The NBA's Absolute Dominance

Chapter 195 Remember to rely on me for a minimum salary

At eight o'clock, the competition begins.

After the jump ball, the Heat went on offense.

Tang Bei ran straight to the basket, with Dale Davis following beside him, and Rick Schmitz coming up behind.

"We'll flank Tang Bei ahead of time," Xu Jicheng said.

"Whoosh!"

Avery Johnson lobbed the ball directly towards the basket.

The next moment, Tang Bei leaped high and caught the basketball from a head taller than the other players.

Schmitz, who is 224 cm tall, was completely ineffective in fronting the defense. Although he had the advantage of height and wingspan, his jumping ability was far inferior.

"boom!"

The next instant, Tang Bei turned and attacked the basket forcefully, knocking over Dale Davis who was guarding him, and then slammed the ball into the basket with both hands.

"It's so easy!"

Sun Zhenping said happily, "Overwhelming weight, overwhelming strength, overwhelming explosive power, overwhelming jumping ability, and preemptive double-teaming are completely useless against Tang Bei."

"I believe that defensive master Larry Brown will soon adjust his defensive tactics against Tang Bei and stop double-teaming him in advance."

Han Qiaosheng said with a smile, "Let's see if we can sweep this series."

"Snapped!"

Reggie Miller cut into the paint, received a pass from Mark Jackson, and attempted a floater against Tang Bei, but underestimated Tang Bei's blocking height and was slapped away by Tang Bei.

Kendall Gill picked up the ball behind Reggie Miller and immediately launched a fast break. When he reached the right wing three-point line, he excitedly made a wide-open three-pointer.

"brush!"

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

CCTV switched the camera to the front line, where Zhang Heli laughed and said, "Tang Bei overwhelms the Pacers' interior players with speed. Kendall Gill should wait until Tang Bei enters the paint before shooting, since his three-pointers are only so-so."

"That way, offensive rebounds and second-chance opportunities are guaranteed, but if the shot goes in, it's a legitimate shot, haha!"

Sun Zhenping said, "Reggie Miller's flank attack tactics are still very threatening, but this time they failed. Tang Bei guards the penalty area, making it difficult for him to score."

0:5, Pacers on offense.

Larry Brown's Pacers didn't make much progress in offensive tactics; they simply devised some strategies based on the players' technical strengths.

For example, Reggie Miller's off-ball movement, Rick Schmitz's low-post back-to-the-basket moves and high-post mid-range shots, Derrick McKay's three-pointers and second-chance opportunities, Mark Jackson's outside back-to-the-basket moves and passing, and so on.

During this offensive play, Mark Jackson used his big butt to push and shove, pushing from the left three-point line all the way to his right elbow for at least ten seconds.

At this moment, Reggie Miller used a reverse cut to get past Kendall Gill and once again cut inside from the right wing to the basket.

Mark Jackson quickly passed the ball across the court, and Tang Bei, who had already moved a step below the free-throw line, quickly stepped forward, slashed forward with his large hand, and instantly intercepted the ball.

"WOW!"

Amidst enthusiastic cheers, Tang Bei sprinted down the court, crossing the mid-court line like a swift horse. His speed was so great that neither of the Pacers' two guards could outrun him.

After sprinting past the top of the key, he had already gathered the ball, then stepped onto the free-throw line and leaped into the air. The terrifying impact made his body seem to have sprouted wings, instantly covering a distance of several meters.

"Click..."

On both sides of the baseline, the media stands were abuzz with the flashes of cameras and the clicking of shutters.

"boom!"

"WOW!"

With a one-handed tomahawk dunk, the entire Miami Arena exploded, with deafening shouts and cheers resounding in all directions.

Tang Bei waved to the audience, raising the cheers to a whole new level.

On the panel of the treasure chest, his current speed is level 81 and explosive power is level 96, a further improvement, both of which are one level higher than last year.

"A dunk from the free-throw line!"

Xu Jicheng shouted excitedly, "Tang Bei used his terrifying athleticism to complete a free throw line dunk! This is the first time a free throw line dunk has been performed in a real game..."

Sun Zhenping said, "Mark Jackson's strong-side back-to-the-basket move, which draws the defense and then passes the ball to the weak side, failed."

With the score at 0-7, Larry Brown called a timeout.

"Mark, before making any cross passes near the penalty area, make sure to observe Don's defensive position. He's faster than you, understand?"

After Mark Jackson came down, before he could even sit down, someone started spitting at him, spraying saliva all over Mark Jackson's face.

"Reggie, we need to drive in. We can't beat the Heat by just relying on outside jump shots unless your outside shooting percentage can reach 50%."

"You must be more aggressive in the paint. I don't care what you guys think, you must use your strong positioning to keep Tang in the low post and prevent him from coming up from there. His help defense area is too large."

