The NBA's Absolute Dominance

Chapter 186 is just a rant.

At eight o'clock, the competition begins.

In the center circle, Tang Bei and O'Neal jump for the ball.

In previous games, Don Nelson had mainly relied on veterans, with Coleman and Shawn Kemp starting in the paint. But today, he could only field O'Neal and Mourning to deal with Tang Bei.

"Di!"

The referee tossed the ball high into the air.

"Tang Bei outmaneuvered O'Neal and got the ball; China is on the attack," Xu Jicheng said.

Mourning moved quickly, blocking Tang Bei and buying O'Neal time to get back on defense.

Tang Bei bypassed Mourning and moved from the free-throw line into the paint, where he was blocked by O'Neal. O'Neal and Mourning, who was moving in front of him, formed a double team.

"Hey, this is the first time Tang Bei has been double-teamed off the ball in the World Championships, and at the free-throw line no less!" Sun Zhenping exclaimed in surprise.

"The low post is open, the other positions are four against three, Zheng Wu is cutting inside to the basket," Han Qiaosheng shouted quickly.

Adijiang controlled the ball at the edge of the penalty area and saw Zheng Wu cutting inside. Kevin Johnson was half a step behind but had no chance to pass the ball down.

Because today, instead of Kevin Johnson, he was being guarded by Joe Dumars, and the Dream Team II switched between the shooting guard and point guard positions.

Lightning Kevin Johnson is primarily known for his offense, accurate passing, and drives. He is strong offensively but weak defensively, with his defense being average and not a liability.

The head coach of the Dream Team II, Don Nelson, knew Tang Bei's strength well. Even if he underestimated the strength of the Chinese men's basketball team, he would not underestimate Tang Bei.

Therefore, he was very cautious in this game, hoping to do his best to defend the ball handler and cut off the passing link between the ball handler and Tang Bei.

Joe Dumars is a top-tier defensive shooting guard who can guard Jordan and Magic Johnson. He is the defensive brain of the Bad Boys, playing tough but not dirty defense.

He is a benchmark for defensive guards in the NBA and the first perimeter player in NBA history to win the Finals MVP award based on his defense.

He arranged for a high-post off-ball double-team, knowing it would leave an open shot under the basket, which is why he had Joe Dumars switch on him.

He believes that with Joe Dumars's defense, he can lock down the opponent's passing button when they drive to the basket.

"Snapped!"

Adijiang forced a pass, but Joe Dumars accurately anticipated the pass and quickly moved laterally to make a steal.

"Ouch, it's broken! Be careful!" Sun Zhenping exclaimed.

"brush!"

Starting from outside the arc, Joe Dumars drove to the basket and easily made a layup, scoring a basket.

"It would be better to pass the ball directly to Wu Naiqun; he's open," Xu Jicheng said.

“Yes, Wu Naiqun’s mid-range shot is very accurate,” Han Qiaosheng said.

0-2, China attacks.

This time, Tang Bei didn't stay in a low position; instead, he directly provided support from a high position.

However, O'Neal and Mourning still followed Don Nelson's instructions to double-team Tang Bei in the high post.

Wu Naiqun was lying in ambush in the right defensive zone near the baseline, where he was undefended.

Zheng Wu made an off-the-ball run on the right wing, marked by Kevin Johnson.

Sun Jun pulled up to the three-point line on the left wing at a 40-degree angle, spread out very far, and was defended by Reggie Miller.

"Give them an open space first, and move their defense around," Tang Bei shouted loudly in Mandarin to Adijiang, who was near the top of the key.

Already nervous, Adijiang became even more nervous after making a mistake, but Tang Bei's voice made him feel a little better.

He immediately moved to the right wing, but Joe Dumars was very tight on defense. At this moment, Zheng Wu ran out to set a screen, and Kevin Johnson switched to defend him.

"here."

Just then, Tang Bei had already squeezed past O'Neal and Mourning's double-team and moved toward the basket.

