[R1zzo23]

In what was looking like the coronation of the new face of the league, the script was flipped. After splitting the first two games in Brooklyn, Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks took a commanding 3-1 lead after winning their two home games. Just one win away from becoming THE face of the NBA and the basketball world, Doncic could not close the deal.

The Brooklyn Nets leaned on their Big Three and took it one game at a time. Kyrie Irving needed to score in bunches. The 6th Man of the Year and 1st Team All-Defense member Ben Simmons needed to do a little bit of everything, including slowing down Luka. And 3rd Team All-NBA member Kevin Durant was to be the cold-blooded killer when the team needed it most.

Game 5, Game 6, Game 7 gave the same results: a Nets win! The confetti rained down in the Barclays Center. Over the broadcast all you could hear was Mike Breen's voice shouting "The Nets are your 2022 NBA Champions!"



With the trophy presentation being prepared, there was no debate on who would be hoisting the Bill Russell Award for NBA Finals MVP:



Still irked by being named to just the 3rd team All-NBA, Durant made it his mission to go out and remind the world that he was still to be mentioned with all the best players in the world. Over the seven games he was averaging over 31 a night, but also grabbing rebounds and dishing out assists while shooting a scintillating 65% from deep. With the Mavericks running out a 4-wing lineup to start, Durant was shooting over everyone with ease. Once he got going from beyond the arc in the series, the confidence was through the roof and it was as if he was shooting in an empty gym.

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Playoff Notes:
- Rizzo's fun pick in the West, the Sacramento Kings, got swept in the 1st round
- studbucket's Pelicans pushed the Mavs to a Game 7 but fell just short
- we both picked the Bucks in the East but they ran into the buzz saw in Brooklyn
- three of the final four teams were play-in tournament participants (Mavs, Suns, Celtics)

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Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to arguably the craziest times in sports:

the NBA offseason!