The other matchups in the Eastern Conference were equally intense!
With Carter sidelined due to injury, fans expected the Raptors to be swept by the second-ranked Pistons. However, the Raptors displayed unprecedented fighting spirit.
Antonio Davis, Gion Clark, Alvin Williams, Chris Childs, Morris Peterson!
To be honest, the Raptors' core lineup wasn't particularly strong, yet they managed to drag the Pistons into a Game 7!
On the Pistons' side, Stackhouse, Clifford Robinson, Ben Wallace, Chucky Atkins, Jon Barry...
During the regular season, the Pistons dominated with this lineup. Unexpectedly, in the playoffs, they were held back by a Raptors team without their core in the first round.
Although the Pistons ultimately secured a victory in the deciding Game 7 with a narrow score of 85-82, advancing to the next round.
Stackhouse's leadership ability came under heavy scrutiny!
The playoffs are the ultimate stage to test stars, and underperforming against stronger opponents is something fans despise.
The third-ranked Celtics in the East also faced a strong challenge from the Philadelphia 76ers!
This wasn't due to Pierce being soft, but rather the 76ers' genuine strength!
During the regular season, the 76ers' poor record was primarily due to Iverson's prolonged absence due to injury, leaving the team without a leader.
Before the playoffs, Iverson returned aggressively despite his injury, found his rhythm, and then challenged the Celtics in the playoffs, aiming for an upset!
In Game 1, Iverson was in poor form, scoring only 20 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals. Pierce had 31 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals. The Celtics won!
In Game 2, Iverson's condition began to improve, scoring 29 points, 4 rebounds, and 7 assists. Pierce had 25 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 assists. The Celtics, playing at home, won again!
In Game 3, back on their home court, Iverson exploded for 42 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 5 steals. Pierce also contributed 29 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists, and 2 steals, but the 76ers won!
In Game 4, Iverson continued his strong performance with 28 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals. Pierce was a bit off, scoring only 20 points and 8 rebounds. The 76ers continued their winning streak!
In Game 5, Iverson couldn't muster a spectacular performance, managing 31 points, 2 rebounds, and 4 assists. Pierce had a huge surge in the final quarter, scoring 15 points and leading the Celtics to a 42-20 run, sweeping the 76ers! Throughout the game, Pierce finished with 46 points, 4 rebounds, and 6 assists. Iverson had no choice but to concede...
The final matchup was between the Magic and the Hornets!
With Hill unable to play, McGrady continued to lead the team alone!
In Game 1, the Magic, playing at home, battled the Hornets until the final moments. McGrady had two opportunities for game-winning shots. The first three-pointer rimmed out, and the second driving layup was stolen by Baron Davis. Ultimately, the Magic lost to the Hornets by one point, 79-80.
In Game 2, McGrady returned with a vengeance, recording an all-around stat line of 31 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, and 3 blocks, successfully helping the Magic defend their home court.
In Game 3, McGrady continued his onslaught with 37 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks. The Magic and Hornets fought into overtime. However, Baron Davis, the big man for the Hornets, stepped up with a triple-double of 33 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists, successfully stopping McGrady!
The Hornets took the lead, pushing the Magic to the brink.
In Game 4, McGrady still put up 35 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 blocks. Unfortunately, no one on the Magic could contain Baron Davis!
The big man again delivered a triple-double with 28 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists. The Hornets successfully withstood the Magic's final push, winning 3-1 and completing an upset!
McGrady's hard-fought playoff appearance ended in a first-round exit, much to the fans' dismay.
Thus, the first round of the playoffs concluded.
The four teams in the top half of the Western Conference all won easily.
In the Western Conference Semifinals, the Spurs will continue their rivalry with the Mavericks, carrying over unfinished business from last season.
The Lakers will face the Kings, initiating another Western Conference showdown.
In the Eastern Conference first round, the Nets, Pistons, and Celtics all advanced precariously through Game 7s.
In contrast, the Hornets, who completed an upset, had the easiest path, defeating the Magic 3-1.
In the subsequent semifinals, the Nets will face the challenge of the Hornets, while the Pistons and Celtics will engage in a fierce battle.
However, before the Eastern and Western Conference Semifinals officially begin, the regular season awards selections will take place.
The candidates for this year's most prestigious award, the Regular Season MVP, are Duncan and He Xi Meng from the Spurs, and Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal from the Lakers!
Others such as Jason Kidd of the Nets, Dirk Nowitzki of the Mavericks, and Chris Webber of the Kings, while mentioned, are essentially there to make up the numbers. The real competition will be between the Spurs and the Lakers.
This season, Duncan played in 72 games and missed 10, mostly due to "minor injuries" that led to rest days managed by Popovich. If he had pushed, playing all 82 games wouldn't have been an issue.
He Xi Meng's situation is similar to Duncan's; he was forced to miss 10 games due to peculiar injuries.
Fortunately, the San Antonio media is accustomed to this. When they see unusual injuries, they don't worry. It's the straightforward injuries they can understand that make them ponder whether the player is truly injured and unable to play...
Duncan's final regular season statistics were 25 points, 12.9 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, and 2.5 blocks. Compared to historical data, his scoring is slightly lower, rebounds and assists are slightly higher, and steals and blocks are roughly the same!
Top-tier scoring ability, top-tier rebounding ability, top-tier blocking ability!
Overall, the "Number 21" is still the same "Number 21"! He remains as versatile and dominant on both offense and defense.
He Xi Meng's average stats for this season settled at 23 points, 11 assists, 3.5 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game! Top-tier assist ability, near top-tier scoring ability, near top-tier stealing ability!
Across the entire league, He Xi Meng is the only player who can average a double-double in assists while also scoring over 20 points.
Even Jason Kidd cannot reach this level.
Kidd averaged double-digit assists this season, exactly 10, but his average scoring was only 15 points!
However, Kidd also has his strengths, particularly his rebounding.
This season, Kidd averaged 7.3 rebounds per game, a level that wouldn't be considered poor even for a center.
Kidd is arguably the most dominant rebounding point guard in the league since Magic Johnson and before Russell Westbrook...