Our two most recent NBA champions held serve in their series, showing continued dominance for the modern era of the NBA. But we also saw that the gap between teams is closer than it might appear, as we lost both a 2 seed and a 1 seed in the first set of games.
In the Round of 64 the way I'd shuffled series it was set up so that no matchups for the next round would be determined in the first half. The shuffle didn't work out that way this time, but that's okay as if this were happening in reality games would be going on at the same time and we may have some matchups determined sooner than others.
The up to date bracket, scores, and results from Group Play can be found here. All simulations are provided by WhatIfSports.com. Let's get to it!
(4) 2011 Dallas Mavericks vs (1) 1997 Chicago Bulls
Game 1: @ '97 CHI 101, '11 DAL 100
Michael Jordan threw down a dunk on the game's opening possession, but they couldn't get stops on the other end as Dallas went on an 11-0 run immediately following. The Mavs would push the lead to a dozen just five minutes into the game and silenced the Chicago crowd. The lead got as high as 15 late in the period, but the Bulls had managed to claw within eight by quarter's end. Dallas would lead by as many as a dozen in the second before the Bulls staged a late comeback, getting within four in the closing seconds. But DeShawn Stevenson hit a three at the halftime buzzer to put the Mavericks up seven, and they doubled that lead less than four minutes into the third. The Bulls couldn't cut permanently into that lead until late, when a mini 5-0 run over the final 42 seconds of the period got Chicago back within single digits going to the fourth. The Mavs would keep that pace over the first few minutes of the frame, but a 7-0 Chicago run got them within two with just five minutes to go. Even with that, Dallas was able to stay ahead, with Shawn Marion's layup giving Dallas a 100-97 lead with two and a half minutes to play. But Michael Jordan got a bucket on the next trip down, and Chicago's defense went into lockdown mode, getting four consecutive stops before Jordan finally broke through, hitting a floater with five seconds left to give the Bulls their first lead since 2-0. But the Mavs still had time, and Dirk Nowitzki was able to get off a three at the buzzer, but it came up short and the Bulls escape with the home win.
Michael Jordan ('97 CHI): 35 pts, 6 reb, 4 ast, 4 stl
Scottie Pippen ('97 CHI): 25 pts, 11 reb, 7 ast
Dirk Nowitzki ('11 DAL): 22 pts, 5 reb, 5 ast
Game 2: @ '97 CHI 125, '11 DAL 102
After Dallas grabbed an early lead in this one, the Bulls went on a 12-2 run to grab a lead much earlier in this one than they did in Game 1 aside from that early 2-0 lead. Chicago would lead by as many as a dozen before taking a 30-20 lead to the second quarter. The Bulls' bench helped hold the line to open the second, and that continued well into the period as they pushed the margin as high as 15 midway through, and used a 10-2 run late in the half to go to intermission up 17. Dallas got a strong start to open the second half though, and just three minutes in had trimmed it back to single digits, but they couldn't maintain the momentum, and the Bulls pushed the margin back out to 18 by the end of the third. An 8-0 Chicago run midway through the fourth got the lead up past 20, and the Bulls were able to cruise to a comfortable Game 2 win.
Michael Jordan ('97 CHI): 35 pts, 7 reb, 5 ast
Scottie Pippen ('97 CHI): 18 pts, 8 ast, 4 stl
Dirk Nowitzki ('11 DAL): 25 pts, 8 reb
Game 3: '97 CHI 104, @ '11 DAL 99
With the scene shifted to Dallas both teams had some struggles offensively early. With under five minutes to play in the first it was tied at 12, but the Mavericks closed the period on an 8-2 run and pushed the lead to eight to open the second. Chicago stayed with it, pulling within one just before the midway point before a mini 5-0 Dallas run got them back in control. The Mavs got the lead as high as seven and survived a late Bulls push with a Dirk 13 footer at the halftime buzzer to go to the break up four. Dallas would use an early 7-0 run in the third to retake firmer control, but a couple Michael Jordan threes got the Bulls back into it, and later his fourth three of the period gave Chicago a 62-61 lead. That was short lived as the Mavericks were able to retake the lead, survive the Bulls counterattack, and go to the fourth somehow still holding a three point lead. Dallas led by five with eight minutes to play, but Brian Williams bookended a 9-0 Chicago run that gave Chicago the lead. Dallas would retake it, and we saw some back and forth going into crunch time. A Jordan jump hook with 3:21 left gave Chicago a 90-88 lead, Scottie Pippen tacked on a layup the next time down, and after Dallas pulled within one a couple times, Jordan served up the dagger with his fifth three of the game with 45 seconds to go, and he hit five of six at the line after that to secure a 3-0 series lead.
