The NBA of old playoffs continues to grow.
The first two rounds of the 2020 postseason simply expanded the conversation; four other series lasted seven games and, given the caliber of the clubs that are still standing, the basketball gods can give us seven players or two before the next champion is crowned.
So we were given to think: What is the greatest memorable series a team has played since 2000?
To be clear, this is a subjective distinction, because we have not implemented an express formula for a response, some were victories, others were losses. Many were nail rodents, but some have become mythical despite the asymmetrical results.
Sounds pretty simple, doesn’t it? So let’s start traveling in the past.
The 2014-15 Hawks covered all the puzzle pieces to complete the Spurs East style that evolved with Mike Budenholzer’s hiring in 2013. As the most productive organizations in Silver and Black, this Atlanta organization used its roster for everything it could. , and the end result is a season of 60 of the franchise’s most productive victories and a four-player representation in the All-Star Game (Al Horford, Paul Millsap, Jeff Teague and Kyle Korver).
But the Spurs don’t measure their good luck with normal-season dominance, and neither can the Hawks. They needed validation for the second season after three consecutive first-round outings, and that match almost derailed him.
The Wizards first draw blood with a six-point win in the first game, then took a 2-1 lead when Paul Pierce “finished the game” with a winning bench shot with a moment to play. 40 combined teague and Dennis Schroder issues for a five-point win in the fourth and they scored a one-point win in Game Five with Horford’s backing in the final moments.
Atlanta then used 65 combined problems from Teague, Millsap and DeMarre Carroll to secure a 94-91 series win in Game 6, which Pierce nearly wasted with a hat-trick, but the bucket was canceled the replay of the video. secured his first vacation to the convention final from 1969-70.
The Celtics played seven games in two other series in the 2008 playoffs, and this was not one of them. Then why are you getting the go-ahead? Well, it doesn’t mean anything if you don’t have that ring, does it?
This team is the counter-extension of other people who claim, as Paul George did recently, that super teams want more than one season to fit in. exchanging for Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, so Boston had the backbone of a champion.
After surviving seven-game battles with the Hawks and Cavaliers (the last series featured an all-time duel between Paul Pierce and LeBron James), the Celtics sent the Pistons to the convention final and the resort to face Kobe Bryant and the Lakers. The history of hoops has taught us something, is that it’s bigger to be glued to their seats when the Celtics and Lakers lock their horns in the championship round.
The Celtics won Games 1 and 2, but the Lakers recovered for a win in Bryant’s 36 points in Game 3. L. A. seemed destined to tie the game when he took a 35-1 four lead in the first quarter of the fourth game and led a 58-four0 lead in between. But Boston continued to fail and nevertheless tied within two minutes of the last quarter. The Celtics achieved a 97-91 win even though the Lakers led for more than four minutes.
Boston then accelerated completely in Game 6 and won a championship win 131-92. However, the real pleasure may have come after the contest, when Garnett delivered a starting interview for years.
The Nets made a couple of trips to the NBA Finals in 2002 and 2003, but struggled to cheer up in any of the series. While the importance of these raptors, the third seed, lay behind the two, it at least allowed the base fanatic to momentarily for all the assets sacrificed in the unventurned 2013 industry by Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett.
Brooklyn was never what it intended to be and, in fact, it’s the only win in the series that got the high-priced but at least entertaining list.
The attack lasted seven full games, and all games so far were for 8 problems or less. Brooklyn had to recover from a 3-2 deficit and had back-to-back defense-focused victories. The first was a 14-point victory in which the Nets kept the Raptors at just 83 numbers in 38. 5% of the shots. The last was a 104-103 mystery in which Brooklyn could not save a basket in the last two minutes, but Pierce stored the bet crushing Kyle Lowry’s tray attempt. with only one remaining moment.
The Hornets have not won a playoff since taking over from Bobcats in 2004, so the selections were slim. The franchise produced two victories in the series in 2001 and 2002, but none are exciting. One swept and the other a 3-1 win in which the Hornets won the last two double-digit shots.
So, instead, we’re going to stand out when Charlotte gave Miami everything she could take care of in 2016.
