The Way of Basketball: Never Talk Shit to Him!
Chapter 284 - 172: Cleveland fans can turn off the TV now

Chapter 284: Chapter 172: Cleveland fans can turn off the TV now

The matchups for the first round of the NBA Playoffs in both the Eastern and Western Conferences were set in stone as of April 15.

Besides the first-place Pacers in the Eastern Conference facing off against the eighth-place Cavaliers, the other three series in the Eastern Conference were as follows: The second-place Pistons against the seventh-place Bucks; the third-place Heat versus the sixth-place Bulls; and the fourth-place Wizards versus the fifth-place Brooklyn Nets.

Of course, the biggest attraction was LeBron James entering the playoffs for the first time in his career, only to come up against his "bane," Su Wan.

With Indiana coining the series as "Destiny’s Battle," the media had dubbed it the same.

Su Wan: My goodness, I’ve become the villain!

Before the start of the series, media personalities evaluated the matchup, and except for those from Cleveland, the vast majority thought that Su Wan and the Pacers would be the ones to advance.

Moreover, the predictions were hugely in favor, which really irked the Clevelanders.

80% predicted a sweep of 4-0, and 19% believed it could go to 4-1. After all, you’d expect LeBron and the Cavaliers to explode in at least one game in the series.

Only a few "outstanding" media personalities thought the series would stretch to six games or even go to a "game seven" situation.

Bill Simmons was among them.

This was the hottest matchup in the Eastern Conference.

Over in the Western Conference:

The Mavericks clinched the top spot in the West and were set to face the eighth-place Kings.

The Suns remained in second place, just as they were in the rankings, but this time their opponents were not the Lakers but the Rockets.

McGrady’s performance was shaky after his return and even more so when he aggravated his back injury, leading to intermittent play.

Yao Ming handled the team well in November on his own, but there was a catch:

Stable roster rotations!

McGrady’s sporadic comebacks were a burden for the entire team.

As a result, Yao averaged 25.4 points and 10.6 rebounds, barely leading the Rockets to the seventh spot in the West.

Luckily, he didn’t gain weight last summer because with the team’s circumstances, he might’ve ended the season even sooner.

Now, at least, he managed to play 70 games, facing only minor issues and resting twice, each time for less than a week before returning.

His attendance rate was quite remarkable.

The third seed in the West were the Denver Nuggets, facing off against the sixth-seeded Lakers.

Kobe’s showdown with "Denver’s twin guns" was the fiercest battle in the West.

The fourth-seeded Grizzlies were set to duel with the fifth-seeded Clippers.

For Memphis, it absolutely was a dream year, managing to secure home-court advantage after making the playoffs.

And of course, for the Clippers too, it was a dream year, as they actually made the playoffs.

Interestingly, Jerry West and "Mr. Baylor," both former teammates, retired to become team executives, but while their reputations in team operations were starkly different, they somehow both took their teams to new heights in the same year!

Mr. Baylor: So, you see, execution matters, but it’s still all about fate!

Overall, the Western Conference’s first-round pairings were more intriguing than the Eastern.

But...

The most exciting face-off was still LeBron versus Su Wan.

On April 17, the League announced the "Rookie of the Year" for the season. Chris Paul averaged 16.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 7.8 assists, and 2.2 steals, topping all the stats among the ’05 rookies. With no surprises, he won with a 55.8% vote share, becoming the "Rookie of the Year" for 2006.

Following this award, the first round of the playoffs arrived as scheduled on April 18.

The Indiana Pacers and the Cavaliers kicked things off on the first day.

Barkley quipped with a sense of destiny before the match: "LeBron is set to play the very first playoff game of his career, and while everyone thinks he can’t win, they still hope he can deliver a surprise."

Kenny Smith thought it was an excellent opening if only Barkley wasn’t laughing about it.

Unfortunately, the big guy couldn’t help himself and burst into laughter.

He was firmly on the "Su Wan Sect," even snickering at the thought of media people suggesting LeBron might work a miracle in the playoffs.

What’s a "miracle"?

It’s when something that’s almost impossible actually happens.

That’s a "miracle."

Harsh requirements come with making miracles, something LeBron was thought not to possess.

Even presented with Su Wan and LeBron in front of Barkley, he would think Su Wan had a better chance of pulling off a miracle.

There was someone who made him wholeheartedly convinced and Su Wan would always remind him of that person.

For the Clevelanders, the good news was that tonight, LeBron’s eyes looked fierce and ready for a fight. The way he clenched his fists, blew on his knuckles, and rubbed his hands together at the start made them eager for tonight’s story.

But that anticipation faded in less than a minute into the game.

Big Z struggled to win the initial possession and set up an excellent screen for LeBron, but when LeBron moved past it, Su Wan shifted over, allowing ample space for LeBron’s breakthrough, offering him a clear shooting opportunity.

LeBron...

Passed the ball!

Newell attempted a three-pointer from the wing but missed.

The ball landed in Su Wan’s hands.

Cleveland’s sports commentator despaired: "Why didn’t he shoot!"

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