Thunder Pacers’ peak showdown! The new MVP hits the Grand Slam, can the civilian team create another miracle?

This season, the NBA war has reached the division finals, and many teams that were regarded as favorites to win the championship before the game have failed. In the Western Conference field, the Thunder suppressed the Timberwolves 3-1 with a big score and made great strides towards the Western Conference Championship trophy. The prediction data of US media "BR" is even more eye-catching. The probability of the Thunder winning the championship is as high as 92.4%, crushing the Timberwolves like a huge rock and a pitiful 3.1% of the two Eastern teams, respectively, occupying a unique position in the popular list of championships. After Alexander won the MVP trophy, he caused considerable controversy over the harsh criterion he enjoyed. However, the biggest highlight of this star is that he always maintains a stable output on the offensive end. From averaging 27.8 points per game in the first round, to averaging 29.7 points per game in the second round, to averaging 30.8 points per game in the first four games of the Western Conference Finals, his performance was like a splash of sesame seeds - rising steadily. With this trend, he really has the opportunity to launch an attack on the Grand Slam honor this season and write his own legendary chapter.

Turning his eyes to the east, the showdown between the Pacers and the Knicks seems to be slightly inferior in terms of value. Throughout the season, most people felt that the peak showdown in the Eastern Conference should be between the Cavaliers and the Celtics, but both teams were ruthlessly dragged down by injuries. In the playoffs, the Cavaliers can only rely on Mitchell to support themselves; as the champion of last season, the Celtics' strength has dropped sharply this season, especially after Tatum suffered a serious injury from a ruptured Achilles tendon, the team faces the dilemma of demolishing the team and rebuilding this summer. The Knicks seemed to have taken the "bonus" of the Celtics' injury. In the past two seasons, they were only in the second round of the playoffs, but this season unexpectedly entered the Eastern Conference Finals. However, due to Thibodeau's employing strategy, the Knicks' starting players were already exhausted. The On-Off values ​​of several giants such as Bridges, Anunobi, and Towns were all negative, and the team's condition was at the end of their strength.

, and the Pacers are full of fun and surprises. It is no exaggeration to say that it is the best and most stable overall team in the playoffs. In the first round, they easily defeated the Bucks with a score of 4-1, and in the second round, they eliminated the Cavaliers, the No. 1 in the Eastern Conference in the regular season with the same score. They also led 2-1 with a big score in the first three games of the Eastern Conference Finals. There are two interesting numbers. They only lost 2 games in the first two rounds. In the first round of G3, they unexpectedly lost to the Bucks by 16 points; in the second round of G3, they unexpectedly lost to the Cavaliers by a huge difference of 22 points; when they reached G3 in the Eastern Conference Final, they "magically" defeated the Knicks with 6 points. But what makes this team terrible is its strong adjustment ability! After losing to the Bucks in the first round, they rebounded strongly with a 26-point victory and started a four-game winning streak, and even completed a counterattack in both home courts of the Cavaliers; after losing to the Cavaliers in the second round, they also quickly regained their momentum with a 20-point victory, starting a four-game winning streak again, and also achieved a counterattack in both home courts of the Knicks. In the words of the ESPN column, the Pacers are an absolutely popular team, but they are constantly creating miracles.

Their core Halliburton has not even been selected for the All-Star this season, and has only been selected for the All-Squad three teams. But in such a team, there are 4 players who averaged more than 15 points per game in the playoffs, and the highest is Sika averaged 20 points per game. In addition, there are 8 players who scored more than 8 points per game, and the scoring points are distributed very evenly, and they have truly achieved multiple points and the whole nation is a soldier. On this basis, the young Halliburton has become the most dominant superstar in the critical moments of the playoffs. In the Bucks series G5, he led the team to complete a 20-point reversal and defeated the opponent with a layup; in the Cavaliers G2, Halliburton once again led the team to complete a major reversal, and then scored 1 of 2 free throws in the last moment and grabbed a rebound, followed by a three-pointer to end the Cavaliers in a theoretical perfect way; including G1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, he hit two points in the buzzer-beating team at the last moment, completely defeating the confidence of the Knicks players and leading the team to complete a 17-point reversal through overtime. Previously, Halliburton was named the most overrated player of the season by NBA players, but his unique trait is that he can not only connect teammates on the court and drive the offensive rhythm of the entire team, but also stand up and turn the tide at critical moments, just like a super enhanced version of Harden. Moreover, Halliburton is only 25 years old. Since introducing super key ball statistics in the NBA (in the last 90 seconds, he helped the team to equalize or lead), he made 5 6 shots and tied for the first place in history with James!

Even the US media couldn't help but sigh that Halliburton is one of the few non-sale products in this league, and is at the same level as Alexander and Edwards. He led the team to the Eastern Conference Finals for two consecutive years. Although his average of 18.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 9.4 assists per game in the playoffs is not as good as Alexander, Edwards and others, Halliburton is more like a real playoff MVP. His playoff On-Off value reached +15.5. Simply put, as long as Halliburton is on the court, he can win points if he leads any lineup (the Pacers only win 4.5 points in 100 rounds in the playoffs)! Of course, Sika's stable output, Turner's excellent frame protection and cake-eating ending ability are also indelible. Turner has been on the trading shelves for the past five years, but his dominance has become stronger and stronger, and now he has become a non-sale product for Pacers. There are also the occasional masterpieces of Nesmith and Nemhard, as well as the substitute engine McConnell leading the team to continue the offensive firepower. The success of this team is indispensable to every player.

Judging from the current situation, there is basically no big suspense in the Eastern Conference Final. The Pacers have a strong lineup depth of 10-man rotation, and their ability to adjust after losing is first-class. It is only a matter of time before the Knicks are eliminated. As for the finals, the biggest probability is the showdown between the Thunder and the Pacers. Although the Thunder's overall strength is very strong and Alexander is the first in the new class this season, the Pacers are a team that can always surprise fans. It is not terrible to be underestimated and despised. What is important is that they can fight back with practical actions through wonderful games and win back the respect of everyone!