It was probably Kemba Walker’s most productive moment with the franchise, which probably explains why he’s no longer a part of it. The Hornets gave him enough support pieces to compete (Al Jefferson and Jeremy Lin were the moment and third choice of playoffs), and Walker ran with him His workload was astronomical (21. 9 shots in 37. 1 minutes consistent with the game), and that sabotaged their power (36. 6% shots), but helped the Hornets overcome two double-digit defeats to win the Games 3 , 4 and 5. .
Charlotte was in success in Game 6 before the notorious Purple Shirt Guy made the decision that it was time to interrupt Dwyane Wade. Wade scored eight of his team’s last 10 problems to secure the win, and his teammates scored the rest in a 106-73 playoff goal in Miami.
The Bulls have played (and won) more significant series than this, however, the hoop still has the feeling of seeing a rookie Derrick Rose, a sophomore Joakim Noah and a larger Ben Gordon than ever pushing the protective champions to the limit. elimination point.
No, Chicago couldn’t cover the surprise, but when a No. 7-41 wins a No. 2-62 win in seven games, all world basketball takes note.
Four other games went into overtime. One had two more sessions and three. Rose aloud alluded to her long-term fame by fitting into rookie time to post 19-point playoff averages, six rebounds and six assists. Noah davicted as a defensive anchor with 13. 1 forums and 2. 1 blocks.
But many of Chicago’s peak magical moments came here from Gordon, even though he shot only 38. 8% of the series, scoring more than 20 problems in five of the seven competitions, delivering 42 in the game at the moment and 33 in Game 7. His heroics earned him a five-year, $58 million contract with the Pistons in the following off-season.
Did you expect to see anything else here?
The Cavaliers ended their city’s 52-year championship drought and have become the first club to recover from a 3-1 deficit in the final. LeBron James had “The Block. ” Kyrie Irving had “The Shot,” Kevin Love had “The Stop. “
Cleveland, however, received his first NBA crown, and James kept his promise in northeast Ohio.
“I’ve had the purpose for two years since I got here to bring a championship into town,” James told reporters. “I gave him everything he had. I shed my heart, my blood, my sweat and my tears in this match. “
That marked James’ 3rd championship and his 3rd Finals MVP. Four years and then, its line of serial statistics remains impressive: 29. 7 points, 11. 3 rebounds, 8. 9 assists, 2. 6 steals and 2. 3 plugs, plus a 49. 4 / 37. 1 / 72. 1 slash.
Heat entered the 2011 final with one of the most talented trios in NBA history. They only had LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, but all three players were also on the right side of 30 and still on their bonuses.
The Mavs did not appear to be in the same weight category, they beat the 3 stars of the Heat with their one, Dirk Nowitzki, who could not keep Dallas out of the first circular in three of the last four years. Diggler’s acircular intensity, however, his list lacked call recognition, explosive athletics and the staging of his opponents.
Dallas looked a lot like the homeless after matching the Defeats of Games 1 and 3 around a Game 2 victory that forced the club out of a nine-point deficit in the last four minutes. But despite all the stellar strength Miami possessed, the Mavs had the show’s player in the comfortable 7-foot shot.
Nowitzki won MVP honors in the Finals with averages of 26. 0 problems and 9. 7 rebounds. Jason Terry shone as a choice at the moment while combining his 18. 0 game-consistent issues with a 49. 4/39. 3/75. 0 firing line. Tyson Chandler in the middle, Jason Kidd controlled the attack and Shawn Marion made his way through all the cracks that needed to be filled.
The Mavs probably wouldn’t have been the most talented team, but they had the chemistry on their side. It imported once its solution had been tested with this 2-1 series deficit. Dallas moved away from the yetton panic, and once he was able to retaliate, this team began to prove it belonged. The Mavericks closed the series with three direct victories, as Nowitzki proved to be a nightmare ward for anyone unlucky enough to draw this assignment.
Teams tried to do what Denver just did.
Getting out of a 3-1 gap is quite difficult in itself, but do it in consecutive rounds?This had not been done before in the same playoffs. However, the Nuggets proved to be elite escape artists, as they erased double-digit deficits in the three consecutive elimination games, unlike a team made up of Kawhi Leonard and Paul. George, no less.
“All the boys never fell, ” he thought. They believed in themselves, ” said Nuggets coach Mike Malone. “Despite all the outdoor noise in this series that we had no chance, we had other people who guaranteed us it, we figured out a way to beat a very smart team 3 times. I don’t have anything to say anymore. “
Nikola Jokic was the most productive player in the series (24. 4 points, 13. 4 rebounds and 6. 6 assists). Jamal Murray was his most sensible scorer, attending to seal Game 7 with a performance of 40 points and six triples. Together, they beat Leonard and George, and it’s imaginable that no one outside the doors of the Nuggets costume idea that was imaginable.
