The NBA's Absolute Dominance

Chapter 119 Your bones have all healed, what are you still angry about?
On the 9th, during dinner, Tang Bei received a call from Jia Bao.

"Jiabao, how did your exam go today?" he asked after the call connected.

“A piece of cake,” Garbo said.

"Did you need something?"

"Wet Tiger, the investment team I assembled for you has already gone to China. Isn't that fast?" Jia Bao's tone was full of self-praise.

Tang Bei was taken aback. So fast? Could it be a makeshift operation?

He hurriedly asked, "Are your people reliable, Jia Bao?"

"Don't worry, Wet Tiger, a top-notch investment team," Jia Bao said proudly.

"That's good, Jiabao. Once we find a good project, we can have a Sino-foreign joint venture and make a fortune together," he said happily.

"It's a word."

While Jia Bao said this aloud, she was secretly laughing to herself, "Wet Tiger, once we've formed a joint venture, I'll use my financial advantage to slowly, slowly, hehehehe..."

In the evening, Madison Square Garden was filled with not only wealthy people and celebrities, but also many big names.

On the male side, there are Sylvester Stallone, Brad Pitt, Harrison Ford, Mel Gibson, Tom Cruise, and Denzel Washington—all Hollywood's hardcore stars.

On the female side, there's Michelle Pfeiffer, who has topped the list of the world's 100 most beautiful women for three consecutive years; Gabrielle Anwar, the star of Scent of a Woman; Julia Roberts, the big-mouthed beauty; and Nicole Kidman, with her fair skin.

Mariah Carey, a superstar singer who reached the pinnacle of her career; Janet Jackson, a fashion icon in the music world; Madonna, and many others.

These celebrities made Madison Square Garden shine brightly.

In the away team's locker room, Tang Bei opened a bottle of medicated oil and rubbed it on his chest. He then asked the team doctor's assistant to help him rub some on his back and waist.

The same applies to all the joints of the upper and lower limbs; each one is wiped clean.

This is a formula he prepared when practicing martial arts. It promotes blood circulation, removes blood stasis, relaxes muscles and tendons, relieves stiffness, and reduces pain and swelling. It can treat injuries and prevent them, making it an auxiliary medicine that combines offense and defense.

The only downside is that the smell is a bit strong.

Fortunately, these teammates also smelled quite strongly, and the locker room had been sprayed with various perfumes beforehand, so it didn't really bother them.

This medicinal oil was very expensive, made with high-quality herbs, and was a significant expense for the family. But now it's nothing.

After applying the medicinal oil and putting on the various protective gear he had obtained from the treasure chest, he felt that his defense was at its maximum.

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

Knicks: Patrick Ewing, Charles Oakley, Charles Smith, John Starks, Doc Rivers

Miami Heat: Tang Bei, Grant Lang, Glen Rice, Steve Smith, Bimbo Coles
This series was broadcast live across the United States by ESPN, with Michael Brin, Tom Tolbert, and Wilt Chamberlain as commentators.

The CCTV commentators were Xu Jicheng and Sun Zhenping, and they also invited a guest, Jiang Xinquan, the head coach of the national men's basketball team.

After the opening remarks, Sun Zhenping asked, "Coach Jiang, when was the decision made to call up Tang Bei?"

Jiang Xinquan said, "It was decided a long time ago, but it's only being announced now."

Xu Jicheng nodded happily and said, "With Tang Bei joining us, our chances of making it into the top eight at the World Championships have greatly increased!"

"I hope so," Jiang Xinquan said with a smile.

In the player tunnel, the Heat's five starters arrived first.

Glen Rice wasn't in a good mood. His performance in the first round series was mediocre, averaging 16.5 points per game with a field goal percentage of only 38% and a three-point percentage of 24%, both far below his regular season stats.

Tang Bei is known for his strong ability to draw double teams in the low post, giving him a lot of space on the outside. However, his mental fortitude is average, and the intensity of the defense in the playoffs far exceeds that of the regular season, which affects his performance.

Normally, 95% of All-Stars have a lower offensive efficiency in the playoffs than in the regular season. The problem is, his is much lower.