"Rick, you can move to the high post, draw Tang up, and cut to the basket from the wing."

After a furious outburst, the pause ended.

At Larry Brown's request, Schmitz moved to the high post. Tang Bei did not defend him directly, but instead positioned himself one step below the free-throw line while keeping an eye on the area under the basket.

Mark Jackson knew that the wing-cutting strategy was not working as soon as he saw Tang Bei's defensive positioning, so he immediately passed the ball to Rick Schmitz in the high post.

His passing intention was to use Schmitz to draw Tang Bei to the high post after receiving the ball, and then cut into the basket from the wing. Schmitz would pass the ball, and if Tang Bei didn't follow up to the high post, Schmitz could also shoot. This was Schmitz's high post playmaking style.

This tactic is the same as Tang Bei's high-post support style, but there is one difference: Schmitz is not Tang Bei, but his opponent is Tang Bei.

So when Schmitz received the ball, Tang Bei immediately stepped up to defend.

Derek Schmitz couldn't even hold his ground, let alone face the basket, let alone pass the ball to Reggie Miller who was cutting inside.

At this moment, Avery Johnson turned around and double-teamed Schmitz, who had no choice but to pass the ball back to Mark Jackson.

But Avery Johnson anticipated the play and stole the ball, and then the Heat's fast break began.

His fast break wasn't very fast, and he kept Mark Jackson close by. After crossing the midfield line, he quickly passed the ball to Kendall Gill, who was breaking into the left midfield position from the left wing.

"brush!"

Kendall Gill received the ball and easily made a layup.

"Tang Bei defended brilliantly! He thwarted Rick Schmitz's high-post playmaking strategy," Sun Zhenping exclaimed excitedly.

Han Qiaosheng laughed and said, "The Pacers only have so many tactics. They just tried several and failed. I guess they'll just have to throw them around randomly in the open in the end."

Xu Jicheng said, "0:9, the Pacers' offensive tactics have all failed, and these attacks were all based on tactics centered around the paint."

"This shows that Tang Bei's ability to block the paint has reached a terrifying level. He won the scoring title and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season, truly a top-tier player in both offense and defense."

"Bang!"

Mark Jackson didn't pass this time. He backed down the defender and turned to shoot, but missed.

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

He entered the paint from the free-throw line, and the Pacers double-teamed him again. However, this time Avery Johnson broke through from the right arc and passed to Kevin Willis in the right block area.

"brush!"

Willis played steadily, hitting an open mid-range jumper.

Despite Reggie Miller's best efforts to help defend, he was still a step too late.

0:11, Pacers on offense.

Reggie Miller, who was stubborn, felt a sense of despair rising in his heart. He just couldn't understand why the Pacers could beat the Knicks but not the Heat, even though they were both superstar centers.
Rick Schmitz was a very threatening offensive player against Ewing, so why was he so vulnerable against that Chinese player?
"brush!"

At that moment, Mark Jackson assisted Derrick McKay, who finally made a mid-range shot.

The goal, making it 2-11, slightly boosted the Pacers' morale.

"boom!"

But fifteen seconds later, Tang Bei slammed a powerful two-handed dunk over Rick Schmitz, shattering the Pacers' newly rallied morale once again.

Kendall Gill put all his effort into guarding Reggie Miller, keeping him from getting open.

With limited opportunities in other positions, Mark Jackson had to take matters into his own hands, turning around and shooting after a back-to-the-basket move on the left wing.

"brush!"

This time it hit the target.

Sun Zhenping said, "The Pacers didn't get close to the paint in these three attacks; they all took outside jump shots and succeeded twice. The Heat need to strengthen their perimeter defense."

Han Qiaosheng said, "But it also shows that the Pacers' offense has been forced to turn to outside jump shots, and no matter how accurate the outside shots are, they can't compare to Tang Bei's offensive efficiency."

Xu Jicheng nodded and said, "Two out of three shots made will further intensify the Pacers' offense towards outside jump shots, which is like drinking poison to quench thirst."

Larry Brown stood frozen in front of the bench, and his two three-pointers did little to cheer him up.

Because he knew very well that this kind of outside offense was poison; without inside offense, without low-post and basket offense, how could the Pacers possibly win?

As expected, after the first quarter, the Pacers were down by 18 points, 16-34.

After the Pacers shifted their offense to the perimeter, they did improve compared to the start and made some shots. However, the Heat relied on their efficient offense inside the paint, with Tang Bei alone scoring 22 points in the first 10 minutes, further widening the gap.

Han Qiaosheng excitedly said, "Tang Bei made all 9 of his shots in the first quarter, all of them dunks. Seven of them were half-court dunks, and two were fast break dunks. In addition, he made 4 of 5 free throws, scoring 22 points and grabbing 5 rebounds in the quarter. He scored more points than the Pacers."

