The NBA's Absolute Dominance

Chapter 132 History Part 2
In the CCTV live broadcast room, Xu Jicheng said regretfully, "Tang Bei made 12 of 17 shots today, with a field goal percentage of 70.6%, and 15 of 22 free throws, with a field goal percentage of 68.2%. Although Leonardo is strong, he cannot stop Tang Bei's offense."

他拿到39分21篮板1助攻1抢断7盖帽2失误4犯规，数据很不错，但可惜队友太不给力了。”

Sun Zhenping said, "Leonardo can slow down Tang Bei's attack in the low post, but he has no way to deal with Tang Bei's high post and wing tactics."

Nodding, Xu Jicheng said, "Glen Rice was defended by Pippen and only made 5 of 14 shots, with a shooting percentage of only 35.7%. He got blocked 3 times and had his shots stolen 3 times. No matter how many points Tang Bei scores or how efficient he is, he can't fill the hole that Pippen dug."

孙真平道：“皮蓬的防守是真厉害。还有乔丹，防得史蒂夫·史密斯11投3中，命中率只有27.3%，3分球4投1中。”

He then added, "Bimbo Coles and Brian Shaw took a lot of shots, but their shooting percentages weren't high."

Xu Jicheng said, "The Heat committed a total of 25 turnovers, while the Bulls only had 12. The Heat's overall field goal percentage was only 40.7%, which was significantly higher than Tang Bei's, while the Bulls' was 47.7%."

Sun Zhenping said, "In terms of free throws, the Heat did have the advantage of home-court advantage, and they had 9 more than the Bulls, otherwise they would have lost by even more."

In the NBC studio, Bill Russell said, "Now both teams have lost a home game, and the situation is better for the Bulls. It's just a matter of whether the Heat can hold onto their second home game."

Bill Walton said, "Today the Bulls played top-notch perimeter defense, and at the same time used fouling and physical defense tactics to suppress some of Tang Bei's offensive ability, allowing him to only score 39 points."

比尔·拉塞尔点头道：“迈克尔轰下了45分，命中率57.5%，还有5次抢断和1次盖帽，状态比G1G2战要好很多。

皮蓬也拿到了20分4抢断3盖帽，格兰特17分1抢断2盖帽，铁三角的发挥都不错，这是公牛赢球的保证。”

After remaining silent for a while, Isaiah Thomas said, "Leonardo's left knee injury must be more serious, and he might not be able to play in Game 4. Without him, the Bulls can't beat the Heat."

After considering for a moment, Bill Russell said, "As long as Jordan plays efficiently and scores high, and the Bulls play top-notch perimeter defense to limit the Heat's outside scoring, even if Tang gets 50+ points, the Bulls should have a better chance of winning."

The arrogant, smiling assassin opened his mouth, but Bill Russell's status was too high, and he did not argue further.

Bill Walton nodded and said, "Michael Jordan is now at the peak of his career."

His main opponent was a second-year shooting guard like Steve Smith, whose defense was average, and the Heat's overall defense was also weak, making it impossible to double-team Jordan across the entire area.

Perhaps, Michael Jordan only truly felt defensive pressure when he was near the paint or driving into it.

Against such an opponent, averaging 40+ points per game in the Eastern Conference Finals should be no problem for him; it just depends on his shooting touch and efficiency on the day.

Bill Russell said, "The Bulls really played the best defense today, and Leonardo really made a contribution."

He single-handedly shouldered the physical burden of Tang's attacks, suppressing some of Tang's offensive capabilities. Without him, the Bulls could still play well tonight, but they wouldn't have won easily.

Bill Walton said, "Tang's stamina was used up more today. In the upcoming series, Leonard will further deplete his stamina, reducing his efficiency and scoring, which will become increasingly advantageous for the Bulls."

Bill Russell laughed and said, "I'm already quite surprised that he's been able to keep up this long as a rookie."

In the home team's locker room, Tang Bei didn't feel like moving. He had played a game against that muscular guy and felt much more tired than when he played the Knicks.

After the fight, I still had many bruises on my body, and my muscles and bones ached.

Leonardo was also having a hard time in the away team's locker room.

