The NBA's Absolute Dominance

Chapter 113 Playoff Outlook

Almost a month has passed since Tang Bei's battle with Miyazaki Masahiro. The sword strike that split Mount Hua was far more powerful than the one that broke Siegel's wrist. Since the sword was broken and it was a vital blow, Miyazaki Masahiro's injuries were even more serious.

Masahiro Miyazaki suffered a skull fracture, and the force of the sword caused changes in intracranial pressure, resulting in cerebral edema and concussion symptoms, accompanied by frequent headaches. He will be unable to participate in competitive sports until his injury is fully recovered.

All of his Heavenly Demon Dojos have been closed because of the crushing defeat. He was defeated without launching any attacks, and his reputation in Japan is completely ruined. The title of Sword God and Martial God is no more.

In an attempt to avoid acknowledging the defeat of Japanese Kendo, the Japanese media attributed Miyazaki Masahiro's loss to Tang Bei's excessive weight, claiming that the two were not in the same weight class.

The implication is that Tang Bei's victory was unfair, and Japan did not lose because of its swordsmanship.

Regardless of what the Japanese say, Tang Bei's defeat of the Japanese sword god instantly elevated his reputation in the world of martial arts, making him a symbolic figure of Chinese kung fu culture overseas.

Not only do many Miami residents want to learn martial arts at his school, but many kung fu enthusiasts from all over the world also come to Miami.

Unfortunately, he currently lacks the energy and time to open a dojo, leaving kung fu and kendo enthusiasts disappointed as they arrive full of enthusiasm.

In addition, the promotion of Japanese martial arts culture around the world has suffered a blow, with many martial arts schools unable to make ends meet and forced to close down.

On the team front, Alec Kosler and Willie Burton have returned to the lineup, bringing the Heat's rotation to 11 players, which has improved the situation.

However, starting point guard Bibom Coles has not fully recovered from his injury, so his playing time is limited to around 30 minutes, and he sometimes comes off the bench.

In terms of record, despite increasing player rotation, their performance has declined to 47 wins and 28 losses, with a winning percentage of 62.7%, still ranking fourth in the Eastern Conference.

After the All-Star break, Tang Bei's playing time was reduced to 35 minutes.

After the team's rotation lineup was restored, playing time was further reduced, controlled to around 33 minutes.

He also increased his attempts at two-pointers, with two-point shots accounting for 45% of his total offense and shots under the basket accounting for 55%. He managed to control his energy expenditure and did not encounter any obvious rookie wall.

He is currently averaging 29.3 points per game, behind Jordan and Wilkins.

After nearly a season of training, his physical fitness has improved to level 93, his shooting is 70, his hook shot is 60, his floater is 58, and his dunk is 92. His basic skills have improved a lot.

The advanced level is in terms of skills: 95 in one-on-one under the basket, 85 in low post back-to-the-basket, 70 in low post face-up, 95 in one-on-one defense, 88 in help defense, 95 in blocking, 95 in rebounding, 75 in pick-and-roll, 50 in playmaking and tactical ability, and 85 in technical and tactical ability. Many skills have improved more than the basic skills.

With improvements in shooting and advanced skills, my free throw ability has improved somewhat, with a success rate of around 70%. My two-point shooting has also improved recently, with a success rate of nearly 40% in close contests.

For players of all positions, the two-point shooting range is one of the areas with the lowest shooting percentage.

Because this spot is both some distance from the basket and faces very strong interior defense, there are almost no open shots available.

Therefore, a two-point shooting percentage of nearly 40% is already very good. The three super centers and mid-range king Karl Malone also had similar shooting percentages in this area.

It can be said that after just one season of training, Tang Bei has made up for his biggest weakness in offense, and now no opponent dares to leave him open in this area.

In this game, the Bulls had a full frontcourt lineup, but in order to ensure that they could maintain a full roster in the playoffs, they still avoided engaging in strong low-post confrontations with Tang Bei.

Tang Bei controlled the rebounds, grabbing 24 rebounds in a single game, including an impressive 10 offensive rebounds, setting a new personal best for both single-game rebounds and offensive rebounds.

In terms of scoring, he also scored 35 points, achieving a 62.5% field goal percentage with improved two-point shooting.

However, most of his teammates were not in good form, with Glen Rice being defended by Pippen and only making 3 of 15 shots, scoring just 7 points.

