The NBA's Absolute Dominance

Chapter 227 Fans Turn Against Their Own Side
At eight o'clock, the competition begins.

At center court, Tang Bei and Ewing jump for the ball, and the Knicks attack.

He first positioned himself high up, especially as he was closely guarded.

Charles Oakley moved to the right wing near the sideline, where he had a steady two-pointer, with Mourning defending outside the right midfield position.

“Ewing is absolutely unstoppable,” Bill Russell said.

Just then, Tang Bei, who was preparing for a high screen, suddenly made a Tai Chi turn, abandoned the screen, and cut into the paint after bypassing Ewing.

Chris Childs has a height advantage over Tim Hardaway and has been working hard to adapt to passing the ball to Tang Bei.

He is a functional defensive guard, primarily focused on tenacious defense, playing a supporting role on offense, and lacking individual offensive capabilities.

Playing the point guard position, he possesses solid playmaking abilities and excels at passing the ball to key players, but lacks the ability to proactively create offensive opportunities.

At the top of the arc, he saw Tang Bei suddenly turn around, so he immediately took a step back, gathered the ball, and passed it towards the basket.

"boom!"

The next moment, Tang Bei smashed the Heat's basket with an alley-oop dunk.

"WOW!"

The Miami Arena erupted in thunderous cheers.

Seeing all the Heat fans cheering for Tang Bei, Pat Riley felt a chill run down his spine.

2:0, Heat on offense.

The Knicks employed a zone defense combined with tough physical play, with Don Bei guarding Ewing and Oakley guarding Mourning.

Rex Chapman had the ball on the right wing, and John Starks immediately began to mark him closely and physically challenge him, displaying a very tough defensive attitude.

His defense is characterized by a tough, relentless spirit, high but inconsistent. His defensive strengths and weaknesses are very distinct. His defense relies not on talent, but on attitude and system support.

Its defensive value lies in its close marking and physical confrontation throughout the game, which maximizes its aggressiveness and makes it highly adaptable to various tactics.

His defensive weakness lies in his lack of talent. As a shooting guard, he is only 191 cm tall and cannot defend tall shooting guards. He is also not very fast, so he cannot defend fast guards either.

Then, there is a lack of anticipation ability, making them prone to being faked out, which leads to being out of position or committing fouls. Finally, they are quite emotional, lack consistency, and lack sustained pressure on the defensive end.

Chapman lacked physical strength and was prone to injury, making him ill-suited to John Starks' tough defense. He quickly passed the ball back to Tim Hardaway at the top of the arc.

Chris Childs has a keen defensive awareness, especially adept at anticipating opponents' passing routes. When he saw Chapman being forced to make no progress by Starks, he realized that Chapman might pass the ball.

The moment Chapman passed the ball, he immediately pressed forward, squeezing past Hardaway to intercept the pass, and continued to accelerate towards the frontcourt.

"Beautiful! The Knicks' starting five have a rock-solid defense, not a single hole," Bill Russell said.

"brush!"

John Starks then cut in from the right wing, received a pass from Chris Childs, and made a successful layup.

Bill Russell continued, "The Knicks' defensive system was built by Pat Riley. Now that Tang Bei has replaced Ewing and Chris Childs has been added to the starting lineup, it doesn't affect the operation of the defensive system."

Bill Walton said, "Tang Bei has very strong tactical abilities and adaptability."

4:0, Heat on offense.

Tim Hardaway brought the ball to the right wing, and Rex Chapman went to the top of the arc.

Like John Starks, Chris Childs excels at close-marking defense and physical contact, so he immediately began close-marking Hardaway as soon as he approached the three-point line.

But Tim Hardaway immediately stepped back, shaking off Childs' close defense, and began his brilliant performance.

He is one of the representatives of the offensive kaleidoscope among short players in the NBA of this era. His core combination of crossover dribbling and speed change breakthrough is top-notch in his ability to create scoring opportunities with the ball.

"Boom bang bang..."

He dribbled between his legs repeatedly, then broke to the right. After Childs moved, he quickly changed direction again, dribbling with his left hand and breaking past from the left side.

John Starks quickly came to help defend in the right elbow area, but Tim Hardaway quickly took a small step to get rid of the help defender and then jumped for a mid-range shot.

Mid-range jump shots are the cornerstone of Craig's scoring strategy. Whether it's a pull-up jump shot or a mid-range turnaround jump shot, it's highly consistent.

His career mid-range jump shot percentage is as high as 45%, and his mid-range jump shot is particularly unstoppable against shorter defenders.