Tang Bei noticed that Glenn Rice was in a bad mood, so he comforted him:

"It's okay, Glenn. We have an old Chinese saying, 'A novice can beat a master with a flurry of punches.' Just keep shooting randomly outside, you'll eventually make a few. I'll grab the offensive rebounds, so don't feel guilty."

Glenn Rice rolled his eyes at this. "Don, your stand-up comedy isn't funny."

"Ha ha……"

Grant Long and the other two laughed when they heard this.

“You too,” Tang Bei added.

"Ha ha……"

The three were taken aback, and then they heard Glenn Rice's loud laughter.

"Dengdengdeng..."

Just then, footsteps sounded, and the Knicks' five starters emerged from around the corner of the corridor.

In addition, Pat Riley was walking at the very front.

"Humph!"

Upon seeing Tang Bei, Oakley and the others immediately put on stern faces.

"Oakley, didn't you say that even if we lost, we'd fight again? I'm waiting!" Tang Bei shouted.

“You just wait,” Oakley roared.

Tang Bei asked curiously, "I don't know what you're angry about. Even though I broke your bone, it's already healed, hasn't it? What are you still angry about?"

"..."

Upon hearing this, not only Oakley was stunned, but everyone else was too.

"Hey, Tang."

Pat Riley sighed and ruffled his slicked-back hair, which looked like it could kill a fly, glanced at Oakley, and then walked up to Tang Bei with a smile. Tang Bei had no choice but to greet him, "Coach Riley, hello."

Pat Riley said, "Don, I hope you don't let other emotions get the better of you. I said the same thing to Oakley."

We should make the game more focused on the core principles; basketball issues can only be resolved through basketball. What do you think?

Tang Bei smiled and said, "I think Coach Riley is absolutely right. Off-court feuds are really bad. It's better to resolve conflicts on the court."

Pat Riley's gaunt face twitched. "Damn it, Tang, can't you understand human language? I'm talking about basketball, not off-court brawls. Do you want to break Oakley and the others' bones on the court again?"
He wondered if he should consider coaching the Heat. The Heat's general manager had contacted him twice, but he hadn't agreed yet.

After all, he was able to coach in the Big Apple, with a very good roster at his disposal. After two years of coaching, he was about to achieve results, so Miami, that small rural town, held little appeal for him.

However, if he becomes the Heat's head coach, he'll have plenty of opportunities to teach this damn kid a lesson, which is probably the only thing that attracts him to Miami.

"Clap clap..."

When Tang Bei appeared, he not only didn't receive any boos, but also some applause. He thought the New Yorkers were strange.

"Hey, Tang."

Someone stood up from the front of the line and greeted them.

Tang Bei glanced at it and replied, "Hey, Rambo."

This Stallone appeared when he challenged the Tianxin Dojo and supported Siegel. Why are we calling him today?
Sylvester Stallone came over and said with a smile, "Donnie, I'm very interested in your swordsmanship. Are you really not planning to open a dojo?"

“Yes, I have no interest in opening a dojo,” Tang Bei said.

There are many reasons why he doesn't open a martial arts school. First, he doesn't have the time or energy to do it. Second, he has no interest in teaching people; teaching just one person, Jia Bao, is already troublesome enough.

Another reason is that he doesn't practice performance routines, but focuses on fighting techniques. Fighting techniques are more difficult and tedious to practice, and people with weak muscles and bones are very prone to injury. I'm afraid that if he opened a dojo, very few people would be able to stick with it, so he's too lazy to open one.

Just then, another action star came over and said, "Don, I'm Dolph Lundgren. I hope to have the opportunity to exchange ideas with you privately about karate and other martial arts."

Tang Bei noticed the words "privately" and "exchange," so this wasn't a challenge. He nodded and said, "Sure, let's schedule a time to exchange ideas."

He felt that he wouldn't have much interaction with these Hollywood stars, or with Chen Long and his group, and didn't want to develop deep relationships with them; a casual acquaintance would suffice.

Just as he was about to walk away, Tom Cruise approached. The short man extended his right hand, tilted his head back, and said, "Hey, Don, I'm Tom Cruise. I'd like to know, do you have any fancy moves in your swordsmanship?"

Tang Bei shook hands and said, "Mr. Cruise, Steven Seagal's kendo suits you, it's very flashy." Sensing the sarcasm in Tang Bei's tone, Tom Cruise couldn't help but smile wryly and explained, "Tang, I'm an actor, flashy kendo is more suitable for filming."

