The NBA's Absolute Dominance

Chapter 95 Braised Egg: This elbow is worth a drink.

At 8:00 AM sharp, Tang Bei and Mark Eaton prepared for the jump ball in the center circle.

Mark Eaton is 224 cm tall with an astonishing 250 cm wingspan, the second longest in league history. His standing reach is an amazing 303 cm, making him a true player who can dunk on tiptoe. He weighs 125 kg and is known as the Mammoth.

His offensive ability was average, but his footwork was excellent and he was highly skilled on the defensive end. He was the toughest rebounder and shot blocker, averaging 11.3 rebounds and 5.56 blocks per game in the 84/85 season.

He was selected as an All-Star reserve once, won the block title four times, was named Defensive Player of the Year twice, was named All-Defensive First Team three times, and All-Defensive Second Team twice during his career, making him a man of many honors.

Although he is nearly 36 years old and his injuries are too severe, bringing him close to retirement, he can still make a significant contribution on the defensive end.

Tang Bei was 10 centimeters shorter than Mark Eaton, reaching only to his nose, but weighed 11 kilograms more and was much stronger and bigger than his opponent. It was his amazing wingspan that made him feel a little "ashamed".

"Di!"

The referee tossed the basketball high into the air. Mark Eaton barely jumped, and Tang Bei quickly leaped up and tipped the ball away, giving the Heat the offensive opportunity.

After landing, he quickly started his attack, intending to launch a fast break.

However, Mark Eaton was very experienced in defense. Because he didn't jump during the jump ball, he took a step to the side and blocked him, thwarting his fast break plan.

At this point, the mailman retreated to the penalty area, and only then did Mark Eaton turn around and return to defend the penalty area.

Power forward Grant Lang moved to the right wing to create a one-on-one low post opportunity for Tang Bei, while Mailman followed up to the right midfield position.

Tang Bei moved down to the left wing low post, needing to get deep into the post on one side and the ball on the other.

Mark Eaton was too experienced; he knew he was weaker than others and his center of gravity was too high, putting him at a significant disadvantage in a direct confrontation, so he didn't try to fight back.

He retreated immediately, and once Tang Bei entered the penalty area and the three-second shot clock started, he immediately moved in front and side to defend, using his height advantage.

Meanwhile, John Stockton intensified his close marking of Bimbokors, denying him passing opportunities.

Coles was very uncomfortable because Stockton not only averaged 2.4 steals per game and was a two-time All-Defensive Second Team selection, but also made too many dirty tricks.

Tang Bei entered the paint and realized something was wrong. Mark Eaton's defense was too tall; he didn't even need to jump to completely block Tang Bei's space to receive the ball.

The ball wasn't passed in in time, so Tang Bei had to come out from under the basket and reposition himself to get the ball.

This time he didn't go deep into the box; he just positioned himself outside the penalty area to receive the ball.

Coles nearly made a mistake, moved to the left wing, used Glen Rice's screen to get past Stockton, and then bypassed Jazz small forward Tyronn Corbin before quickly passing the ball down.

When Tang Bei received the ball with his back to Mark Eaton, he noticed a sharp sound of shoes rubbing against each other approaching from behind. It must have been Dr. Iron Elbow, the help defender on the weak side.

He tilted his head to the left and didn't see anyone approaching, which meant the postman was coming close to the bottom line, flanking him from below and blocking his path.

So in the next instant, he used his left foot as a pivot and suddenly turned upwards, performing a Tai Chi turn.

But the postman was very experienced. When assisting in the defense, he didn't just run with his head down, but kept an eye on Tang Bei.

When he saw Tang Bei's head bob up slightly, he judged that Tang Bei had noticed his direction of support, so he slammed on the brakes.

Then, as he braked, he saw Tang Bei turn around.

He immediately moved horizontally upwards. Although his movement speed was far slower than Tang Bei's, he relied on his defensive experience to block Tang Bei in advance.

"postman?"

Just as Tang Bei stepped into the penalty area with his right foot and turned to face the basket, the postman appeared in his line of sight, a little over a meter away.

But at this moment, his sudden advance was already imminent, and the terrifying explosive force generated by the Tai Chi turn was something even he himself could not control.

"I'm targeting you!"

In the next instant, the pivot foot, the left foot, took a two-foot step forward, pushed off suddenly, and then the body shot up.

"Damn it!"