"brush!"

Water splashes, two points hit.

4-2, Knicks on offense.

Tang Bei positioned himself low on the left wing to receive the ball, while You Yin was primarily responsible for defending his right shoulder and preventing him from slipping to the baseline.

The Heat and Knicks have very similar defensive systems, which are zone defense and tough physical play.

When Tang Bei was asking for the ball, Mourning, in the right midfield position, already had one eye on him, but did not double-team him off the ball.

The ball was passed down the next moment.

Mourning immediately came to help defend, and by the time Tang Bei received the ball, he was already above Ewing. If Tang Bei turned around, he would collide headfirst with him.

Ewing defended the baseline drive, Mourning defended the spin move, and the low post double-team was very quick. After receiving the ball, Tang Bei lost the opportunity to drive in and could only shoot or pass.

"Whoosh!"

The next instant, Tang Beishang turned and leaped high into the air, throwing the ball with one hand over Mourning's hands as he jumped to block it, and passed it to Oakley.

At this moment, Mourning deeply resented his height.

Oakley received the ball, and Chapman, who was not a defensive stalwart, was slow to help, allowing Oakley to calmly take a wide-open shot.

"brush!"

The water splashed, and the two points from afar hit the target.

Bill Russell commented, "The Heat's weak-side help defense and double-teaming in the paint were excellent, preventing Severe Fear from getting a chance to shoot."

Bill Walton continued, "But the Heat's ability to rotate and help out in defense is not enough, which shows that their current defensive system still has loopholes and is not as good as the Knicks'."

Magic Johnson said, "Looking only at the interior defense, the Heat are very strong. Mourning has good anticipation, quick starts, and timely help defense. His help defense is top-notch."

6:2, Heat on offense.

Tim Hardaway still relies on dribbling to break through defenses; his off-ball ability is very poor, and his threat lies entirely in having the ball. Without the ball, he is almost invisible.

This time, Chris Childs closed in early, forcing Hardaway to retreat to a position two steps away from the three-point line, making it more difficult for him to drive to the basket.

When he managed to break through to the right elbow area, he was surrounded by three people.

Childs, Starks, and Oakley formed a pincer movement around him from the left, right, and rear, effectively blocking all passing angles from those directions.

Ahead of him was Tang Bei, who had retreated to the left side of the basket. If he drove in, he would only get blocked.

Even if he broke in and passed the ball to Ewing in the low post on the left wing, it wouldn't work; Tang Bei's positioning had already blocked his and Ewing's passing routes.

"squeak!"

He stopped abruptly, stood up, and, gritting his teeth, jumped and shot.

"Snapped!"

Oakley reacted quickly, not giving Hardaway a chance to shoot, and slapped the ball away as he was about to launch it.

John Starks grabbed the ball and immediately turned the ball around to launch a counterattack, which was ultimately won by Chris Childs on a fast break layup.

"At 8-2, the Heat's offense couldn't get going due to the Knicks' defense, so they called a timeout," Bill Russell said.

Bill Walton said, "Ewing and Mourning are top-notch on both offense and defense when they are paired up in the paint, but the Heat's offense is all initiated from the perimeter."

"This is completely different from Tang Bei's Heat. Previously, the Heat's offense was all initiated by the inside players, who created offensive opportunities for the outside players."

Magic Johnson said, "It's simple. Pat Riley doesn't have confidence against the defense of Tang Bei and Oakley, or even against Ewing and Mourning. So the Heat's offense can only go from the outside to the inside, with the outside creating offensive opportunities for the inside."

"Then what's the point of fighting?"

Bill Russell shook his head and said, "As long as the Knicks stick to their inside offense, the Heat's outside offense will never be able to beat them. Jordan's Bulls proved that long ago."

Bill Walton nodded and said, "Yes, only by improving the quality of our inside offense can we have a chance to beat Tang Bei's team."

Magic Johnson said, "It depends on how well the Heat's perimeter players can create offensive opportunities for the inside. Ewing and Mourning are both super centers who average 20+ points per game. If Tim Hardaway can unleash their scoring ability, then they have a chance to beat the Knicks."

The other two nodded when they heard this.

On the Heat's bench, Pat Riley said sternly, "Tim, when you drive in, be aware of double teams and your teammates' open spaces. You need to anticipate and pass the ball." "You were triple-teamed just now, which means you had two open teammates, but you didn't pass the ball out."

Tim Hardaway nodded without saying anything.

He wasn't Tang Bei; he didn't have the guts to refute the fortune teller at all.