The Pistons were meant to be sacrificial lambs for superlakers. This Los Angeles team just a year away from a hat-trick, and appeared to be in position for another dynastic race after signing Gary Payton and Karl Malone to Kobe Bryant and Shaquille. O’Neal, but Detroit had other ideas.
“We are in a position to surprise the world,” Chauncey Billups said before the series.
The Pistons hit the Lakers in the mouth with a dominant defense in their 87-75 win in Game 1 The Los Angeles offensive has never been the same after averaging the third-highest number of problems in the regular season, the Lakers never crossed 3 digits and scored once.
Detroit did not have a singularly impressive star on the list, however, its initial five combined as a puzzle: Billups and Richard Hamilton kept the offense, Ben Wallace blocked the painting, Tayshaun Prince did a bit of everything and Rasheed Wallace put the team on his back with a double 26 points and thirteen rebounds in The Fourth.
The Pistons defeated the Purple and Gold in just five games, and all of their victories went by at least a dozen points.
The Warriors of “We Believe” marked an absolute disappointment of the Mavericks seeded in 2007. The 2015-16 Dubs followed a sensational collision in the convention final with the Thunder with an absolute collapse as opposed to the Cavs in the final. Version -17, turbocharged with kevin Durant’s arrival at the loose agency, walked the table across the West and needed five games to close Cleveland.
All of them had an argument to be recognized, however, this series is when the Warriors made their deyet as a historical power.
In Steve Kerr’s first season, Golden State achieved 67 amazing victories and one of 12 double-digit average victory margins (plus 10. 1). However, there is skepticism as to whether a jumping shooting team can simply capture the crown.
This silenced in the Warriors’ first ultimate since 1975. Stephen Curry averaged 26. 0 issues and 6. 3 assists in the series, which was reversed when Kerr absolutely kissed the small ball by sitting down Andrew Bogut and starting Andre Iguodala in Game 4, Golden State Array, which lost 2-1, went on to win 3 directly with an average of 14 points.
Houston’s obsession with overthrowing the Golden State has nearly allowed The in Space City to derail the dynasty in 2018.
The Rockets had done their best to defeat the Dubs. James Harden had improved his scores in Kevin Durant’s territory. Chris Paul brought a duel with Stephen Curry on board. Trevor Ariza and PJTucker gave Houston an enviable defense change ability. and Clint Capela can just erase all the errors in the back.
Houston had an objectively better normal season with more wins (65-58) and a higher net score (plus-8. 4 to plus-5. 9). The Rockets are set to bring that good fortune in the season at the moment, as they won both of their first series. through 4-1 and built a 3-2 lead on it.
But the crisis hit Mike D’Antoni’s team twice: first, Paul injured his ham ham in the fifth game and did not return to the series, then Houston had a frost in the seventh game that was mathematically impossible. record for maximum three-point problems this season, he missed 27 consecutive three-pointers in Game 7, and FiveThirtyEight estimated that there was only a 72,000 chance that would happen.
Houston has been unable to resolve Golden State and has since smelled 60 wins or the convention finals.
The Pacers’ rise as a defensive power almost allowed them to succeed in the elite ranks, but they would never triumph over the Heatles’ obstacle.
Indy’s trips to the playoffs in 2012, 2013 and 2014 ended up in Miami’s hands, but he was as close as Circle City had come to solving the Super South Beach team.
Between Roy Hibbert dominating the art of verticality, and Paul George and Lance Stephenson harassing the perimeter players, the Pacers nearly ended the life of the Heat attack. After averaging 102. 9 points in 49. 6% of shots in the normal season, Miami controlled 95. 4 problems in 44. 9% of the shots in the series. Andy had no answer for LeBron James (anyone?), but that bottling of Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
The Pacers only needed more than an offensive impulse that George, then 22, could provide. Hibbert led them with 22. 1 problems consistent with the game, more than double his career production up to 10. 0. Indiana has kept Miami in double digits in each of the matches. last 4 games, however, have lost when you haven’t even scored 80 problems on two of them.