John Salley went 0-for-5 from the field and scored no points.

The Bulls won the game 108-121.

The Bulls won on perimeter defense, making 14 steals against the Heat while the Heat only managed 5, limiting the Heat's field goal percentage to just 34%.

The Heat committed 21 turnovers and 27 fouls, while the Bulls only had 8 and 21 respectively. Although the Bulls lost the rebounding battle to the Heat by 9, they took 11 more shots than the Heat.

Jordan was in superb form, scoring 44 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 assists, outscoring Tang Bei. He made 3 of 7 three-pointers, achieving an astonishing overall field goal percentage of 66.6%, making every shot he took.

This is the Bulls' second win in four regular season games, bringing the two teams to a 2-2 record in the regular season.

They lost the last game in the same way. The Heat realized that if the Bulls avoided strong confrontations with Tang Bei in the paint, as long as Jordan exerted his strength and the Bulls played top-notch defense, they still had the ability to beat the Heat.

On the 15th, Eric Fleischer informed Tang Bei that he had completed his personal income tax filing.

He currently has five brand endorsements. Apart from Hummer and FILA, the other three were brought to him by Eric Fleischer after he became an All-Star.

These three brands are not top-tier brands, but rather second-tier brands. Their value is average, but they are much better than before.

Fila and Hummer have now received a total of $1100 million in cash, and the other three endorsements add up to $400 million, for a total of $1500 million in commercial endorsement income.

The endorsement fees for the last three endorsements were not high; compared to Hollywood stars, they were only third-tier, so they were all signed for only one year.

Eric believes that his influence and commercial value are on a strong upward trend, and that it is not worthwhile to sign long-term contracts with endorsements that are not of high quality.

With $15 million in commercial revenue, six times his NBA salary, he now understood why Larry Johnson was so determined to compete with him for the top spot—it was all about money.

He couldn't have imagined this number a year ago.

In addition, many domestic companies have contacted him, and he should be able to get some endorsement opportunities after returning to China.

This season, his NBA salary is $250 million, and the television broadcasting rights he sold for his last kendo duel brought in $2900 million, for a total of $4650 million.

He doesn't have many investments in the US, and his spending isn't too high. All this money is currently in his hands, in cash, and he has a lot of taxes to pay.

Fortunately, unlike North Carolina, Florida does not have individual income tax, so you only need to pay federal individual income tax.

The current maximum individual income tax rate is 39.6%, which means he would have to pay $18 million in federal taxes and still have $28 million left over.

Seeing such a large sum of money withdrawn from his account, his heart ached, and his liver ached.

The Heat continued with the remainder of their regular season schedule, losing to the Bullets the following night in a back-to-back road game.

With a record of 47 wins and 30 losses, a winning percentage of 61%, they are still fourth in the Eastern Conference.

On April 23, the Heat defeated the Bullets at home and rushed to New York overnight.

At this point, the Heat had a record of 49 wins and 32 losses, and were still fourth in the Eastern Conference.

There's one last regular season game left against the Knicks. If they win, their winning percentage will reach 60%. If they lose, it will drop below 60%, with a winning percentage of 59.7%.

The Celtics, currently fifth in the Eastern Conference with a record of 47 wins and 34 losses, will face the Bullets on the road tomorrow night. If they win, their winning percentage will be 58.5%.

Therefore, the game against the Knicks is no longer relevant to the standings, as the Heat have already secured fourth place in the Eastern Conference.

However, the Heat still want to win this game because a 60% winning percentage and 50 wins would be a new milestone in their record.

In the player tunnel, besides Ewing and the other five Knicks starters, there was a team of security personnel from Madison Square Garden, and Knicks head coach Pat Riley was also there.

"Oakley, how do you want to play tonight?"

Tang Bei led Glenn Rice and three others out from the other end of the corridor, and immediately asked Oakley loudly when he saw him.

Oakley's veins throbbed. He glanced at Pat Riley, who was smiling, and suppressed his anger, saying irritably, "Kid, hit me however you want."

"Coach Riley, hello."

Pat Riley is the head coach of this year's Eastern Conference All-Star team, and he can be considered Tang Bei's teacher and student. Tang Bei could only greet him when he saw him.

Pat Riley stayed here specifically to prevent another conflict between Tang Bei and Oakley. With the playoffs approaching, if Oakley were to get injured again, it would be a huge problem.

