NBA: Start by torturing Jordan and add points to upgrade

Unfortunately, the Thunder were still a bit inexperienced. It was the first time for the three young stars to play in the playoffs, and in such a crucial moment and game, they hesitated!
All three had a shooting percentage below 40%, with Westbrook even managing an incredible 3-for-17 shooting percentage!
While the three young stars underperformed, Nuggets veteran Billups finally exploded, and he was truly suffering from Westbrook's attacks in the first five games! As he gets older, Billups really has no way to deal with this kind of pure, hard-hitting guard.

But tonight, Billups finally rediscovered his Finals MVP form, scoring 33 points and dishing out 7 assists on 12-of-19 shooting. Darko Milicic also dominated in the paint, racking up a monster-like 30 points and 15 rebounds!
With both stars shining, the Nuggets narrowly escaped defeat and forced the series back to a Game 7 at home!

Back at home, the Nuggets certainly wouldn't give the young players any more chances. They started by attacking the paint, using Milicic's dominance to repeatedly pound the Thunder's interior. Milicic lived up to expectations, scoring 15 points in the first quarter and 11 points in the second quarter, racking up as many as 26 points by halftime!
In the second half, although the Thunder quickly adjusted and double-teamed Milicic to make him less comfortable, the Nuggets' inside game was not working, but their outside shooters, led by Billups, were on fire!
After a series of consecutive three-pointers, the Thunder finally couldn't hold on any longer. Midway through the fourth quarter, the gap between the two teams widened to 15 points, and it never got any smaller.

The Nuggets played steadily, maintaining their advantage and securing a spot in the second round of the playoffs with great difficulty.

As for their opponents?
The Hornets, ranked sixth in the Western Conference, pulled off a major upset, defeating the Suns!

Although the defending champion Suns finished third this season, their season has been quite unsuccessful, plagued by both internal and external troubles.

The biggest problem was undoubtedly the massive injury woes they faced, especially Garnett's early season-ending injury and O'Neal's retirement, which left their frontcourt completely vulnerable.

Even Pierce had to shoulder the responsibility of the power forward position for a long time.

With the Suns lacking interior presence, the Hornets naturally focused their attacks on their inside game!
Chandler averaged 14 points and 13 rebounds per game in the series, while Yi Jianlian averaged 16 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 blocks per game. These two players, who were originally only the team's third or fourth leading scorers, dominated the paint in this series, tearing the Suns' interior defense apart!
If it was just their interior defense that was exposed, the Suns still had Nash and Pierce, and they could still find a way to get back at least in Games 1 and 4 of the series.

In Game 1, Nash scored 28 points and 14 assists, while Pierce added 33 points, giving the Suns an early lead.

In Game 4, Nash scored 22 points and had 16 assists, while Pierce added 41 points, allowing the Suns to tie the game!
Unfortunately, Nash and Pierce can only have two breakout games like this now, and they can't maintain this level of output throughout the entire series.

I'm too old, and the strain is too much; I really can't take it anymore!

What's worse is that, besides Yi Jianlian and Chandler, the opposing team also has Deron Williams!

This tank-like guard is the nemesis of pure skill-based, awareness-driven guards like Nash!
Deron Williams has played almost like a Tyrannosaurus Rex in this series!

场均29分12次助攻外加3次抢断和47%、39%、88%的命中率！

Deron Williams' performance in this series was absolutely MVP-caliber!
Compared to Nash's performance of only having two explosive games and averaging just 14 points and 8 assists in the remaining four games, Deron Williams absolutely dominated Nash!

Thanks to Deron Williams's explosive performance, the Hornets successfully eliminated the defending champions and advanced to the second round of the playoffs!
This wasn't the only upset matchup!
The Lakers, ranked fourth in the West, faced off against the Warriors, ranked fifth in the West. Originally, everyone was more optimistic that the Lakers, with their trio of Kobe, Durant, and Bynum, would easily win. However, after the game started, everyone was surprised to find that this series turned into a brick-striking duel between Kobe and Durant!
杜兰特系列赛场均37%、29%、81%，科比也不遑多让，场均35%、33%和87%！

Both of them had shockingly low shooting percentages; it was as if they were both out of sorts at the same time!
Even though both of them played terribly throughout the series, they still managed to win two games thanks to their roster depth and experience.

After four games, the score was tied 1-3, and the Lakers were pushed to the brink. Although they held their home court in the fifth game and dragged the series to Oakland, Paul and others did not give the Lakers another chance.

They knew that if they gave a team like the Lakers a chance, it could very well mean utter ruin for them!
After all, the Lakers have stronger stars, better roster fit, and more experience. Letting them drag the game to a seventh game would be a huge disadvantage for the Warriors!
Therefore, Game 6 of the series was a do-or-die situation for the Warriors!
Paul also showed his determination from the start of the game, repeatedly asking his teammates to spread out and go one-on-one against Fisher.