Due to injuries and premature nights, the Lob City Clippers were hotter than substantial. Despite all the communication they generated, they never got complicated beyond the round at the moment, and they were guaranteed to go this far.
But they earn the difference of being the last Western Conference club to eliminate the Warriors before their five-game final series. He actually plays the role of big brother.
However, like any respectable little brother, the Dubs would leave the Clips alone. Golden State was behind 2-1 and 3-2, but still forced a Game 7 with a 100-99 win in Game 6.
The Clippers were left behind 10 after the first quarter in the life-and-death duel, however, they relied on their stars for a backup exit. Chris Paul had 22 problems and 14 assists. Blake Griffin, Jamal Crawford and JJ Redick achieved more than 20, and DeAndre Jordan had 18 rebounds while Los Angeles won 126-121.
In 2010, Kobe Bryant saw and did almost every single thing to see and do in the NBA. He had been an enlightened star and a companion, had become a champion in both roles and had won almost every single compliment there. they had to meet at either end of the field.
One of the few unlisted pieces, however, to bring a bankruptcy to the mythical rivalry Lakers-Celtics. He had this chance with this series and did not spoil it. He left nothing in reserve while the groups split the first six games, then drove the fuel even further. He did not create game 7 maximum cash of all time (23 problems in 6 of 24 shots), however, the overall effort earned him 15 rebounds and 15 attempts at loose shots.
His teammates did their homework – Pau Gasol had 19 problems and 18 rebounds – and the Lakers came out of a 13-point deficit to sign an 83-79 victory.
“This is by far the sweetest, because it’s them,” five-time champion Bryant told reporters. “It was with great maximum difficulty. I looked for him so much, and when you need him so much, my boys didn’t come looking for me.
The Spurs and Grizzlies could not have gone any further for their first-round assembly in 2011.
San Antonio had the 61 most productive victories in the Western Conference and a net power score of plus-6. 1. Memphis had a 46-36 record with a net plus-2. 5 score. From a broader perspective, the Spurs were in the playoffs for the fourteenth. consecutively and had collected 4 rings in that period. The Grizzlies made their first playoff appearance in five seasons and were still waiting for the franchise’s first win in the playoffs.
Memphis didn’t wait long to scratch that itch, as Zach Randolph’s 25 problems and 1 four rebounds propelled the Grizzlies No. 8 to No. 1 Spurs in the first game. San Antonio recovered to win Game 2, but Memphis responded with wins in Game 3 and four to take control. The Spurs won at home in The Fifth Game, but that’s only late, the inevitable.
The Grizzlies almost went from one cable to another in front of home enthusiasts in Game 6, leading for more than forty-five minutes of their 99-91 victory. Randolph returned more than San Antonio can fix and posted 31 issues and 11 bounces while helping Memphis at the time the seeded No. 8 to eliminate a No. 1 seed as the NBA made the most productive of seven first-round series.
“From the pick-me-up point of view, we just fixed it on his back and rode it like an English workhorse,” said Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins. “He charged us. “
You know a series was an instant harvest when you’re transplanted into so many other photographs. Ray Allen’s triple in the final seconds of Game 6 was the memorable peak moment, but your brain can still return to the steps that lead to that unlikely ending.
Remember when Heat enthusiasts left early and tried to enter The AmericanAirlines Arena in vain?Or how about when the yellow ropes and trophy were rolled up in anticipation of the Spurs coronation that never happened?Allen never will.
Memories may begin to be blurry from there, but there are many more to paint a full picture, such as Manu Ginóbili and Kawhi Leonard, who left the door ajar sharing a couple of loose shots in the last 30 seconds of the deal. Bosh regains the offensive rebound caused by Allen’s miracle when a Tim Duncan on the bench can only look from the sideline.
“It was by far the most productive game I’ve ever played,” LeBron James said, through Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. “The ups and downs, the roller coasters, the emotions, the smart and bad game . . . I’m lucky enough to be a component of something like this. “
Game 7 went unnoticed, the Heat amassed 60 combined problems from James and Dwyane Wade, plus 32 from Mario Chalmers and Shane Battier, to win their consecutive title.
It’s a little strange to communicate about the Bucks and not land on anything involving Giannis Antetokounmpo, but they haven’t played many memorable series with him and those who might qualify, say, the finals of the 2019 convention, are probably Milwaukee’s. enthusiasts would do it so soon.
