By Jeph Duarte | Pounding The Rock (PtR), 2025-04-28 19:00:00
由生成式人工智能翻译，译文内容可能不准确或不完整，以原文为准。
十五支球队仍在争夺拉里·奥布莱恩杯
孟菲斯灰熊队已经从季后赛中淘汰，剩下十五支球队怀揣着夺冠的希望。
在这十五支球队中，有三种对决应该能激起任何篮球迷的兴趣，让他们一直关注到最后一刻。
金州勇士队 vs. 迈阿密热火队
热火队很可能要提前开始休假了，最早可能就在今晚。但是，如果热火队能够成为自2004年波士顿红袜队以来，四大体育联盟中第一支完成0-3落后逆转的球队，那么他们将保持着2020年和2023年一路杀入总决赛的“ underdog”状态。
自2011年以来，除了两次（2021年和2024年），每届NBA总决赛都有迈阿密热火队或金州勇士队的身影。
如果（这是一个很大的“如果”）热火队能够避免被淘汰，并与金州勇士队会师总决赛，这将是他们作为对手的首次总决赛。
此外，这场对决还将 吉米·巴特勒(Jimmy Butler) 放在了曾经被他拒绝，并声称不够优秀的球队面前。
可能性极低，但一个值得玩味的假设。
与勇士队/热火队一样，森林狼队和尼克斯队的总决赛对决，也涉及到了为了给各自球队带来更好成功机会而被交易的球员。明尼苏达队vs.纽约队，将进行终极考验。
还有什么比击败把你送走的球队更好的复仇方式呢？
2016年维拉诺瓦野猫队 NCAA冠军球队的四名成员最终都在尼克斯队效力。 杰伦·布伦森(Jalen Brunson) 和 乔希·哈特(Josh Hart) 在2023-2024赛季与 唐特·迪温琴佐(Donte DiVincenzo) 一起效力于尼克斯队。 米卡尔·布里奇斯(Mikal Bridges) 于7月6日被交易到纽约。从那时到10月2日，这四名前队友计划一起比赛。
最终，迪温琴佐被交易到明尼苏达队，只剩下三名前野猫队成员在一起。
这次重聚在“疯狂三月”的广告中被戏仿：
将迪温琴佐、 朱利叶斯·兰德尔(Julius Randle) 和 凯塔·贝茨-迪奥普(Keita Bates-Diop) 送到明尼苏达的交易，也将 卡尔-安东尼·唐斯(Karl-Anthony Towns) 送到了纽约。
尼克斯队今年的胜场比去年多了一场，而森林狼队的胜场比上赛季少了七场。
虽然一支六号种子和一支三号种子的总决赛可能不是最有可能的，但它产生的几率比前面提到的热火队/勇士队的对决要高。
两队之间的总决赛竞争将解决未完成的恩怨。
是的，这可能是最明显也是最不令人感兴趣的，但凯尔特人队和湖人队的总决赛对决符合几个条件。
首先，只能有一个赢家，这意味着其中一个球队将夺得他们的第十九个总冠军，至少获得一年的炫耀资本。两队目前都以十八个总冠军并列联盟第一。
其次，它将卫冕冠军放在了本世代最伟大的球员之一的面前。凯尔特人队在2022年输给了金州勇士队。他们在2023年东部决赛中遭遇了惨败，输给了通过附加赛晋级的迈阿密热火队。
在现代NBA中，背靠背夺冠很难。凯尔特人队很可能要与 克利夫兰骑士队 展开激烈的战斗才能进入总决赛。到总决赛开始时，他们将会非常疲惫。
勒布朗·詹姆斯(LeBron James) 上周五的38分表现不仅凸显了他的耐用性，也凸显了他巨大的天赋。而赛季末 卢卡·东契奇(Luka Dončić) 的加入只会提升湖人队的实力。
如果经验胜过年轻和活力，那么这种二号种子/三号种子的对决可能会发生。湖人队和凯尔特人队上次在总决赛中相遇是在2010年。
点击查看原文：Open Thread: Three interesting Finals matchup possibilities
Open Thread: Three interesting Finals matchup possibilities
Fifteen teams still vying for the Larry O’Brien
The Memphis Grizzlies have been eliminated from the playoffs, leaving fifteen teams with hopes of nabbing themselves and championship.
Of those fifteen teams, there are three matchups that should pique any basketball fan’s interest and keep them watching through to the final buzzer.
Golden State Warriors vs. Miami Heat
The Heat are most likely to be sent on vacation, as early as tonight. But if the Heat can be the first team from the four major sports since the 2004 Boston Red Sox to pull off a comeback from 0-3, then they’d maintain that underdog status that carried them into the Finals in 2020 and again in 2023.
Since 2011, every NBA Finals sans two (2021 and 2024) have featured either the Miami Heat or the Golden State Warriors.
If (and it is a big IF) the Heat were to stave off elimination and face the Golden State Warriors, it’d be their first Finals as opponents.
In addition, this matchup pits Jimmy Butler against the team he shunned and said was not good enough.
Highly unlikely, but an interesting consideration.
Minnesota Timberwolves vs. New York Knicks
Like The Warriors/Heat, a Finals featuring the Minnesota Timberwolves and New York Knicks also pits players who were traded to give their respective teams a better opportunity for success. Minnesota vs. New York puts it to the ultimate test.
What better grudge match than knocking out the team that sent you packing.
Four members of the Villanova Wildcats 2016 NCAA Championship team all ended up playing on the Knicks. Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart were there with Donte DiVincenzo in 2023-2024. Mikal Bridges was traded to New York July 6. From then until to October 2, the four former teammates were slated to play together.
Ultimately, DivIncenzo was traded to Minnesota leaving just three of the former Wildcats together.
The reunion was parodied in a March Madness spot:
The trade that sent DiVincenzo, Julius Randle, and Keita Bates-Diop to Minnesota also sent Karl-Anthony Towns to New York.
The Knicks won one more game this year than last, while the Timberwolves won seven less games than last season.
While a Finals featuring a six seed and a three seed may not be the most likely, but it yields better odds than the aforementioned Heat/Warriors matchup.
A Finals competition between the two settles unfinished business.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Boston Celtics
Yes, this may be the most obvious and least interesting, but a Finals matchup between the Celtics and Lakers checks a few boxes.
For one, there can only be one winner, meaning that one franchise will capture their nineteenth title, giving bragging rights for at least one year. Both currently lead the league with eighteen titles apiece.
Two, it pits the reigning champions against one of the greatest players of this generation. The Celtics lost to the Golden State Warriors in 2022. They were embarrassed in 2023 Eastern Conference Finals losing at the hands of the play-in tournament Miami Heat.
Back-to-back title runs in the modern NBA is hard. The Celtics will most likely face a slugfest with the Cleveland Cavaliers to make it to the Finals. They will be well worn by the time the Finals start.
LeBron James’ 38-point game last Friday not only underscores his durability, but his immense talent. And the late season addition of Doncic only elevated the Lakers.
If experience outweighs youth and vigor, this 2nd seed/3rd seed matchup could happen. The last time the Lakers and Celtics met in the Finals was 2010.
By Jeph Duarte, via Pounding The Rock
