Chapter 770: First in the Alliance!
Time came to April 12, and the 2017~2018 NBA season regular season officially came to an end.
After more than 6 months and 82 regular season battles, the East and West regular season rankings were finally confirmed.
In the West, the first place is the Rockets, after getting Paul, Gordon, and Gerald Green one after another, they played an incredible season, and finally finished first in the West with a 60-22 record ahead of the Warriors.
The Warriors have not won more than 60 games in their first season since Kerr's coaching, "only" 58-24, injuries, mentality, and form are all impacting the defending champions, and from the performance point of view, their championship is even less sure than last year.
The Trail Blazers fought back after the All-Star break, winning 49 wins in a wave of chaos and ranking third in the West, and the two guns continued to stir up trouble in the West.
The Thunder's Westbrook continued to average triple-doubles per game, and new signings such as Oladipo and Sabonis also improved significantly from last season, and their record was finally fixed at 48 wins, ranking fourth in the West.
The Spurs' Leonard has been in injury condition and the team was lackluster in the second half, but with the advantage of the first half of the game, they still managed to win 47 and sit fifth in the West.
The Pelicans' Cousins were out for the season, but Davis played well, and with Jrue Holiday growing, they finished sixth with 46 wins.
The Jazz continued to play team basketball under head coach Schneider, and Hood averaged 20 points per game to finish seventh in the West with 45 wins.
The Clippers traded Paul and Griffin in quick succession and were originally determined to miss the playoffs, but head coach Doug Rivers led the team to a stellar second half that led them to a thrilling 44-win record.
The Nuggets won 43 games, failed to grab the position in the last minute, and unfortunately missed the playoffs.
The playoffs in the West are also out of the box, with the Rockets taking on the Clippers, the Jazz taking on the Warriors, the Trail Blazers and the Pelicans, and the Thunder and Spurs meeting each other.
It was a scuffle, but if nothing else, the West ended up being a team from the Warriors and the Rockets.
In previous years, the west was strong and the east was weak, but this year the east is not bad.
The Nets' record was finally fixed at 61-21, which also surpassed the Rockets and became the first record in the league.
On paper, it's not at all surprising that the Nets have played such a record.
Several cores have basically played characteristics.
Irving played in 52 games, averaging 20.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.1 steals per game, shooting 50.2% from the field and 41% from three-point range, including a career-high three-point shooting percentage.
George played in 82 games, averaging 18.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2 steals per game, shooting 47% from the field and 41.6% from three-point range, including career highs in steals and three-point shooting.
Butler played in 82 games, averaging 15.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.7 steals per game, shooting 50% from the field and 37% from three-point range, including a career-high shooting percentage.
Jokic played in 82 games, averaging 13.3 points, 11.4 rebounds and 7.6 assists per game, shooting 53% from the field and 39.9% from three-point range, of which assists and three-point shooting percentage both set a new career high.
Mitchell played in 82 games off the bench, averaging 14.6 points and 2.3 assists per game, shooting 46 percent from the field and 35 percent from three-point range, and he was the Nets' most consistent scorer off the bench.
The Celtics are second in the East with 58 wins, Stevens has created a new offensive and defensive system for the team, and the players have found their right place in the system, and Hayward is averaging 25 points per game.
The Cavaliers are third in the East with 55 wins, and despite the turmoil, they remain a force to be reckoned with in the East as long as James is around.
The Raptors are also 55 wins, but they are behind the Cavaliers because of the win-loss relationship.
The 76ers are fifth in the East with 52 wins, and after Embiid's return this season, the team's performance has exceeded most expectations.
The Pacers are sixth in the East with 47 wins, and Booker's season stats are fixed at 25.1 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists.
Because of his excellent performance, team owner Hirber Simon has announced that the team will extend his contract with him this summer.
The Heat, who are seventh in the East with 44 wins, have had their ups and downs, but Spoelstra's ability to lead the team has proven once again.
The Bucks are eighth in the East with a 43-win record, and the team's progress is obvious to all, and the team also traded Bledsoe in the summer to fire the bag-obsessed Kidd, but the team still feels like something is missing.
The eastern matchup was also announced.
The Nets will face the Bucks in the first round, the Celtics will face the Heat, the Cavaliers will play the Pacers, and the Raptors and 76ers will compete for a second-round spot.
Tang Tian and the Nets are aiming for a championship, but the playoffs are full of uncertainty, so they won't take any opponent lightly.
After trading Brogdon to the Bucks after the All-Star break, the team's lineup is not much different from the previous life, the core is Brother Alphabet, and the key to winning the series is whether he can limit his play.
"Just keep a normal mind and play normally."
This is what Tang Tian said the most to the players before the series began.
Brother Alphabet has improved rapidly and has the meaning of becoming the second star in the East, but the biggest difference between him and James is that he now has obvious technical shortcomings, and his inconsistent projection makes him look like a "young Zhan" at best.
And for the Nets, there are two top defensive forwards in George and Butler, and it is not easy for Brother Alphabet to play.
Two days after the end of the regular season, the playoffs officially kicked off.
The Warriors and Trail Blazers in the West are leading the way.
The Warriors had some twists and turns in the regular season, but the four-star lineup was there, and the Jazz didn't cause them much trouble, winning 111-85 in the opener.
The game between the Trail Blazers and the Pelicans came as a bit of a surprise, as the Pelicans played a defensive game that allowed them to narrow out an 89-86 win over the Trail Blazers and take their first win.
In the game, Gentry's two-gun clamping effect on the Trail Blazers' backcourt was obvious, and the biggest gap between Lillard and Curry was their ability to handle the ball.
The Eastern Nets and Bucks, Raptors and 76ers games also started soon.
The Nets sit at home to take on the Bucks.
The Bucks were unusually low-key, and key players, including Antetokounmpo, declined interviews before the game.
You can also see their attitude towards the game, no matter how different the quality is, they will definitely give it their all in the game.