The third-ranked Mavericks in the West faced a challenge from the Jazz.
Last season, the Jazz had good luck, making it all the way to the Western Conference Finals before losing to the Spurs.
However, this season, the Jazz's luck turned sour. Facing an improved Mavericks team in the first round of the playoffs, they couldn't pull off an upset.
Both teams had a dual-core combination, but the Mavericks' Nowitzki + Kidd was significantly more mature than the Jazz's Deron + Boozer.
The Mavericks won 4:2, avoiding a repeat of last season's "black eight" tragedy.
The fourth-ranked Spurs in the West faced the fifth-ranked Suns.
During the season, the Suns, to strengthen their interior depth and prepare for this year's unusually brutal playoffs, traded Marion to the Heat for O'Neal, freeing up Stoudemire at center, attempting to improve their defense and overall strength, but... it was a futile effort!
The current O'Neal posed no significant threat to the current Spurs. On the contrary, the Suns, having lost Marion and acquired O'Neal, saw their offensive pace drastically reduced, making the Spurs less wary of the Suns' speed!
In half-court sets, the Spurs truly feared no one!
Back in the day, even the "strongest iron barrel" Pistons couldn't grind down the Spurs, let alone the current, unclassifiable Suns.
4:1, the Spurs cleanly defeated the Suns and advanced to the semifinals.
All four strong teams in the West advanced smoothly, setting the stage for the ultimate clash in the semifinals.
In contrast, the four strong teams in the East were not as dominant.
The Celtics, led by Yao Ming + Carter + Rondo, encountered a strong challenge from the Hawks.
Although the Hawks were ranked only 8th in the East this season, their starting lineup featured Joe Johnson and Mike Bibby, both players with big hearts. If you asked them to play conventionally, they might not always succeed, but if they played in transition or as underdogs, they always found ways to create sparks!
The Celtics won the first two games relatively smoothly.
However, in Games 3 and 4, " iso-Joe" Johnson went berserk, Josh Smith contributed, and Mike Bibby stepped up in crucial moments. The trio, working together, helped the Hawks successfully defend their home court twice.
In Game 5, back on their home court, the Celtics secured a dominant victory with a balanced offensive attack.
In Game 6, the Celtics were on the verge of ending the series, but Bibby's free throw was a near-game-winner, forcing the series into a Game 7.
In the deciding Game 7, an exasperated Yao Ming and Carter went into full attack mode. On both ends of the court, the Celtics held a clear advantage, ending the first and only Game 7 of this postseason with overwhelming dominance!
The second-ranked Pistons in the East defeated the 76ers, led by Iguodala, 4:2.
The Magic defeated the Raptors, led by Bosh, 4:1.
The Cavaliers defeated the Wizards, led by Arenas, 4:2.
With the first round concluded, the playoff intensity briefly subsided, and the regular season awards were freshly announced.
With He Xi Meng's assistance, Kobe had an incredibly efficient season.
Playing all 82 games, he averaged 26 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block in 38 minutes per game, showcasing all-around prowess!
The SuperSonics' record also soared from second to last in the West last season to first in the West and first in the entire league this season!
Few could truly compete with Kobe for this season's regular season MVP award. LeBron James of the Cavaliers was one, Carter of the Celtics was another, Stoudemire of the Suns, Garnett of the Lakers, and Nowitzki of the Mavericks were also contenders.
However, the most formidable threat was undoubtedly Kobe's teammate, He Xi Meng!
This season, He Xi Meng dedicated significant effort to orchestrating the team and distributing the ball.
Consequently, He Xi Meng's assist average reached a career-high: 13.5 assists per game!
The league's single-season record for assists per game was 14.5, set by Stockton in the 1989-90 season!
Historically, only a select few players have averaged over 13 assists per game in a single season.
Stockton had five seasons with over 13 assists per game during his prime.
Isiah Thomas, "The Smiling Assassin," recorded 13.9 assists per game in the 1984-85 season.
Magic Johnson of the Magic had 13.1 assists per game in the 1983-84 season.
Kevin Porter posted 13.4 assists per game in the 1978-79 season.
And now, He Xi Meng!
He Xi Meng has taken another solid step on the path to becoming the second-greatest assist king in history.
Surpassing the exceptional Stockton seems challenging, but surpassing other legends is well within He Xi Meng's reach!
This season, in addition to his 13.5 assists per game, He Xi Meng also averaged 20.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.8 steals.
While his scoring numbers weren't as high as Kobe's, a double-double of 20.3 points and 13.5 assists per game is exceptionally impressive in any season in league history!
However, He Xi Meng did not wish to be the MVP this season.
He Xi Meng believed Kobe worked harder than he did, and his greater contributions were in adjusting the team, or rather, off the court rather than on it. Therefore, He Xi Meng preemptively urged the media voters and league executives to give this opportunity to Kobe!
Ultimately, Kobe was awarded the 2007-2008 regular season MVP as he desired!
Dale Curry, as expected, was named the league's Coach of the Year in his very first season coaching!
The main reason was the dramatic improvement in the SuperSonics' record!
From second to last in the Western Conference, and fourth to last in the entire league, to first in the entire league, Dale Curry achieved this transformation in just one season...
Upon winning the award, media from across the league interviewed the elder Curry, asking him to share his coaching experience: how to transform a league doormat into a strong contender for the championship?
The elder Curry pondered for a long time, finally offering two words: "Trust!"
"Trust is that powerful?"
The media personnel present were bewildered, and fans across the league were equally stunned...
The league's Rookie of the Year this season was, without a doubt, awarded to Durant!
Durant also took home the league's Sixth Man of the Year award.
Grant Hill was surprisingly healthy this season, playing in 70 games. The last time Hill played 70 games was seven years ago during his time with the Pistons!
During his six seasons with the Magic, Hill's highest single-season game count was 67, with a low of 4, averaging 33 games per season. Upon joining the SuperSonics, he immediately played 70 games... The Magic's management must have been questioning everything...
Due to Hill's exceptional health, Durant spent most of this season coming off the bench as the sixth man, so winning the Sixth Man of the Year award was well-deserved...