The NBA's Absolute Dominance

Chapter 124 Exchange of Cards
At the Knicks' post-game press conference, a reporter from the New York Times asked:
"Coach Riley, the Knicks are currently down 1-2, and Game 4 is at the Heat's home court. Do you think the Knicks still have a chance to advance?"

Pat Riley, with a slightly stiff, gentlemanly smile still on his face, said:
"As long as we maintain our confidence and fighting spirit, we still have a chance. I have encountered many more difficult situations than this."

"Coach Riley, what do you think of Don's performance?" a TNT reporter asked.

Pat Riley's face immediately broke into an undisguised wry smile, followed by a tone of admiration:

"Oh, his dominance in the low post left us helpless. If the Knicks are eliminated, it will only be because of him, yes."

"Who do you think is stronger, him or Ewing?" the reporter pressed.

Pat Riley smiled and said, "Next question."

The reporter quickly asked, "If Ewing were replaced by Tang, what changes do you think would occur in the Knicks?"

Pat Riley shook his head, thinking to himself, "Of course, we'll beat the Bulls, make it to the Finals, and win the championship."

But he still wouldn't answer the question, because that would hurt Ewing.

With a 2-1 lead and a chance to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals against the top-seeded Knicks, the entire city of Miami was ecstatic.

Tang Bei, who carried the team on his shoulders, received the highest praise from the local media.

“Mr. Shaffer brought Tang Bei to Miami, which was absolutely the greatest deal of his career.”

"Tang Bei, King of Miami".

"Tang, the pride of the Chinese people."

Since the start of the playoffs, sales of Tang Bei's jerseys have skyrocketed in Miami and throughout Florida, with all inventory sold out across all sales channels.

While his Tang 1st generation jersey wasn't as wildly popular as his jerseys, it still saw a surge in sales, surpassing O'Neal's sales in the United States.

This is in the United States. In China, five mid-to-low-end Tang brand sports shoes are incredibly popular, and the sales of the Tang Generation 1 are also booming.

"FILA's signing of Tang will be one of the most successful business cases in the history of sports brands, even comparable to Nike's signing of Michael Jordan."

Williams Leo, president of Fila USA, said this in an interview.

Subsequently, FILA further increased its investment in China, adding a number of shoe factories in addition to its research and development efforts, thereby increasing market supply.

The Heat doubled the average ticket price for Game 4 compared to Game 3, yet the tickets still sold out.

Heat owner Micky Arison was overjoyed. In the early part of the regular season, the team had the worst record in the league and no hope for the playoffs.

Later, after trading for Tang Bei, the team's performance improved, and his only hope was to make it into the playoffs, at most the second round. He even went so far as to reward Tang Bei for this.

Now, Tang Bei is carrying the Heat forward and is almost in the Eastern Conference Finals. Tang Bei's status in his heart has been greatly enhanced once again.

Eric Fleischer said excitedly, "Tang, go for it and beat the Knicks! As long as we make it to the Eastern Conference Finals, those three second-tier brand endorsements you signed won't need to be renewed next year. I'll definitely get you some first-tier brand endorsements, or even Fortune 500 companies."

Major American media outlets compared Donald Trump and Ewing.

ESPN reports: "Ewing spent seven seasons without being able to lead the Knicks to the Eastern Conference Finals, and the chances are slim this time as well."

Tang Bei, as a rookie, led the Heat to the second round in just one season, and even has a great chance of making it to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Comparing the two teams' coaching strength and roster compatibility, the Knicks have the advantage. This clearly shows that Ewing's leadership ability is far inferior to Tang Bei's.

ESPN's report was widely shared by numerous media outlets, including The New York Times.

When Ewing saw the report in the New York Times, he was in a terrible mood.

Oakley called, angrily saying, "Patrick, we can't lose this series, otherwise if the Heat make it to the Eastern Conference Finals, that damn rookie will be shitting on your head from now on."

"I hope the coach can come up with a strategy to counter him," Ewing said dejectedly.

"If Coach Riley wanted to limit his tactics, he would have done so long ago."

Charles Oakley gritted his teeth and suddenly said, "How about we trade with the Heat, Patrick?"

"what?"

Yu Yin's heart skipped a beat. Exchange pieces? How?
He knew very well that there were only two ways: first, to use an on-field conflict to take Tang Bei down; second, to use excessive force to injure Tang Bei and have the person who made the move penalized.