But I admire the strong even more. Without a doubt, your swordsmanship is superior to Siegel's. You even defeated that Japanese sword god with just three strikes—that's so cool! It's a pity I was filming that day and couldn't go to watch the duel in person.

Tang Bei nodded, but since they weren't familiar with each other, he didn't know what to say.

Stallone made a boxing gesture and asked, "Don, I heard you've also practiced boxing, and you even have a ring at your gym. Do you have any ideas about fighting professionally?"

Tang Bei said, "Not right now. I don't have much time to train in boxing. You know there's a big difference between amateur and professional levels. Unless I reach a professional level, I won't try it easily."

"Shall we give it a try sometime? I've practiced it too."

Upon hearing Tang Bei say that his skill level was not good enough, Stallone said somewhat impulsively.

Tang Bei was speechless. "Lanbowan, are you looking for death? I can beat you, can't I?"
In the ESPN studio, Tom Tolbert suddenly said, "It's almost impossible for Don to break the rim or smash the backboard now; they've been reinforced again."

Michael Breen laughed, and Chamberlain shrugged and said, "Once the rim is deformed, it's hard for him to tear it apart if it's repaired and replaced in time, since it's only for two quarters before switching sides."

Tom Tolbert said, "Most media outlets favor the Knicks in this series, believing the Heat have a weaker roster and that they tied four games in the regular season. What do you think?"

Michael Breen said, "The Heat are actually not weak. They and the Bulls are the only two teams to sweep their opponents in the first round."

Chamberlain said, "The Heat only have Tang, and then it depends on how the others play. If the others perform poorly, it will be difficult for Tang to carry the Heat alone."

Tom Tolbert insisted, "The Heat have two good shooters, Glen Rice and Steve Smith, both of whom can shoot threes."

Chamberlain immediately retorted, "But they don't have any defense. When Kevin Edwards was there, there was some defense, but not anymore."

He values ​​technique highly because he has no shortage of talent.

He also values ​​defense highly because Bill Russell dominated his entire career with his defense.

Tom Tolbert couldn't argue with that now; the Heat's perimeter defense was indeed terrible, relying entirely on Tang to help defend inside.

Michael Breen nodded and said, "In comparison, the Knicks are the team that can truly challenge for the Eastern Conference Finals and even the NBA Finals, in terms of roster and coaching staff capabilities."

Tom Tolbert said expectantly, "Let's see how Tang performs. Whether he can deliver a heroic performance in the second round will be crucial for the Heat's advancement."

At eight o'clock, the competition begins.

"Snapped!"

Tang Bei tipped the ball away first, and point guard Bimbo Coles got the ball, and the Heat went on offense.

Tang Bei moved to the low position on the left wing, where he was particularly aggressive in his defense.

He didn't choose to force his way into the paint because it was a series, and the Heat's offensive and defensive focus was entirely on him. In addition, the rebounding also depended on him, which placed a huge burden on him. He had to adopt a more energy-efficient offensive approach.

On the right wing, Grant Lang pulled out, and Oakley followed to the right waist position, one eye fixed on Tang Bei's side.

Coles held the ball near the top of the arc. His skills were mediocre; his three-point shooting was not good, and he mainly scored with mid-range shots and drives. His playmaking ability was average.

Facing an opponent with excellent defensive awareness like Doc Rivers, seeing that Tang Bei did not aggressively establish position, he immediately called for a screen.

Tang moved up to the high post, and Ewing followed suit. Coles took the opportunity to break through the wall and enter the penalty area.

Ewing did not switch defense because he believed Oakley would cover the open shot under the basket, and he chose to guard Tang Bei closely.

Sure enough, Oakley lost Grant Long and got to the basket before Coles could reach it.

Coles, facing the menacing Oakley, did not pass the ball but instead attempted a floater, which missed, and Oakley grabbed the rebound.

Michael Breen said, "The Knicks' rotation system is very good. Pat Riley has built this team into a tough team, giving it a tough spirit and tough defense."

Tom Tolbert said, "During the regular season, Ewing would usually switch on defense, but he made a change in the playoffs."

Chamberlain said, "The Heat's impenetrable rotation defense system is the most suffocating, and their perimeter players lack the ability to attack with the ball, so they have no way to break through the Knicks' defensive system."

