With the conclusion of the regular season, the fierce fires of the playoffs began to ignite. After the long grind of an 82-game regular season, 30 teams fought for 16 available spots—eight from each conference—allowing the top contenders to emerge and embark on this glorious quest for the Larry O'Brien Trophy.
In the Eastern Conference, the Cleveland Cavaliers leveraged their stellar regular-season performance to march proudly into the playoffs as the number-one seed in the East. They had demonstrated immense dominance throughout the regular season, boasting fierce offensive firepower alongside rock-solid defense. The Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks, Miami Heat, Indiana Pacers, and Philadelphia 76ers advanced directly, with each team gearing up to clash for supremacy in the postseason. Despite experiencing twists and turns during the regular season, the Milwaukee Bucks and Orlando Magic ultimately punched their tickets to the final playoff berth through the play-in tournament, relying on tenacious fighting spirit and exceptional teamwork.
Out in the Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder surged all the way through the regular season to lock down the top spot in the West. Affected by the rotation of key players, the Los Angeles Lakers dropped slightly in the standings, advancing to the playoffs as the third seed in the West. Although the Phoenix Suns, home to Eiji Sawakita, gained little advantage in their matchups against the Lakers, they performed admirably in other …
Chapter 134