No matter which method is used, Oakley will definitely be the one to take action.

Thinking of this, Oakley was suddenly moved; he wouldn't have made such a suggestion if they weren't brothers.

"Game 5 is our home game, Patrick."

"Charles, let me think about it some more."

In Chicago, Phil Jackson is studying how to play in the Eastern Conference Finals.

He has already decided that the Heat will be his opponent in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Previously, General Manager Jerry Krause had finally managed to acquire a meat shield, which played a significant role in his tactics.

Like him, Jordan was also considering the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Bulls won two games in the regular season by using perimeter defense to shut down the Heat's outside shooting, and he believes this strategy can continue.

The Knicks' perimeter defense is far inferior to the Bulls'; they can't completely shut down the Heat's perimeter, but the Bulls can largely cut off the Heat's inside-outside connection.

However, the Bulls' interior defense is far less strong than the Knicks', and he is quite worried about how much damage Tang Bei will inflict on the Bulls if they really meet in the Eastern Conference Finals.

There are three matches on the evening of the 15th.

Back at home, the Spurs defeated the Suns, winning one game and bringing the series to 1-2.

However, David Robinson had some injury issues and only played 28 minutes. He performed poorly, making only 4 of 16 shots, a meager 25% shooting percentage. Including free throws, he only scored 13 points and grabbed 8 rebounds.

The Spurs' key players in the victory were starting power forward Antoine Kyle and swingman Dale Ellis, who scored 21 and 20 points respectively.

Jordan scored 32 points, leading the team to defeat the Cavaliers for the third time. The Bulls swept their opponents in the first round and became the first team to reach match point in the second round. The momentum of the defending champions has been established.

Back at home, the Rockets finally won a game, defeating the SuperSonics to bring the series to 1-2.

But the biggest contributor was Otis Thorpe, a typical blue-collar worker in the paint, who was the Rockets' defensive anchor. Although his defensive stats weren't great, he was the one who protected Hakeem Olajuwon.

In this game, he scored 28 points and 14 rebounds with a field goal percentage of 85.7%, while Hakeem Olajuwon only scored 22 points and 10 rebounds with a field goal percentage of 61.1%.

On the 16th, there are three games: Heat vs. Knicks, Suns vs. Spurs, and Rockets vs. SuperSonics.

The last two groups are back-to-back games. Arranging back-to-back games in a series is really troublesome and very disadvantageous to all four teams.

There are several reasons why this is happening.

Firstly, the Suns, SuperSonics, and Rockets, three Western Conference teams, all played five games in the first round, delaying the start of their second-round series, so the schedule had to be shortened.

Secondly, due to the needs of television broadcasting, the 16th is a weekend, which is a prime time for viewers. Adding matches on this day would be beneficial to the ratings.

Thirdly, in this era, the NBA does not place as much importance on players' rest as it would twenty years later.

Fourth, the need for venues. A venue is not used by only NBA teams. If the schedule cannot be coordinated, back-to-back games will have to be played.

Therefore, these four teams can only consider themselves unlucky to encounter back-to-back games in the series.

Around noon, NBC suddenly broke the news that there were rumors circulating within the Hornets that General Manager Dave Tvertzke might be fired.

The Hornets' entry into the playoffs has already achieved the goals set by the management and the Hornets' owner, but comparisons are inevitable.

The Heat now have a chance to make it to the Eastern Conference Finals, while the Hornets were swept out of the first round by the Bulls. The contrast is too great.

Just look at Ewing's Knicks to see how difficult it is to make it to the Eastern Conference Finals in the East.

Naturally, a sound began to emanate from Charlotte, and it grew louder and louder.

If they had kept Tang Bei and traded Larry Johnson, the Hornets would be the ones with a chance to make it to the Eastern Conference Finals now.

There's a huge difference in profits between being eliminated in the first round and making it to the Eastern Conference Finals, including ticket revenue, sponsorship revenue, merchandise sales revenue, and television broadcast revenue sharing.

It all comes down to money, and that's exactly what the Hornets are short of right now. The reason they chose to keep Larry Johnson was because of money.

At this point, the fans who had blocked the trade for Larry Johnson, as well as most of the management, including the Hornets' owner, selectively forgot about their actions.

As the person who personally traded Tang Bei away, General Manager Tvertzke naturally bore the greatest responsibility and became the scapegoat.

Tvercic knew his days with the Hornets were numbered; if the Heat made it to the Eastern Conference Finals, he would definitely be fired.

