Back on their home court, Miller remained steadfast. He scored 35 points in Game 3 and 32 points in Game 4! Across all four games, Miller averaged 31.3 points, second only to Iverson's 31.5 and McGrady's 33.8, ranking second among all players in the first round of the playoffs.
This performance, for the 36-year-old Miller, was undeniably outstanding.
However, because Iverson's state this year was equally explosive and unmatched, the Pacers were ultimately swept by the 76ers, losing 1-3 and being eliminated.
A legendary killer stepped onto the playoff stage this year, delivering a buzzer-beater and securing a victory.
The matchup between the second-seeded Bucks in the East and the seventh-seeded Magic was a battle of three musketeers, a wheel war.
He Xi Meng was also nominated for MVP this season, but ranked quite low. And with Duncan in the league, as long as He Xi Meng didn't change teams, Duncan would forever be an insurmountable hurdle for him.
This season's Defensive Player of the Year award went to Mutombo of the 76ers. In fact, Duncan was fully qualified to win this award. But because Duncan was already in contention for MVP, the league automatically overlooked Duncan for this Defensive Player of the Year award, giving it to other players who needed it more. Mutombo, after joining the 76ers, significantly improved their defensive strength! Mutombo played a crucial role in the 76ers ultimately securing the top seed in the East, making this award a well-deserved recognition.
This season's Sixth Man of the Year award was primarily contested among Aaron McKie of the 76ers, Brad Miller of the Spurs, and Ginobili of the Spurs.
Aaron McKie's season averages were 11.6 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists. Brad Miller's season averages were 13 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 block. Ginobili's season averages were 12.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists.
Generally, it is rare for a team to have two players simultaneously competing for the Sixth Man of the Year award. However, the Spurs this season, frequently resting their core players after three quarters, provided more playing time and shot opportunities for their bench players.
Originally, Ginobili should have been the Spurs' sixth man, controlling a significant portion of the team's ball possession. But as per the coaching staff's instructions, Ginobili, while focusing on his own offense, continuously created scoring opportunities for Brad Miller. Brad Miller did not disappoint the coaching staff's trust, successfully producing impressive statistics. His on-court performance even surpassed that of the inconsistent Ginobili.
Therefore, when considering nominations for this season's Sixth Man of the Year, Brad Miller ranked ahead of Ginobili. Ultimately, He Xi Meng advised the coaching staff to discreetly withdraw Ginobili's name from contention and have Brad Miller compete against Aaron McKie.
Aaron McKie's statistics were more well-rounded than Brad Miller's, but Brad Miller excelled in scoring and rebounding compared to Aaron McKie. Overall, the two were evenly matched, and their teams' records were also comparable. However, considering the 76ers had already secured the MVP and Defensive Player of the Year awards, the Sixth Man of the Year award ultimately went to Brad Miller of the Spurs! This was Brad Miller's first, and likely his only, Sixth Man of the Year trophy of his career.