Friday, May 1, 2009

The Two NBA Game 7 Series Couldn't Be More Different


We get treated to two Game 7s in the first round of the NBA playoffs. Tonight, the Chicago Bulls and Boston Celtics will settle their amazing series. Tomorrow, the Miami Heat and Atlanta Hawks fight for a spot in the second round.

Other than the fact that (a) both these series are going to distance and (b) both are in the Eastern Conference, there is nothing else similar in these series.

The Bulls-Celtics series has been unbelievable. Five of the six games have gone down to the last possession. Four of the six games have gone to overtime. They've had a total of seven overtime periods in this series. That is more than any other team has had during the entire playoffs in NBA history.

The Hawks-Heat series has lacked any drama. Here are the winning margins of the six games: 26, 15, 29, 10, 15 and 26. There have been some highlight worthy moments in this series, but the lasting image is Josh Smith's botched dunk attempt towards the end of Game 5. Yes, the series itself has been tight, none of the games have been.

Still, all you need is one great Game 7 to make people believe that the series was memorable. If the Hawks and Heat can provide that on Sunday, then it will all be worth it.

As for the Celtics and Bulls, they have given us enough thrills over the last two weeks that we will all remember this series for a very long time. Even if Game 7 is a dud, that won't knock any of the shine off of the first six games.

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