Seeing Tang Bei leap and pounce, a fierce glint flashed in Karl Malone's eyes, and as he jumped, he swung his elbow hard across Tang Bei's face.

Although he was wary of Tang Bei's fighting prowess, he would do anything for victory on the field.

His height is insufficient, his wingspan is average, and his jumping ability is not outstanding, resulting in poor shot-blocking ability. His defense is like Oakley's, which is to swing his elbow and block the ball in a fighting style.

Tang Bei was struck in the face by an elbow, the tip of which struck his left cheekbone. The bone throbbed with pain, but the immense force still caused his body to slam into the postman.

"Di!"

The referee blew his whistle.

"Oh!"

The next instant, the two collided.

In the violent mid-air collision, Postman Karl Malone was sent flying backwards, and Tang Bei's lunge in the air also slowed slightly, before continuing to slide forward more than a foot under the terrifying impact.

"boom!"

Just as the momentum was about to fade, Tang Bei, with the flying postman on his back, grabbed the ball with his right hand and slammed it into the basket.

"WOW!"

When the superstar Mailman was powerfully dunked on by Tang Bei, and this was the first attack of the night, the first goal was incredibly strong, the entire Miami Arena was immediately filled with earth-shattering cheers, and countless fans raised their arms and shouted incessantly.

Heat home MC Winsco Thomas roared with excitement:
"A dunk! Don dunks on Postman Karl Malone!"

"He humiliated the superstar, he made Karl Malone's toughness and iron will a joke! He made the superstar his backdrop!"

"He's showing superstar Karl Malone what the NBA is all about!"

"WOW!"

The MC's continuous shouts echoed throughout the stadium, taking the cheers from the crowd to another level.

Hubie Brown exclaimed in surprise, "The Mailman should weigh 120 kilograms right now. He was knocked away by Don, who weighs 136 kilograms. Their aerial combat capabilities are on completely different levels."

Bob Neil also said with a look of shock: "When facing superstars, Tang plays even more aggressively and toughly than usual."

Hubie Brown nodded and said, "Yes, Jordan is an outside player, so he rarely has the chance to directly match up against Tang, not to mention him."

Speaking of Barkley, David Robinson, Patrick Ewing, and Karl Malone tonight, Tang's performance was truly surprising. He was not at all inferior, and was even more dominant.

I have to say, based on data analysis, on-court performance, and willpower, he is more deserving of being called the fourth greatest center than Shaq.

"asshole!"

On the field, Postman Karl Malone slammed to the floor, staring at Tang Bei. Listening to the host's shouts, his face turned red with shame and indignation, and at that moment he even had the thought of killing someone.

He didn't care about being dunked on, because he'd been dunked on many times, but being humiliated by a rookie dunking on him at the start of the game was a first for him in his career.

"Karl, are you alright?"

Mark Eaton came over and helped the postman up.

"fine."

The postman stretched his back and said through gritted teeth.

Tang Bei touched his left cheekbone, and the bone inside felt as if it had cracked, causing him intense pain. His skin was burning hot; the elbow strike had been quite severe.

"Come again."

He spoke to the postman expressionlessly.

"Come again."

The postman said, suppressing his anger.

Standing at the free-throw line, Tang Bei received the ball thrown to him by the referee, dribbled five times in a row, took a deep breath, and then shot the ball.

Currently, his shooting level is 61, hook shot level is 50, and floater level is 47. In just over a month, he has improved by one or two levels in each of them.

"brush!"

Lucky me, not only did I score, but it was a swish!

0:3, Jazz on offense.

John Stockton dribbled to the top of the arc, paused briefly, and then broke through from the right elbow area.

As Bimbokors closed in, he stepped on the opponent's foot while simultaneously thrusting his left shoulder forward with the momentum of his breakthrough.

Coles was stepped on and his chest was pushed, causing him to lose his balance and fall to the ground.

Stockton broke through and entered the penalty area from the right elbow, drawing Tang Bei's defense before passing the ball to Mark Eaton, who entered the penalty area from the left wing.

Tang Bei quickly turned around to defend, but even his Tai Chi turn was too late. Mark Eaton had already entered the penalty area when Tang Bei was helping to defend, and after receiving the ball, he stepped forward and dunked.

Hubie Brown exclaimed, "John Stockton has won the assist title for five consecutive seasons and is very composed when he passes the ball."

Bob Neil said with a strange expression, "His ability to break through defenses is also strong."

