who breaks into the paint, right?"

"Correct."

Zhang Heli said, "We only double-team when the ball is almost in the paint. Generally, we only double-team the ball handler on the perimeter to increase pressure and force the opponent to make mistakes. We rarely actually double-team."

He then added, "Double-teaming on the perimeter makes it too easy to create wide-open shots. Passing and three-pointers can break the zone defense, and if played well, you can break it every time."

34-33, Rockets on offense.

Hakeem Olajuwon received the ball in the low post on the left wing, used his Dream Shake to shake off Tang Bei, and then took the opportunity to jump shot.

However, Tang Bei was not actually forced back by the fake; instead, he took a half-step back to defend against the drive, not the shot. As long as he could force Da Meng to shoot from the outside, his defense would be considered successful.

As Da Meng attempted a jump shot, Tang Bei quickly stepped up and jumped to block it. Although he didn't touch the ball, he forced Da Meng to raise his shooting angle.

"Bang!"

The ball bounced off the rim and was caught by Tang Bei, who had turned and positioned himself.

Tang Bei moved to the low post on the left wing of the frontcourt, where Olajuwon defended him from the front, and he went straight to the basket.

Tomjanovich set up a double-team strategy under the basket, and Thorpe immediately came over to double-team him, leaving John Salley open in the low post on the right wing.

John Salley received the ball, and the crazy Max above him lunged down. He quickly passed the ball to Dell Curry outside.

"brush!"

Dell Curry took a two-point shot, the ball splashed, and he made it.

"Pretty!"

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar said, "As long as the outside shooting gets going, the Rockets won't dare to double-team Tang Bei without restraint under the basket."

However, Tang Bei is almost invincible one-on-one under the basket, so the Rockets must prevent him from getting close to the rim. This forces Hakeem Olajuwon to provide top-down defense.

At this point, the Rockets called a timeout.

Barkley continued, "Once the physical contact begins, Tang Bei's physical advantages will be maximized, and the Rockets are very likely to follow in the Bulls' footsteps and suffer injuries in the paint."

Bill Russell said, "Olajuwon was mainly responsible for defending Tang Bei, averaging more than 40 minutes per game in the first three games. If the physicality increases now, he is very likely to get injured."

Bill Walton quipped, "If Olajuwon strengthens his top-side defense, the Rockets will have to strengthen their weak-side help defense as well."

"Guys, don't forget, Tang Bei's lethality will mostly be absorbed by the defenders, so Thorpe needs to be careful."

After the timeout, the Rockets substituted Thorpe and Horry, bringing in two substitutes.

For the Heat, John Williams was replaced at the small forward position by Grant Long.

Grant Long often played the small forward position for a period of time in the later part of the regular season, but he mainly played the power forward position in the playoffs.

In the second quarter, with the Heat's outside shooting still in good form, the Rockets were forced to abandon their off-ball double-teaming strategy under the basket, forcing Olajuwon to abandon fronting and switch to top defense.

Tang Bei reacted immediately, intensifying his low-post attacks.

With only Hakeem Olajuwon and Maxwell left on the court, the Rockets were no match for the Heat's starting lineup and quickly fell behind.

After three minutes, the Rockets were down by 7 points and made another substitution.

Although Thorpe was brought in this time, Olajuwon, who was too exhausted, went off the court, and the team's lineup was still not as good as the Heat's.

After the second quarter, the Rockets were down by 11 points.

Zhang Heli excitedly said, "Damian looked tired today. He increased his shooting in the second quarter, but only made 3 of 8 shots and 1 of 2 free throws. He made 5 of 12 shots in the first half, scoring only 7 points. He only had 11 points in the first half and only made two free throws. He played without any offensive power."

Tang Bei played the entire second quarter, scoring 18 points and bringing his halftime total to 31, including 6 points from free throws. His performance was a complete one-sided domination of Hakeem Olajuwon.

Sun Zhenping said happily, "If we keep fighting like this, tonight should be no problem."

Han Qiaosheng said, "I hope Tang Bei's physical condition is fine. He didn't rest for a minute during the two quarters tonight."

"Yep."

The other two nodded repeatedly.

