Playoffs summed up
By: RJ Buendia
Issue date: 5/20/09 Section: Sports
The Conference Semi-Finals both just came to an end, in the East and West. As we enter the Conference Finals, and ultimately the Final match-up in the next few weeks, the look back at the preceding rounds makes the remainder of the play-offs very appealing. The competition of the Second round and the intrigue of the Conference Finals are evident in one major fact: both Conferences had to go to a Game 7.
The first thing this points out is that the competition at this level of the tournament is high. As was anticipated, the Boston and Orlando match-up was a highly-contested series that went back and worth and down to the wire in most of the games. These are the 2 and 3 seeds in the East, respectively, and the teams hold two of the top four records in the regular season.
However, the Los Angeles Lakers match-up with Houston went to a surprising seventh game. Houston at its best in the regular season was inconsistent and ended up as the fifth seed to L.A.'s first seed. More so, the Rockets entered the play-offs without their injured star, Tracy McGrady, and lost both of their centers in Dikembe Mutombo and international phenom Yao Ming. Yet, they still brought the series against the defending Western Conference Champion Lakers to the brink, through tough play,hard- fought individual battles, and overall determined team play. What this shows is that perhaps Los Angeles is not as dominant as they, and the league, had projected this entire year.
So the Game 7's that took place this past Sunday exposed competition on a few levels. As mentioned, the remaining teams (Cleveland, Denver, Los Angeles, and Orlando) are strong and capable of contending for the title. Also, the "dominant" franchise of the Lakers does not have an easy road or an obvious advantage over any of the other teams in contention.
The fact that there were two Game 7's also highlights another aspect that shows even more: the fact that the other two series did not have a Game 7. Actually, the other two series of the final four did not even barely had a Game 6. Cleveland swept Atlanta in four fast and high- energy games, while Denver defeated Dallas in five (barely losing the one game to Dallas). Basketball enthusiasts have been drooling over this fact for the past week, for a few reasons.
The first thing this points out is that the competition at this level of the tournament is high. As was anticipated, the Boston and Orlando match-up was a highly-contested series that went back and worth and down to the wire in most of the games. These are the 2 and 3 seeds in the East, respectively, and the teams hold two of the top four records in the regular season.
However, the Los Angeles Lakers match-up with Houston went to a surprising seventh game. Houston at its best in the regular season was inconsistent and ended up as the fifth seed to L.A.'s first seed. More so, the Rockets entered the play-offs without their injured star, Tracy McGrady, and lost both of their centers in Dikembe Mutombo and international phenom Yao Ming. Yet, they still brought the series against the defending Western Conference Champion Lakers to the brink, through tough play,hard- fought individual battles, and overall determined team play. What this shows is that perhaps Los Angeles is not as dominant as they, and the league, had projected this entire year.
So the Game 7's that took place this past Sunday exposed competition on a few levels. As mentioned, the remaining teams (Cleveland, Denver, Los Angeles, and Orlando) are strong and capable of contending for the title. Also, the "dominant" franchise of the Lakers does not have an easy road or an obvious advantage over any of the other teams in contention.
The fact that there were two Game 7's also highlights another aspect that shows even more: the fact that the other two series did not have a Game 7. Actually, the other two series of the final four did not even barely had a Game 6. Cleveland swept Atlanta in four fast and high- energy games, while Denver defeated Dallas in five (barely losing the one game to Dallas). Basketball enthusiasts have been drooling over this fact for the past week, for a few reasons.
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