Chương 165: Eastern Conference Finals, Bulls vs. Heat
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"Dominating performance: Wang Chong averaged 40+8+3 in the six-game series, shooting 50% from the field, single-handedly breaking the iron-blooded defense of the Pistons."
"After such a devastating loss, can the civilian team of the Pistons still find success? Ben Wallace clearly expressed his dissatisfaction with the coach's tactical arrangements after the game. Team conflicts have intensified. Where will Ben go, with his contract expiring this offseason?"
The Bulls' elimination of the Pistons triggered multiple chain reactions. Some were shocked by Wang Chong's strength and that of the Bulls, even the Pistons—dominant in the East and reaching the finals for the last two years—couldn't match them.
Some people are paying attention to what actions the Pistons will take in the offseason after this failure. Will they rebuild their roster, re-sign Ben Wallace to a max deal, and stick with the current squad, or will they fail and their head coach, Phillip Sanders, be fired?
No matter what happens, getting knocked out in the second round of the playoffs is undoubtedly a failure for the Pistons.
Before the Bulls and Pistons decided their series, their Eastern Conference Finals opponents were already determined.
The Miami Heat easily defeated the Nets 4:1 and advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals ahead of the Bulls.
When the Heat found out that the Bulls had beaten the Pistons and reached the Eastern Conference Finals, everyone on the team, even the players, was surprised.
Last season, the Heat made it to the Eastern Conference Finals under O'Neal's leadership. Their opponent was the Detroit Pistons. After a grueling seven-game series, the Heat lost to the Pistons.
Even though Wade's individual skills had improved this season, O'Neal had aged a year and his dominance on the court had diminished. Thus, if the Heat had faced the Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals, they wouldn't have been sure they'd win.
But things would be different with the Bulls.
There is still a large gap between Tyson Chandler's interior defense and Ben Wallace's. Especially when dealing with a heavyweight like O'Neal, Chandler's smaller frame can't hold its ground.
In reality, Chandler is considered relatively strong among centers, but this is all about comparison. Standing next to O'Neal, even though their height is similar, Chandler's lighter frame pales next to O'Neal's bulk.
In addition, Wade is a tricky opponent for the Bulls' perimeter defenders.
Raja Bell is good on defense, like against shooters such as Kobe Bryant, but his average athleticism means that he relies on experience and skill to defend against players like Wade, who have both strength and speed. Often, Bell finds himself helpless.
As for Monta Ellis, instead of counting on Ellis to defend Wade, it's better to focus on how he'll score when facing Wade, a second-team all-defense player.
Offensively and defensively, Wade is Ellis' master and can easily handle him. This already happened during the regular season.
So when the Bulls face the Heat, without even discussing the depth and strength of the teams' rosters, the Bulls are restricted just by style.
The Bulls' main tactical foundation is defense. They build a defensive wall around Tyson Chandler and standout defenders like Raja Bell and Luol Deng to reduce the opposing team's offensive efficiency. Then, Wang Chong takes charge of the offensive side, leading the Bulls to victory.
The reason the Pistons lost to the Bulls was that, in six games, they couldn't break the Bulls' defensive system, scoring fewer than 90 points in every game. Meanwhile, they couldn't stop Wang Chong, who averaged over 40 points per game, causing their own defensive system to collapse.
If the Bulls can't defend O'Neal or Wade, their defensive system will crumble. It's not impossible for Wang Chong to single-handedly defeat his opponents, but he would need to score more than 60 points in a game just to keep them afloat.
That's why Wang Chong was confident against the Pistons but doesn't think the team can beat the Heat.
The Eastern Conference Finals between the Bulls and the Heat will begin on May 23.
For two teams that finished their battles in six games, the preparation time is quite short, especially compared to the series in the Western Conference, where both second-round series went to seven games.
The battle between the Mavericks and Spurs, for example, was extremely fierce. The teams fought to a 2:2 tie, then the Spurs won Game 5 to take a 3:2 lead, only for the Mavericks to rally and force a Game 7.
As a result, the Mavericks pulled off a historic comeback, winning Game 7 on the Spurs' home court to eliminate the defending champions 4:3 and reach the Western Conference Finals.
Like the Pistons, the Spurs were unexpectedly knocked out in the second round. Both teams from last year's Finals were eliminated before the conference finals—a huge shock.
Meanwhile, the series between the Suns and Lakers was similarly intense, though at a lower level.
The Suns looked promising despite losing their star player, Stoudemire, for the season, while the Lakers relied entirely on Kobe.