Michael Jordan ('97 CHI): 36 pts, 7 reb
Scottie Pippen ('97 CHI): 15 pts, 5 reb, 7 ast
Jason Kidd ('11 DAL): 8 pts, 6 reb, 13 ast, 3 stl
The opening quarter saw a lot of back and forth as the Mavs tried desperately to stay alive, but even with that the Bulls scored the last five of the period to go up four after one. Chicago opened the second quarter on an extended 14-3 run that saw the Mavs go five minutes between field goals. They somehow managed to keep it competitive for the rest of the quarter, refusing to let the Bulls pull away and getting a late JJ Barea three to make it a seven point game at halftime. But the Bulls opened the third on an 8-2 run and it took Dallas four minutes to get their first field goal. That got their three point shooting going though, hitting three as part of an 11-3 run capped by a Dirk Nowitzki triple that cut it to two. They couldn't capitalize on a chance to tie, and Michael Jordan made them pay with a finger roll to extend it to four, a lead they took to the fourth. Dallas twice cut it to two early in the period, but a 6-0 run for the Bulls helped give them a little cushion. Jason Kidd cut it to three with just under four minutes left, but Chicago got the next six with a Jordan three capping the run, and that served as the dagger for the sweep.
Michael Jordan ('97 CHI): 24 pts, 5 reb, 3 stl
Dennis Rodman ('97 CHI): 7 pts, 17 reb
Dirk Nowitzki ('11 DAL): 24 pts, 10 reb
(3) 1984 Boston Celtics vs (2) 2018 Golden State Warriors
Game 1: @ '18 GS 108, '84 BOS 75
An early 12-1 Golden State run broke a 2-2 tie and put the Warriors in firm control early in Game 1. Boston's best effort couldn't cut into the lead and they trailed by 14 after one period. Boston was able to cut the margin to 10 just over four minutes into the second, but the Warriors held Boston scoreless over the final 4:23 of the quarter and pushed the lead to 20 by halftime. By opening the second half on an 18-2 run, Golden State had effectively ended the contest early, and shortly over halfway through the third the margin was back above 35. Golden State got it to 40 with eight minutes left, and the dogs were called off with under four to play.
Kevin Durant ('18 GS): 27 pts, 9 reb, 8 ast
Steph Curry ('18 GS): 26 pts, 8 reb, 6 ast
Larry Bird ('84 BOS): 12 pts, 13 reb, 9 ast, 4 stl
Game 2: @ '18 GS 106, '84 BOS 89
Boston was able to build a 6-2 lead two and a half minutes in, and then it went to crap under the weight of an 11-0 Warriors run. Golden State would lead by six by the end of the first quarter after Larry Bird and Kevin Durant traded threes in the final two seconds of the frame. The Celtics would get it back within one midway through the second, but another 11-0 Warriors run pushed the margin back out. Golden State got it up as high as 17 going into the locker room, and they largely kept that margin in the third, with Boston unable to get closer than 13. A Draymond Green pullup at the third quarter buzzer got it back to 17 heading to the fourth, though a Boston surge early in the fourth managed to get it back to an eight point game. But Steph Curry and Kevin Durant hit three triples between the two of them midway through the fourth, and Golden State will head to Boston up two games to none.