Fifteen minutes later, the third quarter began.

Dell Curry, who made 2 of 4 shots in the second quarter, and Kevin Edwards, who dished out 4 points with 3 assists in the quarter, continued to stay on the court, playing the two and three positions.

Grant Long rested on the bench, Avery Johnson played point guard, and John Salley and Matt Geiger were in the frontcourt.

With the team leading by 11 points, Kevin Longley let Tang Bei rest on the bench.

The Rockets also fielded a mix of starters and reserves. Thorpe didn't play, Matt Brad played power forward, Hakeem Olajuwon played, Mario Elie played small forward, Max the shooting guard, and Sam Cassell, a decent reserve, played point guard.

At the start of the game, Hakeem Olajuwon seized the opportunity when Don Bei was not on the court to launch his main attack.

However, even with John Salley and Matt Geiger, two big men known for their defense and rebounding, he couldn't gain an advantage. He only managed one successful attack out of three, but he did deliver an assist.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar remarked, "The Heat's roster is really good. In terms of the paint, whether it's the starting lineup or the bench, their defense and rebounding are among the best in the league."

Barkley said with a look of disdain, "A superstar center like Hakeem didn't even get the upper hand against the Heat's backup big men."

Bill Walton said, "It would be better to let the outside shoot, just target Dell Curry, he doesn't have much defense."

After three minutes, the Rockets not only failed to narrow the gap, but also widened it to 13 points.

At this point, Tang Bei came on to replace John Salley, and Thorpe replaced Matt Brad.

"boom!"

Eleven seconds after entering the game, Tang Bei drove to the basket from the weak side and slammed Olajuwon down with a powerful dunk, resulting in a three-point play.

"Fake!"

Hakeem Olajuwon felt the championship was slipping further and further away from him, and in his frustration and anger, he swore.

From then on, the Rockets' performance deteriorated, while the Heat's performance improved. Ultimately, the Heat won Game 4 at home, taking a 3-1 lead and securing a match point in the Finals.

Tang Bei played for 39 minutes. After the team led by 20 points in the final quarter, he was substituted after playing for only 5 minutes.

20投15中，命中率75%，14罚10中，命中率高达71.4%，40分14篮板4助攻2抢断4盖帽1失误2犯规的数据。

奥拉朱旺打了40分钟，28投10中，命中率只有35.7%，4罚2中，得到22分10篮板1抢断2盖帽3失误4犯规。

After the game, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar said, "Hakeem Olajuwon is currently in his absolute prime, but he failed to play like a super center when he faced Tang Bei in the Finals. It's a real pity, but it also shows how strong Tang Bei is."

Bill Russell, who has always admired Tang Bei, praised him, saying, "Facing a super center, Tang Bei delivered an overwhelming performance. He should be called the super center among super centers."

After the finals, I heard that Tang Bei will also participate in the World Championships. His reputation for severe phobia is probably going to spread all over the world.

At the scene, Tang Bei is being interviewed after the match.

"Tang, with a 3-1 lead, do you think the Rockets still have a chance to turn things around?" an NBC reporter asked.

"At this point, stop dreaming," Tang Bei said.

"Huh? Hehe!"

The reporter was taken aback, but couldn't help but laugh after realizing what was happening.

Then he asked, "Tang, Jordan once said that it was fortunate for him and the Bulls that Olajuwon's Rockets failed to make it out of the West."

He meant that he and the Bulls couldn't beat the Rockets with their superstar center. What's your take on that statement?

"Is it really impossible to deal with them? The Knicks have a superstar center too, don't they?"

Tang Bei smiled and said, "Hakeem Olajuwon and the Rockets have finally made it out of the West, but I have to tell them, you've wasted your trip if you run into me."

"Ha ha……"

At this moment, in a conference room of the Sports Commission Training Bureau, a group of men's basketball team members and coaching staff, as well as basketball department leaders such as Liu Yumin, had just finished watching the game.

In early June, the men's basketball team had already assembled and was conducting basic physical and tactical training in Beijing, with a focus on strengthening individual fundamental skills.