Hubie Brown chuckled and said, "There are indeed a lot of underhanded tactics."

2:3, Heat on offense.

Tang Bei positioned himself one step outside the left waist position to receive the ball. When he received the ball, Mark Eaton assumed that he did not have a mid-range shot, so he defended against the drive but not the shot from a step away.

He didn't hold back. Although his shooting at level 61 wasn't great and his accuracy was low under pressure, he could still shoot when he was open without a defender. If he could shoot like he did in training, he could achieve a 60% success rate.

"You voted?"

Hubie Brown was very surprised because he had never seen Tang Bei shoot from the middle two-point area before.

"Bang!"

The basketball hit the rim, and the mailman, who had returned to the basket, jumped up, but the basketball rolled inside and fell into the basket.

MC Wensco Thomas's excited voice rang out: "It's in! Tang hit a mid-range two-pointer! He's developed a mid-range shot! Yes, a mid-range shot!"

"Clap clap clap..."

Amid the shouts of the on-site host, Miami Arena erupted in enthusiastic applause.

On the sidelines, Jazz head coach Jerry Sloan knew things were getting complicated.

Mark Eaton definitely can't defend him out, because once he does, Tang Bei, whose speed is comparable to a small forward, will immediately cut inside to the basket, and Mark Eaton won't be able to get back, leaving an open space under the basket.

Of course, the Mailman will help defend the paint, but if Grant Long is pulled to the right wing, he will be open and other players will need to rotate to help defend him.

This will test the Jazz's rotation and positioning defensive system.

He gestured for the players on the court to call a timeout after the serve.

In the TNT studio, Bob Neal said, "Don't have a bad shooting form. His wrist movement is quite smooth and the ball's arc is beautiful, but the overall technique probably hasn't developed muscle memory yet."

Hubie Brown nodded and said, "He has only been receiving formal basketball training for less than ten months since his time in the CBA."

At this point, he added, "This mid-range shot is very significant for Tang because it makes him a threat outside the paint, and defenders who leave him open will have to think twice."

Bob Neal said, "The Jazz have called a timeout now, and I think they're preparing to make a substitution. Mark Eaton can't keep up with Don's speed, and the Jazz's defensive system is easily broken down."

Hubie Brown nodded in agreement.

Soon after, the timeout ended, and the Jazz substituted Mark Eaton with backup center Larry Kriskovic.

Kryskovic, weighing 100 kilograms, was matched up against Grantron, who was similar in height, weight, and speed, while the Postman was matched up against Tang Bei.

Jerry Long instructed, "Larry, the help defense on the weak side must be quick. Tang's passing ability is weak, and his direct assist ability is poor. You can leave the person you are guarding alone for a while, and your teammates will cover your open spots."

In the live broadcast, Hubie Brown said, "Chriskowiak is just a role player, I'm not very familiar with him. Besides guarding Grant Long, he also has the responsibility of helping defend Tang, so his defensive duties are very heavy."

Bob Neal said, "His defense is okay, he's not too heavy, and he's fairly fast."

2:5, Jazz on offense.

Karl Malone moved to the left low post, preparing to attack the basket and test Tang Bei's defense.

His ability to attack the basket is still quite good. He doesn't have many injuries and uses his strong physical strength to push past defenders before finishing with a layup or hook shot.

"They're here! Both of them claim to be the strongest and most competitive in the entire league. Their duel has begun!" Bob Neil exclaimed excitedly as he saw the Mailman enter the low post.

On the court, how could Tang Bei let the Mailman get close to the basket so easily? He first let one of the Mailman's feet in before starting to defend.

The intense confrontation between the two immediately began, and as their strength erupted, their muscles and bones seemed to creak and groan.

"Retreat!"

The postman exerted every ounce of his strength, his muscles bulging, but it was as if he were standing on a mountain; three seconds passed, and he hadn't moved an inch.

"Hoo ho ho..."

His first attempt to gain position failed, and he stopped in frustration, panting heavily after exhausting himself.

"Ha, that's it?"

Tang Bei felt disdain; his defense was not at its full strength.

In his view, the postman had strong upper body strength, but weak core and lower body strength, so how could he withstand his lower body strength?

"Hooray! First physical confrontation, Tang wins!" MC Winsco Thomas shouted.

"Clap clap clap..."

Miami fans applauded and cheered for Tang Bei.

