How the West was Won

So the First Series of the 2008 NBA Playoffs was finally over, with the Celtics dominating the Hawks at home in an unforeseen Game Seven. It has been a good half month since the Playoffs started, and what a great start that was. Remember Phoenix and San Antonio's double overtime on Game One? That's how good it gets in the Western Conference.

The first to come out of this Series was the Lakers sweeping the Nuggets out of the Postseason. With a more competitive West Conference this Season, it was expected for Denver to at least give L.A. a little scare. But Bryant, Odom, and Gasol showed their opponents why they came out number one during the Regular Season. L.A. was one of the Western teams that participated in the proverbial arms race after the end of the All-Star break. They were also the only team to successfully continue to the next round. The other two were not as fortunate or as talented.

The Suns fell to the Spurs in five games even after trading Marion for Shaq. Almost every game, Phoenix was very aggressive and leading by halftime; they were unable to finish what they had started. The Suns' inconsistency closing games and the Spurs' experience cost them another shot at the Title.

Dallas was the other team that participated in one of those blockbuster trades during the midseason. And their pick? A point guard in Kidd. Like the Suns, the Mavs were ousted from the Postseason in Game Five. But unlike the Suns, the Mavs were put out by the younger and less experienced Hornets. Led by the trio of CP3, Chandler and West, New Orleans is having a breakout season this year and they are looking confident going into the Second Round.

Blockbuster trades isn't everything. Just ask the Jazz and their midseason trade for Korver, which brought them great results including their Game Four win against the Rockets in Houston. With Boozer's performance on a slump, the Jazz got all the help they can get, including a helpless McGrady, to finish the Series in six games. Winning road games also help for Utah, since they are more formidable at home, with 37-4 during the Regular Season.

And so, the Western Conference Semifinals has begun.

NBA Playoff Overview

The NBA playoffs is a series of games after the regular season matches for the championship title. Following the NBA regular season, eight teams in each conference qualify for the playoffs and are seeded one to eight.

The NBA regular season games and playoffs are one of the most watched sports events in the US among the NFL (National Football League) and the baseball games.

Since there are no overseas teams involved in the tournament it's understandable that Europeans and people from other parts in the world pay little attention to the NBA season, although most betting agencies keep NBA playoff games on their menu.

Boston Celtics are in the playoffs

Boston became the first NBA team to clinch a postseason berth, getting a season-high 31 points from Kevin Garnett on Wednesday night to earn a bruising 90-78 victory over Detroit, its closest competitor in the Eastern Conference.

The Celtics missed the playoffs the last two seasons, but the arrival of Garnett and Ray Allen has raised expectations for the NBA's most-decorated franchise. Wednesday's victory gave them a 2-1 edge in the season series with Detroit. If the teams meet in the playoffs, Boston would have home-court advantage.

There are 30 teams in each season competing for the championship title. Currently 29 of these teams are from the USA with only one Canadian team, the Toronto Raptors. So it's safe to say that the NBA is mostly for the Americans (with many enthusiastic Toronto fans). On the other hand, the hockey tournament - NHL - is mostly for Canadians despite the fact that there are more American teams there too but with a much stronger Canadian presence (Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa).

Source: NBAPlayoffs2008.com