Draymond Green ('18 GS): 11 pts, 8 reb, 10 ast
Steph Curry ('18 GS): 20 pts, 10 reb, 3 stl
Larry Bird ('84 BOS): 17 pts, 14 reb
Game 3: '18 GS 91, @ '84 BOS 78
The crowd at the Garden was hoping to help swing momentum back Boston's way, but the Warriors silenced the crowd by scoring the first 13 and keeping the Celtics off the board for the first four and a half minutes. The Celtics would hit the 13 mark by quarter's end, but unfortunately for them, Golden State had more than doubled that mark. Boston would cut it to 10 late in the third, but a Steph Curry three at the halftime buzzer pushed the margin back to 18. Boston's best effort in the third was only able to trim the margin to 14 as the Warriors were able to stifle the Celtics, and they led by that same 18 point margin going into the fourth. A 12-3 Boston run midway through the fourth brought a little life, but it wasn't enough, and it was actually Boston's reserves that were able to get it to the best mark at 11 points before the Warriors got it back up to take a stranglehold on the series.
Steph Curry ('18 GS): 29 pts, 6 reb, 4 ast, 3 stl
Klay Thompson('18 GS): 16 pts, 4 reb, 4 stl
Robert Parish ('84 BOS): 17 pts, 22 reb
Game 4: @ '84 BOS 103, '18 GS 92
Boston built a 5-0 lead early in this one, but the Warriors seemed determined to end the series in four. A 7-0 Golden State run late in the period broke a 17-all tie and helped the Warriors take a five point lead to the second quarter. They were able to maintain a lead around there until late in the half when baskets on four straight possessions helped build a nine point lead. But the hosts would not be denied, with a Gerald Henderson three with just over a minute remaining making it a four point game, and the defense shut Golden State down the rest of the half to keep the margin there going to the locker room. Shaun Livingston's jumper two minutes into the third pushed the Warriors lead back to seven and they seemed poised to stay ahead. But Boston kept the Warriors scoreless for the next four minutes as part of as 12-0 run to put the Celtics up. After a Warrior basket cut it to 3, the Celtics launched another 12-0 run to take command and Boston led by a dozen after three. The best Golden State could do in the fourth was get back within 11 other than a Steph Curry three with 36 seconds left that cut it to nine, but by then it was too late and Boston remains alive.
Larry Bird ('84 BOS): 23 pts, 12 reb, 4 ast
Robert Parish ('84 BOS): 15 pts, 14 reb
Draymond Green ('18 GS): 7 pts, 11 reb, 10 ast, 4 blk
The Celtics again got out to a 5-0 lead, but once again they couldn't hold it, as a 10-1 Warrior run helped flip the game the hosts' way. Golden State was able to build an 11 point lead after 12 minutes, and they doubled that with a 13-2 run to open the second. A late mini 6-0 Boston run helped stem the tide, but the Warriors still went to intermission up 15. Golden State was able to get it near 20 at one point in the third, but the Celtics used a 12-2 run to cut the margin back to single digits, but unfortunately for them the Warriors closed the quarter with seven straight and they led by 17 going to the fourth. They quickly pushed the lead over 20 in the fourth, and that was effectively it for the series.