Oakley was injured for several months, and he did his best to make up for it. The team's record also declined. If the Bulls hadn't suffered even greater losses under Tang Bei, the Knicks would never have been the top team in the East.

However, the Knicks currently have 55 wins, while the Bulls have 54, a difference of only half a game.

If we can beat the Heat tonight, that would be ideal, and we'll solidify our position as the top team in the Eastern Conference.

But if they lose, the Knicks will face the Bulls at home in a back-to-back game tomorrow night. If they lose again, they will drop to second place in the East and lose home-court advantage in the series, so they absolutely cannot afford any problems tonight.

He smiled and said, "Tang, have you ever thought about opening a dojo in New York?"

"what?"

Tang Bei hadn't expected Pat Riley to say that, and didn't react immediately.

Pat Riley smiled and said, "New York has the most wealthy people and the largest middle class in the world. Your dojo will definitely be very popular in the Big Apple." "Uh, Coach, I need to think about it," Tang Bei said.

"OK."

Pat Riley smiled and nodded. Just then, the host's voice rang out, pointing outside and saying, "It's your turn to come on stage."

After Tang Bei and the others appeared, his smile vanished, and he spoke in a warning tone:

"Charles, once the Heat make it to the second round and face us, your help defense will be very important to us. Don't let a small mistake lead to a big loss; you can't beat them."

Oakley's face twitched. He really wanted to say, "Even if I can't beat you, I have to fight. Otherwise, where will I put my face?"
"Yes, coach."

But he didn't dare, and could only nod.

Pat Riley said regretfully, "It's a pity that the Bulls and the Heat won't meet in the first two rounds."

“They won’t even meet in the third round,” Ewing’s deep voice rang out.

Pat Riley paused for a moment, then smiled and nodded after realizing what he meant.

If the Heat face the Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals, wouldn't that mean the Knicks will be eliminated by the Heat in the second round?

In this game, the Heat ultimately failed to achieve their two goals and lost. Their record is 49 wins and 33 losses, with a winning percentage of 59.8%. They finished fourth in the Eastern Conference and second in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference.

The team is not in good form, with many shots missing.

Glen Rice played only 22 minutes before leaving the game due to wrist discomfort, scoring just 15 points.

Starting shooting guard Steve Smith made only 3 of 11 shots, scoring just 7 points.

Starting point guard Brian Shaw and starting power forward Grant Long both went 1-for-7, while starting point guard Coles, who came off the bench, also went 3-for-11.

With his teammates in such poor form, Tang Bei played exceptionally well, scoring 23 points before being substituted, having only played 28 minutes.

This game also exposed the Heat's defensive problems.

Facing Glen Rice, Knicks small forward Charles Smith went 12-for-15 from the field (80%) and 12-for-12 from the free-throw line, scoring a game-high 36 points.

After winning the game, the Knicks secured the top spot in the Eastern Conference.

After the game, the Heat concluded their regular season schedule and returned to Miami at 2 PM the following afternoon.

He had just arrived home when Eric Fleischer arrived with the Miami manager of FILA, bringing his Tang 1 signature sneakers.

The overall color scheme is red and white, with a tornado logo featuring Tang Bei on the upper, a "Tang" character on the outside, and a "TB1" logo on the inside.

Tang Bei liked it quite a bit in terms of appearance, after all, he had given some opinions and had a say in this matter.

In terms of technology, it has features such as a honeycomb buffer structure.

Tang Bei tried them on and found they provided good foot support, able to withstand the impact of high-speed back-and-forth running without slipping off.

In terms of elasticity and cushioning, it's better than the Nike and Adidas shoes he used to buy on the street; after all, it's specially made.

The insoles were also specially made according to his foot shape and were full of technology, but he felt they were not as good as the insoles from the treasure chest, and he would definitely replace them when he used them.

That evening, the NBA regular season concluded, and the first round of the playoffs was scheduled to begin on April 29.

The following day, April 26, the official details of the regular season and the first round of the playoffs were released.

The Phoenix Suns have the best record in the entire league and are the only team in the league to reach 60 wins, with a record of 61 wins and 21 losses.

Leading scorer: Michael Jordan, 32.6 points.

The rebounding leader is Dennis Rodman, with 18.3 rebounds.

Assist leader, John Stockton, 12 assists.

The steals leader, Michael Jordan, has 2.8 steals per game.