On his left was O'Neal, who was half a step slower than Mourning, who was following behind.

"Whoosh!"

Upon hearing Tang Bei's voice, Adijiang suddenly pulled the ball, turned around, and after shaking off Kevin Johnson, passed the ball towards the basket.

As the basketball approached the basket, Tang Bei leaped into the air, while O'Neal on the left was half a step behind and gave up on defense.

"boom!"

The next instant, Tang Bei was hanging on the rim.

"WOW!"

The powerful, heavy clapping of his hands instantly sent more than 30,000 Canadians into cheers.

"Beautiful! A perfect pass and cut, Tang Bei completes an alley-oop dunk!" Xu Jicheng shouted excitedly.

2:2, Team USA attacks.

The US team serves, and Lightning Kevin Johnson receives the ball and quickly advances to the frontcourt. Adijan loses his defensive position and takes the opportunity to attack the penalty area from the right wing.

Wu Naiqun came up from the low post to help defend, but Kevin Johnson pulled up for a jump shot in the right elbow area.

Tang Bei took on two opponents under the basket, using his back to firmly trap O'Neal behind him.

"Bang!"

It went wide, and the basketball bounced off the rim.

"mine."

Tang Bei moved quickly and, using his height and jumping ability, grabbed the defensive rebound over Mourning's head.

After landing, he shielded the ball with both hands to his chest, quickly turned around and swung his elbows to push away Mourning and O'Neal, then passed the ball to Adijiang.

When he got to the frontcourt, he still positioned himself high up, and was still being defended by O'Neal and Mourning.

This time, Zheng Wu came to the middle lane early to set a screen for Adijiang. Adijiang took the ball and went to the right wing. Joe Dumars went around Zheng Wu and chased after him.

Adijiang completed the pass before Joe Dumars could close in, passing to Wu Naiqun in the right defensive zone, forcing Mourning to abandon the double-team and retreat to defend Wu Naiqun.

But no matter how fast he got back on defense, the distance was too far, and Wu Naiqun still got a wide-open shot.

Tang Bei and O'Neal quickly moved to the basket, at which point Wu Naiqun received the ball, took a step forward, and launched a mid-range shot.

“It’s off.”

Tang Bei immediately moved to block the shot, using his left hand to hold off O'Neal on the left. At that moment, the basketball bounced off the rim and went wide, and he managed to steal it.

"ended."

When Sun Zhenping saw Tang Bei grab the offensive rebound, he shouted excitedly, ignoring O'Neal still under the basket.

The next moment, Tang Bei, on the right side of the basket, jumped with all his might, holding the ball in both hands.

Shaquille O'Neal also jumped with all his might, but because he was positioned directly in front of the basket, he could only block the shot with his left hand.

"boom!"

The next instant, Tang Bei pressed down on O'Neal's one hand with both hands and slammed the ball into the basket with a powerful two-handed dunk.

O'Neal was dunked on from the front, staggered a couple of steps after landing, and fell to the ground.

"WOW!"

A tremendous cheer erupted at Tianhong Stadium, the roar of more than 30,000 people creating an earth-shattering roar.

"That's incredible! He's invincible under the basket, even Shaq can't do anything about it," Sun Zhenping exclaimed excitedly.

"The Great Shark is strong on offense but weak on defense. He has never been able to stop Tang Bei's low-post offense, let alone under the basket," Xu Jicheng said with a smile.

"Isn't Shaq called 'Sardine' now? That's what I saw the domestic media wrote," Han Qiaosheng said curiously.

Xu Jicheng laughed and said, "Sardine is a nickname that Tang Bei gave him, and now it's been used to describe him."

4:2, Team USA attacks.

On the sidelines, old Nelson stood with his hands in his pockets, his mind racing.

Kevin Johnson's drive to the basket just now didn't go in. That won't do. To create a scoring opportunity for Tang Bei, we have to drive in.