Larry Johnson is also under immense psychological pressure, his influence in Charlotte is rapidly waning, and he is facing increasing criticism from the public and media.

"If I had known this today, why did I do it in the first place?"

When an NBC reporter interviewed Tang Bei by phone, Tang Bei said the sentence in Mandarin, and he didn't care how the other person interpreted it.

At 7:30 PM, at the Miami Arena, both teams 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
Michael Brin said, "Nothing has changed from the first three games; Ewing's injury problem should be under control and alleviated."

Tom Tolbert said, "Most of the players injured by Tang fall down, and as long as they are not thrown into the air, they generally do not suffer serious injuries."

Michael Brin nodded and said, "Many of them triggered old injuries."

Tonight's commentator is Larry Bird, who remarked with some emotion: "Back injuries are very serious, and Tang's physical strength is even greater than Ewing's. I think he will inevitably suffer back injuries in the future."

Michael Brin and Tom Tolbert both nodded in agreement; Larry Bird would never have retired if it weren't for his back injury.

"boom!"

Then it was time for the starting lineup. When it was Tang Bei's turn, the Miami Arena erupted in a deafening roar of cheers, with almost every fan standing up. Tang Bei slowly walked out of the player tunnel, raised his hands, and accepted the welcome of thousands.

"This welcome was almost like a pilgrimage."

Facing the CCTV camera, Zhang Heli shouted excitedly.

In the CCTV live broadcast studio, Xu Jicheng suddenly said, "If Tang Bei can lead the Heat to win the championship one day, I wonder what kind of status he will have in Miami?"

Sun Zhenping was taken aback and said, "It's still very difficult. Ewing has been playing for eight seasons and has never made it to the Eastern Conference Finals. The Bulls are so strong now."

Xu Jicheng nodded and said, "The Heat need to strengthen their perimeter game. They need to bring in a defensive anchor on the perimeter, and their point guard also needs to be better."

The competition officially began at eight o'clock.

After the jump ball, the Heat went on offense.

Tang Bei remained in a high position and did not fall into a low position.

"Pick and roll?"

Ewing stood behind Tang Bei, one step below the free-throw line.

Coles dribbled past his opponent and broke into the penalty area from Tangbei's right side. Oakley quickly covered for him, leaving Grant Long unmarked on the right wing.

"Whoosh!"

Coles quickly passed the ball to Grant Long.

John Starks quickly helped defend from below the three-point line on the right wing, and the Knicks' strong defensive system was on full display at that moment. Grant Long had just received the ball when the open shot disappeared.

Upon seeing this, Tang Bei quickly moved under the basket to prepare for the rebound.

John Starks is 11 centimeters shorter than Grant Long, and his defensive strategy is not to wait for Grant Long to shoot to block, but to directly force the ball out.

Under intense pressure, Grant Long was forced to make hasty shots, which naturally lacked accuracy.

"Bang!"

The basketball bounced off the rim at an angle.

Under the basket, Tang Bei and Ewing jumped at the same time to compete for the rebound. Oakley deliberately hooked Tang Bei's right shoulder with one arm when he jumped.

Tang Bei didn't jump completely, but even so, his terrifying explosive power still allowed him to tip the ball up before Ewing could.

"Take it!"

As he fell, he swung his elbow downwards, the tip of his right elbow landing on Oakley's forehead.

"Shet!"

Oakley was in so much pain that tears welled up in his eyes.

The next moment, Tang Bei jumped again and grabbed the rebound.

Ewing, however, did not have such strong knees, and his second jump speed was not as good as Tang Bei's.

"Di!"

"boom!"

The next moment, Tang Bei jumped three times. Even with his four arms covering his head and body, it was still impossible to stop his explosive leap. After the referee's whistle, a heavy thud followed.

"Don!"

MC Winsco Thomas's passionate hoarse cry instantly reverberated throughout the Miami Arena.

"WOW!"

A tremendous roar of cheers echoed through the Miami Arena, lasting for a long time.

The referee pointed to Oakley, who had raised his hand, and called a defensive foul, awarding Tang Bei a free throw.

Charles Oakley rubbed his swollen forehead where he had been elbowed, wiped away his uncontrollable tears, and glared angrily at Tang Bei with murderous intent in his eyes.

"Kid, you should be secretly happy. It's only because I'm kind-hearted that you're doing this. If you glare at me again, I'll loosen your muscles." Tang Bei muttered in Mandarin.

