The NBA's Absolute Dominance

Chapter 116 Eaten Alive
"Bang!"

Reggie Lewis took his second shot, missing a three-pointer for a +1.

Tang Bei dominated the best position under the basket, grabbed the defensive rebound, and the Heat launched an attack.

Parish still avoided strong physical contact with Tang Bei, so he went straight to the basket to call for the ball again.

However, Brian Shaw's pass didn't come in in time this time because the Celtics tightened their perimeter defense, cutting off the ball handler's passing angle to the basket.

With the three-second shot clock about to expire, Tang Bei had no choice but to come out from under the basket, and the ball was then passed to Glen Rice on the left wing.

Glen Rice isolated Kevin Jamber, took a step inside the three-point line, and then turned and shot.

"Bang!"

Unfortunately, the second shot also missed, a long two-pointer that went wide.

"I told you Glen Rice wouldn't be good in the playoffs," Larry Bird said smugly.

In the media section, Zhang Heli shook his head and said, "It would have been more reasonable to pass the ball to Tang Bei. It would have been unreasonable for Tang Bei to pass it out without taking a shot himself, instead of letting the outside shoot directly."

Parish grabbed the rebound and passed it to Reggie Lewis, who turned and drove down the court, prompting the Heat to quickly retreat on defense.

Tang Bei made a full-force defensive run from under the basket, and as he rushed past the top of the arc, he actually caught up with Reggie Lewis, who was speeding down from the wing.

Reggie Lewis drove into the left elbow area, and seeing the situation was not good, he rushed into the paint and immediately stopped and threw up a shot.

Tang Bei leaped up as if he had sprouted wings, his head protruding far above the basket, and with a wave of his hand, he actually caught the basketball that Reggie Lewis had thrown.

boom!
In that instant, the entire Miami Arena erupted, with a tremendous roar and cheers that burst forth like a hurricane.

Sun Zhenping shouted in an exceptionally excited tone: "Dear viewers, Tang Bei has ignited the home crowd's momentum with two powerful dunks and a block!"

With the home crowd in a fiery atmosphere, the Heat led by 8 points at 6-14 halfway through the first quarter. Tang Bei scored 8 points, grabbed 4 rebounds and made 1 block, showing his hot form.

In the seventh minute of the first quarter, the Celtics called a timeout, after which Reggie Lewis took possession of the ball and attacked.

As he fell behind, the psychological pressure increased, and he felt a growing tightness in his chest, as if a stone slab was pressing down on it.

Moreover, he was finding it increasingly difficult to breathe, his heart was pounding, he felt panicked, and his dizziness was getting worse, so he had to speed up his breathing.

"The pressure is too much; I need some time to adjust."

In this situation, he chose to let his teammates attack first, and then take over the attack himself after a short break.

He passed the ball out and ran towards the right sideline, intending to stretch the Heat's defense.

However, after running only two steps, everything went black before his eyes, and with a thud, he fell to the ground without any resistance.

"Bang!"

"Di Di!"

Point guard Douglas missed a three-pointer, and Tang Bei grabbed the rebound. At this moment, the referee realized something was wrong and stopped the game.

“Oh, what about Reggie Lewis?” Hubie Brown asked.

Larry Bird said, "I haven't heard anything about Reggie being injured. If he's injured, this series will be in trouble."

At this moment, Bob Neil shouted, "He got up, he got up by himself, oh, he's off the field, something must have happened, is he injured somewhere?"

On the court, Reggie Lewis clutched his chest and told the head coach he needed a rest. The Celtics substituted him with a backup forward, McDaniel, an All-Star backup forward they had just acquired this season.

McDaniel was the fourth overall pick in the first round of the 1985 draft. She was on the decline, but she still had considerable talent.

Without Reggie Lewis, the Celtics have been severely affected in both strength and morale.

In the following games, the Heat further seized the initiative, and the point difference began to widen.

In the 10th minute of the first quarter, the point difference widened to 13 points. Reggie Lewis couldn't sit still any longer. Feeling better, he put on his back on the court.

His presence on the court restored some of the Celtics' strength. In addition, the Heat replaced Tang Bei, who had already scored 15 points, with John Salley. The Heat's strength immediately dropped significantly. Without Tang Bei, the Heat were no match for the Celtics. After the first quarter, the Celtics narrowed the gap to 9 points.