Moreover, with O'Neal and Mourning drawing attention in the paint, the perimeter players have a chance to penetrate.

"Kevin, charge in."

At that moment, Kevin Johnson dribbled the ball up to the center line and heard Don Nelson's roar.

He immediately accelerated, broke past Adijang in front of him, and then broke inward from the right elbow area.

Wu Naiqun came up to help defend again, and Mourning found an open space on the right wing in the low post and immediately raised his hand to ask for the ball.

Under the basket, O'Neal used his dominance to keep Tang Bei pinned down, and Tang Bei dared not come out to help defend.

Kevin Johnson changed direction and broke through Wu Naiqun's second line of defense, entering the penalty area.

Tang Bei could only move up one step to block Kevin Johnson, who leaped high and tossed the ball high into the air.

Tang Bei knew from the opponent's casual shot that it wasn't a jump shot but a pass, so he immediately turned around and went back to defend.

But it was too late. By the time he turned and stepped into the paint, O'Neal had already leaped high, only half a beat too late.

"boom!"

With a powerful slam of both hands, O'Neal smashed the rim against the Chinese team's backboard.

"Oh!"

An excited O'Neal pounded his chest and roared at Tang Bei.

Don Nelson kept nodding, "Drive and dish, drive and dish. With a player like Shaquille O'Neal in the low post, driving and dishing is the most suitable tactic."

4-4, China attacks.

Wu Naiqun did not rush to get into position, but instead came out to set a screen, blocking Kevin Johnson and allowing Zheng Wu to get open.

Zheng Wu quickly cut to the right wing at the 45-degree three-point line and received a pass from Adijiang.

At this moment, Kevin Johnson bypassed Wu Naiqun and pounced on him. Zheng Wu gritted his teeth and fought back under pressure.

"A wide-open three-pointer!" Xu Jicheng shouted.

Under the basket, Tang Bei was once again facing two opponents, with the three of them jostling for position.

"Bang!"

The ball went short, bounced off the rim, and landed on the right front side of the basket, near Mourning's position.

Tang Bei accurately predicted the situation and moved to Mo Ning's side. The two jumped at the same time and made physical contact in mid-air.

"Damn it!"

Mourning was bounced away.

"Snapped!"

Tang Bei clasped his hands together and grabbed the offensive rebound.

But after he landed, his left side near the basket was blocked by O'Neal, and in front of him was Mourning, a double-team, leaving him with only a little space left, and he would be completely shut down soon.

He used his left elbow to block O'Neal, jumped quickly, and flicked his right wrist to throw the ball toward the backboard.

O'Neal and Mourning jumped to block, but they were a little too slow and didn't reach the target high enough.

"Di!"

The referee blew his whistle.

At that moment, the basketball bounced off the backboard and went through the rim.

"Beautiful! Tang Bei made a near-basket shot off the backboard while being double-teamed, and also drew a foul from Mo Ning's defender," Sun Zhenping exclaimed excitedly.

Xu Jicheng said, "We're still a bit nervous. We have to make those outside shots. If we miss those open shots, the American team will definitely double-team Tang Bei."

Han Qiaosheng nodded and said, "After all, this is Dream Team II, a level above other teams, so the players must be under a lot of pressure."

Xu Jicheng laughed and said, "Actually, it's nothing. Just remember that none of these Dream Team II members could beat Tang Bei this year. Tang Bei is the champion, the Finals MVP. Everyone else is a loser." "Haha..."

Han and Sun burst into laughter.

Tang Beijia made the free throw, 7-4, USA team on offense.

"Bang!"

Reggie Miller made a cut to get past Sun Jun and received the ball in the left blocking area close to the baseline. His first shot missed, resulting in a +1.

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

After he entered the frontcourt, he positioned himself high up, and O'Neal and Mourning still double-teamed him off the ball.

Outside the arc, Joe Dumas pressed closely, and Adijiang turned to shield the ball, then quickly passed it to Zheng Wu on the right wing.

