The NBA's Absolute Dominance

Chapter 163 The City of Suffocation
On the Pacers' bench, a stern-faced Larry Brown was rearranging the defensive strategy.

"From now on, we will play a high-intensity man-to-man defense combined with local double-teaming of the ball handler."

"Lock down Avery Johnson on the outside and cut off his connection with Don."

"The defenders should cut off Tang's passing chain. Once Tang gets to the basket, the inside players should immediately double-team and shut him down."

"Delay passes on the perimeter, shut down low-post offense, and stifle Tang's low-post attack."

"Everyone needs to step up their efforts in rebounding; it's our lifeline."

"On offense, shoot a little further out of the paint, use more screens and cuts, and occasionally attack the basket."

"Rick, besides pulling up to the high post, you also need to suppress the low post as well. Keep Tang in the low post to create more space for outside shots."

"Reggie, you need to pay attention to your positioning. Don't waste your shooting opportunities. When you shoot, be decisive."

After the timeout, Tang Bei made another free throw, making it 5-12, and the Pacers went on offense.

Rick Schmitz tried to get to the basket, but couldn't. Fortunately, his mid-range shot was more accurate than Ewing's, and he used it to get position and the ball in the low post on the left wing, keeping Tang Bei tied down in the low post.

"brush!"

Reggie Miller ran to the high post to set a pick and roll, and after the screen, he received the ball in the left elbow area and shot, making the shot from a tight open spot.

“Reggie Miller made 2 of 3 shots for 5 points,” Sun Zhenping said.

Zhang Heli analyzed, "His off-ball play is indeed very strong, and his mid-range shot is quite threatening. We should strengthen our help defense against him."

7:12, Heat on offense.

Tang Bei realized that there was no double-teaming beforehand, and Rick Schmitz was guarding him alone in front of him, so he immediately went to the basket.

At this moment, Pacers' starting point guard Haywood Workman tried his best to lock down Avery Johnson. He only needed to lock him down for two or three seconds, and once Tang Bei's three-second shot clock expired, the defense would be successful.

But Avery Johnson wasn't so easy to shut down. He dribbled with his left hand, changed direction from the left side to break through, and used his physical strength to knock Walkman aside.

Reggie Miller quickly moved towards the center, creating a local double-team, while also cutting off Avery Johnson's passing lane to Glen Rice, maintaining his position between the two.

But Avery Johnson completely ignored Reggie Miller's double-team. He had just broken past Workman when he lobbed the ball towards the basket the instant it was lifted.

"boom!"

The next moment, Tang Bei completed an alley-oop dunk.

The Pacers had no chance to shut down Tang Bei under the basket. Without any help, Rick Schmitz, who was pushed to the outside, didn't even have a chance to foul.

"damn it!"

No matter how hard he tried to defend, he couldn't stop Tang Bei's offense, and Larry Brown felt powerless.

“7：14，唐北5投5中，2罚2中，一个人就轰下了12分。”孙真平兴奋地说道。

"We can't defend the Pacers, we simply can't defend them," Han Qiaosheng laughed.

Sun Zhenping said with a smile, "The Pacers' interior players are not weak, their level is still quite good, but none of them are the type to defend Tang Bei. One-on-one defense is useless, and early double-teaming is also useless."

Zhang Heli said, "The legalization of zone defense and the allowance of double-teaming off-ball players were introduced for Tang Bei, but so far this season, they seem to have been of little use."

Sun Zhenping said, "Coach Zhang, it seems that Shaquille O'Neal of the Magic is not greatly affected."

Zhang Heli nodded and said, "Indeed, they are the same type of center and both have excellent passing and playmaking abilities, so statistically speaking, they are only slightly affected."

But he immediately changed the subject, saying, "But looking at their playing style and team positioning this season, they have actually been greatly affected."

They've all transformed from pure offensive finishers in the low post into playmaking centers, and that's the biggest impact—breaking down early double teams through passing and playmaking.

"So these two rules are still not restrictive enough for them," Sun Zhenping said.

Zhang Heli said, "The NBA has always played man-to-man defense. This is only the first season, and everyone is not yet proficient enough in it. The application of zone defense tactics is not very in-depth."

The purpose of double-teaming players off the ball is to limit Tang Bei's ability to receive the ball, but I think this season, the efforts to limit Tang Bei's ability to receive the ball have not been done well enough.

"Coach Zhang, what do you think?" Han Qiaosheng said.

Zhang Heli nodded and said, "They only tried to cut off the receiving angle by double-teaming Tang Bei's second inside player and cutting off the passing angle of the ball handler from the outside. This two-pronged defense is actually not enough."