In early July, the men's basketball team will travel to the Haigeng Training Base in Yunnan for three weeks of intensive training, taking advantage of the high-altitude environment to enhance physical fitness and improve stamina reserves.

In late July, we returned to Beijing for a ten-day acclimatization period in the plains, and then set off again in early August.

As the current head of basketball in China, Liu Yumin faces immense pressure.

This generation of both the men's and women's basketball teams has produced many elite players, especially the women's team, which just won the silver medal at the World Championships. The men's team is also doing well now, with a large number of excellent elite players such as Hu Weidong and Sun Jun, making them a golden generation. Even without Tang Bei, they still have a chance to reach the top eight in the world.

With Tang Bei added to the mix, Liu Yumin had even greater ambitions, hoping to advance further in the knockout stage and reach the semifinals.

Of course, this ambition was kept to himself and he dared not say it out loud. After all, the men's basketball team had never entered the world's top eight before. If he talked about reaching the top four now, not to mention the political risks, he would be ridiculed.

Although the men's and women's basketball teams are in a relatively good position this time, it does little to alleviate the pressure on Liu Yumin.

In recent years, due to the national gold medal strategy, many provinces and cities have canceled basketball teams in order to save money.

Children who want to play basketball have no teams to play with, and it's even gotten so bad that when players who are selected for the national team return to their hometowns, their original teams have disbanded.

For example, Liu Yudong was selected for the national youth team in 89. After returning to his hometown, he found that the Fujian men's basketball team had been disbanded. With no team to play for, he had no choice but to join the Nanjing military unit.

In the past two years, the emergence of Tang Bei has led to a surge in basketball enthusiasm across the country, which is a great thing for the development of basketball.

However, due to insufficient development funds, the domestic basketball situation has not changed much in the past two years, wasting this opportunity.

Besides the upcoming World Championships, another important task she is currently undertaking is to promote the establishment of a professional league.

If there is insufficient development funding, then we should introduce social capital, learn from the NBA league, and establish China's own professional basketball league.

This time, she plans to invite Tang Bei's agent, Mr. Eric Fleischer, to China, hoping to learn from Fleischer about the NBA model and the NBA club model.

After Game 4, the notion of Houston as a "resilient city" disappeared, and no Houston media outlets mentioned the term again.

Instead, there was criticism of Hakeem Olajuwon, the management, the coaches, and team owner Alexander.

“场均40分14篮板4助攻2抢断4盖帽，重度恐惧唐北在总决赛中打出令人恐惧的超级表现。”洛杉矶时报。

"Super center Hakeem Olajuwon is gripped by deep fear!" Miami Sports Daily.

"Severe Fear: Big Dream, you've wasted your trip," NBC reported.

"The Rockets have a 2% chance of winning the championship," ESPN reported.

"The Heat have a 99% chance of winning the championship, with a 1% chance coming from an uncontrollable natural disaster," TNT reported.

"4-1, we won the championship in Miami." Miami Herald.

On the afternoon of the 11th, a group of reporters waited outside the Attack Stadium on Chicago's West Side.

Since the Eastern Conference Finals, Jordan has been training here under the guidance of Tim Grover, without taking a single day off.

He finished training at 6 p.m., and when he left the training hall at 6:30 p.m., he was surrounded by a group of reporters who were waiting for him.

"Michael, do you think the Rockets still have a chance to turn things around?"

"No."

Not even a little bit?

"Don't ask the same questions repeatedly."

"Michael, do you think we have a chance to reach the Finals next season?"

"I do not accept consecutive failures."

"Michael, what do you think the Bulls should do to strengthen their roster?"

"Go ask Jerry Krause."

"Michael, if Tang Bei wins the championship, are you envious of him winning the championship in his second season?"

Jordan walked to the car and, with the help of his assistant and bodyguard, got in, without answering the annoying and embarrassing question.

On the evening of the 12th, the area outside the Miami Arena was packed with people, and the arena inside was completely full.

The Florida governor and a large group of politicians and billionaires appeared at the arena, along with many Hollywood stars and celebrities.

The entire arena has been transformed into a celebration, with many Chinese elements added, such as red lanterns purchased from New York's Chinatown that are hung everywhere.