Reggie Lewis continued to play after the start of the second quarter and was in good form.

By the fifth minute, he had made 7 of 11 shots, a shooting percentage of 63.6%, plus 3 of 4 free throws, scoring 17 points. Thanks to his outstanding performance, the point difference was narrowed to 7 points.

Tang Bei came on in the third minute of the second quarter and scored 18 points, 9 rebounds and 2 blocks in 12 minutes, showing excellent form.

But Glen Rice's 1-for-7 shooting and Grant Long's 1-for-5 shooting prevented the Heat from pulling away.

"Boom bang..."

Reggie Lewis started to drive to the basket, but after just one step, everything went black and he fell headfirst to the floor, his nose bleeding.

"Di!"

The referee stopped the game.

"No, I can still fight."

Reggie Lewis saw the bench preparing to make a substitution and quickly got up and shouted.

But the Celtics' team doctor disagreed, saying, "Sorry, Reggie, you seem to have some physical problems. You have to get off the court, right now, immediately."

The team doctor's insistence was so strong that even the head coach couldn't object, and Reggie Lewis had no choice but to leave the field.

He never played again after that, because the team doctor found that he had an irregular heartbeat and had to be admitted to the hospital immediately for further examination.

Despite losing Reggie Lewis, the Celtics have not given up, because the team still has many players who can score.

With veteran superstar McHale on the court, along with McDaniel and offensive point guard Dee Brown, all in good form, the team continued to put up a good fight against the Heat.

It wasn't until the sixth minute of the third quarter, when Tang Bei collided with Parish during a strong low-post attack, causing Parish to leave the game injured, that the Heat truly took control of the paint and the boards.

唐北打了40分钟，轰下38分18篮板5盖帽，以100：111的比分，率领球队拿下了G1战。

Glen Rice made only 4 of 14 shots in his first game, a shooting percentage of less than 30%, and went 0 for 3 from three-point range. He made 3 of 4 free throws and scored only 11 points, showing a very poor performance.

However, Tang Bei was already used to Glen Rice's inconsistent performance. Pitchers rely on their touch, especially in the playoffs where the defensive intensity is higher, and this is Glen Rice's normal state.

For the Celtics, backup small forward McDaniel was in excellent form, scoring 21 points and becoming the Celtics' leading scorer in the game.

McHale also scored 16 points, and Dee Brown scored 12 points. The three reserves combined for 49 points, which was better than the starters.

After the game, Zhang Heli said to the CCTV camera, "Although the Heat won the game, they should not be complacent. The Celtics are ranked fifth in the East, and their bench is particularly strong. The two teams are very evenly matched and each has its own advantages."

If Reggie Lewis and Parish can both return for Game 2, given the performance of the Celtics' bench players today, it's hard to say how Glen Rice will fare.

But I believe in Tang Bei's ability in the lower ranks. Even if his teammates don't perform well, he can still turn the tide and lead the team to the second round.

After the camera switched, he couldn't help but complain to the photographer, Lao Chen: "Although the Celtics' perimeter defense is not bad, Glen Rice is too unreliable."

Old Chen laughed and said, "It's not surprising. The Heat team was carried into the playoffs by Tang Bei alone. Without him, they would be at the bottom of the league."

"After Game 1, do you think the Heat's chances of advancing have increased or decreased?" a TNT reporter asked in a post-game interview.

Tang Bei wiped his sweat as he said, "Of course it's an improvement. We didn't have any injuries, but they did, which is very important."

"If the Celtics don't get injured, do you think the Heat have a good chance of advancing?" the reporter asked again.

Tang Bei thought for a moment and said, "They rely more on outside shooting, and it's hard to say what their shooting touch will be. Besides, I don't believe their bench players can perform as well as they did tonight every time."

Furthermore, their roster is aging significantly, so even if they have a full squad, it will be difficult for them to beat us in the series.

"How would you rate Glen Rice's performance?" the reporter asked again.

“I believe he will be even better in the next game; he has the ability,” Tang Bei replied.

Following this game, several mainstream media outlets adjusted the odds of the Heat and Celtics advancing, with the Heat's chances of advancing increasing significantly.

