The Sixers were headed out strong... Or at least they thought so. Fact is, it seems they didn't have all the pieces to go all the way.
pIt all started with a devastating opening night. Despite a steady lead during the first half, they couldn't manage to stay on float. When the game ended, the 76ers had lost to the Pheonix Suns by 21 points.
There were, yes, some happy moments for the team during the season. For example, a 5 game winning streak or maybe even their All-Star weekend invitees. But it all went downhill from there...
Trades:
Notable Declined Trade Proposals:
Team Invitees:
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The Rookie Challenge
Thaddeus Young defied all odds and became the Player of the Game of this year's All-Star Rookie Challenge.
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Slam Dunk Contest:
Carney also defied all odds by proving that he was the king of the kings of dunking in the NBA. He stepped onto the court and showed us some emphatic slam dunks!
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Not A Happy Ending!
When the end of the season came, the 76ers's hopes of flying high were totally ruined. The team ended with the second worst record in its conference and 34th in the entire league. Expect some changes to be made for this franchise. Maybe some big changes...
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The Playoffs:
These playoffs were full of excitement, glory, resentment, and, oh yeah, sweeps. These playoffs will be remembered forever. The Boston Celtics completed a great turnaround that, while not breaking any records or achieving the biggest one in history, led them directly to an NBA Finals series that will be remembered for years to come. During this article, we will point out some of the highlights from these playoffs.
1. Sweeps and near-sweeps that earned these playoffs a special name: The SweepFest, as fans liked to call it. There seemed to be an invasion of sweeps, as 5 of the series ended 4-0, while 3 more ended 4-1. There were only three seven-game series, and four six-game series! Sweeps composed more than half of the entire playoffs!
2. The surprising Clippers! After a losing record last season, the Clippers rose to the occasion this season, landing the fourth berth in the playoffs this season. Unfortunately for them, they were swept by the Spurs in the first round.
3. Toronto fought until the end. Even though they lost their first round series to the second place Celtics in 6 games, the Raptors fought like never before. Down by 3-0 during the first three games, the Raptors played their best the next two games in order to extend the series to a sixth game. The Celtics massacred them in that game.
4. Dallas, Dallas, Dallas! The Mavericks went through some tough times throughout these playoffs. Even though they beat the Rockets during the first round in just five games, the rest of their series all came down to a game 7. They managed to sneak out of San Antonio, and out of Pheonix in order to make it to the Finals once again, but another game 7 awaited them there too. The strength and determination of the Mavericks in order to get to the Finals once again after 2006, when they lost the the Heat in 6, will be remembered forever. In fact, the Dallas Mavericks made an appearance in all of the seven game series in the playoffs.
5. The Finals! Because of their extreme excitement and suspense, the Finals series earned itself our yearly Series of the Playoffs!
The NBA Finals
This year's NBA Finals were spectacular. The Mavericks made it once again after two tiring series, while the Celtics came freshly off of a six game series and a great comeback. Down 2-0 to the Heat, the Celtics made a comback to win the series in 6. During the first two games of the Finals, the Celtics won by close margins of 8 and 9. In Game three, the Mavericks saw what was going on and went in to win. Game four proved to be a critical game. If the Celtics won, they would be up 3-2. If the Mavericks won, the series would be tied. Just as the Celtics seemed to grasp the win, up by 8, the Mavericks made an 8-0 run to tie the game with seconds remaining. Ray Allen of the Boston Celtics put up a two pointer that seemed to go in... But didn't. Overtime became a slaughter from the Mavericks, as the next game proved to be as well. Up 3-2, the Mavericks were prepared to win at Boston. But it didn't happen. The Celtics won in a nail-biter that took the series back to Dallas. In a game seven that will long be remembered, three things happened: The Celtics made another great comeback, the Mavericks lost another Finals in three years, and, oh yeah, the Celtics won their first Championship in 22 years. It seems there is a new Celtics dynasty in site, one that does not go by the name of Larry Bird, or Bill Russell, but by the name of "The Dynamic Duo". "I sure would've hoped that we could be called the Big Three when we won the Championship, but I guess not all dreams can come true", said Finals MVP Kevin Garnett referring to the trade deal during the season that sent Paul Pierce to the Hawks.
The Dynamic Duo celebrates after winning the team's 17th title.
Finals MVP: Kevin Garnett (23.8 PPG)
Team Record: 49-33
Playoffs Record: 16-8
Team List:
P. Brown
K. Garnett
J. Johnson (traded for)
R. Allen
J. Posey
S. Cassell
E. House
P. Sow (signed)
R. Rondo
L. Powe
K. Brown (traded for)
S. Pollard
