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NBA playoffs: East and West are about to stage a peak showdown | Heat | Celtics | Warriors

[Epoch Times, May 17, 2022](Comprehensive report by Epoch Times reporter Li Rongshi) The 2021-2022 NBA playoffs in the quarterfinals of the NBA playoffs were inextricable. The two groups didn’t decide the winner until the sixth game, and the two groups had a “tie-break” battle. As a result, the defending champion Bucks and the Suns with the best regular season results in the league lost in the “tie-break” on the same day and missed the Eastern and Western finals. Beginning on May 17, local time, the Eastern Conference finals will be played between the Heat and the Celtics; the Western Conference finals will be played by the Warriors and the Mavericks.

In the matchup between the first-placed Heat and the fourth-placed 76ers in the regular season, Embiid missed the first two rounds due to injury, and the Heat won two consecutive victories; after that, Embiid returned and Harden improved, helping the 76ers A big tie. In the “Battle of Tianwang Mountain”, the Heat won a big victory, driving the 76ers to a dead end. But the 76ers did not rebound, and the contradictions within the team gradually emerged. It is not surprising that the 76ers stopped in the second round of the playoffs for the fourth time in five years.

In the quarterfinals, the Celtics and Bucks are the closest matchup. The defending champion Bucks ranked third in the East. The star “Brother Antetokounmpo” played very tough and performed steadily, but the team’s other core, Middleton, was unable to appear, which had a great impact on the Bucks. The Celtics are second in the East. In this round of the series, the two teams fought for many games until the end of the game.

In the second round of the NBA playoffs in the 2021-2022 season, the Celtics, the second-placed Celtics in the East in the regular season, defeated the third-placed and defending champion Bucks 4-3 with a total score of 4-3 and advanced to the Eastern Conference finals. The picture shows the moment when the players from both sides scrambled under the basket. (Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)

At the end of the regular season, after securing a playoff berth, the team was rotated and repaired, and there was no better place. The Celtics took the opportunity to rush to the No. 2 spot in the Eastern Conference, giving them home-court advantage in the “tiebreaker”. As a result, the Celtics defeated the Bucks 109:81 to win the “tiebreaker” and eliminated their opponents with a total score of 4 to 3 to advance.

The Eastern Conference finals between the Heat and the Celtics are expected to be intense. Both teams are known for their tough defenses and very similar styles of play, and the game is expected to be a stalemate. The last time the two sides met in the playoffs was in the 2020 Eastern Conference Finals, when the Heat defeated the Celtics 4-2 to advance to the Finals. However, on the way to qualifying for the playoffs this year, the two opponents, the Eagles and the 76ers, are weaker than the Celtics’ Nets and Bucks. Therefore, the Celtics who have passed the test are more likely to advance.

In the regular season, the third-place Warriors and the second-place Grizzlies did not decide the winner until the sixth game, which surprised many people. This season, under the leadership of rising star Morant, the Grizzlies have brought too many surprises to people, which has also created a beautiful vision for fans. In the first two games, the Grizzlies tied with the Warriors at home, but Morant was injured in the third game, and he did not play again in this round of the series. In the end, the Warriors eliminated the Grizzlies 4-2 without any suspense.

In the second round of the 2021-2022 NBA playoffs, the third-place Warriors in the regular season eliminated the second-place Grizzlies in the Western Conference with a total score of 4-2 to advance to the Western Conference finals. The picture shows Warriors player Draymond Green’s dunk moment. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

The matchup between the fourth Mavericks in the West and the league’s first Suns, the former has not been favored. In terms of strength, the Lone Ranger is at a disadvantage and has no home field advantage. In the first two rounds at the Sun’s home, the Lone Ranger can be said to be a complete defeat, and there is no hope of promotion at all. A lot of people are figuring out how they’re going to be out.

But after two rounds of tests, the Lone Ranger, led by Doncic, gradually adapted to the opponent’s style of play, and at the same time found a way to limit the Sun’s “brain” – Paul, defending his home court three times and dragging the series into The “tiebreaker”.

Although the “tiebreaker” was played on the road, the Lone Ranger players had no ideological burden, and the collective broke out strongly; on the contrary, the performance of the Suns players was completely abnormal. After halftime, the Mavericks had a 30-point lead. After three quarters, the Lone Ranger expanded their advantage to 42 points, making the game lose its suspense early. In the end, the Mavericks eliminated the Suns 4-3.

In the second round of the 2021-2022 NBA playoffs, the fourth-place Lone Ranger in the Western Conference, led by Doncic, eliminated the Suns, who ranked first in the regular season, with a total score of 4-3 after a “tiebreaker”. , into the Western Conference finals. The picture shows Doncic (right) dribbling and breaking through under the defense of veteran Paul. (Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)

Before the start of the Western Conference finals, the Mavericks were again not favored by most people. After two rounds of competition, the Warriors lineup got a good run-in. The young players of the Mavericks also accumulated experience in the first two rounds, especially in this series against the Suns, which made their self-confidence burst. Since the Lone Ranger can limit the offense of the league’s first Sun, they may also cause trouble for the Warriors. It’s too early to underestimate them now.

Responsible editor: Zheng Huang#

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