His muscles were more developed than Tang Bei's, as thick as a rhinoceros's, as if he were wearing three layers of armor.

His defenses were much stronger, so after an extremely intense battle, he didn't have as many bruises on his body as Tang Bei.

However, he felt a dull ache in his bones and internal organs, and he could faintly smell blood in his nostrils.

This strange feeling made him extremely tired, more tired than playing an NFL game, and he longed to lie down and take a nap.

A press conference was held more than an hour later.

"Michael, you were in much better form today than in the previous two games. How did you adjust your performance?" a reporter asked.

Jordan laughed and said, "Perhaps the easy victory in Game 1 made me feel no pressure, so I didn't adjust my form for Game 2."

At this point, a flash of anger crossed his face, and he said coldly, "But he angered me, so I gave him a defeat. No one can anger me without paying a price."

This statement excited the reporters, and one of them immediately followed up with, "Michael, did Don anger you? How did he anger you?"

Jordan smiled but remained silent, and the host immediately flipped over the card of the next reporter.

The next reporter asked, "Michael, are you confident you can take the match point in Game 4?"

Jordan nodded and said, "We will give it our all. We have the ability to beat them, and no one can stop us."

In the Heat's press room, Tang Bei looked around. He was the only player there. That damn Glen Rice would rather be fined than come.

"Tang, what do you think of Leonardo's defense?" a reporter asked.

"He did hinder my attack to some extent," Tang Bei said truthfully, as he rarely lied.

"Do you think the loss tonight was due to Leonardo's defense?" the reporter pressed.

"He is one of the factors."

After replying, Tang Bei added, "The Bulls played the best perimeter defense, which is the key reason why we lost."

The reporter immediately followed up with, "Do you think your perimeter teammates dragged you down? Do you think the team should trade Glen Rice and others during the offseason?"

"grass!"

Tang Bei cursed under his breath and said, "The Bulls' perimeter defense is the best in the league, bar none. I'm not flattering them, it's a fact, so it's understandable that Glenn and the others didn't perform well."

The host then turned to the second reporter, a reporter from the New York Times, who took the microphone and asked, "Don, do you think the Heat still have a chance to advance?"

Tang Bei nodded and said, "We're only down 1-2. I haven't even played Game 1 yet. In fact, we've only tied with the Bulls. How could we not have a chance?"

The reporter then asked, "How do you think the Heat should strengthen their roster?"

Tang Bei shook his head and said, "That's a matter for management. The Heat only pay me one salary, so that's not my job responsibility."

"Ha ha……"

The room erupted in laughter, and some of the Heat's management also laughed.

The next day, on the morning of the 30th, the Heat held a tactical meeting.

Although the management no longer has any goals or tasks for advancing, the Eastern Conference Finals have not yet reached a one-sided situation, so they are still taking it very seriously. Owner Mickey Arison and most of the executives attended the tactical meeting.

Kevin Longley, who hadn't slept much last night, said with dark circles under his eyes after the meeting started: "Let's all talk about how to solve the offensive problem."

"Use a pick-and-roll to help Don get away from Leonardo."

"The pick-and-roll on the wing gets them off Jordan and Pippen's defense, creating opportunities for Glen Rice and Steve Smith to receive the ball and shoot."

"Tang has height in the low position, so he can play a passing and cutting tactic."

The three teaching assistants started talking, one after another.

“Don, what’s your opinion?” Kevin Longley asked.

Tang Bei was a little confused. He glanced at his own tactical and technical abilities. He was level 86, slightly above second-rate. His progress was very slow after that. He estimated that he had reached the limit of his potential.

With such technical and tactical abilities, what do you mean by that?
After thinking for a moment, he said, "Leonardo is stronger than me, but he can't push me, and he doesn't have height, so I can increase my close-range two-point shots in the low post."

"can."

Kevin Longley immediately agreed, saying, "Our outside offense couldn't get going last night, and our scoring ability was severely hampered."

Tang, you really need to increase your shots, even if your accuracy is a little lower. We desperately need your scoring ability.

Glen Rice added, "That's right, Tang, your shooting percentage is a cut above Jordan's, but we lost to you last night."