Tangbei's large promotional photos not only covered the arena, but also the entire city of Miami.

The Heat's management invited a band to celebrate with fans after winning the championship and booked Miami's best nightclub for the players to celebrate all night.

The Gerber family appeared at the scene, accompanied by Walmart CEO David Glass.

Simply buying stocks and acquiring long-term bonds on the secondary market has limited influence on Walmart, which previously rejected Gerber's cash investment offer.

But a turning point came yesterday when Garbo proposed a new investment plan that impressed David Glass.

Like the NBA, Walmart is expanding into markets around the world, but market expansion requires massive amounts of capital, so last year it issued $8.3 million in Samurai bonds in Japan for the first time.

Following the successful issuance of Samurai long-term bonds, the Chinese market also came into Walmart's sights.

However, Walmart currently has no understanding of the Chinese market or its policies, so it has not yet formulated an expansion plan.

However, through Tang Bei's endorsement, FILA achieved great success in China within just one year, seizing a large share of the market, which made Walmart very envious.

Jiabao's proposed plan is for Walmart and Tangjia Investment to establish a Walmart China Retail Group, with Tangjia Investment responsible for resolving policy issues and conducting market research.

This plan impressed David Gwyneth, because Walmart currently lacks development funds and has little understanding of the Chinese market and policies. Tangjia Electronics was the most suitable partner.

Tang Bei, a partner at Tangjia Investment, has a superstar in the Chinese sports scene with a wide influence, which was the main reason Walmart was interested.

The current agreement reached by both parties is that after Tang Bei and Jia Bao's wedding ceremony, a joint investment team will be formed to travel to China.

In the center of the home team's locker room, there was a long table covered with rolls of US dollars, piled up like a mountain, each roll worth ten thousand US dollars.

In the corner, there were twenty cases of champagne on the dock, also intended for post-race celebrations.

"Brothers, we're going to take Houston back."

In the away team's locker room, Hakeem Olajuwon, his eyes bloodshot, roared in a hoarse voice.

Mad Max, his anger rising, shouted, "The boss is right, we can't give up like this. We have to go back and massacre Houston!"

"Bloodshed...who?"

Everyone was stunned for a moment and looked at Maxwell.

"You idiot!"

Hakeem Olajuwon was so angry he felt like he was going to vomit blood.

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

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

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

"Severe phobia! Severe phobia..."

When Tang Bei entered the field, all the fans stood up, and the overwhelming shouts were unified, earth-shattering, and swept in all directions.

Zhang Heli said, "The home team's momentum is too strong. They can definitely suppress the Rockets. Even if the Rockets are not in bad form tonight, they won't be much better."

Sun Zhenping said, "Now it all depends on the Heat's form. Tonight is their best chance to win the championship."

Han Qiaosheng said, "Yes, we lost tonight. The next two games are their home games, so tonight was indeed the best chance to win the championship."

"Tang, you've had a fantastic season."

"Thank you, Mr. Stern."

Tang Beixian exchanged a few words with David Stern.

"Tang, I wish you the best of luck in winning the championship."

"Thank you, Mr. Glass. I hope we can become partners."

"I also hope that."

He then shook hands with Walmart CEO David Glass, chatted briefly, and went to warm up.

"Destroy everything!"

Before they went on stage, the entire Miami Arena resounded with tremendous cheers.

Outside the arena, and even throughout the entire Miami metropolitan area, this sound rang out in front of countless television sets.

Bill Walton said, "In 93, the Florida Marlins joined the MLB, the Florida Panthers joined the NFL, and together with the Heat and the NFL's Miami Dolphins, all four major professional sports leagues established teams in Miami."

“If they win the championship, the Miami Heat will become the most popular professional sports team in the city,” Bill Russell immediately said.

Bill Walton said, "The Dolphins won the championship undefeated in 72, making them the only undefeated team in NFL history to win the title."

This season, they won the AFC East title with a record of 10 wins and 6 losses and made it into the playoffs. However, they lost to the San Diego Chargers in the divisional playoffs, and their competitiveness is far less than before.

The team's biggest highlight right now is Dan Marino, who was named the NFL's best comeback player of the season.