Kobe's heroics helped them eliminate the Nuggets in the first round, but when they faced the Suns in the second round, the two teams entered an offensive showdown. Thanks to Kobe's brilliance, the Lakers led 3:1 and pushed the Suns to the brink.
But the Suns didn't collapse like the Pistons. They fought back, winning the next two games to tie the series 3:3. In Game 7, the Lakers fell apart, losing 121:90 and exiting in the second round.
Considering the Lakers' current lineup, making it to the second round is an accomplishment.
But results depend on comparison.
The Lakers' performance was good, but compared to the Bulls, the gap is evident.
Wang Chong led the Bulls to eliminate the Pistons and reach the Eastern Conference Finals, while Kobe Bryant, with a stronger lineup, couldn't even get past the undermanned Suns.
Also, their individual stats were different.
During the regular season, Kobe Bryant averaged 35.5 points per game, close to Wang Chong. Though Wang Chong ultimately won the scoring title, Kobe pushed him to the limit.
But in the playoffs, Kobe couldn't maintain his regular-season scoring pace. After two rounds, he averaged 28.6 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists, shooting 49.7% from the field.
Those are great stats, but again, it's all about comparison.
In the regular season, Kobe and Wang Chong were evenly matched, but in the playoffs, Wang Chong averaged 36 points per game, especially in the second round against the Pistons, where he single-handedly led the team to victory, averaging over 40 points.
On the other hand, Kobe faced the Suns, a much weaker defensive team, and averaged just 28 points per game. Although his shooting percentage was nearly 50%, better than in the regular season, it's important to note that the Suns were one of the worst defensive teams in the league, allowing the third-most points per game.
Against such poor defense, Kobe's scoring wasn't as high as during the regular season, and Wang Chong outperformed him.
This raises the question of who is the better scorer, though Kobe fans and even Kobe himself may refuse to admit it.
"Scoring ability isn't just about stats. A higher point total for Wang Chong doesn't mean his scoring ability is really better than Kobe's. Although Wang Chong had a great season, he's still far behind Kobe."
Though Kobe fans stubbornly cling to this view, when serious fans ask why they believe Kobe is a better scorer than Wang Chong, they can't provide a clear answer.
Wang Chong, who debuted much later than Kobe, won the scoring title before Kobe. Now, he's leading his team to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Kobe's fans, left with little else, respond by saying, "Four is greater than one."
"Kobe Bryant has four championships, but Wang Chong only has one, and it's a third-tier one. Let's see how he does when he gets four titles, then we'll compare him to Kobe."
It's a classic argument that can be used over and over, never going out of style.
Nonetheless, the Western Conference Finals were set: Suns vs. Mavericks. The script mirrored the Eastern Conference Finals, with two former Mavericks teammates—Nash and Nowitzki—facing off.
Both the East and West Finals were thrilling matchups, full of anticipation, much to Stern's delight.
This was the "wonderful showdown" he wanted in the playoffs!
May 23, 2006, American Airlines Arena, Miami.
The arena was packed with Heat fans. The sea of fans, clad in white—the Heat's home color—turned the arena into a white ocean, with the noise surging like waves.
"Are these the conference finals?"
All the Bulls players were stunned by the atmosphere, which was completely different from previous games.
Wang Chong was an exception. After two years with the Lakers, he was already accustomed to the atmosphere of the conference finals, even the NBA Finals. But for the other key Bulls players, this was their first time participating in an event as significant as the conference finals.
While not as prestigious as the NBA Finals, the conference finals still come with a trophy, and being the champions of the East or West is a valuable honor.
In the future, Chris Paul would be nicknamed the "Floor Man" by Chinese fans because he desperately wanted to play in the Western Conference Finals but struggled to make it. Only when Paul teamed up with Harden on the Rockets did he finally break through.
For the Bulls' players, reaching the conference finals was already an honor.
But the Bulls were aiming for more. Wang Chong was aiming for more.
"First time experiencing the atmosphere of the Eastern Conference Finals?" Wang Chong walked over, raised his hand, and patted Monta Ellis and Raja Bell, who stood in the middle of the court, looking nervous.
Ellis smiled wryly, "Yeah, the atmosphere here is too intense."
After speaking, Ellis looked at Wade standing across from them.
Seeing Wade's calmness and expression, Wang Chong smiled. He raised his hand and patted Ellis and Bell again.
"Come on, trust me, as long as we win this game, they'll become silent!"
End of this chapter
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