Wu Naiqun, positioned on the right flank, saw an opportunity and quickly cut inside, penetrating the penalty area along the baseline.

Zheng Wu's jump pass over Kevin Johnson nearly resulted in a turnover.

But this pass straight to the basket still tore through the Dream Team II's defense, forcing O'Neal to quickly turn around and defend the basket.

After O'Neal turned around, Tang Bei quickly entered the penalty area.

The ball was a bit high. Wu Naijun jumped to catch it, landed, and jumped again for a layup. O'Neal, who had returned to the defensive position, blocked the ball with a slap. The basketball bounced off the backboard. When O'Neal tried to get up to grab the ball again, a huge shadow loomed behind him.

"boom!"

The next instant, with the sound of the rim exploding, O'Neal was also knocked forward and crashed into Wu Naiqun, the two of them falling into a heap.

"Great! Tang Bei slammed the ball in on the second attack, and even knocked O'Neal down!" Sun Zhenping exclaimed excitedly.

"It's 9-4 now, we're leading by 5 points," Han Qiaosheng said with a smile.

Xu Jicheng said, "Tang Bei scored all four baskets. He grabbed four rebounds, including three offensive rebounds, which led to three second-chance points."

At this point, the US team called a timeout.

Xu Jicheng continued, "The US team is calling a timeout now, definitely to address the rebounding issue. Losing three defensive rebounds is a critical problem."

"We also need to take this opportunity to solve the problem of our outside offense. Zheng Wu missed his first shot, and Wu Naiqun missed his second shot. Both were open shots."

"If it weren't for Tang Bei's offense, defense, and rebounding, we would definitely be behind," Sun Zhenping nodded.

On the US team's bench, Don Nelson was furious.

"Rebounds! We didn't get a single rebound, and we lost all three defensive rebounds, giving them three second-chance opportunities. It's incredibly shameful. Tell me, what are you doing? On vacation?"

“Shaq, Alonzo, it’s two against one, and their power forward isn’t even involved in the offensive rebounding, so I don’t want to see Don take the defensive rebounds again, OK?”

"We're down by 5 points now. Even if they have a serious fear, you're all All-Stars, you're all the core of the team, so that's not an excuse for us to be behind."

"Your opponents have never made it into the world's top eight before they had Tang Bei. You must defeat them, or you will be ridiculed by everyone."

"Remember, this is not a warm-up, this is the final."

As the second head coach of the Dream Team, he is now somewhat annoyed and under a lot of pressure.

With the Dream Team's great record as a precedent, he would lose face big time if he lost the final today.

During the entire timeout, he didn't devise any tactics; he just fired shots to energize the All-Stars.

On the Chinese team's bench, Jiang Xinquan emphasized one point: Sun Jun should be more proactive and play the role of a ball-handling forward.

Zheng Wu plays off the ball, and his attacking threat when on the ball is not as great as Sun Jun's.

The pause ends.

The Chinese team substituted Hu Weidong and Gong Xiaobin, replacing Zheng Wu and Wu Naiqun.

To improve their rebounding, the US team didn't make any changes to their frontcourt, but replaced Kevin Johnson with Mark Price at point guard and Reggie Miller with Shawn Kemp at small forward.

Xu Jicheng immediately said, "Mark Price's three-point shooting is better than Kevin Johnson's, and Shawn Kemp's ability to attack the basket is very strong, but this substitution has weakened the perimeter defense."

So our perimeter players should try to seize the opportunity to make a few shots and relieve some of the defensive pressure on Tang Bei.

"brush!"

Mark Price passed the ball to Joe Dumars, who had made an open run, and Dumars hit a wide-open two-pointer from the right wing at the 50-degree angle.

9-6, China attacks.

Tang Bei moved down to the low post, but was still double-teamed off the ball. Gong Xiaobin got an open shot on the right wing and started calling for the ball.