Tang Bei then made the free throw, making it 0-3, and the Knicks went on offense.

"brush!"

Ewing received the ball and went one-on-one against Tang Bei in the low post on the left wing. After crouching down, Ewing attempted a mid-range shot facing the basket, but Tang Bei made a timely block and also made the shot.

Ewing was also very excited after making the shot, raising his fist and shouting angrily, and high-fiving Oakley who ran over to celebrate.

"That was a tough shot. Tang's block changed Ewing's shooting angle. He should be in good form today," Michael Breen said.

Tom Tolbert: "If Ewing hadn't suffered that serious injury in college, his talent would have been the greatest of the three great centers."

Larry Bird, however, said, "His talent may be obvious, but his mental fortitude in crucial moments is not the best, and that will determine his ceiling."

Tang Bei received the ball on the left wing in a low position.

Oakley moved back to the basket from the right side, looking at Grant Long on the right wing and Tang Bei on the other.

After receiving the ball, Tang Bei paused for a moment to observe Oakley's help defense.

At this moment, he used his left elbow to brace against Ewing behind him to gain some space, and then suddenly threw the ball outward with his right hand, making a one-handed pass motion.

The pass was so realistic that it fooled everyone, including Oakley, who all looked toward the direction of the pass: Glen Rice on the left wing three-point line.

The next instant, Tai Chi turned around.

Turning upwards, Tang Bei swung around like a tiger, not dribbling, and with the explosive power of a volcanic eruption, he charged into the penalty area.

"Oops!"

Ewing grabbed a handful of Tang Bei's jersey but missed; the force of his turn was too strong.

"not good!"

Oakley, standing under the basket, was only one step away from Tang Bei, but it was too late for him to take that step.

After turning around and taking two steps, Tang Bei leaped up like a tiger, holding the ball high with both hands, like a mountain, and crashed into Oakley.

"Fuck you!"

Oakley tried to move but it was too late. Overwhelmed with fear and anger, he angrily shoved his elbows across his chest.

"boom!"

With a deafening thud, Tang Bei gripped the rim with both hands, swung his body forward, and his raised left knee struck Oakley's right elbow first.

"Oh!"

His right elbow was instantly crushed by the terrifying impact, while his left elbow struck Tang Bei's lower abdomen. With a muffled groan, Oakley's 111-kilogram body was thrown up.

"Oakley flew away!"

In the ESPN studio, Michael Brin exclaimed in surprise.

"Wow!"

A huge gasp of surprise erupted in the Miami Arena, quickly turning into a thunderous cheer.

"Charles..."

Ewing saw Oakley fly at least two meters, crash onto the floor, and then slide back two or three meters before rushing over.

After landing, Tang Bei patted his lower right abdomen. Oakley's elbow didn't have much momentum; it was just the force of the impact. As Oakley was sent flying, that force was dissipated.

“Charles, brother, how are you?” Ewing asked anxiously, kneeling beside Oakley.

Pat Riley frowned as he looked at Oakley. If Oakley got injured, the rest of the games would be really tough.

"Cough cough... It's nothing, I, cough cough, I'm fine."

Oakley had a stroke and coughed a few times before regaining his breathing. He gasped for air and sat up with Ewing's help.

Pat Riley breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Oakley sit up.

Oakley touched his chest and felt around. It seemed like his bones were fine and he didn't feel any pain, which made him breathe a sigh of relief.

He could smell blood in his breath, but his chest was numb, without pain or itching, so he shouldn't be injured.

If Tang Bei knew what he was thinking at that moment, he would tell him that if there were no external injuries but there was a bloody smell, then it meant there were internal injuries.

This offensive play brought the Heat's home crowd to its peak, with the Miami Arena erupting in the loudest cheers every time Tang Bei touched the ball.

The Knicks' morale was dampened by the home-court atmosphere.

Ewing was not a mentally strong player to begin with, and his performance declined significantly in the subsequent games, leaving him unable to save the day.

In the final score, the Heat defeated the Knicks 91-107 at home once again.

唐北用38分钟轰下36分16篮板3助攻1抢断4盖帽的豪华数据，率队击败尼克斯，以三比一的大比分，拿到了晋级东决的赛点。

尤因打了40分钟，拿到24分11篮板2助攻2盖帽的数据，但命中率只有36%。

(End of this chapter)