So let’s go back to the days when the Bucks followed in the footsteps of Ray Allen, Glenn Robinson, Sam Cassell and George Karl, their offense had a lot of knockout strength (second in efficiency), which allowed for a game of laughter with the Hornets. and his sixth defense.
Charlotte had her own success with Jamal Mashburn and a young Baron Davis, but trusted the other final to be a hit on this series. When the No. 6 Hornets had the No. 3 Bucks in double digits, they finished 3-1.
But the Milwaukee offense was not going to stay and scored 104 problems in three of their four wins, including a 104-95 Win in Game 7 that included 57 combined problems from Allen and Robinson (from just 35 box attempts) and thirteen assists opposed to Cassell’s only two ball losses.
The Timberwolves have booked only six trips to the playoffs since 2000, and they all ended up in the first round, which has simplified my task here.
The only question was whether the Wolves’ seven-game victory over the Kings at the circular time or their six-game loss to the Lakers in the convention final was highlighted, but since the former had a wolves’ victory and the moment included a disturbing simulation consultation on Sam Cassell’s hip injury , celebrating good fortune seemed like a prudent decision.
It didn’t hurt that the series with Sacramento was phenomenal, as would probably be expected, as he faced Kevin Garnett as opposed to Chris Webber, who controlled that game, with almost everything in this series, and recorded absurd averages of 23. 9 points, 15. 4 rebounds, 4. 3 assists, 3. 4 blocks and 1. 7 steals. But the more experienced Kings had a greater balance, and used it to succeed in Game 7 despite the deficits in the 2-1 and 3-2 series.
But Garnett was in a position for that moment. Despite everything, he had a strong cast around him (the Wolves had acquired Sam Cassell and Latrell Sprewell in the offseason last season) and Garnett was not going to ruin his chance. He played 46 minutes of Minnesota’s 83-80 victory and recorded 32 points, 21 rebounds, five stoppers, four steals and two assists.
“Doing it in Game 7 as KG did at the time is as big as possible,” Wally Szczerbiak told Michael Rand of the Star Tribune in April. “It’s a game and it’s for everything. I have to say it’s the most productive functionality I’ve ever seen. “
This series stands out for typical reasons.
It happened in the first round, so it’s not like it’s overloaded with importance. It came here like a blast: The No. 6 Pelicans knocked out the No. 3 Trail Blazers, but Portland recorded just one more win in the regular season (49) than New Orleans. The games weren’t even great. After the Pels won by two questions in the first game, they finished their sweep with 3 consecutive wins averaging 11. 3 questions.
Then why did you land in the spotlight?On the one hand, there were many options. New Orleans won two series in its franchise history, and in the first, the club complex as the second seed over mavericks No. 7 through a 4-1 count.
Most importantly, it’s one of the few flashes the Crescent City faithful beat Anthony Davis in full playoff mode. And it didn’t disappoint. He averaged 33. 0 points, 11. 8 rebounds, 2. 8 blocks and 1. 8 interceptions while firing 57. 6% of the area and 81. 6% of the line. Even though Portland played his most productive series – Damian Lillard never on the right track – he probably wouldn’t have. AD defeated.
Patrick Ewing versus Allonzo Mourning? Yes, please. For the fourth time in so many seasons, the Heat and Knicks followed their dominant men into a playoff game. Series 4 covered the distance.
He’s a bullies ball at his best. No team has ever approached 100 points. The Knicks were the only ones to make it to the 90s, and they did it once, with a 91-point “rash” in Game 4.
The War of Wonderful Men was the main course, even if a 37-year-old Ewing wasn’t what it used to be, it still discovered enough in the tank to average a double-double (14. 6 points and 10. 9 rebounds). Amazing stats (23. 1 numbers, 10. 6 rebounds and 2. 7 blocks), but Miami couldn’t compete with New York wings.
Unsurprisingly, the series lasted seven games. The Knicks escaped with an 83-82 win thanks to Ewing’s overturning with just over a minute to play. Each game was for a number of singles and 3 for one or two points.
As the sensible speaker Andy Bernard once said, “I want there to be a way to know that you’re in smart old times before you leave them. “
Thunder 2011-12 is the basketball incarnation of this event. They had a fresh face, unfairly long and athletic and would be fighting for the crowns in perpetuity. Even though the global hoop had not yet understood how talented this young core was, the fact that he defeated the first Spurs seeded with 4 direct victories after falling into a 2-0 gap indicated that OKC’s odds were endless.
