The top four teams in the East, with the first-ranked Pacers facing a fierce challenge from the Bucks!
In the first game of the series, the Bucks battled the Pacers all the way to the final second, ultimately losing by a narrow three-point margin.
In the second game, the Bucks exploded in the first quarter, outscoring the Pacers 35:19, directly extending their lead to sixteen points. In the second quarter, they outscored their opponents 26:19 again, and by halftime, they were leading by twenty-three points! The home team, the Pacers, were completely stunned by the young Bucks. Although the Pacers attempted a comeback in the second half, their efforts were meager, and they ended up losing one of their home games.
In the third game, the Pacers, having regained their composure, struck back forcefully and broke the Bucks' first home-court advantage. Reggie Miller made a frantic effort, and despite only making 4 out of 14 three-point attempts, the determined old Miller, through mid-range jump shots and layups, scored a game-high 34 points!
In the fourth game, the home team Bucks once again had a fantastic first half, with a 64:27 run, putting the game into garbage time early.
In the final game of the series, the Bucks once again turned the tables, dominating the Pacers from the opening tip. Just as it seemed the Pacers were on the verge of being upset by the "Black Eight" miracle, at the critical moment, old Miller went berserk again, taking 25 shots and scoring a game-high 41 points, leading the Pacers to a narrow 96:95 victory over the Bucks!
Ray Allen's final three-point attempt missed, and he watched helplessly as the Pacers narrowly advanced, filled with regret.
Although the Bucks lost the game, Ray Allen's brilliant performance earned him the respect and affirmation of many fans.
The second-ranked Heat in the East swept the Pistons 3:0. Grant Hill, hampered by injuries, was in poor form and unable to penetrate Alonzo Mourning's interior defense.
The third-ranked Knicks in the East swept the Raptors 3:0.
Tracy McGrady also entered the Raptors' starting lineup, forming a "twin star combination" with Vince Carter, but the playoffs are not the regular season, and the defensive intensity is on a different level.
In comparison, the Knicks had Allan Houston and Latrell Sprewell on the perimeter, and Patrick Ewing, Larry Johnson, and Marcus Camby in the interior... Especially the Knicks' interior presence, which gave the Raptors a lot of trouble.
The fourth-ranked 76ers in the East defeated the Hornets 3:1!
Under the leadership of Eddie Jones, the Hornets achieved a very good regular season record. However, in the playoffs, as the defensive intensity increased for both teams, the gap in scoring ability between Eddie Jones and Allen Iverson became apparent. Their eventual loss was therefore understandable.
All four top teams in the East successfully advanced.
This year, neither the Western nor the Eastern Conference saw any major upsets.
However, the two eighth-ranked teams were quite ferocious. The Kings gave the Lakers considerable trouble, and the Bucks gave the Pacers a scare.
Thus, the first round of the playoffs concluded.
Following this were the selections for the regular season awards.
The most prestigious award was, of course, the regular season MVP.
The assist title went to He Xi Meng of the Spurs, with an average of 10.3 assists per game, 0.2 more than the second-place Jason Kidd.
The block title went to Alonzo Mourning of the Heat, with an average of 3.7 blocks per game.
The steal title went to Eddie Jones of the Hornets, with an average of 2.7 steals per game.