After easily defeating Fisher in consecutive one-on-one situations, and then switching to Kobe to match up against Paul, Paul calmly passed the ball to Aldridge, allowing him to use his size and height to attack Kirilenko.

At the same time, regardless of whether there was an opportunity or not, Paul kept the pace of the game very slow throughout the game and refused to play fast breaks!
He wants to maximize the team's advantages; he wants to dismantle the Lakers' lineup of one big man, four small men, and three forwards!
With Paul's calm and decisive tactical execution, the Warriors gained the upper hand from the very beginning of the game.

On the other side, Kobe, Durant, and others just couldn't find their rhythm, continuing their incredibly poor performance in this series.

The score difference between the two sides was slow but steadily widening.

In the second quarter, when Richardson and Paul hit three-pointers in a row, bringing the Lakers down to 15 points in the blink of an eye, Kobe finally couldn't take it anymore!
He started demanding the ball and began playing aggressively in singles matches; he was completely carried away.

At that moment, Kobe had only one thought: Screw the team! Screw sharing the ball, I only believe in myself now!
Unfortunately, Kobe's shooting touch was really off tonight. Even though he was matched up against Richardson, who was strong on offense but weak on defense, he just couldn't break through Richardson's defense and couldn't consistently put the ball into the basket.

He kept missing shots, yet he kept taking them; the stubborn Kobe was caught in a vicious cycle of fighting with himself.

The more he misses a shot, the more he wants to shoot!

Throughout the second quarter, Kobe took a whopping 13 shots but only made 4. Although he scored 11 points, his efficiency was clearly insufficient to help the team narrow the gap.
By the end of the second quarter, the Lakers were already down by 21 points to the Warriors!
In the second half, Kobe, who had been on a crazy offensive offensive, suddenly changed his style.

I'm not voting!
He didn't shoot at any of them; instead, he started passing the ball like crazy.

Even with perfect open looks, he won't shoot! He'll just pass the ball!

Judging from the expressions on Kobe's face and those of Phil Jackson sitting on the sidelines, it's clear that Kobe's seemingly reckless and self-destructive passing style wasn't something the two of them had planned together.

There's definitely something wrong with those two!

I just don't know what they said to each other during halftime that got Kobe so fired up that he openly tanked on the court.

However, the Warriors continued to go all out and score quickly, even with Kobe completely tanking.

The point difference between the two sides quickly reached 30 points!
Judging from the Lakers' current mental state, playing style, and fighting spirit, their season is over.

They can be sentenced to death!

The entire second half was garbage time; the Warriors completely crushed the Lakers that night!
The Lakers suffered a crushing defeat in this game! This is the worst and most painful playoff loss in their franchise history.

They were down by as many as 59 points in the fourth quarter!
If it weren't for Vujacic's layup at the last moment, narrowing the gap to 57 points, the Lakers would have suffered a truly humiliating defeat.

Well, okay, 57 points is pretty embarrassing too. To be beaten like that in a do-or-die game in the playoffs, it's not just embarrassing that you can describe it.

The Lakers need to rebuild!
This thought has emerged in the minds of countless Los Angeles fans.

After such a crushing defeat, the team must make some changes.

But how exactly should things change? Fans couldn't give a good answer right away.

They just know that the team is terrible, and in the foreseeable future, they will only get worse and get further and further away from the championship!
Especially after the Celtics won the championship two years ago, the Los Angeles fans have become even less patient!
After so many years of hard work and reaching the Finals so many times, they not only failed to win a championship, but also had one stolen by the Celtics, widening the gap between the two teams once again. The patience of the Los Angeles team has been completely exhausted.

They even started booing their own team's players before the game was over.

This was terrible tonight, I just couldn't watch it!
In stark contrast to the Lakers, who were on the verge of despair, were the Warriors' players and coaching staff.

Won!

We finally beat the Lakers! Next up is the second round of the playoffs!
Their opponent is the Dallas Mavericks, the Western Conference regular season champions!
They are also widely recognized as the favorites to win the Western Conference title.

However, if the Warriors lacked confidence and worried about their competitiveness before defeating the Lakers, now that they've swept the Lakers out of the game in this way, the entire Warriors team is bursting with confidence! So what if it's the Mavericks? So what if it's Nowitzki and James?!
Let's do it! Who's afraid of who!

With this, the two matchups for the Western Conference semifinals are now set!
Mavericks vs. Warriors!

Nuggets vs. Hornets!

In the Western Conference, two of the four matchups saw the underdogs upset the stronger teams, and both went to at least a sixth game. Apart from the Lakers vs. Warriors series, which seemed to be a Pacific showdown with a significant difference in strength, the other three series were all decided in the final moments.
As I said before, the Western Conference can deliver the level and excitement of a conference final in the first round!