"Is his strength really that great?" the postman thought in astonishment.

But he has very comprehensive skills, plays very calmly, and doesn't get carried away. If he can't attack in the low post, he'll take a mid-range shot.

He went to the left wing to ask for the ball, and Tang Bei followed up, marking him closely and not giving him any space.

Karl Malone remained unfazed, excelling in both close-marking defense and one-on-one situations, and boasting a high shooting percentage.

He received the ball with his back to Tang Bei, then forcefully turned to face the basket. As he turned, he used his left elbow to clear a path and forcefully rammed into Tang Bei's chest.

That's how he gets space to shoot, elbow.

After being struck on the left cheekbone, Tang Bei was hit in the chest by an elbow strike. Instead of retreating, he intensified his defense in anger.

His top defense is not just about upper body strength, but the combined strength of his entire body, especially the addition of lower body strength, which makes his top defense incredibly powerful.

Even if a mailman's bench press strength can reach 230 kg, the bench press does not involve the lower body strength, while the overhead block is different.

Therefore, the maximum bench press data is not very meaningful in the physical test data, and Tang Bei does not value this data.

"God, the postman can't hold on, Don's strength is incredible!"

"Is this all the performance you've got? Didn't the mailman boast about bench pressing 230 kilograms?"

Just now, when the postman pushed Tang Bei, Tang Bei didn't budge. Now, when Tang Bei pushed the postman, the immense force immediately made the postman unable to stand. The difference in strength and confrontation was immediately apparent to everyone.

Postman Karl Malone failed to turn around to face the basket and could only barely keep his pivot foot still, while his right foot was squeezed and had to be adjusted repeatedly.

In fact, his left foot had already moved, dragging it about half a foot across the floor, but the referee's whistle prevented him from calling a foul. MC Winsco Thomas excitedly shouted, "Haha, the second physical confrontation, and Don still wins!"

"WOW..."

The enthusiastic cheers in the stadium continued unabated.

Glen Rice, positioned a step inside the three-point line on the left wing, immediately turned around to double-team the Mailman, knocking the ball away and stealing it before launching a fast break.

"Fuck you!"

Enraged, the postman took off after him, but after only two steps, a gust of wind swept past him, and Tang Bei overtook him.

Glen Rice stopped at the right wing three-point line with the ball and did not drive in.

He knew Tang Bei was definitely behind him and much faster than the mailman, so he was waiting for Tang Bei to get under the basket.

Sure enough, just as he stopped at the three-point line, Tang Bei rushed past him from his left side.

When Tang Bei rushed into the paint, John Stockton had just returned to defend under the basket, and the other Jazz defenders were lagging behind.

"ball!"

Glen Rice passed the ball in.

"boom!"

The next moment, Tang Bei jumped to catch the ball and slammed it down on the rim with a powerful two-handed dunk.

"Alley-oop dunk!"

MC Winsco Thomas gave a loud shout that echoed throughout the arena, followed by cheers from the entire crowd.

"It's now 2-7, the Jazz are down by 5 points," Hubie Brown said.

"The Heat made all three of their offensive possessions, all by Tang. The Jazz made one of their first shots and committed one turnover," Bob Neal said.

Hubie Brown said, "The Mailman failed to establish position in the low post, made a mistake on his mid-range shot, and was clearly not as strong as Tang in terms of physical strength. He was pushed around and couldn't stand up."

“His lower body strength isn’t as good as Tang’s. Look how thick Tang’s thighs are, almost twice the thickness of the mailman’s thighs,” Bob Neil said.

“Hey, John…”

Jerry Sloan gave a shout from the sidelines and made a tactical gesture to Stockton.

This allows the Jazz to run pick-and-roll tactics, using pick-and-rolls and passing to break down the Heat's defense, while also drawing Tang Bei's defense away.

John Stockton dribbled the ball to the top of the key, beckoned for the Mailman to set a screen, and the Mailman immediately came up from the low post, bringing Tang Bei with him.

After the breakup, John Stockton broke into the penalty area from behind the Mailman. Bimbokors was blocked by the Mailman, and Tang Bei immediately switched defenses, while the Mailman turned and ran to the left wing.

This is the classic high pick-and-roll tactic of Mailman and John Stockton. After the pick-and-roll, Mailman can either cut to the basket to receive the ball and go for a layup, or he can pull up to the wing to shoot.

