Playoff Pulse: Eight Survivors, Four New-Blood Finals

The NBA’s 2004 postseason is down to its final four, and the NBN’s version of March Madness has already produced one marvelous escape, one coronation, and severalseason-ending heartbreaks. The Mavericks, 76ers, Jazz, Wizards, Thunder, Nuggets, and Nets advanced from Round 1. The Supersonics, Knicks, Kings, Bucks, Suns, Raptors, and Grizzlies are eliminated.

Now comes the beautiful part: the conference semifinals. Dallas faces Utah, Philadelphia meets Washington, Oklahoma City takes on Denver, and Brooklyn squares off against Toronto. Four series. Zero room for polite experimentation.

Round 1: The Final Scoreboard

  • Mavericks 4-1 Supersonics: Dallas is advancing; Oklahoma City is eliminated. Ron Mercer’s 29.9 points per game made the Mavericks the league’s second-leading scoring attack, while Bill Russell’s 15.0 rebounds gave Dallas control of the glass.
  • 76ers 4-1 Knicks: Philadelphia is advancing; New York is eliminated. The Sixers did not turn this into a full seven-game grind, but they made the results count.
  • Jazz 4-0 Kings: Utah is advancing; Sacramento is eliminated. The cleanest sweep in the bracket. Nate “Tiny” Archibald’s season-long excellence could not rescue the Kings after the opening bell.
  • Wizards 4-2 Bucks: Washington is advancing; Milwaukee is eliminated. It took two extra defeats for the Bucks to find the exit, but the Wizards eventually arrived.
  • Thunder 4-3 Suns: Oklahoma City is advancing; Phoenix is eliminated. This was the closest fight in the first round and the most theatrical.
  • Raptors 4-1 Hawks: Toronto is advancing; Atlanta is eliminated. Carmelo Anthony’s 29.7 points and Chris Paul’s 10.3 assists powered a dangerous Hawks team, but one win was all the Raptors permitted.
  • Nuggets 4-3 Grizzlies: Denver is advancing; Vancouver is eliminated. Zoran Radovic’s 24.7 points and 9.9 assists powered the Nuggets through another seven-game struggle.
  • Nets 4-1 Pacers: Brooklyn is advancing; Indiana is eliminated. The Nets may have won in five, but they arrive in Brooklyn with the clearest statistical argument of any team.

Mavericks-Supersonics: A Series That Keeps Its Receipts

The latest pulse says Mavericks 4-1 Supersonics, FINAL. Whether the scorebook reads 115-108 or 128-120, the conclusion never wobbles: Dallas is advancing, and Oklahoma City’s season is over.

That result was built on a sturdy foundation. Mercer leads the league’s core stars at 29.9 points, with a 59.1% true shooting rate that makes him the most efficient high-volume scorer in the top five. Russell averaged 15.6 points and 15.0 rebounds, turning the paint into Dallas’ personal real estate.

The Supersonics had moments, including a 139-128 victory that prevented the story from becoming a one-note highlight reel. But the series label remains unambiguous. One victory is a memory; four wins are a ticket to the next round.

Thunder-Suns: Game 7 Delivered the Goods

And then there was Oklahoma City 119-99 Phoenix—a 20-point playoff demolition of the Suns and a 4-3 Thunder series victory. That was no ordinary elimination. That was a Game 7 knockout with the padding of an NCAA blowout.

Oklahoma City survived because its supporting cast had teeth. Lester Conner averaged 29.2 points with a sizzling 59.2% true shooting rate. Nate Thurmond owned the glass at 15.2 rebounds per game. Phoenix discovered that trailing by three is manageable; trailing by 20 in the season’s final game is mostly academic.

The Suns are eliminated, but this series was the bracket’s best drama. The Thunder had to survive elimination territory twice before closing it out, earning a place in the semifinals without a home-court favor. That pedigree makes their next date with Denver considerably more intriguing.

The New Fights: Where the True-Upset Energy Lives

The semifinals separate the comfortable favorites from the potential storybreakers. Utah swept Sacramento and has Mikel Brown Jr. running an offense with 25.1 points and 9.9 assists. Brooklyn did not simply survive Indiana; it advanced with Shawn Marion at 29.2 points and 12.2 rebounds and Jay Williams orchestrating everything at 10.5 assists.

But Oklahoma City-Denver has the strongest case for immediate bedlamiter. The Nuggets’ Jermaine O’Neal contributes 21.6 points and 14.4 rebounds, while Radovic handles the playmaking. The Thunder counter with Conner’s scoring and Thurmond’s rebounding. Neither team needs an off night to be eliminated; they need only one bad quarter, which is playoff basketball’s preferred currency.

As for Brooklyn-Toronto, the Nets’ statistical edge is enormous, but the Raptors’ upset act already has precedent. And Philadelphia-Washington may be the most consequential coaching duel of the final four.

Bold Prediction: Dallas Over Utah, 4-2

The Mavericks have the cleaner star, the stronger rebounding anchor, and a scorer in Mercer who keeps refusing to let defenses go easy. Utah has the sweep, the home crowd, and Brown’s playmaking, but Dallas has Bill Russell owning both sides of the glass.

Prediction: Dallas defeats Utah in six games, with Mercer wearing the franchise’s first conference-semifinal advancement banner. Utah will be ready; Dallas will simply be harder to move.

One chapter is closed. Four remain. The NBN postseason has graduated from opening-night theater to elimination-round warfare—and the best part is only getting louder.

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