So it's okay if our shooting percentage is a little lower; as long as our score goes up, our chances of winning will definitely be much greater.

Tang Bei thought for a moment and then said, "As for pick and roll, the wing pick and roll tactic is too far away. I still prefer the high pick and roll, but Bimbo and Brian's three-pointers are not very good."

Kevin Longley immediately said, "Glen Rice and Steve Smith switch positions at the top of the key through pick-and-rolls, and then run high pick-and-rolls with you."

Tang Bei nodded. After the switch, the outside shooting will be more difficult for the Bulls to defend.

Kevin Longley added, "We can learn from the Jazz and use continuous pick-and-rolls to break down the Bulls' defense."

He picked up the chalk and started drawing on the large tactical board in front of him. He first drew an X at the top of the key and said, "This is the first pick-and-roll, where the wing player and the ball handler switch positions."

He drew a second X at the high post and said, "This is the second pick-and-roll. If it's Glen Rice holding the ball at the top of the key, and you're not good at driving to the basket, then pass the ball to Tang here."

You need to assess the Bulls' defense to decide whether to stay at the top of the key and wait for a pass back for a three-pointer, or move to the wing and wait for Tang's pass.

After a pause, he continued, "If it's Steve Smith, you can choose to dribble and drive, and if you attract Leonardo's defense, you can pass back to Tang."

"If Leonard doesn't switch, you can pass the ball to Don, screen for Leonard yourself, and that's the third pick-and-roll, creating an opportunity for Don to shoot or drive." After explaining the pick-and-roll play, Kevin Longley added, "Don, I want you to do more high-post playmaking."

"level 50?"

Tang Bei checked the support capabilities. Could he provide support?
Kevin Longley explained, "You're in the high post, which allows you to open up the paint and create space for your teammates to drive. At the same time, your passing, physicality, and vision should not be a problem for you."

"let me try."

Tang Bei had no choice but to agree.

Then the head coach went on to explain tactical positioning and movement, focusing on high-position support.

The tactical meeting lasted for more than an hour, and then we went to run tactical drills. We ran tactical drills for an hour in the morning and another two hours in the afternoon.

That night, Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals took place, and the SuperSonics won by 19 points at home, tying the series at 2-2.

On May 31st, Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals took place as scheduled.

By evening, the Miami Arena was packed, with even more Hollywood stars present, indicating the growing attention on the Eastern Conference Finals.

In the NBC studio, Bill Walton happily said, "Game 3 achieved a 19.5% household rating and over 30 million viewers, which is the second highest in NBA history, second only to Game 5 of the 1991 Finals at 19.7%."

Today's commentator is no longer the Smiling Assassin, but Magic Johnson, who said, "Michael and Don are probably the most watched superstars in the league right now, which is why they have such high ratings."

Bill Russell smiled and nodded, saying, "Today's game is crucial. It will either end in a tie, which would make things more suspenseful, or the Bulls will get match point."

“Hopefully the ratings will go even higher,” Bill Walton said with a smile.

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

Chicago Bulls: Bill Cartwright, Horace Grant, Scottie Pippen, Michael Jordan, BJ Armstrong

Miami Heat: Tang Bei, Grant Lang, Glen Rice, Steve Smith, Bimbo Coles
In the CCTV live broadcast studio, Sun Zhenping said, "I hope we can equalize the score today, and we should at least win one of the two home games."

Xu Jicheng, a commentator today, said: "In terms of strength, the Heat are still far behind. They don't have anyone on the perimeter who can compete with Jordan and Pippen. Their offense is not working and they can't defend. Hopefully, they can strengthen their roster properly in the offseason."

Han Qiaosheng said, "Yes, Tang Bei, such a strong center, seemed to be playing very passively in Game 3, and he couldn't break through."

Xu Jicheng said, "There are no good helpers on the outside. To be more precise, there is no teammate on the outside who can handle the ball and attack, so as to share the defensive pressure."

Nodding, Sun Zhenping said, "Glen Rice is a pure pitcher, and although Steve Smith has some ball-handling ability, it's not very good; he's also a semi-pitcher."

Han Qiaosheng said, "We can't count on the number one position either."

In the home team's locker room, only the five starters remained.