Draymond Green ('18 GS): 19 pts, 8 reb, 4 ast
Steph Curry ('18 GS): 20 pts, 4 reb, 10 ast
Larry Bird ('84 BOS): 25 pts, 15 reb, 8 ast
(6) 1985 Los Angeles Lakers vs (2) 2017 Golden State Warriors
Game 1: @ '17 GS 120, '85 LAL 117
A 9-2 Warrior run early in the contest got the hosts off and running, and a later 8-0 run put them up by 13. That was erased in just over two minutes as the Lakers scored the next 13 points, though Golden State would get back out in front by four thanks in part to a Zaza Pachulia jumper at the first quarter buzzer. A pair of LA three point plays helped tie the game early in the second, and a Byron Scott three gave them the lead. It changed hands a couple times the rest of the half, and Draymond Green ended up converting a three point play with no time on the clock to tie the game at 62 going into the break. The Warriors opened the second half on a 9-1 run, but couldn't hold it, needing back to back Steph Curry threes to break an 82-all tie and help build what became a four point lead going to the fourth. Golden State led by six early, but by the 6:30 mark the Lakers had tied it and we looked like we were headed down to the wire. Ultimately, Green hit a three to break a 111-all tie with just under three minutes to play, then regave the Lakers a 116-115 lead with two minutes left. Klay Thompson hit a pair of free throws with a minute to go to make it a three point game, and after a couple empty trips Kareem Abdul-Jabbar finally came through with a sky hook with 12 seconds to go. Curry hit a pair of free throws to push it back to three with nine seconds to go, then on the ensuing possession the Lakers opted to try for a quick two, but Kareem's hook missed. Fortunately for them Byron Scott managed to get the offensive rebound and he had just enough time to retreat to the three point line and fire a game-tying attempt. Unfortunately it clanked off the rim and the Warriors survived Game 1.
Kevin Durant ('17 GS): 30 pts, 9 reb
Draymond Green (17 GS): 16 pts, 9 reb, 4 ast, 3 blk
Magic Johnson ('85 LAL): 16 pts, 7 reb, 13 ast, 3 stl
Game 2: @ '17 GS 109, '85 LAL 103
Klay Thompson's three with 4:17 left in the first broke a 16-all tie and sparked what would be a 17-6 run to close the opening quarter that got the hosts in control early in this game. The Lakers managed to hang around and managed to pull within three with 4:28 left in the second. Five straight from Thompson to answer helped push Golden State's lead back out, and they led by seven when the halftime buzzer sounded. The Lakers again managed to keep things close, and by the 4:30 mark of the third a Kareem Abdul-Jabbar three point play tied the game at 65. After four straight ties from the Lakers answering Golden State baskets, the Warriors closed the period on a 6-1 run to lead by five going into the final 12 minutes. A triad of Steph Curry free throws and an Andre Igoudala three pushed the margin to 11 early, but still the Lakers wouldn't roll over. After getting within five a couple times, a pair of James Worthy free throws cut it to four with 1:36 left. But the Warriors made seven of eight free throws after this point, and Kareem missed the free throw after a basket and a foul that could have trimmed it to a three point game with 13 seconds left, meaning we shift the series to Southern California with the defending champions down 0-2.
Kevin Durant ('17 GS): 23 pts, 4 reb, 6 ast, 4 blk
Zaza Pachulis ('17 GS): 7 pts, 16 reb, 5 ast
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ('85 LAL): 20 pts, 9 reb, 6 ast, 3 blk
Game 3: '17 GS 113, @ '85 LAL 112
An 8-0 Laker run midway through the opening quarter helped the hosts build a solid lead. They were able to hang onto it as the quarter ended with them up five. Golden State opened the second on an 8-2 run, though the Lakers would take the lead back shortly after. But a 9-0 Warrior run midway through flipped the game around and despite LA's best efforts, Golden State led by seven going to the break. It stayed around there for the entirety of the third as neither team to mount a major rally, and we ended the stanza with the margin still at seven. Golden State then opened the fourth on a 7-2 run to push the lead to a dozen. They kept it around there for much of the period until the Lakers made a late extended 12-0 run that gave them a 105-104 lead with three minutes to play. Ian Clark and Kurt Rambis traded baskets after this, then Steph Curry knocked down three free throws for a two point lead, though Kareem Abdul-Jabbar would answer with two of his own to tie the game at 109 with just under a minute to play. After trading stops, Draymond Green broke the tie on a tip in with 21 seconds left. After a Kareem miss to tie, Curry calmly buried two free throws to make Byron Scott's three at the buzzer ultimately irrelevant.