The story evidently had other ideas, because James Harden, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka are elsewhere. But right now, thunder is the next big new basketball.
Spurs rarely, or never, are affected, however, they seemed close when they tried and could not handle the size, speed and explosive athletics of the Thunder. Once the transfer was tilted, there is no turning back. OKC’s 4 most sensitive averaged more than 78 combined gambling-consistent issues in the series, and so far Westbrook shot more than 49% on the field.
The progression of the equipment is not linear, however, what is the trajectory like?Magic missed the playoffs in 2006, was swept from the first circular in 2007, won a playoff in 2008 and overthrew the protective champions in a 2009 playoff series in which it reached the final.
Coach Stan Van Gundy discovered Orlando’s secret sauce by extending the terrain with shooters and creating the maximum indoor area for Dwight Howard. The formula was an instant success. The Magic won 52 games in Van Gundy’s first season and 59 in the second.
But the Celtics, who had lost Kevin Garnett to a tug in the knee, almost solved the riddle. After suffering a 95-90 defeat in the first game, Boston won 3 of the next four games, one in which Eddie House led all scorers, some another in which Glen Davis, the strongman.
Howard helped stabilize Orlando in Game 6 with a double-double of 23 points and 22 rebounds. He played a more defensive role in Game 7 (16 sets and five blocks), while Hedo Turkoglu led the offensive with 25 issues and 12 assists in the game. Magic victory by 101-82.
Four players average more problems than Vince Carter’s 27. 6 in 2000-01. One Allen Iverson, the 6’0″ bucket who won his moment from four historical titles this season.
When the basketball gods that those two deserve to give way for a seven-game series, the NBA won.
Iverson went to 36 in the first game of the series, but it wasn’t enough to beat Toronto, which had 35 problems and seven Assists from Carter, so Iverson did an extra in his bag and unleashed a 54-point walk to lead the Sixers. Carter responded with 50 games in the third, while Iverson returned with 30 in the fourth game and 52 (plus seven assists against a ball loss) in Game 5.
Carter had 39 problems in Game 6, while the advantage in Game 7 was, hopefully, Antonio Davis and his 23 problems, but Iverson struggled to get around an 8 out of 27 functionality to lose 16 cents and his stick to an 88-87 win.
If the Suns were going to make their way and win a name in seven seconds or less with coach Mike D’Antoni, then 2006-07 may have been the season.
Four other Suns averaged more than 17 points, adding all-Stars Steve Nash (18. 6 out of 53. 2 / 45. 5 / 89. 9 shots), Amar’e Stoudemire (20. 4 with 9. 6 rebounds) and Shawn Marion (17. 5 with 2. 0 steals and 1. 5 plugs). The undisputed scoring system, which takes into account the alternate score and the strength of the calendar, positioned him as the Suns team in its history (7. 3).
Phoenix faced San Antonio in the convention semifinals and remained even after four games, but the Suns were not partying. At the end of his fourth-game victory, Robert Horry placed Nash on the scorer table, triggering an altercation in which Stoudemire and Boris Diaw left the bench. The two greats were suspected for the fifth game, which the Suns lost by 3. points were eliminated in the sixth game.
“He’s still chasing me, no doubt, ” said D’Antoni in May, through Kevin Zimmerman’s ArizonaSports. com. “In retrospect, we may have attacked them before they left the bank.
“It’s so instant of the joy of winning the game [to tie the series 2-2] Array . . . to a simple penalty. “
The Shaquille O’Neal-Kobe Bryant combo dictated the trap code: every time the Lakers entered a series with the two, it was as if they had a loose pass for the next round.
But that’s not the opposite of trail blazers. Portland had restored one of the top comprehensive groups in basketball, and there were several players who could be stars of the night if needed. he was also known as a battle, as the clubs had split their four-season series.
The Lakers won the first game, but the Blazers responded with a hard-hitting 106-77 win. That woke Up Los Angeles enough to win consecutively, but Portland responded with two victories. That set the level for Game 7, which the Blazers controlled with a merit of 15 points in the last quarter.
But they put a bloodless snap into the last image and stayed meaningless for more than seven minutes. That’s all the Lakers took over. They closed the contest with a 29-9 race, which featured Bryant’s iconic pass to O’Neal.