On the court, John Starks received the ball at the three-point line on the right wing.

Pat Riley's offensive task for him was to drive to the basket and try to draw fouls from Tang Bei.

He faked a shot and then drove straight into the paint, quickly ducking past Steve Smith, who was 10 centimeters taller than him, and cutting straight into the paint from the right elbow area.

"The defense is rubbish!" Xu Jicheng couldn't help but complain.

Power forward Grant Long was guarding Oakley, who has a long two-point shot. He had already moved out of the paint and couldn't help guard John Starks, so the task of helping guard him fell to Tang Bei.

Ewing also moved to the left wing, and Tang Bei defended him in the left waist position. When he saw John Starks break into the paint from the right elbow area, he had no choice but to retreat to defend the basket.

This gave Ewing an open spot.

John Starks didn't pass the ball immediately. After seeing Tang Bei help defend the basket, he rushed over and immediately jumped to make a floater.

He needs to try and see if he can draw a foul; that's his primary offensive objective.

Tang Bei knew from John Starks's driving momentum that the guy was trying to draw a foul on him. If he got fouled, the Heat would be finished.

Therefore, when he jumped to block, he did not let his hand leave his cylinder, but simply blocked the opponent's space to shoot.

The next instant, John Starks caught the ball with both hands and pushed it away, sending it flying past Ewing, who was cutting into the penalty area from the left side.

After Tang Bei landed, he turned and took two steps to the side, but he was still a beat too late.

"brush!"

Ewing received the ball in the left side of the midfield and made a floater.

Xu Jicheng said, "In the first offensive and defensive play, the Knicks executed a very good rotation defense and an excellent offensive tactic."

Sun Zhenping said, "The Heat lack offensive firepower except for Tang Bei, and their defense is like a sieve."

0:2, Heat on offense.

"ball!"

With unreliable teammates, Tang Bei took the initiative to assert himself in the low post and demand the ball.

"Lock it up!"

Pat Riley’s particularly cold and stern shout rang out in Madison Square Garden.

Point guard Doc Rivers unleashed his full defensive prowess, following the tactical instructions to cut off the passing lanes between ball handler Bimbo Coles and Don Bei.

Pat Riley's approach was that if he couldn't stop Tang Bei, he would stop everyone else, which was also the method the Bad Boys used to defend against the Bulls back then.

Moreover, Tang Bei is a center, so the ball is not in his hands. This defensive tactic is more effective than defending Jordan.

With three seconds remaining, the ball failed to be passed down, and Tang Bei, who had already squeezed into the penalty area, had to retreat out of the penalty area and try to regain his position.

Pat Riley gave a cold smile. "Kid, this is a series. I want to see how much energy you can afford to waste."

The Knicks did not double-team the Heat's ball handlers on the perimeter; they were all one-on-one. No matter who got the ball, the defender had to cut off the passing lanes between the ball handler and Tang Bei.

Coles didn't pass the ball down, and he didn't have a three-point shot or sharp drives. The ball felt like a hot potato in his hands, so he quickly passed it to Glen Rice on the left wing.

After Rice received the ball, defender Charles Smith, who originally played power forward, used his 208cm height advantage to cut off the passing lane.

As a result, Tang Bei's second attempt to gain a lower position was once again a waste of his energy.

Glen Rice is a pure shooter and finisher who usually plays off-ball, getting the ball after shaking off his defender and shooting. He is not strong at attacking with the ball.

He wanted to pass back, but Rivers was marking Coles tightly, cutting off his angle to receive the ball, so he had no choice but to dribble past him.

Using his relatively small stature and agility, he barely managed to break into the penalty area from the left elbow zone. After being covered by Ewing, he passed the ball to Tang Bei before Smith could double-team him.

But Ewing's defense was very strong, and the pass almost went astray, resulting in a ground ball.

Charles Smith immediately switched to defend Tang Bei, and Ewing also immediately returned to defend Tang Bei. Tang Bei had just picked up the ball when he was double-teamed on the left wing in the low post.

At the same time, Oakley immediately double-teamed Tang Bei and rushed towards him.

“Three sandwiched between one!” Michael Brin shouted excitedly.

(End of this chapter)