After John Stockton drove to the basket, he suddenly turned to the left and passed the ball to the Mailman on the left wing. Tang Bei failed to intercept the ball in time.

"brush!"

The Mailman received the ball, ignored Bimbokors in front of him, and calmly jumped to shoot, making the basket.

"We won't be changing shifts next time."

Tang Bei made up his mind that he would rather let John Stockton score than let the Mailman score easily.

"One pick and roll and the offense was done, not bad," Hubie Brown said.

Bob Neal said, "The Jazz have really mastered the pick-and-roll, sometimes running several pick-and-rolls in a single possession."

4:7, Heat on offense.

In the next offensive and defensive possession, Glen Rice and The Mailman each missed a shot, and it was the Heat's turn to attack again.

Tang Bei, positioned in a low position on the left wing, once again engaged in a fierce physical confrontation with the postman.

The postman's lower body strength was insufficient. Even with his immense upper body strength and the elbow strike, he still couldn't withstand Tang Bei's power, allowing Tang Bei to hold his ground just one step inside the penalty area.

In addition to strength, Tang Bei also possesses footwork techniques from horse stance and wrestling, which provide him with strong grip and make his lower body more stable.

Power originates from the ground; a more stable lower body allows power to be exerted to its fullest extent. Otherwise, power is like a rootless duckweed, having strength but nowhere to use it.

The ball had been transferred to Glen Rice, who immediately passed it down.

At the same time, the Jazz started their weak-side help defense. Chris Kowiak ran from the right waist position to Tang Bei to help defend Tang Bei's upper side. His help defense speed was not slow.

Tang Bei received the ball, and in a low horse stance, a powerful defensive force was transmitted to his buttocks as he slightly pushed back.

"Oh!"

The next instant, while dribbling, he pushed himself up and his back slammed heavily into the mailman's chest, making a heavy thud.

Karl Malone groaned as he was hit, his upper body leaning back, his foot slipping, and he took a small step back with his left foot before regaining his balance.

Meanwhile, Chris Kowiak's help defense reached directly in front of the basket, and he only needed one step to double-team the basket.

The next instant, Tang Bei's second strike came in quick succession, all-out and fiercely crashing into the postman's chest.

"Uh!"

The postman, already off-balance, groaned as he was hit, his upper body leaning back again, his feet being uprooted, and he flew backward.

"how is this possible?"

Karl Malone found himself being knocked away by Tang Bei again, and this time it wasn't while he was jumping to block the shot, but while he was still on the floor, which he found completely unacceptable.

Chris Kowiak, who had come to provide backup, was also startled when he saw the mailman being knocked away. The sudden aerial attack caused him to slow down his double-team.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Tang Beihe turned around and avoided Kryskovic, then leaped up and delivered a powerful two-handed dunk.

"boom!"

Amidst the deafening roar, the Jazz's basket was blasted open.

"Pretty!"

After giving a thumbs-up, Hubie Brown bluntly stated, "The short, consecutive matches have proven that the strongest and most physically imposing player in the NBA is Tang, not Karl Malone, the Mailman, who was knocked away twice by Tang."

Bob Neal analyzed, "The Mailman's defense against O'Neal was so-so, and now it seems that his defense against Tang is even worse. He's in a worse state than when he played O'Neal."

Hubie Brown nodded and said, "Barkley can't guard Tang. Ewing's game wasn't over yet, and David Robinson and Tang traded blows. It seems the Mailman is in trouble too. Tang should be able to put up some good numbers tonight."

Bob Neal said, "Of the three super centers, only Hakeem Olajuwon is left. If Olajuwon were to defend Tang, his strength, size, and ability to withstand physical contact would still be at a significant disadvantage."

But he possesses extraordinary predictive ability and amazing reaction speed, as well as excellent blocking skills. He seems to be able to perceive every subtle movement of his opponent, thus predicting the opponent's offensive route in advance.

He can use every advantage to make the most appropriate defense, sometimes close and sometimes far away, making it difficult for the opponent to read his defensive intentions.

In short, I believe that with Hakeem Olajuwon's defensive abilities, he should be able to hinder Don's offense, and his defensive effectiveness should be better than David Robinson's.

Hubie Brown continued, "Mutombo, the fourth overall pick in the 1991 draft, is good at defense, but Tang has never played against the Nuggets."

While the two commentators were providing commentary, the match was still ongoing.

After being knocked away twice by Tang Bei, the postman's defensive intensity immediately escalated to a brutal level, resorting to elbows at the drop of a hat.

