Anyone’s
predictable image of an NBA Finals rematch between the Oklahoma City Thunder
and Miami Heat mutated into a tempestuous spin of the roulette wheel.
At least on one
half of the postseason bracket.
While the Heat
maintain their standing as favorites in the East, the season-ending injury to
Thunder superstar Russell Westbrook has turned the West into a pretzel.
The Western
Conference is now intertwined with matching levels of talent, and there’s no
clear favorite—except for perhaps the San Antonio Spurs.
As witnessed in
Oklahoma City's ongoing struggle to close out the Houston Rockets, it’s
undeniable that the sheer dominance of the Thunder is now lost.
Some of the
lesser postseason bids have already been dropped, but the Rockets and Boston
Celtics remain alive.
The Kobe Bryant tweet-fest
didn’t last as long as the Los Angeles Lakers’ postseason, but it was far more
entertaining than the team’s sweep to the Spurs. The Milwaukee Bucks also
served as a first-round sacrifice, being swept to the Heat.
With now just 14 teams left standing
in the NBA postseason, and one less superstar, the odds just got a little
better for everyone—except the Thunder.
