Second Round of the Playoffs, Facing the Indiana Pacers!

Two days later, the first-round playoff picture had become increasingly clear.

The Chicago Bulls once again crushed the Bucks 101:85 on the road, completing a 3:0 sweep and becoming the first team to advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Soon after, the Heat also closed out their series on the road with a 91:85 win, eliminating the Detroit Pistons by the same 3:0 score.

The Western Conference followed the exact same script.

The Lakers handled the Phoenix Suns cleanly in Phoenix, winning 112:99 to advance 3:0.

The Houston Rockets also defeated the Utah Jazz 104:96 in Salt Lake City, completing another 3:0 sweep.

Of the top three teams in each conference, four had already bulldozed their way into the second round, perfectly validating the experts' predictions.

Another day later, the Knicks returned to their home court at Madison Square Garden for Game 3 against the Philadelphia 76ers.

This time, Iverson gave it everything he had and dropped 46 points, but he still could not stop the Knicks' march forward.

The Knicks got contributions from all over the floor and won again, 115:102, sweeping the Philadelphia 76ers 3:0 to advance with their heads held high.

Over the entire series, Li Fei averaged a terrifying 45.3 points, 14.7 rebounds, 11.0 assists, and 6.3 blocks per game while shooting 62%, displaying utter dominance. Iverson, meanwhile, averaged 38.7 points and 6.0 assists per game—a valiant effort despite the loss.

That same day, the San Antonio Spurs also ended their series against the Timberwolves on the road, advancing easily with a 3:0 sweep.

At this point, two second-round playoff matchups had been set.

Eastern Conference: Chicago Bulls vs. Miami Heat. Jordan and Riley—their fated showdown was set to play out once again.

Western Conference: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Houston Rockets. The OK Duo versus the