Pat Riley added, "After you drive in from the outside, you must make sure to pass the ball to the inside players. The inside players need to keep up with the offense. This is your primary task: to create offensive opportunities for the inside players."

"Inside players must move in a timely manner, prevent defenders from cutting off passing lanes, and avoid standing still in one position."

He wasn't actually very satisfied with the lineup he had personally created.

The team's ability to penetrate from the outside has increased significantly because of Tim Hardaway, which is why he traded for Tim Hardaway.

However, the backcourt defense of Haddam and Chapman is not enough, and if Dan Mali plays shooting guard, there is a lack of a good small forward at the small forward position.

Now he has his eye on the Mavericks' Mashburn. The Mavericks' 3J trio is in serious internal strife because of a woman, and the management has decided to rebuild, with all 3Js to be traded.

He has a plan for how to play against the Knicks.

Tang Bei's defense is too strong, and with Oakley, Ewing and Mourning both having the ball in the low post, it's impossible for them to break through.

Therefore, his offensive tactics involve breaking through from the outside, attracting double teams, and then passing the ball to the inside, thereby igniting the inside offensive power and connecting the outside and inside into a unified whole.

The reason why Michael Jordan's Bulls couldn't beat Tang Bei's Heat was because their interior defense was too weak and they had no way to contain Tang Bei.

With Ewing and Mourning in the paint, the Heat can keep Tang Bei in the low post. As long as they coordinate with Tim Hardaway's drives, they will definitely unleash amazing inside offensive capabilities.

After the timeout, the Heat went on offense.

It was Tim Hardaway, the "little bug," who broke through with the ball.

This time he broke through from the outside, failing to draw John Starks' help defense, but drawing Oakley's help defense instead.

Chris Childs and Oakley formed a double-team outside the right midfield position, but the worm still managed to pass the ball to Mourning in time.

“Small open space…” Bill Walton called out.

"Bang!"

The basketball bounced off the rim, then fell back down, and Mourning scored a two-pointer.

Bill Walton continued, "They were lucky, but even though the center made the shot, it still doesn't count as an inside attack."

"It's an outside jump shot, and there's no guarantee of high quality with that kind of offense. I don't think it can kill Tang Bei's team."

Magic Johnson nodded and said, "The Knicks made all four of their possessions, three of which were dunks and layups, and only one was a jump shot."

"The Heat had four possessions, two turnovers on the perimeter, and made two three-point jump shots, but not a single post-up or paint possession."

"Of course, the Heat only took two shots, and both were made. Their jump shot touch is still pretty good right now, 100% accurate."

Even after making that open shot, Pat Riley was still not satisfied with Mourning's playing style.

Mourning is too far out of the paint, so even if he gets an open shot, the distance is too great, and with Mourning's current mid-range shooting ability, he can't guarantee a high shooting percentage.

More than 70% of Mourning's shots are now taken inside the paint, with only slightly more than 20% taken outside the paint; his mid-range shot is simply not working.

"Could it be that he has a psychological aversion to Tang Bei's defense in the penalty area and is afraid to approach the penalty area? No, I'm probably overthinking it."

The idea popped into his head, and he couldn't help but feel it was absurd. How could it be possible with Mo Ning's iron-fisted personality?
He decisively called a pause to resolve the issue.

8-4, Knicks attack, Oakley misses a jump shot, Ewing grabs the rebound, Heat attack, Heat call a timeout after inbounding the ball.

"This isn't right, why did they call a timeout again? Has Pat Riley turned into Phil Jackson?" Xu Jicheng said in surprise.

After Mourning came off the court, Pat Riley said, "Alonzo, I told you to position yourself near the penalty area and play your best low-post offense. Didn't you understand my intention?"

Mourning explained, "I know, but if I spread out a little more, I can get an open shot. If I shoot closer to the paint, Oakley can easily get back on defense in the situation just now. If I shoot inside the paint, Tang Bei can definitely get to the basket."

Pat Riley stared at Mourning and said, "No matter how fast Tang Bei is, he can't outpace your speed when you catch the ball and go for a layup. You're not a role player; you're very fast when you catch the ball and release it."

"OK then."

Mo Ning nodded.

In reality, he harbored a psychological trauma towards Tang Bei.

Having played alongside Tang Bei for a year, he deeply understood Tang Bei's incredible strength. There was only one reason why the Heat were able to win three consecutive championships: Tang Bei single-handedly carried the Heat to achieve this dynasty.

Now, as an opponent, their fear of Tang Bei is ingrained in their bones, and they don't want to get close to the restricted area where Tang Bei is located.