Hakeem Olajuwon, the shot block leader, 4.2 times.

The top five statistical leaders are confirmed, while the individual honors for the regular season will be announced on April 27th. The MVP winner will be announced before the second round, and the All-NBA Team and other honors will be announced before the third round.

In addition, the league also released the regular season MVP rankings.

Barkley is ranked first thanks to the Suns' league-best record and outstanding individual statistics.

Jordan ranks second thanks to the Bulls' second-best record in the Eastern Conference and his best individual statistics.

Third is Hakeem Olajuwon, whose record with the Rockets is second in the Western Conference and third in the entire league.

Fourth is Tang Bei. Although the Heat's record is only fourth in the East with 49 wins, his individual statistics are outstanding, surpassing those of the three super centers.

Although the Knicks have the best record in the East, they only have 55 wins, the same as the Bulls and Rockets, so Ewing can only be ranked fifth.

The top eight teams in the Eastern Conference during the regular season are the Knicks, Bulls, Cavaliers, Heat, Celtics, Hawks, Hornets, and Nets.

The top eight teams in the Western Conference are the Suns, Rockets, SuperSonics, Trail Blazers, Spurs, Jazz, Clippers, and Lakers.

In the first round of the playoffs, in the Eastern Conference, the matchups are: Knicks vs. Nets, Heat vs. Celtics, Bulls vs. Hornets, and Cavaliers vs. Hawks.

In the Western Conference, the Suns will face the Lakers, the Trail Blazers will play the Spurs, the Rockets will face the Clippers, and the SuperSonics will play the Jazz.

The winners of the first-round series in the first two groups will face off in the second round, and the same applies to the latter two groups.

In terms of individual statistics, Tang Bei is the third-highest scorer in the league, and also the Hornets' leading scorer, rebounder, and blocker.

He played 17 games for the Hornets and 66 games for the Heat, for a total of 83 games this season.

He averaged 27.3 points and 12.7 rebounds per game for the Hornets, and 29.7 points and 14.6 rebounds per game for the Heat.

整个赛季83场比赛，场均35.2分钟，18.8投11.6中，命中率61.7%，10.2罚6中，命中率58.8%，场均29.2分14.2篮板1.1助攻1.3抢断3.6盖帽2.8失误3.6犯规。

After the official playoff bracket was announced, the treasure chest immediately yielded a valuable item.

"Congratulations, host, on completing the achievement of 'First Time Making it to the NBA Playoffs' and obtaining one treasure: a back brace."

"Back support: the invisible pillar in combat."

"When a center is playing in the low post, his lumbar spine has to bear 3 to 5 times the pressure of his body weight. This lumbar support can provide strong support and comfort through a composite support structure. Compared with the top lumbar support on the market, its function is enhanced by 30%."

Tang Bei did the math: he had previously opened the treasure chest and found insoles, wristbands, and knee pads; now he had opened a waist support. He had almost completed a set of protective gear, only missing elbow pads and ankle supports.

Eric Fleischer, who was also at the villa in Tangbei, said happily at this moment:

"Tang, O'Neal's stats are far behind yours. He averages 23.4 points, 13.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 0.7 steals, and 3.5 blocks per game, with a field goal percentage of 56.2%. Rookie of the Year is definitely yours."

John Liu joked, "Don, you've won Player of the Month once, Player of the Week four times, and the media has voted you the Rookie of the Month all the time. If you're not the Rookie of the Month, I'll swim from Miami to Cuba."

Eric Fleischer said expectantly, "Besides Rookie of the Year and Rookie First Team, you have a chance at All-NBA First Team and All-Defensive Second Team."

"Unfortunately, he doesn't have much of a chance at MVP," John Liu said regretfully.

Eric Fleischer laughed twice before saying, "Don has already performed very well, and this is his rookie season."

Tang Bei didn't feel any regret. When he came to the United States a year ago, he almost became a beggar. He was very content with his current situation.

In basketball, despite not being a professional basketball player, he became the second-most voted All-Star starting center in the league after being released by the Hornets. He is now the most popular star in Miami, the Heat's undisputed core player, a locker room leader, the third-highest scorer in the league, and the fourth-highest MVP in the league.

He is arguably one of the most popular and watched stars in the NBA this season.

He also became the third star in the entire league to get a signature shoe, and now holds endorsements from five brands.

He was very content with this kind of life.

(End of this chapter)