Just like Avery Johnson, even a top-class defensive guard would find it difficult to truly cut off his passes to Tang Bei.

Even with Tang Bei's abilities, the interior players who front him can't cut off his passes; at best, they can only limit him.

“That’s how it is,” Sun Zhenping said.

Zhang Heli added, "Only by combining the two rules, and using the zone defense rule to form a zone defense formation in the area where Tang Bei passes the ball after he receives the ball, can we limit Tang Bei to a greater extent."

"Oh."

The other two nodded, seemingly understanding.

Zhang Heli added, "Moreover, the current tactic of double-teaming Tang Bei is also very rigid, often involving both inside players coming on at the same time."

However, if both interior players double-team Tang Bei, the Heat's power forward will be open, making it difficult to defend his back-cut to the basket. Other players who try to help defend will also face mismatches, so the effect is not very good.

We can use a skillful and defensively excellent perimeter player to double-team Tang Bei, allowing him to receive the ball while the perimeter player constantly disrupts his play. Whether Tang Bei is attacking or passing, he'll have a difficult time.

"Use outside players to double-team?" The other two were taken aback.

In this game, the Heat, playing at home, maintained the initiative and led the score throughout, with the lead continuing to widen until the end of the game, easily winning Game 1.

The score was 85-105. The Pacers gave up in the final quarter, and the Heat won by 20 points.

Rick Schmitz and Dale Davis committed too many and too quick fouls on Tang Bei. By the third quarter, the Pacers' defensive intensity had waned, and Tang Bei became more aggressive in his inside offense.

三节打卡，打了32分钟，20投17中，命中率85%，10罚7中，轰下41分11篮板3助攻2抢断4盖帽1失误2犯规的数据。

Of his 20 shots, 5 were close-range shots, two of which went in, and the remaining 15 were dunks, all of which went in.

Meanwhile, he defended Derek Schmitz, making only 4 of 12 shots for a shooting percentage of 33.3%, far lower than his 47.2% in the first round.

"Tang, how would you rate the Pacers' strength?" a reporter asked in a post-game interview.

"The Hawks' second-place ranking in the East is a bit inflated. I don't understand why they were upset by the Pacers in seventh place," Tang Bei said.

The reporter followed up with a smile: "But the Heat are fourth in the Eastern Conference."

Tang Bei said somewhat unhappily, "Regular season rankings don't mean anything; the series is where true strength is revealed."

"Have you ever thought about sweeping the Pacers?" the reporter asked with a smile.

Tang Bei sensed that this question might be a trap. The reporter's smile was a little mischievous. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Of course I've thought about it. I even thought about sweeping the Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals."

"Haha..." Laughter erupted from the substitutes' bench.

"Tang, it seems you really want to face the Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals?" the reporter asked.

"I'm going to make sure Michael Jordan never makes it to the Finals again, unless he leaves the East," Tang Bei said with unwavering resolve.

When Tang Bei and the others returned to the locker room, the other game had already ended.

The Jazz defeated the Nuggets 91-100 at home, with six players scoring in double figures.

"He's talking big."

Tang Bei's post-game comments, made through a reporter's phone interview, quickly reached Jordan's ears: "As long as I'm in the East, Tang will never make it to the Finals unless he leaves the East."

Their words spread throughout the United States the very next day, sparking various discussions.

"Anyway, someone will have to admit they've talked themselves silly," the basketball legend said in an interview.

"Michael, I'll be there for you in the Finals." Barkley waved his left hand, which was adorned with a championship ring, to express his support for Jordan.

Pippen said, "I think Tang is talking big. I suggest we wait until he does it. He hasn't even touched the Finals floor yet."

Jordan didn't care about the other people's statements, but he found Barkley's words very offensive and immediately made a phone call to him.

"Charles, what exactly are you trying to say?"

"Michael, I'm here for you."

"Damn it, do you think I can't tell?"

"Haha, okay, I admit it, I think it's easier to beat the Bulls, after all, we swept you guys, didn't we?"

"You fatso, you better make it to the finals, then you'll see."

"I'll wait and see, Michael. I'm quite experienced in how to sweep you, and I really want to experience it again, haha!"

"Fuck you!"

"You're getting anxious, aren't you? Haha!"

"boom!"

Jordan smashed his phone.

Tang Bei noticed the players' comments but didn't take them to heart, except for Chamberlain, who caught his attention.

He wasn't focused on what Chamberlain was saying; he was focused on Chamberlain's heart.

I didn't know before, but I heard that Chamberlain was diagnosed with a heart problem in 92 when he was only 56 years old. He's only 58 this year. I wonder how much longer he can live.