To make matters worse for the Celtics, Reggie Lewis, who was taken to the hospital, was diagnosed with myocarditis.

For Reggie Lewis, this means the end of his playoff run.

For the Celtics, this news means the team has lost its scoring champion, its on-court core, and its new leader.

The Celtics also have bad news: their starting center, Robert Parish, who was injured in a collision with Tang Bei, has suffered a recurrence of his old knee injury and will be unable to return for Game 2.

After these two pieces of news were released, the Heat's chances of advancing increased once again.

On April 30th at 9 PM (May 1st at 9 AM in China), six Tang brand sports shoes, including the Tang Generation 1 basketball shoe, were officially launched in all first- and second-tier cities across China. Fila USA President Williams Leo has already traveled to Beijing to personally preside over the launch ceremony.

The company also invested three million US dollars in advertising in China, taking advantage of the playoffs to promote the Tang brand.

The investment was substantial, but the results were impressive. On Labor Day, the total sales of the six sports shoes exceeded 30 million RMB, with sales volume exceeding 300,000 pairs.

This only represents sales from 210 stores, with each store averaging nearly 1500 pairs sold per day.

"We won the bet."

These data greatly boosted FILA's confidence in the United States, leading them to immediately increase investment in sales channel development and additional advertising.

On the evening of the 1st, Game 2 between the Heat and the Celtics will tip off at the Heat's home court.

After receiving good news from China, Tang Bei scored a whopping 35 points, 15 rebounds, and 8 blocks in Game 2, leading his team to victory.

The score was 95-115, with the Heat defeating the Celtics by 20 points, winning their second consecutive home game and taking a 3-1 lead in the series.

Without key players and core members Reggie Lewis and Robert Parish, the Celtics failed to replicate their performance from the previous game.

McHale only made 1 of 11 shots under Tang Bei's help defense, and was blocked 3 times by Tang Bei. Meanwhile, McDaniel, the substitute small forward who performed very well in the previous game, only made 3 of 12 shots, and was also blocked twice by Tang Bei.

Glen Rice made 6 of 15 shots, a 40% field goal percentage, which isn't great but slightly better than Game 1. He also made 1 of 2 free throws, for a total of 13 points.

Starting shooting guard Steve Smith had an even better performance, shooting 7-for-16 (43.8%), including 2-for-5 from three-point range and 4-for-6 from the free-throw line, scoring 20 points, second only to Tang Bei's score.

After this game, the media generally believed that the Celtics had lost all hope of advancing.

The next day, May 2nd, the Heat arrived in Boston.

At 7:30 p.m. on the 3rd, the Boston Garden was packed to capacity, and both teams announced their starting lineups.

Celtics: Robert Parish, Abdulabi, Kevin Jamber, Dee Brown, Sherman Douglas
Miami Heat: Tang Bei, Grant Lang, Glen Rice, Steve Smith, Bimbo Coles
Tang Bei played a regular season game here and had a bad experience because the place was rife with racial discrimination against people of color.

The Celtics are a predominantly white team. There are almost no Black people in the management and coaching staff. Even when Black players on the team perform well, they are not welcomed by Boston fans.

"Shh!"

When Tang Bei appeared, he was met with even more boos than during the regular season, as well as some more outrageous discriminatory gestures and words.

Hubie Brown said with a serious expression, "The Celtics' interior players are already old and injured. Although Parish is back tonight, it is obviously unwise to provoke Tang. He is not a weak person."

Mailman Karl Malone and three others, including Barkley, each bought 500 pairs of Donnie Yen's Generation 1 shoes. There's likely some untold story behind this; their relationship with Donnie Yen wasn't good.

Bob Neal said, "It would be very irrational to provoke Michael Jordan, but so far, it would be equally irrational to provoke Don. I think he will punish the person who provoked him in some way."

Larry Bird also belonged to the white community and believed that the NBA should have more white players, but he did not have an obvious racist tendency.

He thought for a moment and said, "I don't think it has anything to do with racial discrimination. It's just a kind of ritual by which home fans put psychological pressure on the away team."

The other two shrugged, smiled, and dropped the subject.

At eight o'clock, the competition begins.

"Snapped!"

Tang Bei leaped high and tipped the ball away. Coles got the ball, and the Heat launched an attack.

