NBA Playoffs Full Of Firsts, And For Sixth Straight Year, New Champ Will Be Crowned

Well, it’s about to get crazy again. For the sixth straight, the NBA will have a new champion.

That’s because the Minnesota Timberwolves rallied from a 15-point halftime deficit to stun the defending champion Denver Nuggets in Game 7 on Sunday — setting up an entirely new Final Four.

The Timberwolves advance to face the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference finals. The Mavericks didn’t even make the playoffs last season.

Meanwhile, in the East, it’s the Boston Celtics vs. the Indiana Pacers, who shocked the New York Knicks in Game 7 on the road. The Pacers didn’t even make the playoffs last season.

By the way, Sunday, May 19, also marked the first time in NBA history that two teams won a Game 7 on the road on the same day.

How’s that for a banner day?

The Timberwolves also are now the first team ever to overcome a deficit of at least 15 points to win a Game 7.

In these playoffs, you won’t see names such as LeBron James or Kevin Durant or Stephen Curry. James and Durant bombed in the first round; Curry didn’t even make it.

Instead, the likes of Boston’s Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton and Myles Turner, Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns, and yes, Dallas’ Luka Doncic … all will be seeking their first ring.

Who’s the favorite?

Many will tell you the Celtics. But hey, these are the NBA playoffs, and for the sixth straight time, yes, there will be a new champ. That hasn’t happened since 1974-79, back before the league became dominated by Magic Johnson and Larry Bird in the 1980s, and Michael Jordan in the 1990s.

This era has been very similar to the 1970s in that sense. It’s incredibly difficult to predict. You can try, but you probably won’t be right. Barely any of us are so far.

But that is what makes today’s NBA so cool to anyone who cares about its history and firsts.