With their performance time approaching, Tang Bei looked at the other four and suddenly said, "None of you did anything unethical today, did you?"

“Before I came here, I took my son’s cookies, and he cried. Does that count?” Glenn Rice said uneasily.

"Your son, Glenn Rice II?"

Tang Bei said angrily, "He's only two years old, Glenn. Your behavior is very unethical. If we lose today, it's your fault."

Glen Rice said angrily, "Don, you're the boss. Don't use this excuse to shirk your responsibility. It's all your fault for losing the game."

"Oh, right, we still have some time. Would you like to take a look around the away team's locker room?"

"No, I'm never going again," Tang Bei said immediately.

"Ha ha……"

"Ha ha……"

The other three were laughing so hard they couldn't speak.

In the player tunnel, Jordan looked at Tang Bei as he approached and said loudly, "Tang, tonight's result will definitely be three to one, and we will have match point."

Upon hearing Jordan's extremely confident words, Tang Bei loudly retorted, "Want me to give you a bed so you can finish this beautiful dream?"

"Ha ha……"

On the Heat's side, there was a group of security personnel, and they all laughed.

"We'll see."

Jordan chuckled twice and then fell silent.

The competition officially began at eight o'clock.

After the jump ball, the Heat went on offense.

The opponent was Cartwright. Tang Bei went straight to the basket to establish position. Bimbo Coles was still two steps away from the top of the arc when Tang Bei lobbed the ball.

The Bulls immediately collapsed their defense, double-teaming the basket.

Pippen went in, and with Carter-White and Grant, they formed a three-team defense under the basket.

The ball slid downwards, and Tang Bei, with both hands pushing against Cartwright and Grant, soared into the air and caught the ball with both hands.

The next instant, he landed, turned around, and got up again.

"Snapped!"

"Snapped!"

At that moment, Cartwright, Grant, and Pippen all struck Tang Bei simultaneously.

"Di!"

The referee blew his whistle.

"boom!"

Almost simultaneously, Tang Bei smashed the basketball hoop, knocked over Carterwhite and Grant, and nearly knocked Pippen over as well.

"Oh!"

A huge cheer erupted in the Miami Arena.

"Beautiful! Two plus one! Tang Bei drew a foul from Cartwright!" Sun Zhenping shouted excitedly in the CCTV live broadcast studio.

Xu Jicheng said, "The 'hack-a-man' tactic is actually not very useful. Tang Bei's ability to score and-ones under the basket is too strong."

Leonard's contribution was significant in the loss of Game 3, but the main reason was that the Bulls truly played top-tier perimeter defense.

They shut down the Heat's two main shooters, forcing the starting point guard and his bench to take a combined 24 shots, far exceeding their expected number and their ability.

Before Tang Beigai was fouled out, the Bulls substituted Cartwright with Leonardo.

Bill Russell said, "Leonardo is a bit of a hindrance to Tang. Tang's low-post offense has decreased significantly in the last game, and he can't get into the deep post."

Kevin Longley didn't come up with a targeted solution in Game 3; let's see how he plays in this game.

"brush!"

Tang Beijia's penalty hit.

0:3, Bulls attack.

With Houston Leonard on the court, Tang Bei completely disregarded his mid-range shooting ability, and directly anchored the paint on the defensive end.

In the era before the three-second rule, he established himself in the paint, averaging 3.6 blocks per game in the regular season. Even Jordan would have to think twice before driving in.

Jordan made an off-ball movement on the right wing, and after the cut, he received the ball in the right elbow area.

At this moment, Steve Smith followed up and positioned himself behind Jordan, who then began to attack from the wing.

1v1, which perfectly fits the goal of the triangle offense tactic.

In one-on-one situations, Michael Jordan has never been afraid of anyone, let alone a second-year player like Smith with terrible defense.

Even against the Heat's defense, he was confident that he wouldn't need to use his signature move, the already perfected turnaround fadeaway jumper.

That killer move was specifically developed to break through high-intensity defenses. For example, against the Knicks, he would have to use a turnaround fadeaway jumper.

So this time, after receiving the ball, he pushed Steve Smith aside, then immediately turned and jumped to shoot, without leaning back.

(End of this chapter)