After taking 300 heart-nourishing pills, his heart function should be healthier than before, but if he wants to live to be 100, he needs to take more heart-nourishing pills.

By the way, if I'm going to do even more heinous things with Jia Bao in the future, I'll definitely need a strong heart.

"Make it to the Eastern Conference Finals, make it to the NBA Finals, win the championship, and I'll get a treasure chest. You'll also reward me with a thousand heart-nourishing pills. No, the kind of reward that replenishes my energy immediately after I take them."

"The Eastern Conference champions also get a championship trophy, so maybe I can get a reward too. Hmm, let's beat the Bulls first."

On the evening of May 11, the Bulls defeated the Knicks 83-95, securing their second consecutive home win.

Tang Bei was watching the Bulls vs. Knicks game. After the Bulls won, he heard that another game was tied at 108 after four quarters and would go into overtime, so he changed the channel.

After listening to the guide's explanation, he finally understood the situation.

The Rockets had an 18-point lead at 82-100 after the first three quarters, but they collapsed in the final quarter.

The Suns employed a full-court press defense in the final quarter, with Charles Barkley and Kevin Johnson leading the offense, repeatedly attacking the basket and scoring 10 and 9 points respectively, showing excellent form.

The Rockets relied on outside jump shots, making only 3 of 18 attempts. Hakeem Olajuwon scored only 3 points in the final quarter and committed a whopping 5 turnovers.

The two teams outscored each other 26-8 in the final quarter, tying the game after the Rockets had led by 18 points.

"That Hakeem Olajuwon is a piece of trash. He can get tied even when he's leading by 18 points. He'll never eat four dishes in his life and will never win a championship."

Tang Bei was unhappy with Barkley's lucky break and also dissatisfied with Olajuwon's poor performance.

"No, that's not right. I want to play the Suns in the Finals and show Barkley who's better, me or Jordan. Hakeem, you can just keep being a waste."

Overtime then began, and the Suns continued their full-court press defense, leaving the Rockets helpless.

Ultimately, the two teams went to overtime and the Suns defeated the Rockets 16-9, securing their second consecutive road win and shocking the entire league.

The Suns had six players score in double figures, including Barkley with 34 points, Kevin Johnson with 27 points, and Dan Mallley with 22 points. Barkley shot an impressive 61.1% from the field.

For the Rockets, six players scored in double figures, with Hakeem Olajuwon leading the way with 31 points and 17 rebounds on 50% shooting, and power forward Thorpe adding 20 points.

Tang Bei took a look at the statistics of both sides. The Suns had 19 more free throws than the Rockets, and this was the Rockets' home court.

This shows that the Rockets' style of play relies too much on outside jump shots, which are not very effective. They have the highest percentage of three-point attempts in the entire league, and once their shooting touch falters, they are destined to lose.

Houston, Summit Center, visiting team locker room, Barkley pops open a bottle of champagne to celebrate in advance.

"Western Conference Finals, here we come!"

At a press conference an hour later, Barkley confidently told the media.

The following day, the Houston Chronicle first used the term "suffocating city" to describe the Rockets' lackluster performance at home.

The Rockets are aiming for the Finals this season because they saw the Suns take advantage of the situation last season, and who wouldn't want to be the second team to do so?

Everyone believes that the Heat, Bulls, and Knicks, the three strongest teams in the East, will fight tooth and nail again. Whoever makes it to the Finals will be in a weakened state, just like last season. The West may even have a chance to sweep the East and win the championship.

However, the Rockets suffered two consecutive home losses in the second round, and under criticism from the media and fans, everyone from the management to the players was under immense pressure.

On the evening of the 12th, the second game of the second round between the Heat and the Pacers tipped off at the Miami Arena.

As a result, the home team, in high spirits, defeated the away team 75-105, and the Heat won their second consecutive home game.

Reggie Miller played only 32 minutes, had a cold shooting night, making only 2 of 13 shots for a pitiful 15.4% field goal percentage, and scored just 12 points.

Tang Bei finished the game in three quarters, racking up 31 points, 15 rebounds, 4 assists, and 5 blocks.

In another game, the Jazz, playing at home, were in high spirits, while the Nuggets, playing away, failed to replicate their first-round upset performance, and the Jazz ultimately won their second consecutive home game.

Mutombo was in excellent defensive form, delivering an astonishing 8 blocks, but on offense he only scored 7 points on 1-of-6 shooting.

The Nuggets mainly lost in three areas: offensive rebounds, steals, and turnovers. These three factors resulted in the Nuggets taking 19 fewer shots than the Jazz.

(End of this chapter)