After the fierce battles of the first round, the two matchups in the Western Conference semifinals are sure to be even more exciting!

As for the East, their first round was just like the regular season – uneventful, simple, and without any suspense!
The four teams that advanced can be said to have been well-deserved and expected to advance, as none of them encountered much resistance or difficulty in the first round.

It was a simple matter, and then the top four seeds advanced together!

As is widely known, the Eastern Conference playoffs don't officially begin until the second round!
The main reason for saying this is, of course, that the first round of the Eastern Conference matchups weren't as exciting as some of the regular season games featuring strong clashes!

But the second round is completely different!
The Cavaliers' backcourt duo of Wade and Anthony faces off against the Hawks' backcourt duo of Johnson and Roy!

Both teams have core lineups composed of two star perimeter players, and it would be quite exciting to see these two teams play each other! Especially since Wade and Anthony are both highly popular players, with the popularity to be All-Star starters.

The two Hawks players are clearly inferior in terms of star power and ability. Theoretically speaking, the Cavaliers should have the upper hand in this series!
Many people still favor the league's best team, and believe that the newly formed duo of Wade and Anthony will teach the Hawks' backcourt duo a lesson in the playoffs!

Celtics vs. Bobcats!

Based on matchups, player star power, popularity, past performance, and the abilities of their core players, this series should be a matchup where the Celtics easily defeat the Bobcats and advance to the conference finals.

However, many people believe that this series will not be that simple!
After all, although the Celtics were the 09 champions and basically retained their entire championship roster, and although Howard has improved rapidly and his current average stats have even surpassed Duncan's, it's still a significant achievement.

He also won the recently announced Defensive Player of the Year award, was selected to the All-Defensive Team, and, barring any unforeseen circumstances, is very likely to be selected to the All-NBA First Team.

But Howard is still a bit inferior to Duncan at his peak, isn't he?

After all, Duncan's aging is an undeniable fact, and even if Yao Ming loses weight, he will still be an absolute counter to centers like Howard!
My number two star can counter your number one star. Your number one guard, Parker, has also seen a significant decline in form and is no longer in the same league as Rose.

The Bobcats' two strongest and most important players were able to gain an advantage in their matchups, which is one of the key reasons why people believe the Bobcats were able to upset the Celtics.

As for the other reason, it's Lin Tian!
In the first round of coaching duels, Lin Tian almost completely overwhelmed Don Nelson, who was known in the league for his tactical versatility and unconventional personnel choices. So, in the second round against Rivers, who is not particularly good in any aspect except for motivational speeches, Lin Tian will most likely still have the upper hand.

Lin Tian is another reason why the Bobcats are considered a strong team!

Of course, regardless of what people think or predict, we'll only know for sure once the game starts, and whether the so-called counter-strategies and matchups between the teams are actually as we imagine.

Fortunately, the league only arranged one day of rest between the first and second rounds, and the second round of the series started in full swing.

Of course, in the first game of this series, Howard will also receive a Defensive Player of the Year award at home, and he was also unanimously selected to the All-Defensive First Team.

In addition to Howard, four other players were also selected to the All-Defensive Team: his teammate Tony Allen, the Cavaliers' Wade and Iguodala, and the Grizzlies' Battier.

In addition, Noah, James, Garnett, Kobe, and Rondo formed the second defensive team of the year.

Also announced in the second half of the first round was Rookie of the Year!

The award went to John Wall of the Wizards. Although the Wizards had a terrible record, the Rookie of the Year award is always based on statistics, not records.

John Wall's 17 points and 8 rebounds earned him the Rookie of the Year award, which is absolutely well-deserved, and he also rightfully earned a spot on the All-Rookie Team.

He was joined by Jeremy Lin, DeMarcus Cousins, Blake Griffin, and Wesley Johnson in the All-NBA Team.

The players selected to the All-Rookie Second Team are Gary Neal, Bledsoe, Favors, Hayward, and Monroe.

This All-Rookie Team selection finally has some connection to the Bobcats, with both players making the First and Second Teams, which is quite a good pick by the Bobcats this year.

Then there's the Most Improved Player award, which went to Kevin Love, the white center who dominated this year, putting up incredible numbers with 20 points and 15 rebounds per game.

Generally speaking, this award is not given to young, exceptionally talented, highly drafted players like Love who are only in their third year of playing, especially lottery picks like Love. This is because the judges essentially believe that young players are in their developmental stage and that improvement is normal.

The Most Improved Player award was originally intended as a reward for players from disadvantaged backgrounds, older players, and those who suddenly made significant progress on the fringes of the league.

Unfortunately, Love's improvement this year has been too great and obvious. Last season, he averaged only 14+7, but after becoming the team's leader this year, his stats have skyrocketed to 20+15, making him the league's rebounding king.

He truly deserves this award. (End of Chapter)