After the timeout, the Heat went on offense.

Mourning made his position on the right wing in a low post, Ewing made his position on the left wing in a low post, and Tim Hardaway still broke through from the right wing with the ball.

"If Xiaochong keeps breaking through like this, he'll be exhausted. His performance in the second and final quarters will definitely be inconsistent," Xu Jicheng complained.

But this time Tim Hardaway's drive failed. Under Chris Childs' tight defense, he forced his way through, but failed to get the ball up and almost lost possession. After barely controlling the ball, he forced a three-pointer, which missed. Tang Bei grabbed the rebound and the Knicks went on offense.

"brush!"

Tang Bei pushed his way into the basket, and Mourning immediately double-teamed him off the ball. Oakley got open again, received the ball, and shot, this time making the shot.

Bill Walton said, "Oakley has had many more opportunities playing alongside Tang Bei than he did with Ewing. He's already made 2 of 3 shots, all of them open shots, and this one was a wide-open one."

Bill Russell said, "Oakley's long two-pointers are more consistent than Mourning's, especially open shots. More than 70% of his offense is long two-pointers."

Magic Johnson joked, "Bill, you shouldn't be comparing their long twos. Mourning only takes 20% of his shots from outside the paint. He doesn't have any long twos right now, and his mid-range twos are inaccurate. His close twos from the edge of the paint are slightly better."

Bill Walton nodded and said, "When he was with the Timberwolves and Hornets, half of his offense was in the paint, and 25% of his offense was close-range shots. He had very little threat outside the paint."

10:4, Heat on offense.

Tim Hardaway, nicknamed "Little Bug," had charged in several times in a row, but his stamina was running low, so he decided to stop this time and take a break.

Rex Chapman took over the offense, but his ability was lacking. John Starks' tight defense disrupted his rhythm, forcing him to gather the ball at the three-point line. He could only hastily pass the ball to Hardaway at the top of the arc.

But Chapman's passing intention was too obvious, and Chris Childs intercepted the ball in time, using his strong physical strength to push past Hardaway and successfully steal the ball a second time.

Xu Jicheng laughed and said, "The exact same steal! That's how the Heat's first offensive possession was intercepted."

"brush!"

After stealing the ball, Childs accelerated down the court and made a layup, making the score 12-4.

Pat Riley's face darkened in front of the Heat's bench. With the game starting like this, if they lose at home, he'll be torn to shreds by Miami fans.

Rex Chapman, the starting shooting guard for last season's championship roster, is no longer good enough, and he no longer wants him; a trade is necessary.

"Bang!"

Hardaway made another drive, pulled up for a jump shot, missed, and Oakley grabbed the rebound over Mourning.

"Little Bug made 1 of 3 shots, committed 1 turnover and was stripped once. His performance today was just average," Bill Walton said.

"The main problem is the Knicks' defensive pressure; all five starters are defensive stalwarts," Bill Russell said with a smile.

Magic Johnson said, "Coach Riley must have wanted to use the little guy's penetration to activate the inside offense, but this goal doesn't seem to be going well."

"boom!"

At this moment, Tang Bei positioned himself high up, received the ball, used the Wing Chun turning stance technique to shake off Ewing, and then immediately followed up with a Tai Chi spin, driving into the basket for a tomahawk dunk.

"With the increased tonnage, this guy's strength is indeed more terrifying than before, and the gap between us in terms of fighting ability has widened even further."

Ewing couldn't keep up with the pace. When Tang Bei turned around, he was pushed off balance. By the time he regained his balance, Tang Bei had already finished turning around.

The gap in strength and ability to compete left him somewhat desperate, and what made him even more desperate was that Tang Bei's athletic ability did not seem to have declined.

"WOW!"

"Severe phobia! Severe phobia..."

When Tang Bei blasted the Heat's basket, a deafening roar erupted in the Miami Arena, which quickly transformed into a unified shout.

"14-4, Heat fans have already turned against their team. Tang Bei's departure is truly a tragedy for Heat fans," Bill Walton said.

Bill Russell said, "If the Heat fail this season, even if the team makes money under Pat Riley's management, he will be disgraced."

Bill Walton changed the subject, saying, "Ewing hasn't taken a single shot yet, and Mourning has taken one. The two super centers combined have only made one shot."

At this point, he shook his head and said, "It's not enough for two super centers to rely solely on outside shooting to create opportunities for them; they must have the ability to create their own offensive opportunities, that is, to attack with the ball."

(End of this chapter)