Barkley watched the Magic Team mbers embracing each other, and LeBron, who stood at the sideline with his head down and hands on his hips, occasionally glancing around, lowering his head imdiately when he noticed a cara facing him, pretending to mourn, and said:
"Let us congratulate the Magic Team for making it back to the Eastern Conference Finals after 14 years!"
"Also worth ntioning, this is the first ti LeBron has been defeated by a team other than Su Wan and the Pacers since entering the NBA!"
In 2006, LeBron and the Cavaliers made their first playoff appearance, facing Su Wan and the Pacers, and were swept in the first round.
In 2007, the Cavaliers defeated the Pistons in the semifinals under Shaquille’s burst performance and entered the Eastern Conference Finals, only to be swept again.
In 2008, last season, the Cavaliers faced the Pacers in the playoffs for the third consecutive year, again in the first round. The difference was...the Cavaliers were the better team, ranking third in the Eastern Conference while the Pacers ranked sixth.
But the result was the Pacers "overcoming the superior," sweeping the Cavaliers once more.
Over the past three years, LeBron had faced Su Wan three tis in the playoffs and hadn’t won a single ga, recording an embarrassing 0 wins and 12 losses.
Now, the second person to defeat LeBron in the playoffs was born, also from the ’04 class, like him entering the draft straight from high school, and also successfully becoming the top pick, Dwight Howard!
After the ga, countless praises went to "Magic."
Before this ga, Howard’s reputation value was much lower than LeBron Jas’s.
Even though the title "Chosen One" had been tainted by Su Wan, by consistently performing explosively against other teams and holding the advantage of "statistical dominance," LeBron had barely maintained his Superstar status.
Adding to that, this season, leading the "Civilian Cavaliers" to the best regular season record of his career, LeBron Jas was now one of the top contenders for the "Regular Season MVP."
However, now, all that had done was set the stage for Howard.
After this ga, from the volu of dia coverage and various comntators’ praises, it was clear, after this ga, Howard had officially beco the League’s new five-spot "face." This 4-1 series victory over LeBron was his "doorway" to the next level of stardom.
From now on, like Su Wan, he is one of only two people in the league to have knocked out LeBron Jas in the playoffs!
Orlando dia was jubilant, but now was not yet the ti to celebrate wildly...
After eliminating the Cavaliers 4-1, another Eastern Conference semifinal matchup, Pacers vs. Celtics, had reached its most critical ga.
Currently, the Pacers led the Celtics 3-0, already at match point.
Kevin Garnett’s injury had Paul Pierce feeling the "besieged from all sides" isolation that Su Wan felt last season.
Though he still had Ray Allen by his side.
But without Kevin Garnett, the team lacked soone to consistently pressure the inside.
Perkins, who usually basked in Garnett’s reflected glory, was now exposed without him, his presence on offense even less than that of a ball boy on the sidelines.
Rajon Rondo’s shooting ability was magnified as the Celtics lacked sufficient shooting options.
The Pacers could boldly expand their entire defensive structure and block the Celtics’ outside shooting.
Ray Allen’s space to operate was severely constricted.
As for Paul Pierce, he felt as if he had returned to the season before last, with no Ray Allen or Kevin Garnett by his side, the pressure to score was one aspect, but the key was seeing no chance of winning.
In the three losses they had suffered, the closest ga they lost by 21 points, and the worst, by more than 30 points!
Now he realized why there was no reaction from the outside when only Ray Allen announced he was joining Boston.
The two of them on one team couldn’t completely change the team’s combat effectiveness; Kevin Garnett was the key person...
Eventually, the fourth ga was no surprise, the Pacers won easily on the Celtics’ ho court, 119 to 90, by 29 points.
The arena was eerily silent.
Last season, in this sa arena.
The Boston people watched their players relentlessly harassing Su Wan, not giving him a mont’s relief, ultimately securing the victory in the "do-or-die seventh ga" and progressing smoothly into the finals.
And now, the court still saw people being aggressively pursued, but this ti, it was Paul Pierce, not Su Wan.
However, their "Truth" was clearly not like Su Wan from last season, who, despite intense defense, kept responding unbelievably.
He was severely restricted, and the ga’s outco had lost suspense early on.
4-0!
Su Wan watched the mass exodus of Celtics fans and made a waving goodbye gesture.
He had completed his "sweeping" revenge on the Celtics.
Now, only two playoff rounds stood between him and the championship.
In theory, between the Magic Team and the Pacers, the dia’s spotlight should be on Su Wan and Howard.
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