Sun Zhenping said, "Tang Bei controls the Pacers' paint on both offense and defense. Their interior defense is too weak in front of Tang Bei and is really vulnerable."

Xu Jicheng said, "This also reflects the gap between Tang Bei and the super center Ewing. Rick Schmitz played very well against Ewing."

Sun Zhenping laughed and said, "After being dunked on by Tang Bei under the basket, Schmitz no longer dared to engage in strong confrontations with Tang Bei."

Xu Jicheng said, "Let alone strong confrontation, he can't even handle ordinary confrontation. His center of gravity is too high and his strength is too weak. He might fall over if Tang Bei touches him."

In this game, the Heat ultimately crushed the Pacers at home, winning 75-111 by 36 points.

Tang Bei played only 30 minutes, shooting 20-for-21 from the field and 8-for-11 from the free-throw line, racking up 48 points and 21 rebounds. Kevin Longley wanted Tang Bei to score 50+ points; he was too lazy to pad his stats.

The media will be called one hour after the match ends.

A reporter asked, "Coach Brown, the Pacers' ability to eliminate the Knicks shows their strength, so why were they so helpless against the Heat?"

Larry Brown said angrily, "This was a disgraceful game. The players didn't execute my tactics. They were afraid of the inside game."

"Of our 68 shot attempts, 59 were outside the paint, and only a paltry 9 were inside, with a mere 3 of those coming in the basket."

"So do you think Rick Schmitz and Dale Davis can compete with Tang Bei?" the reporter pressed.

“That’s not why they’re avoiding confrontation,” Larry Brown said coldly.

"Do you think Reggie Miller is also part of the shameful part?" the reporter asked.

"I hope he can be braver in the G2 game."

Larry Brown snorted angrily; he was equally dissatisfied with Reggie Miller's performance today.

This answer made Reggie Miller's face turn very ugly, but he couldn't refute it because his performance today was terrible, posing no threat to the paint at all.

The next reporter asked, "Reggie, you made 7 of 18 shots, a 38.9% field goal percentage, and scored 17 points. How do you think your performance compared to the first round series?"

Reggie Miller said with a dark expression, "I'll adjust my mindset."

"How high do you think the Pacers' chances of advancing are?" the reporter pressed.

“Half and half, we won’t give up,” Reggie Miller said.

"Do you really think it's fifty-fifty?" the reporter asked with a very strange expression.

“Of course,” Reggie Miller said, forcing a smile.

A Miami reporter asked, "Reggie, your legendary sword doesn't seem to have appeared. I'd like to know, where did you hide it? In your underwear?"

"Ha ha……"

The reporters burst into laughter.

Reggie Miller took a deep breath, his lungs practically bursting with anger, and gritted his teeth, saying, "I'll show you where it is in the next game. Next question."

"Reggie, do you agree with Coach Brown? Are you part of the shameful group tonight?" the next reporter asked.

"No. Next question."

Reggie Miller's face was as sour as he glanced at head coach Larry Brown beside him, feeling utterly frustrated.

In the other two games, the Bulls defeated the Magic at home, and the Suns defeated the Rockets at home.

The second round of the series continued, with both the Heat and the Bulls sweeping their opponents to advance and meet in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Tang Bei put up impressive numbers in the second round, averaging 36 minutes, 35 points, and 17 rebounds per game.

The Spurs led 3-1 after the first four games, lost Game 5, and then defeated the Lakers in Game 6 to advance to the Western Conference Finals 4-2.

The Suns were in a similar situation to the Spurs, taking a 3-1 lead in the first four games but then losing the next two, forcing a Game 7 against the Rockets.

This put the sun in a dead end.

In the second round of last season's series, the Suns took a 3-0 lead, then lost three straight games, ultimately failing to win Game 7.

"Another Game 7, and the winner will once again be the resilient city."

The Houston Chronicle once again used the slogan "Resilient City" to boost the Rockets' morale.

Magic Johnson said in a media interview: "History repeats itself, and I personally think the Rockets have a higher chance of making it to the Western Conference Finals than the Suns."

"Tang, who do you think has a higher chance of making it to the Western Conference Finals, the Suns or the Rockets?" an ESPN reporter asked Tang Bei in a phone interview.

Tang Bei said, "It doesn't matter who makes it to the Western Conference Finals. The runner-up is better off not making the playoffs at all, because at least they can get a better draw."

"And what about the bulls?" the reporter asked.

"The Bulls are just a foil for us. They can actually rebuild, but if they don't rebuild, it's just a meaningless struggle."

His words quickly appeared on ESPN's television news, infuriating Jordan, Barkley, and others.

Soon, the decisive Game 7 between the two teams began, and the Rockets ultimately eliminated the Suns once again, advancing to the Western Conference Finals.

On the 23rd, the NBA officially announced the All-NBA Teams, and Tang Bei was selected to both the All-NBA First Team and the All-NBA Second Team for the first time.