40-year-old Parish has only barely made a comeback. He didn't dare to have a strong confrontation with Tang Bei in G1 and G2, let alone today.

Tang Bei drove straight to the basket to establish position. Before Coles could even get close to the top of the arc, Tang Bei suddenly took a step to the side to get rid of his defender and then lobbed the ball toward the basket.

"Aerial relay".

Hubie Brown shouted.

However, after receiving the ball in the air, Tang Bei did not attack the basket directly, but instead landed on the ground.

Veteran Robert Parish immediately stepped up to defend, preventing Tang Bei from attacking the basket.

Meanwhile, the Celtics' power forward Abdulabi, a key defensive player, had also positioned himself to help defend, completing a double-team under the basket.

"boom!"

In the next instant, Tang Bei, with his terrifying explosiveness and absolute strength, broke through the double team and soared into the air, smashing the Celtics' basket backboard more than a foot down with a powerful two-handed dunk.

"Di!"

At the referee's whistle, veteran Parish and near-concrete Abdulabi were both knocked down under the basket.

The Garden Arena was packed. Seeing the penalty area in disarray, and Tang Bei standing tall and proud in the penalty area, a deathly silence fell over the crowd.

"WOW!"

Hundreds of Heat fans from Miami immediately cheered, and although they were outnumbered, their enthusiasm was even greater than that of the Celtics.

Tang Bei stood under the basket, with Abdulaziz and Parish at his feet. Looking around, he suddenly smiled at the silent stands.

"Shh!"

His smile immediately drew boos from the home fans.

Tang Bei strode up to the TNT camera and roared, "Hey, I'm going to tell you what you'll get if you provoke me."

TNT reacted very quickly, switching to this camera and moving it onto the hanging screen as he arrived.

"Shh!"

Tang Bei's words were met with deafening boos from the crowd.

Facing the camera, Zhang Heli said loudly, "The louder the boos, the greater the stimulation Tang Bei has given them. Tang Bei's smile shows that his mental fortitude is top-notch and that he is capable of withstanding pressure."

One minute later, Tang Bei came back with a vengeance.

He received the ball in the low post on the left wing, and with a fierce and swift tornado, he broke past Parish and dunked over Abdulabi, who was helping to defend under the basket.

“Bang!

"boom!"

Under the terrifying impact, the 115-kilogram near-human shield Abdulabi was thrown backward, the Celtics' basket was once again slammed down, and the Garden Arena once again fell into dead silence.

"Shh!"

Tang Bei flashed a bright smile at the deathly silent stands once again, a smile that instantly broke the home fans' defenses, and they started booing wildly again.

Zhang Heli excitedly said, "Dear viewers, only the boos of the losers are worthy of the smiles of the victors."

Two minutes later, Tang Bei positioned himself under the basket and delivered a powerful two-handed dunk, once again knocking down veteran Parish.

"Shh!"

This time, Tang Bei didn't even need to provoke him; countless home fans immediately began to boo wildly, and he once again smiled broadly.

Facing the CCTV camera that switched to him, Zhang Heli said with a serious expression:

"Tang Bei was using his smile to tell those people that the insults and obscene gestures directed at him would only make him treat the Celtics more cruelly."

"Hoo ho ho..."

Panting heavily, Robert Parish's face was flushed, and he was able to stand up with the help of two teammates.

"That crazy guy!"

He felt like he was fighting a 1000-pound polar bear, and that he would be skinned alive and devoured by Tang Bei sooner or later.

Hubie Brown said in a warning tone, "This is the consequence of provoking Don. If this continues, Parish will inevitably get hurt."

Larry Bird nodded helplessly and said, "Let's switch. Let Abdulabi guard Tang, and Robert..."

He had intended to ask Parish to provide backup, but then he realized that Parish's current movement speed was too slow for backup.

Moreover, those who bear the brunt of Tang Bei's damage are often the people responsible for assisting in the defense, so they immediately shut their mouths.

Seeing that Larry Bird had stopped talking, Bob Neil added, "Parish can't help defend against Don, he's too slow, and Don't usually get the damage done by the defenders."

Hubie Brown said, "Unless Abdulabi can hold off Tang, Parish will actually be at greater risk of injury in the help defense position."

(End of this chapter)