Strong matchups in the conference finals make for a good year for the NBA
This year’s version of the NBA Playoffs has brought heavy matchups in the conference finals. The playoffs have been nice considering that neither the Spurs nor the Lakers will be in the final, although the winner of the East will once again be between the Detroit Pistons and the Miami Heat. No offense to the San Antonio fans, but it’s nice for a change not to see them in the Western Conference Finals. The same goes for Kobe and his supporting cast, as the Suns knocked out the Lakers in the first round after trailing three games to one.
It’s also been nice to see other teams make it to the second round. Remember not too long ago when the Cavaliers were considered unlikely to win their series with the Washington Wizards. It was seen as a draw, but many thought the Wizards would win. The wonderful result of that series of barn burnings was that the Cavs took him out and finally gave the hapless city of Cleveland something to be happy about, which is great when you realize that Cleveland is a major sports city that He’s been through hard times.
Another surprise was the Clippers, who gave the Phoenix Suns a dogfight before being eliminated in Game 7. Clippers fans like Billy Crystal finally have something to celebrate, and it’s amazing that Staples Center was a red sea, instead of the perennial gold and purple.
Phoenix has also been a surprise, considering the injuries he’s had to deal with. Steve Nash and Shawn Marion have been warriors, despite nagging injuries. Without their stud Amari Stoudemire, the Suns are three wins away from the NBA Finals.
The Mavericks had doubts of their own after losing Game 1 to Phoenix at the last second. However, with Dallas tying the series with Phoenix at one all night after a huge fourth-quarter comeback, naysayers and drummers calling for the death of the Mavericks if they trail 0-2 may simply have to wait longer. time for the clouds of doom to arrive.
There’s plenty of offense in the Eastern Conference Finals, too, but both the Detroit Pistons and Miami Heat play better team defense than the Mavericks or Suns. The Pistons are a fun team to watch, as they are one of the few teams in the NBA that still plays as a team, both on the offensive end and on the defensive end. Regardless of the Heat’s veterans, including Gary Payton and Antoine Walker, Miami will only go as far as Dwayne Wade and Shaq take them. The Pistons, when they really show up and play with some effort, can limit the effectiveness of the other players for Miami. For anyone who still wants to doubt the Pistons, even though they evened the series on Thursday night, don’t forget that this is the same Pistons team that lost 3-2 to New Jersey last year and beat them. convincingly in the decisive seventh game. When the doubters returned once more after the Pistons lost 3-2 to the Cavs, Detroit rallied and beat a sizzling Cleveland team led by that Air Jordan-Magic hybrid known as LeBron James.
The best part of the playoffs has been watching players like Boris Diaw and Devin Harris stand out and even dominate many games during the playoffs. Winning a championship sometimes takes the efforts of unsung heroes or those who haven’t been major players in the past. Many playoff haters only need to remember Robert Horry’s name, which will likely make them sick.
The bottom line is that no matter who wins in the conference finals, the results will most likely lead to an intriguing matchup in the finals.