Just as Warriors fans were clamoring that Link had only repeated as Defensive Player of the Year because of luck, and that Curry was certain to win the Most Valuable Player Award, the Grizzlies' second-round opponent was officially decided.
On May 2, the Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 111-100 on the road, eliminating them 4-3 and successfully advancing to the second round.
At first glance, it looked like an ordinary result. And since the Trail Blazers had struggled so hard in the first round, they surely would not be a match for the Grizzlies.
But in reality, everyone was discussing the possibility of the Trail Blazers continuing their miracle run!
The Trail Blazers' 4-3 elimination of the Clippers was nowhere near as simple as it appeared. That series made Portland the ninth team in NBA history to come back from a 1-3 deficit and win a series!
That was right. The Trail Blazers had once trailed the Clippers 1-3, but they had not given up. Instead, the entire team erupted and forcibly clawed their way back into the series.
That was why they were called "the team that took a trip through hell and came back."
On paper, the Trail Blazers were certainly not as strong as the Grizzlies. But with such a 1-3 comeback right in front of them, nobody knew what Portland might be capable of.
And after experiencing "death" once, they would surely deliver an even fiercer performance.
Many believed that the Trail Blazers might just pull off upset after upset all the way through this year! The strength of this "dark horse" might even prove too much for the Grizzlies to handle.
In short, a series that should have held no suspense had now become one of intense interest.
People all wanted to