Chapter 728: The second-round matchups were set, and everyone awaited the Flying Man versus the Answer
The Knicks completed their first-round sweep and officially advanced to the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Meanwhile, the remaining first-round playoff games across the United States came to a close.
Every playoff battle in the Eastern and Western Conferences had reached its final outcome.
The entire NBA quickly shifted its attention from the first-round battles to the second-round matchups.
The Western Conference had always been wild, and several first-round series had delivered fierce battles and relentless suspense.
The Los Angeles Lakers boasted a Big Three of Kobe, O'Neal, and Glen Rice.
Against the Sacramento Kings, led by Webber, they maintained complete control throughout.
The OK Duo overwhelmed opponents inside and out, supported by accurate perimeter shooting, and dominated both ends of the floor.
The Kings lacked depth, and despite fighting hard to rally, they ultimately could not turn things around.
In the end, the Lakers comfortably eliminated the Kings 4–1 and stormed into the Western Conference Semifinals.
Another marquee Western Conference matchup pitted the Trail Blazers against the Timberwolves, led by Kevin Garnett.
Garnett, the Wolf King, gave everything he had, shouldering both offense and defense and proving his superstar worth.
But the Timberwolves had an unbalanced roster, little scoring from their role players, and almost no margin for error.
The Trail Blazers were balanced on both ends, rotated faster, and had a more mature tactical system.
After five fiercely contested games, the Trail Blazers eliminated the Timberwolves 4–1 to secure their place in the next round.
Unlike the Lakers and Trail Blazers, who advanced comfortably, the San Antonio Spurs and Phoenix Suns were gripped by extreme anxiety.
The veteran powerhouse Spurs had a mature team-basketball system and the toughest defense in the Western Conference.
But