The NBA playoffs have entered the second round, and the suspense has increased significantly, and there are still 2 groups of 2-0 at the end of G2, but the teams that are behind can rise up in G3 to win back a city, so it has been determined that no team will be swept in the second round. 4 2-1, foreign media update championship probability: Nuggets 5.1%, Thunder 5.7%, one team as high as 43.8%
5 teams under 10%: Pacers 1.8%, Cavaliers 2.6%, Nuggets 5.1%, Thunder 5.7%, Knicks 6.4%
The Knicks and the Pacers won all three games narrowly, and the winners and losers were not separated until the last few minutes of the game, which also shows that the strength of the two teams is actually quite close. But as the series deepens, the Knicks have fewer and fewer players available, and the main team basically has to play more than 40 minutes, while the core of the Pacers only plays more than 30 minutes, and the longer the series, the more beneficial it will be for the Pacers.
The biggest problem for the Cavaliers is the offense, which is completely dependent on Mitchell's play, and others really struggle to score 20 points, coupled with Allen's absence, they have a very big gap with the Green Army in terms of configuration. The Thunder have lost 2 games in a row to the Mavericks, which also shows that they have found a flaw in the opponent. Maybe the Thunder could create some limits for Doncic, but with the gourd up and the scoop up, Irving and Washington both found opportunities to explode, and the other Thunder scorers didn't step up to help Alexander.
The Nuggets were in G3, almost replicating the G2 of the series, but this time it was the Timberwolves who lost miserably, and the Nuggets finally showed their demeanor as the defending champions, Jokic was close to a triple-double, Murray scored a high score, and Gordon's air cut was also shown, maybe they just didn't adapt to the Timberwolves' defensive intensity at first, and I believe this series will be long.
3 Over 10%: Timberwolves 16.8%, Mavericks 17.9%, Celtics 43.8%
The Timberwolves' opponent is the strongest of the eight teams, so even if they are currently in the lead, there is a lot of suspense. Of course, the Timberwolves have their strengths, their defensive intensity has a chance to improve again, and the depth of the roster is better, the Nuggets' bench is just too poor, the Timberwolves have a physical advantage, and there is also a chance to make changes to the roster.
Doncic is currently suffering from some injuries, so the overall performance in this year's playoffs is not as good as his previous self, but the rest of the Mavericks stepped up, and Irving took on more of the task of attacking with the ball, and scored 8 points on 4-of-4 shooting in the fourth quarter, which is very difficult in a game where the score is not high. Washington, on the other hand, scored 20 points in the first three quarters to fill the void of Doncic's lack of points. With Doncic not exploding, the Mavericks were able to take the lead, and they did have a better chance of qualifying.
Finally, there are the Celtics, who ESPN named the favorites to win the championship, which is obvious, because Tatum can't always play poorly, and he found his superstar level in G3. The other teams in the East are difficult to pose a threat to the Green Army, and they even conceded Porzingis, and entered the Finals, and the Green Army still has home court advantage.