Hu Weidong set a screen for Adijiang, who took the opportunity to get rid of Joe Dumars and pass the ball to Sun Jun on the left wing.

Sun Jun was one-on-one against Shawn Kemp at the three-point line. The two are 10 centimeters apart in height, and the height difference is even greater when wingspan is added.

bang bang bang...

Sun Jun, playing with a smaller player, dribbled past his defender repeatedly and reached the left side of the court.

O'Neal didn't help defend; he knew Tang Bei's abilities all too well. He just stuck to Tang Bei, leaving Mourning, who was fronting him, to help defend.

After Sun Jun carried Mourning into the paint, the basketball flew towards Gong Xiaobin in the low post on the right wing.

"Gong Xiaobin's jump shot... went in! Finally, someone else has scored!" Xu Jicheng shouted excitedly.

"Sun Jun is still pretty good. He used a drive-and-kick tactic and provided an assist," Han Qiaosheng said.

"11-6, we're leading by 5 points again," Sun Zhenping said with a smile.

The US team is on the attack. Mark Price breaks through from the right arc, attracting Gong Xiaobin's double team, and then passes the ball to Shawn Kemp who has cut into the penalty area.

"Severe phobia, watch me smash your basket."

Cutting into the paint along the baseline, an excited Shawn Kemp received the ball and leaped up like a black panther, slamming it towards the basket with his right hand.

With a cold expression, Tang Bei leaped up from the left side of the basket, his head soaring above the rim, and his left hand reached over the top of the basket to block it.

"Snapped!"

Shawn Kemp slammed the ball into Tang Bei's left hand, and the severely deformed basketball instantly bounced upwards and soared into the air.

"boom!"

Shawn Kemp's right hand and Tang Bei's left arm slammed onto the rim, producing a loud thud.

"WOW!"

The spectacular block caused a huge cheer to erupt in the Tianhong Gymnasium.

"Tang Bei's basket-covered rain man is fantastic!" Xu Jicheng shouted excitedly.

"Tang Bei jumped so high, haha!" Sun Zhenping laughed excitedly at the same time.

"Gong Xiaobin has the ball, let's launch a counterattack!" Han Qiaosheng shouted loudly.

Both teams' players sprinted towards the Chinese team's frontcourt. Gong Xiaobin dribbled the ball past the center line and took two steps before suddenly passing it to Hu Weidong, who had abruptly stopped at the left wing three-point line.

Mark Price, who had overshot his lane, slammed on the brakes, but by the time he turned around, Hu Weidong, who had received the ball, had already launched a three-pointer.

"brush!"

Water splashed as the basketball slid through the hoop.

Sun Zhenping said happily, "Hu Weidong's performance in the World Championships was the best besides Tang Bei's; his three-pointers were very consistent."

Xu Jicheng exclaimed, "Tang Bei has already rushed into the penalty area. His fast break is really fast. Even if he misses the shot, he can still grab the offensive rebound and score on the second-chance opportunity."

Han Qiaosheng said, "O'Neal and Mourning are both behind him, and even Shawn Kemp couldn't outrun him. If we want to play it safe this time, we should wait until Tang Bei gets into the paint before passing the ball in. That would be a guaranteed success."

"Correct."

Xu Jicheng nodded.

14:6, Team USA attacks.

"ball!"

So far, O'Neal hasn't touched the ball yet. Nobody passes him the ball, and he's frustrated. Every time he gets to the left wing low post, he yells for the ball.

The veteran Mark Price glanced at the second-year player O'Neal and was reluctant to pass the ball.

Everyone in the league knows that O'Neal can't beat Tang Bei. Passing the ball there would likely result in a missed opportunity, so it's better to pass it to another position.

"Give me the ball!"

O'Neal was furious and roared.

Ultimately, he was a teammate, so Mark Price had no choice but to pass the ball down.

O'Neal received the ball, and without being double-teamed, he immediately executed a shark spin move.