Steph Curry ('17 GS): 33 pts, 5 reb
Kevin Durant ('17 GS): 24 pts, 15 reb, 4 ast, 3 blk
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ('85 LAL): 25 pts, 13 reb, 4 ast, 3 blk
The opening quarter was a phenomenal one, with the teams trading leads five times and tying four more, the last coming with about a minute left and sending us to the second quarter even at 27. Then the Warriors opened the period on a 12-2 run, leading by as many as 14 before going to the break up by 11. A 9-0 Laker run midway through the third got the hosts back into the game, and they were eventually able to trim it to a one point game with a minute to go. While a sloppy final minute kept the margin there, the Lakers went right back to work opening the fourth as Byron Scott scored five straight to give LA a four point lead. They briefly got it a point higher early in the fourth, but an 11-2 Warrior run flipped the game on its head. LA got it back to a one possession game with 5:35 left, but Steph Curry buried a three on the ensuing possession, then another a minute later, and Klay Thompson's triple with 2:18 left served as the dagger by pushing the lead to double digits. The Lakers would get no closer than seven the rest of the way, and with that, the defending Champion of Champions is swept unceremoniously out of the Round of 32.
Kevin Durant ('17 GS): 21 pts, 10 reb, 5 ast
Steph Curry ('17 GS): 22 pts, 7 reb, 6 ast
Byron Scott ('85 LAL): 28 pts, 4 reb, 3 blk
(3) 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers vs (2) 1996 Chicago Bulls
Game 1: @ '96 CHI 120, '16 CLE 89
After giving up a basket on their first defensive possession, the Bulls surged ahead with a 17-2 run over the next three and a half minutes. Cleveland was able to stop the bleeding and answered with an 11-0 run to get back in the game, cutting it to one possession a couple times before Jud Buechler hit a three at the first quarter buzzer to put the Bulls up five. Over the first five minutes of the second the Bulls went on a 15-2 run and retook control. They got the lead to 20 with 4:26 left and by the time the buzzer mercifully sounded for halftime Chicago was up 26. Cleveland got it down to 20 a few minutes into the third, but that was as close as they got, with the Bulls getting the margin back where it was by period's end. Chicago pushed the lead to 30 two and a half minutes into the fourth and were able to cruise from there.
Michael Jordan ('96 CHI): 34 pts, 8 reb, 5 ast
Scottie Pippen ('96 CHI): 18 pts, 6 reb, 7 ast, 3 stl
LeBron James ('16 CLE): 18 pts, 9 reb, 5 ast
Game 2: '16 CLE 114, @ '96 CHI 94
It seemed early like the Bulls would be able to take control again as they used a 14-2 run midway through the first to grab control of the game. Chicago led by as many as 12 in the opening quarter, with Cleveland cutting it to nine by period's end. The Cavs tried to cut into the margin, and they finally succeeded late in the period when LeBron James hit a game-tying three with 2:14 left. Richard Jefferson put them ahead with a three on the next trip, forcing a back and forth that saw Dennis Rodman hit a shot that gave the Bulls a one point lead going to the break. The Cavs took the lead three minutes into the third on a JR Smith three point play, then spent the rest of the period slowly pulling away. Smith hit a three right before the quarter ended, and that gave the Cavs a 14 point lead. Cleveland then effectively put the game away with seven straight to open the fourth and led by as many as 26 before coasting to the series-evening win.