If the Miami Heat win the championship and have a superstar like Tang Bei, they could very well replace the Dolphins as the most popular team in Miami.

At eight o'clock, the competition begins.

After the jump ball, the Heat went on offense.

Tang Bei was positioned high up, with Olajuwon on top of defense, and Thorpe guarding the low post on the right wing, keeping an eye on Grant Lang in the right defensive zone and preventing opponents from cutting to the basket.

On the left wing, Glen Rice quickly started his run, bypassing Robert Horry and cutting into the penalty area.

He was shorter than Horry, and while his speed wasn't top-tier, it was definitely faster. His cut inside immediately posed a threat to the Rockets' basket, forcing Thorpe to get back on defense.

This gave Grant Long a wide-open space in the right block, forcing Mad Max above him to immediately move down one step.

"Whoosh!"

Tang Bei passed the ball high to Steve Smith, then immediately cut to the basket to grab the offensive rebound and create more space for the perimeter by cutting into the paint and compressing the Rockets' interior defense.

On the right wing, Mad Max quickly counterattacked Steve Smith.

"brush!"

But it was too late. Steve Smith caught the ball and shot immediately without hesitation. He made a decisive three-pointer.

"Great! Tang Bei provided the assist, and Steve Smith made his first three-pointer!" Zhang Heli said excitedly.

The Heat returned to defense, still using man-to-man marking, without switching.

Mad Max takes the ball and goes one-on-one against Steve Smith, ready to return the favor.

"Shh!"

A huge, disruptive chorus of boos erupted at Miami Arena.

"Bang!"

Maxwell drove to the three-point line but couldn't shake off his defender. He pulled up for a jump shot, but Steve Smith blocked it, resulting in a missed shot.

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

He still prefers playing in the high post. He's increasingly fond of high-post playmaking, which saves energy, reduces physical strain, allows him to control the ball, improves his stats, and most importantly, helps him win games.

"Di!"

Hakeem Olajuwon angrily pulled at Tang Bei, but the difference in strength and weight was too great, so it was useless and he was called for a defensive foul.

"Karim, which do you think is more threatening, Tang Bei's high-post playstyle or your skyhook?" Bill Walton asked.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was taken aback.

His skyhook is so powerful because of his height and wingspan advantage, making it almost impossible to block.

Tang Bei is rarely blocked these days. There are several reasons for this: first, his height advantage; second, his physical strength advantage, which gives him more space to shoot; and third, at least half of his attacks end with a dunk, making him even harder to block.

Barkley said, "It's hard to compare them. After all, the skyhook is a shooting technique, while Tang Bei's high post playmaking is a style of play."

Bill Russell immediately said, "Charles, Bill is asking about threat. Skyhook and high post play can both be threatening."

Barkley shrugged and looked at Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar smiled and said, "Pure shooting skills, even the unstoppable skyhook, are not as threatening as Tang Bei's high-post playmaking style."

An efficient tactical approach can mobilize the entire team's offense, while a single shooting technique cannot achieve that effect; at best, it can only draw double teams.

“Karim, you’re too modest,” Bill Walton laughed.

Barkley nodded and said, "That's right. When a shooting technique reaches an unsolvable level, its threat can be so high that it makes the opponent despair."

Bill Russell brought the conversation back to the game itself, saying, "Looking at the Rockets' style of play tonight, nothing has changed. They still can't stop Tang Bei. Whether it's a low-post attack or a high-post playmaking style, they can't break it."

Barkley said, "The Rockets' three-point strategy just hasn't worked. They haven't capitalized on so many open looks."

Oh wait, they did manage to capitalize on one opportunity in Game 2, but winning just one game doesn't significantly help the overall series. The Heat gambled and won this one.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar shook his head and said, "A 40% field goal percentage on open shots is not enough to fill the huge hole in the paint."

The Rockets' strength lies in their interior defense. Against other teams, their interior players can cover for their perimeter players. But against the Heat, it's the opposite: their perimeter players need to cover for their interior players.

Bill Walton nodded and said, "If they can't solve the problem, the Rockets won't be able to put up an explosive offense on the road, and they probably won't be able to seize their last chance tonight."

(End of this chapter)