Unfortunately, he knew Tang Bei well, and Tang Bei knew him well too. They forcefully blocked his shark turn, preventing him from getting any room to turn around.

Shaq's turnaround attempt failed, so O'Neal had to force a shot, using his right elbow to block Tang Bei and then firing a hook shot with his left hand.

When O'Neal took the shot, Gong Xiaobin in the low post on the right wing held off Mourning, preventing him from going in to grab the rebound.

At the same time, Tang Bei quickly turned around and blocked the shot, the basketball bounced off the rim and he caught it.

Old Nelson helplessly shrugged on the sidelines. So far, the Dream Team II hadn't even grabbed a single rebound. How could they possibly continue?
Tang Bei positioned himself high up the court, but the American team continued to double-team him off the ball.

Adijiang and Hu Weidong set a pick-and-roll at the top of the key, and after getting around the three players at the high post, he broke through to the right elbow area.

At this moment, Gong Xiaobin cut into the penalty area from the right wing, and Adijiang passed the ball.

After receiving the ball, Gong Xiaobin bypassed the basket and O'Neal, who was defending under the basket, and made a turnaround hook shot on the left side of the basket, scoring a basket.

"16-6, we're leading by 10 points," Sun Zhenping said excitedly.

"After the US team called a timeout, they were down 7-2, and now they've called their second timeout," Xu Jicheng said with a smile.

"This shows that timeouts are ineffective. Let's see how the US team plans their tactics this time," Han Qiaosheng said.

"Tang, this youth team is a bit tough to deal with!" said head assistant coach Lenny Wilkens as the players came off the field.

Don Nelson said, "We can't use the high post off-ball double-team anymore."

Lenny Wilkens nodded and said, "Double-teaming at the high post is not conducive to grabbing defensive rebounds."

At this point, the US team's bench, from the coaching staff to the Dream Team II members, was under pressure due to being down by 10 points, and the atmosphere was somewhat somber, unlike the relaxed atmosphere before the game.

During the last timeout, no tactics were discussed; this time, instead of yelling at people, Don Nelson was giving instructions on tactics.

He said, "Guys, now we're abandoning the high post double-team and getting our inside players into the low post to protect the defensive rebounds."

"From now on, we'll play a 2-1-2 zone defense, with the small forward guarding the middle and double-teaming the ball handler when the opponent drives to the basket."

"In addition, we should use full-court press and half-court press when appropriate to disrupt their offensive rhythm."

"On offense, O'Neal will draw Tang Bei's defense, and Derrick Coleman will come on. You need to strengthen your low-post offense."

"Sean Kemp is off the court, Wilkins is on."

"When the inside offense is stalled, the outside offense needs to step up and launch more fast breaks, using your momentum to break down their defense."

After this timeout, the US team's offense and defense began to improve.

As the US team alternated between full-court and half-court presses, the Chinese team made several mistakes, allowing the US team to launch several counter-attacks.

After 10 minutes of the first quarter, the score was 25-22, with the US team trailing by 3 points.

唐北首节打满，9投7中，3罚2中，轰下16分6篮板3盖帽1犯规的数据。

Xu Jicheng said, "Although we are still leading by 3 points, the American team has clearly gotten into the game. We can't adapt to their tight defense, and we make mistakes when they press us."

Sun Zhenping said, "The second quarter might be more troublesome. Their bench is full of All-Stars, so there's no difference between the starters and the bench."

Han Qiaosheng nodded and said, "Tang Bei will probably have to play the full match again. After entering the knockout stage, he played the full match in the first two matches. Hopefully, his stamina can hold up."

Xu Jicheng said, "The American team's 2-1-2 zone defense just now has limited Tang Bei's low-post offense to some extent. The three-on-one defense caused him to miss two shots, both of which were close to two points."

“They will definitely continue to be so defensive,” Sun Zhenping said.

(End of this chapter)