LeBron James ('16 CLE): 41 pts, 11 reb, 4 ast, 3 blk
Kyrie Irving ('16 CLE): 21 pts, 5 ast
Scottie Pippen ('96 CHI): 25 pts, 7 reb, 8 ast
Game 3: '96 CHI 124, @ '16 CLE 117 (OT)
The two teams needed a little time to feel each other out to open Game 3 after trading blowouts in Chicago, though it was the Bulls who eventually took early control, leading by as many as five midway through the opening quarter, and surviving a late Cleveland push with a Michael Jordan three to give Chicago the narrowest of leads after 12 minutes. A 7-0 Bulls run helped them get a little cushion, but they couldn't hold it as a 9-0 Cavs run gave the hosts control and a four point lead at the break. Cleveland went up by seven early in the third and again midway through, but the Bulls had an answer each time. The Cavs led by five with 1:11 left in the period before another Chicago surge capped by Jordan hitting another three, this one at the buzzer to tie the game at 78. Early in the fourth we had a few lead changes before a Cleveland run put the Cavs up nine, though the Bulls would come back to tie midway through the fourth. The Cavs would go back up six with 3:25 left thanks to a Kyrie Irving three, and up five with two minutes left when Kevin Love hit one. Down to the closing seconds the Cavs looked primed to take the win, especially after an Irving layup with 26 seconds left made it a three point game. But Jordan answered with a quick fadeaway at the other end, Irving was immediately fouled, and he was only able to hit one of two free throws, giving Chicago a chance down two. With time winding down, Ron Harper tossed a no look pass to Jordan, who had enough time to bury a turnaround, tying the game with three ticks left. Harper then made the big play on defense, blocking an Irving try at the buzzer to send us to an extra session. With all the momentum on Chicago's side, Luc Longley scored four of the first six points in overtime and the Bulls pulled away to steal the game. A Kevin Love three at the buzzer was ultimately just a garbage time basket that turned a double digit win to a single digit one.
Michael Jordan ('96 CHI): 48 pts, 8 reb, 4 ast, 3 stl
Scottie Pippen ('96 CHI): 34 pts, 10 reb, 9 ast
LeBron James ('16 CLE): 33 pts, 9 reb, 9 ast
Game 4: '96 CHI 112, @ '16 CLE 104
The Bulls jumped out to an 11-3 lead less than four minutes into the contest. The Cavs fought back, tying the game with about three minutes left in the period, but Toni Kukoc immediately gave Chicago the lead back, and the Bulls would take that three point lead to the second. The margin stayed around there until a LeBron James three evened the contest at 40. The game stayed tight for the rest of the half, being tied three times before the Bulls clawed back ahead. They led by six at one point, but a late Cleveland run stopped by a Jordan shot at the buzzer sent the Bulls to the intermission up three. The teams traded baskets for much of the third, but that stretch did see Chicago slowly start to increase the lead, with a Kukoc three giving Chicago the first double digit lead of the game midway through. Cleveland responded with eight straight to get within two, but Kukoc hit another three to stop that run, and Scottie Pippen scored Chicago's final seven of the period, including a dunk just ahead of the horn to put the Bulls up six going to the final frame. Seven straight for the Bulls early in the fourth got the margin back to double digits and Chicago was not seriously threatened again, leading by as many as 17 before a few Cleveland threes made the margin a little closer.
Scottie Pippen ('96 CHI): 26 pts, 6 reb, 5 ast
Michael Jordan ('96 CHI): 23 pts, 10 reb, 4 ast
LeBron James ('16 CLE): 29 pts, 5 reb, 9 ast
Luc Longley sparked a 6-0 run that broke an 11-all tie midway through the first, and the Bulls rode that to a five point lead after 12 minutes. Chicago kept up the defensive pressure, holding Cleveland off the board for over three minutes to open the second and using that to key a 7-0 run that built a 12 point lead early in the period. The Bulls pushed it to 18 midway through the period, though a 10-1 Cleveland run late in the period helped make it interesting. Still, the Bulls were able to get the margin back to 13 by halftime thanks in part to Toni Kukoc burying a beyond halfcourt heave at the buzzer. Cleveland briefly cut it to eight early in the third, but it didn't take the Bulls long to get the margin back to 15. Cleveland would cut it to single digits a time or two late, but the Bulls still went to the third with that double digit lead. The Cavs' best shot came midway through the fourth when a pair of Matthew Dellevadova free throws trimmed it to a six point game. But the Bulls were able to pull away, with Toni Kukoc at one point scoring five straight, then assisting on a Luc Longley basket with about two and a half minutes to go that made it a 14 point game, and the backups hit a few shots in the closing couple minutes to send the Bulls to the Round of 16.
Dennis Rodman ('96 CHI): 6 pts, 14 reb, 4 stl
Michael Jordan ('96 CHI): 25 pts, 5 reb
LeBron James ('16 CLE): 23 pts, 5 reb, 7 ast
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