After the Pelicans and Lakers game ended.
The results of all the first-round matchups this season were in.
Looking at the results,
aside from the Western Conference first-place Pelicans, who had "unexpectedly" fallen apart, every other matchup had been won by a team from the upper half of the bracket.
This showed that the dominance these strong teams had displayed during the Regular season was no fluke...
And after the first batch of matchups wrapped up, the action didn't slow down. If anything, it only grew more intense.
April 19.
The fierce battles continued.
Throngs of excited fans streamed into arenas, then streamed back out.
Some left filled with joy and excitement, while others could only head home with regret weighing on their hearts.
As night deepened, four matchups came to a close.
The results of the eight teams' G2 games were in.
The Cavaliers-Heat series was, unsurprisingly, tied at 1–1.
Miami was, after all, a cut above Cleveland.
<Otherwise, why had Old Zhang elbowed him back then?>~~
Ahem...
After their disappointing loss in G1, the Heat players quickly rallied, found their rhythm again, and put on a terrific performance. On Cleveland's home court, they eked out a 118–113 win and tied the series at 1–1.
And after that, they had two home games coming up.
From that perspective, Cleveland's prospects weren't looking too bright.
Meanwhile, the Nuggets-Suns game was even less suspenseful.
Once Phoenix's shooting cooled off, they got a full taste of what Nikola Jokic could do at his peak.
An FMVP won over the Thunder and Nets couldn't possibly be a fluke.
Jokic racked up 29 points, 15 rebounds, and 11 assists in the game. His monster triple-double led his team to another solid win, putting them up 2–0 in the series.
And with Jokic taking off,