After recovering from the playoffs through the Lakers over the past two years, the Kings seemed willing to change their luck.
Sacramento, the tallest seed and, statistically speaking, the most sensible team (plus-8. 1 problems consistent with a hundred possessions, the most productive in basketball). The Kings had a couple of All-Stars in Chris Webber and Peja Stojakovic, and the rest of the puzzle pieces were well adjusted around them. Coach Rick Adelman had Sacramento play with beautiful ball and frame moves.
The stars seemed to line up for the Kings, who responded to the Lakers’ victory in Game 1 with wins in games 2 and 3 Sacramento on the doorstep of a 3-1 lead with a 24-point lead in the first half. and a two-point merit in the last few seconds.
But that’s where the kings discovered they weren’t allowed to have nice things. After Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal missed point-blank shots in the last five seconds, a bouncing run perfectly sent the ball to a Robert waiting Horry, who prepared, shot and buried a batter-ringer who stored the series.
Sacramento recovered to get a one-point win in Game 5, but L. A. he won the sixth game controversially and closed the series with a 112-106 win in Game 7.
Gregg Popovich is obsessed with Ray Allen’s miracle in the 2013 final. It’s Pop’s fuel to rewrite history and claim the championship that had almost passed to the Spurs. Your brain may simply not shake your shot, even if you looked for it.
“I’ve been thinking about this game every day, without exception, four, five, six, 10 times a day,” Popovich told Jackie MacMullan of ESPN in June 2015. I said, “I will. “
That move could have damaged the Spurs, fracturing the franchise beyond any repair. It has become their re-meeting point and propelled them to a season of 62 wins without a prisoner and a return to the championship round.
San Antonio entered a series with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Ray Allen on the other side and left no doubt about which club is the best. Aside from a stumble in Game 2, the Spurs were almost perfect. Not only terminaron. la series in five games, they also won 4 games with at least 15 points.
Should we have joined Toronto in the sensible part of Golden State to win his first NBA title?From a significant point of view, of course, this series will be remembered more for the injuries of Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson than for anything else.
Maybe the convention beat the Bucks and then deserved the go-ahead?This series summed up Nick Nurse’s creativity and Kawhi Leonard’s dominance, but once the Raptors solved the game 3 puzzle, they had a comfortable path to the finish line.
But his second-round bout with the 76ers had the unpredictability and strength of an all-time classic, and Leonard’s jump shot in Game 7 put the best four-rebound arc in the series.
Each team recorded several double-digit victories, but 3 contests went through five numbers or less. Leonard’s efforts may not be forgotten in the short term. The final MVP of the Finals averaged 34. 7 problems, 9. 9 rebounds and 4. 0 assists while shooting 53. 0% of the boxes and 85. 7% on tape.
This marked the rebirth of the tough power-of-advantage combo in Salt Lake City.
Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer took their own turn restarting John Stockton-Karl Malone, and that was enough to keep Jazz away from a team that had healthy versions of Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming.
The Rockets had the two brightest stars in the series: Smart McGrady with 25. 3 points, 7. 3 assists and 5. 9 rebounds consistent with the night. Yao averaged 25. 1 issues and 10. 3 rebounds. Add double-digit averages for Rafer Alston and Shane Battier, and Houston had almost enough to escape the first round.
But Utah wouldn’t allow it. Not after falling into a 2-0 hole, not after losing 3-2 after Game 5, Jazz kept their serve at home in Game 6, then won the show’s game as a visitor in Game 7, Boozer scored 35 points and 14 issues in the deciding factor, while Williams added 20 problems and 14 assists.
It’s just the importance of many first-round series, but that’s not the case here.
The victory, in which the five Wizards came out of a 2-0 slot with four direct victories over the four Bulls, earned Washington their first place after the first since 1982.
“For a while we were known as losers in this league,” Brendan Haywood told reporters. “I think our training team and our general manager brought the right players here, where we reversed that trend. “
The Wizards, of course, had come across the formula for lasting success, but their trio of goalscorers consisting of Gilbert Arenas, Larry Hughes and Antawn Jamison can explode at any time. James, and Washington took nearly a decade to win their next series (2014).
All stats are provided through NBA. com and Basketball Reference, unless otherwise noted.
Zach Buckley covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, @ZachBuckleyNBA.