"The host has completed the Double First-Class achievement and has obtained two treasures: 500 Dongwang Qingxue Pills and 500 Dongwang Bushen Pills."

"good."

The Eastern Conference Finals will begin on the 24th, and the Western Conference Finals will begin on the 25th.

The media's biggest focus is on the Eastern Conference Finals between the Heat and the Bulls, with many predicting the chances of them advancing.

Many mainstream media outlets believe the Heat have a better chance of advancing because the Bulls have consistently failed to address Tang Bei's weaknesses.

TNT is the most optimistic about the Heat's chances of advancing, believing they have a 65% chance.

Some media outlets also believe that the Bulls have a chance to advance to the Finals, given that the two teams tied in the four regular season games.

On the evening of the 24th, Miami Arena was packed to capacity.

In the visiting team's locker room, the atmosphere was far from relaxed, having faced the Heat three times in a row in the Eastern Conference Finals.

In the four regular season games against the Heat, they had a record of two wins and two losses, with neither side gaining an advantage.

Jordan didn't go all out in the regular season, but he knew very well that Tang Bei didn't go all out either.

If they fail again this time, the management might make changes to the roster, with head coach Phil Jackson and Pippen potentially becoming bargaining chips.

The coaching staff still hasn't come up with a defensive tactic to deal with Tang Bei. No matter what defensive tactic they use, they can't do anything to that guy.

The Bulls are currently only missing a superstar center, and the management is likely to trade Pippen for him; no other player is worth that much.

He has his own pride and disdains trading teammates to strengthen the team, but if he fails again this time, he doesn't know if his mind will change.

"Shet!"

He was surprisingly frustrated and bewildered, which was a rare emotion for him, but Tang Bei's invincibility put too much pressure on him.

Phil Jackson is also under a lot of pressure; if he loses again in the Eastern Conference Finals, Jerry Krause is very likely to fire him.

"Cough cough..."

He coughed twice, and after the players looked over, he said, "We've had two tactical meetings, and we still don't have a good way to defend against Tang Bei."

This statement is somewhat demoralizing, but since the Eastern Conference Finals in 93, the Bulls have been unable to deal with Tang Bei, so this statement is indeed true.

"But we have our advantages. Our roster depth is greater than theirs, so we will compete with them on roster depth and use our roster depth to wear them down."

The atmosphere in the home team's locker room was good and relatively relaxed.

Tang Bei put on all the equipment from the treasure chest, and wrapped his feet and ankles with bandages.

Soon, at 7:30, both sides announced their starting lineups.

Chicago Bulls: Luke Longley, Dennis Rodman, Scottie Pippen, Michael Jordan, BJ Armstrong

Miami Heat: Tang Bei, Kevin Willis, Glen Rice, Kendall Gill, Avery Johnson

Xu Jicheng said, "The starting lineup should be fine. The Heat need to pay attention to their bench, as the Bulls have a much deeper bench than the Heat."

Sun Zhenping said, "When playing against the Bulls, Tang Bei will definitely increase his playing time, increase his shot attempts, and improve his offensive efficiency."

Han Qiaosheng said, "Hopefully the substitute lineup won't dig too big a hole."

"Big Worm, have you paid off your gambling debts yet?" Tang Bei asked curiously in the players' tunnel.

"What's it to you?" Rodman said irritably.

"I heard Madonna is asking for a lot of money. She just wants a child. Why don't you want one?" Tang Bei said.

"Pfft!"

Someone burst out laughing, and it's unclear who it was. Besides the ten starters, there was also a team of security personnel in the players' tunnel.

Rodman was so angry that he didn't want to talk to Tang Bei anymore and turned his head to the side.

"Jordan, you two gambling gods are on the same team, you must face each other often, who is better?" Tang Bei asked.

"We're on the field."

Jordan urged his teammates, saying that if they didn't leave soon, this guy would crush the Bulls' morale.

Tang Bei shouted at Pippen, "Hey, you country bumpkin, it's you. Don't look at anyone else. Some media outlets are saying you'll be traded by the Bulls next season. Is that true?"

“I’m not a country bumpkin, and I won’t be traded.”

Pippen retorted angrily and then ran ahead.

"Jordan, if you lose again this time, remember to come to me on a minimum salary contract, and I'll teach you how to build a three-peat dynasty!" Tang Bei shouted at Jordan.

"Fuck you!"

Michael Jordan really lost control. He turned around, cursed, gave the middle finger, and then charged off.

"He has absolutely no manners," Tang Bei cursed.

"Ha ha……"

Glenn Rice and the other three, along with the security team, burst into laughter.

"Severe phobia..."

When Tang Bei finally appeared, the arena erupted in cheers from thousands of people. The thunderous shouts were perfectly synchronized and deafening.

(End of this chapter)