Tang Bei's left cheekbone, which had been injured by the elbow, was slightly red and swollen, and his right forehead was also bruised. He had almost had his brow bone cut open. There were also three elbow marks on his chest and back.

He was not one to suffer a loss; he seized every opportunity to retaliate. His elbows were thicker and harder than the postman's, and he was more powerful. They were all close-range, hidden elbows. Moreover, he was fighting on his home turf, and his elbows made the postman feel like he was dying.

Under his one-on-one defense, the Mailman made 1 of 4 shots in 6 minutes, a lower shooting percentage than usual, and did not get a single free throw opportunity.

Even with screens, the postman had a hard time shaking off Tang Bei, whose movement speed was faster and who was being closely marked.

After Tang Bei scored 9 points in a row with 4 out of 4 shots and 1 free throw, the team took the lead and stopped exerting more effort on the offensive end. Instead, they conserved their energy and focused on defending the Mailman.

In the 6th minute of the first quarter, Tang Bei received the ball under the double team and turned to dunk. The Mailman elbowed Tang Bei again, knocking him down from the air.

"Di!"

The elbow movement was too obvious, and the referee blew his whistle, calling a defensive foul on the Mailman.

The score was 8-16, with the Heat leading by 8 points and two free throws remaining. The Jazz substituted the Mailman, who had two fouls, before he went to the free throws.

Hubie Brown said, "The Mailman was completely outmatched in his matchup against Don. His maximum bench press of 230 kilograms, the same as Don's, didn't help him take the lead against Don."

Bob Neil said, "The Mailman made that shot after getting past Tang using a teammate's screen."

His offense relied on his strength to create space by pushing past defenders, but Tang was stronger, which limited his playing style.

Tang Bei then took a free throw, missing the first one but making the second, making it 8-17, and the Jazz went on offense.

With the postman absent, Tang Bei, who hadn't attacked for several minutes, immediately launched a full-scale assault.

He attacked the basket twice in a row and scored both times, including a three-point play. He missed the free throw but scored 4 points in a row.

He delivered another block on the defensive end, leading the team on a 4-0 run to make the score 8-21, prompting the Jazz to call their second timeout of the first quarter.

鲍勃·尼尔说道：“唐半节6投6中，4罚2中，轰下了14分。相比之下，邮差4投1中，只得2分。

The two players' offensive states and performances were on completely different levels, which was completely unexpected.

Hubie, the Mailman scored 30 points against O'Neal last night. O'Neal and Don are the same type of center. Was the Mailman's poor performance tonight due to playing back-to-back games?

Hubie Brown said, "There's definitely the factor of fatigue, but the fundamental issue is that Tang is a better defender than O'Neal, and he's more willing to contribute on the defensive end."

Bob Neal nodded and said, "The Mailman couldn't stop Tang, and he couldn't stop O'Neal last night either. This shows that he's not good at defending heavy centers like this. Tang's stats will definitely be very impressive tonight."

The pause ended, and the postman returned to the field.

The Jazz were on offense. Jerry Risloan strictly demanded that they play according to the tactics. After a series of very patient pick-and-rolls, the Mailman finally got rid of Tang Bei and got a mismatch shot opportunity in the left elbow area.

Tang Bei was blocked by small forward Tyron Kobin by a step. After seeing the mailman run away, he immediately exerted force to push Tyron Kobin aside.

Tyronn Corbin is a swingman, standing at 198 cm tall and weighing only 95 kg. He posed no obstacle to Tang Bei and was immediately pushed aside.

At this moment, the postman used his elbow to scare Glenn Rice away, creating space for him to make a move.

At that moment, Tang Bei pushed past Tailong Kobin and lunged forward.

Seeing this, the postman hurriedly jumped up and shot. The moment the basketball was released, Tang Bei's raised right hand suddenly swung forward.

"Snapped!"

Under the powerful, volleyball-style block, the Mailman's basketball, which he had just released, was instantly swatted towards the stands.

"Boom!"

In the next instant, Tang Bei slammed his elbow heavily onto the postman's forehead.

"what!"

The postman had barely landed when he was knocked down by an elbow amidst his own cries of pain.

"WOW!"

The atmosphere at Miami Arena remained incredibly heated from the start of the game when Tang Bei dunked on the Mailman. Before the first quarter was over, many fans were already hoarse, but they still erupted in tremendous shouts.

