NBA Tournament of Champions: Tim Duncan Bracket Finals

Looking at each of the eight brackets in this tournament, this one had a lot of recent title teams, and it just kind of happened that way since I built the tournament with a random number generator. Ultimately though, we come down to a couple of recent champions from Texas to fight for the right to advance to the final eight. Two of the best forwards of this generation lead the way. Who will win?

To find out, we're doing a best of seven series (2-2-1-1-1 format), with home court going to the team with the better overall record (regular season plus playoffs). All simulations are provided by WhatIfSports.com. If you want to refer back to how these Texas giants got here, first and second round results are at the corresponding links. Let's get this party started.

NBA Tournament of Champions: Bill Russell Bracket Finals

A common thread throughout two of the three brackets we've gone through so far this round: their namesake isn't playing in the Final. Bill Russell makes it three of four, since he saw one of his teams knocked out last round, but it does set up a battle of titans led by legendary centers.

The format of this battle remains the same as before: this series will be a best of seven (2-2-1-1-1 format) with home court going to the team with the better overall record (regular season plus playoffs). All simulations are provided by WhatIfSports.com. You can click on the corresponding links for first and second round results from this bracket. Onward to the main event.

NBA Tournament of Champions: Michael Jordan Bracket Finals

I know it's been like a month since I started this tournament, but I'm still kind of in mourning. I have a feeling somewhere, LeBron fanboys are going on about how "LeBron is the greatest ever! Michael wouldn't be able to take him!" based on the most recent Heat team taking out both the '92 and '93 Bulls (something my friend Nathaniel has also been lamenting). They get a totally different monster this time in one of the Celtics' 80's champs. Should be fun.

To remind those of you new to the process, this series will be a best of seven (2-2-1-1-1 format), with home court going to the team with the better overall record (regular season plus playoffs). All simulations are provided by WhatIfSports.com. If you want to see how we got here, first and second round results can be found at the provided links. Let's get cracking.

NBA Tournament of Champions: Larry Bird Bracket Finals

Much of NBA history is the history of the Lakers and the Celtics. With more than half the representatives in the Tournament of Champions between them, it's no surprise that a Lakers/Celtics matchup has occurred plenty of times so far. If you count one matchup where the Lakers were still in Minneapolis, we've had eight such showdowns between these two illustrious franchises, including six in the opening round. It seems only fitting, really, that in Larry Bird's bracket, we have a final between the Lakers and Celtics. Their ninth clash commences in a moment.

As a reminder, this series will be a best of seven (2-2-1-1-1 format), with home court going to the team with the better overall record (regular season plus playoffs). All simulations are provided by WhatIfSports.com. Results from the first and second round can be found at the corresponding links. Let Showtime commence!

NBA Tournament of Champions: John Havlicek Bracket Finals

If you were to look at this field of 64 teams, and I told you to pick the 16 best teams out of that list, odds are you'd end up picking a lot of the teams that are still standing after 2 rounds of action.

Normally there would be an issue with having brackets have matchups so close together, but the theory behind spreading out the tournament as I have is to simplify my posting of the results while having the simulated tournament technically take 2 weeks per round, as the NBA does in reality (since there have been plenty of seven-game series). As such we get back to back posts about Hondo's bracket. Unfortunately for John Havlicek, his teams are out and he has to watch two much more recent squads battle it out to win this bracket.

To figure out the winner, we will play a best of seven series (2-2-1-1-1 format), with home court going to the team with the better overall record (regular season plus playoffs). All simulations are provided by WhatIfSports.com. You can click on the corresponding links for results from the first and second round. Here's how the finale plays out.

NBA Tournament of Champions: John Havlicek Bracket Second Round

We're onto the final day of Round Two of the Tournament of Champions. Starting with the past 64 champs, 46 have already fallen in some great series with some instant classics were we actually playing these games in reality. Sadly, time travel doesn't exist and I'm stuck doing it this way. We have a couple more modern teams going up against a pair of Celtic championship squads from back in the day. Only two of the four can advance.

To determine that, we're doing best of seven series (2-2-1-1-1 format), with home court advantage going to whichever team has the better overall record (regular season plus playoffs). All simulations are provided by WhatIfSports.com. Last round's results can be found here. Let's close entry to the Sweet 16.

NBA Tournament of Champions: Michael Jordan Bracket Second Round

With two brackets to go in this round, we've already seen some titans fall. Other legends still stand, including a few strong teams in this bracket. Apparently WhatIfSports already did a heavy simulation series involving the last 26 NBA Champions and found this year's Heat team to be the best. But are they? They get tested again this round, so we'll find out soon.

51 sims of a ton of matchups is a LOT of work, so we're sticking to our guns: best of seven series (2-2-1-1-1 format), with home court going to the team with the better overall record (regular season plus playoffs). All simulations are still done by WhatIfSports.com. If you want to see how we got here, the first round results are here. Let's light this candle.