Chapter 1213: Chapter 384: Like a Script Written by God
The New York Knicks achieved a franchise-best 68 wins, unsurprisingly leading the East. They pulled a full 9 games ahead of the second-place Indiana Pacers and 14 games ahead of the Detroit Pistons.
In the West, the gap between the top four wasn’t as large. The Los Angeles Lakers had 63 wins at first place, the Warriors had 60 wins in second, and the Dallas Mavericks had 59 wins in third. The Spurs, also with 59 wins, were only in fourth due to tiebreakers.
With a 52-win record, the Seattle SuperSonics could only rank fifth in the West.
In the 90s, when Roger was in the East, strong teams were concentrated in the East.
Once the 21st century arrived and Roger moved to the West, the West began to become wild again.
He also wanted to play in a playoff sweep without facing too many first-team opponents, but clearly, Roger didn’t have the emperor’s fate.
The confirmation of the regular-season rankings also meant the confirmation of the playoff schedule.
The Warriors’ first-round opponent was the Denver Nuggets led by Carmelo Anthony.
Roger really liked Anthony; he was always respectful and willing to share his connections.
It’s just a pity that his career record will soon include another sweep.
And the matchups after the first round were as exciting as if they were authored by God.
In the second round, it’s almost certain that the Warriors’ opponent will be the Dallas Mavericks, as it’s almost impossible for the third-seed Mavericks to crash against the sixth-seed Kings.
Charles Barkley mentioned on the show: "Remember the trash talk between Roger and Vince Carter leaked by the media? Roger told Vince, ’This year you won’t get past the second round’, and Vince replied, ’It would be even better to get past the second round by beating you.’ Now, these two men have the chance to prove their words."
"And more than just that," Kenny Smith added, "In the Western Conference Finals, we might see Shaq VS Kobe, Shaq VS Duncan. Of course, there’s also a legendary possibility: Roger first kills Shaq, then takes down Kobe! Since the breakup of the Shaq-Kobe duo, Roger has never defeated both Kobe and Shaq in a single season. This year, Roger has the chance to do one thing: continue to dominate Shaq and Kobe. He can tell the world, whether you’re apart or together, you have no chance."
"Why don’t you mention that the Western finals could also feature Roger VS Tim?" Barkley intentionally probed.
"Oh, because Tim has already been conquered by Roger, give him a break." Kenny Smith laughed in response.
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If there are still people who think the New York Knicks won’t become champions, then they must be fools. — "The New York Times".
We will never fall in the second round again, never, no one can laugh at us anymore. — Vince Carter on the second-round curse that haunted him.
Kevin Garnett is currently far ahead in the MVP rankings, and Roger’s chance of retaining the title is slim. His dominance of the MVP award seems to have come to an end, but is his dominance of the championship still stable? — "Slam".
Roger’s Warriors remain the best team in the West because they’re the only team that can sweep the top four in the West 4-0. And the record of the Lakers and Mavericks against the Warriors is only 2-2. Is the world so satisfied with merely tying Roger? — Magic Johnson discussed Roger’s dominance in the West during a show.
Tim, Shaq, and Vince, Kobe, and Steve, and then the New York Knicks... If Roger can reach the top through such a path, it will be a brilliant journey of conquest. That would mean he defeated all the best teams of the season to become champion. Don’t ask me why Carmelo is missing; that’s because beating him was just a warm-up and doesn’t count as part of the conquest. — "San Francisco Chronicle".