"Oh, the mailman has bled! Finally, someone has made the mailman bleed on the basketball court!" Bob Neil exclaimed in astonishment.

Hubie Brown was equally surprised and said, "Judging from where it's being covered, it looks like the left eyebrow bone has been opened, and it might need stitches."

“It must have been his elbow that snagged his brow bone,” Bob Neil guessed.

Bob Neil said, "Last year, the Smiling Assassin had his right eyebrow ripped open by the mailman and needed more than forty stitches. I think someone would be happy if he saw that."

"Haha... From now on, I'm starting to like this newbie."

In Detroit, Isaiah, the smiling assassin who originally disliked Tang Bei, let out an excited scream.

"This elbow strike is worth a drink."

In Chicago, Jordan was overjoyed to see this and ran to get a bottle of champagne to celebrate with his family.

On the court, Karl Malone clutched his left eyebrow, blood seeping from between his fingers. The tearing pain caused his left eyelid to twitch incessantly, and he also felt intense dizziness.

But he didn't care about the injury; what bothered him more was that he had been elbowed and bled by a rookie, and the referee hadn't even blown his whistle.

"Damn it, you just wait!"

Lying on the floor, he stared fiercely at the three Tang Beis with his bloodshot eyes, and let out a low, beast-like roar.

He tried to get up and confront Tang Bei, but the dizziness in his head pulled him down. He fell down twice, and only managed to stand up with the help of his teammates on the third try.

Tang Bei couldn't be bothered with the postman. He hadn't done it on purpose; the force he used to seal the package was just too strong, and he couldn't control it.

Urged by the referee, he went to the sidelines, wiped the blood off his elbow with a towel, and was then allowed to re-enter the field.

The mailman was replaced, and the team doctor examined him and found a four- or five-centimeter-long laceration torn diagonally from his left temple to his left eyebrow.

Moreover, it wasn't just the skin that was torn; the subcutaneous tissue, muscle layer, periosteum, and other tissues beneath were all ripped apart. The wound was exactly the same as the one from last year's Smiling Assassin, requiring stitches layer by layer, at least dozens of stitches.

The wound was too large to treat on-site, so the postman was taken directly to the hospital.

Without the Mailman, the Jazz collapsed. Tang Bei dominated the paint on both ends of the court, forcing the Jazz to resort to fouling tactics, ultimately leading to their defeat.

Tang Bei played 32 minutes, making 14 of 18 field goals and 13 of 21 free throws, scoring 41 points and grabbing 18 rebounds, and was named the best player of the game.

With a record of 10 wins and 13 losses, a winning percentage of 43.4%, the Heat surpassed the Bucks' record of 10 wins and 14 losses, and climbed to the fourth-to-last place in the Eastern Conference, which is 11th place overall.

In a post-game interview, a reporter asked, "Tang, this game continued your pattern of having one player injured per game. What are your thoughts on the Mailman's injury?"

Tang Bei touched the two postman's elbow scars on his face and pondered:

"Mr. Reporter, I did not intend to hurt anyone. If you have been paying attention, you should know that my defensive moves are all clean."

The reporter nodded and then asked, "So, are you looking forward to the next game against the Mailman?"

Tang Bei replied, "Karl Malone is not a center. To be honest, it would be easy for me to beat him, so I'm not really looking forward to playing against him."

The reporter's mouth dropped open. Tang, that's a superstar, a historically great power forward. Can you be any more sincere, no, no, any more arrogant?

He then asked, "Tang, the Heat have consecutively defeated three strong teams from the East and West: the Knicks, the Bulls, and the Jazz. What's your opinion on the Heat's current strength?"

Tang Bei said, "We are already a strong team, and we must make the playoffs, otherwise we will let down the Miami fans who bought tickets to watch the game."

The reporter then asked, "Tang, three days from now, on the 26th, the Heat will host the Magic, and you will be matched up against O'Neal again."

According to media reports, O'Neal received instruction from two martial arts experts, which may prevent you from using your center-of-gravity breaking technique. Do you still think you can defeat O'Neal?

Tang Bei smiled, a disdainful look in his eyes, and said, "I've been practicing martial arts since I was three years old, almost 17 years now."

"Year 17?"

The reporter was extremely surprised. How long had O'Neal been training? The last news report was on November 13th or 14th, which is a total of forty days?
(End of this chapter)