mtlumby2d Chapter 660: A Change of Dynasty in the Alliance!
Chapter 660: A Change of Dynasty in the Alliance!
On May 19, the series between the Pacers and the Knicks finally came to an end.
Despite a 0-2 deficit, the Pacers managed to drag the series to a Game 7.
Furthermore, the Pacers completed a Game 7 comeback, winning 130-109 at the Knicks' home court!
The Pacers have made it to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 10 years.
Interestingly, the Pacers made a total of 53 three-pointers tonight, which is the second-most three-pointers made in a Game 7 in NBA history.
The Lakers from the 1970 era still hold the top spot, only managing to score one more three-pointer than tonight's Pacers.
What's even more interesting is that the Pacers' current head coach, Rick Carlisle, led the Pacers to the finals back in 2004.
That's why they say the world is a cycle!
Who knows when the boomerang might come back to haunt us.
The two teams for the Eastern Conference Finals have been determined: the Nets and the Pacers.
The two teams in the West have also been confirmed.
The Timberwolves, who were not favored before the game, also defeated the Nuggets, who had Jokic, on the road after dragging the series into a Game 7.
Earlier, the Mavericks defeated the Thunder, the top seed in the Western Conference but an overly young team, 4-2.
The Mavericks and Timberwolves will meet in the Western Conference Finals.
Once the teams were finalized, the league office immediately updated the schedule for the Eastern and Western Conference Finals.
The Nets and Pacers will kick off the game on the evening of the 21st.
The Nets, who have a better regular season record, will play their first two home games.
The game between the Mavericks and the Timberwolves will take place in Minnesota a day later.
The four teams that made it to the finals have sparked some discussion in the United States.
First of all, the star players of these four teams are all very young players.
The oldest player, Doncic, is only 25 years old.
After Towns left, Edwards, who was not yet 23 years old, undoubtedly became the team's leader.
Harry Burton, hailed as the wizard Harry Potter, was only 24 years old.
Wang Xiucheng, who had already proven himself last year, is not even 22 years old.
There has always been a general consensus in the league that young players will only take over after players like LeBron James and Stephen Curry retire.
Just like when Jordan retired, Kobe took over.
However, the change of regime in the alliance came earlier and more violently than expected.
On TNT's late-night show, O'Neal and Barkley talked about this all night.
"LeBron James' Lakers were swept 4-1 by the Nuggets in the first round, and Curry's Warriors didn't even make the playoffs."
"Kawhi Leonard and James Harden's Clippers were eliminated by the Mavericks."
"Of the league's recognized superstars, only Durant made it to the conference finals."
"That's also because of Wang Xiucheng. I've always believed that the Nets can do without Durant, but they can't do without Wang Xiucheng."
"The league is now dominated by young people."
"In a few years, when young players like Wernbane, Yama, and Alexander mature a bit more, the old guys like James will have even less of a chance."
"Let's remember this year, 2024, as the year the league officially transitions between its veteran and new players."
"After that, you might not see them reach the finals even once."
The views expressed by O'Neal and Barkley on the show have been accepted by many people.
Whether the league is intentionally promoting these young players or it's because of their abilities, these young players have proven themselves to be strong contenders for the title of the league's next face.
Unlike the United States, which only cares about whether young players are taking over the reins ahead of schedule.
In China, the focus is completely different.
The Nets have advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals, and Wang Xiucheng and Cui Yongxi will continue to compete, which was expected from the beginning of the playoffs.
After all, the Nets were last year's champions, and this summer they not only didn't lose any role players, but they even brought in their third star, Towns.
From the fans' perspective, there was no reason why the Nets shouldn't make it to the NBA Finals.
However, few people could have predicted that the Timberwolves would advance to the Western Conference Finals.
Before the playoffs even started, 20 of Tencent's live streamers each predicted which teams would ultimately reach the Eastern and Western Conference Finals.
Of the 20 commentators, not one predicted that the Timberwolves would make it to the Western Conference Finals.
This is enough to show how ruthless the Timberwolves have been this year.
In retrospect, trading Towns to the Nets in the summer and establishing Edwards as the team's leader was a very wise decision.
The 20 anchors on Tencent have once again predicted which two teams will be in the final.
Although everyone hoped that the Nets and Timberwolves would meet in the NBA Finals.
This would mean that four Chinese players would appear on the court in the finals.
But to be honest, the Timberwolves are not strong enough to compete with the Mavericks.
Therefore, most commentators predict that the Nets and Mavericks will meet in the finals.
However, six commentators, including Yang Yi, still predicted that the Timberwolves would make it to the NBA Finals.
Amidst the intense anticipation of both Americans and Chinese, the Eastern Conference Finals kicked off.
The first game of the Eastern Conference Finals was more exciting than expected.
Playing at home, with 20,000 fans cheering and numerous Hollywood stars in attendance, the Nets launched the first attack.
After a long rest, the Nets were full of energy. Wang Xiucheng stole the ball from Haliburton and slammed it home from the free-throw line to start the game.
The entire Barclays Center was ignited from the start, which led to a 12-0 run by the Nets, forcing the Pacers to call a timeout.
After the timeout, Siakam scored repeatedly in the paint, allowing the Pacers to regain their footing.
After a few minutes of stalemate, the Nets suddenly went into a scoring drought, and Durant and Westbrook were both due for their rotation.
The Pacers seized the opportunity, with substitute Toppin scoring 9 consecutive points, bringing the score to a tie with the Nets with one minute left in the first quarter.
Fortunately, thanks to a three-pointer from Wang Xiucheng, the Nets ended the first quarter with a 3-point lead.
In the second quarter, Wang Xiucheng sat on the bench to rest, but the Nets had Durant and Westbrook, and the two scored continuously from the start, leading by double digits at one point.
But the Pacers' strategy tonight is to play fast.
Of the Nets' starters, only Wang Xiucheng is fast.
The remaining players are not known for their speed; being fast occasionally is not the same as being consistently fast.
However, there are many young people on the pedestrian team who can consistently run fast.
Even Turner, who plays center, is faster than Towns.
Using this fast pace, the Pacers gradually turned the score around.
In the final moments, Wang Xiucheng and Haliburton each hit a long-range three-pointer, bringing the score to a 64-64 tie at halftime.
After a short break, the two sides switched sides and started the second half.
The third quarter mirrored the first, with the Nets capitalizing on the Pacers' unstable start to go on a 13-0 run.
Then, just like in the first quarter, the Nets inexplicably went into a scoring drought, allowing the Pacers to gradually catch up.
In the second half, Halliburton seemed to have unlocked a cheat code; every shot he took was a winner, and every pass he made went in.
The Pacers responded with a 16-0 run thanks to Haliburton's exceptional shooting touch.
If Wang Xiucheng hadn't hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer and drawn a foul on Harry, converting the three-point play, the Nets would have been down by five points.
With a one-point deficit, the two teams entered the fourth quarter.