As the season draws to a close, the competition for the playoffs has entered a white-hot stage.

Especially in the West, it can be described as close combat.

The Lakers are currently ranked first, but are only two wins ahead of the Nuggets behind them.

And this is the current situation of the top nine teams in the Western Conference.

The Lakers, Nuggets, Mavericks, Rockets, Suns, Spurs, Trail Blazers, Jazz, and Thunder are ranked in different places, but their records have never exceeded 2 wins, and there are even two teams with the same record.

This is unprecedented even in the entire history of the NBA. No one can analyze who will be squeezed out in the end, including what the final matchup will be.

The situation in the East is relatively less intense, but the competition between teams in the same echelon is also fierce.

First up are the Cavaliers and Magic, who are competing for the top spot in the Eastern Conference. The two teams have formed a discontinuous lead over other teams, with at least 6 more wins than the third-placed Hawks, but they are only 1 win behind each other.

The Cavaliers' lineup is unprecedentedly strong, and the Magic are not far behind.

In addition to basically retaining the lineup that reached the finals last season, the Magic also traded Turkoglu to the Nets for Vince Carter, plus Jameer Nelson who was traded last season, and Howard, who had the highest shooting percentage of his career this season, aiming to complete a double kill against the Cavaliers.

The second-tier Hawks, Celtics and Heat are also fighting for the top half (top four).

However, the most intense competition is in the lower half of the playoffs, where the Bucks, Bobcats, Bulls and Raptors are competing for the last three playoff spots.

Although the season is coming to an end, the competition is unprecedentedly fierce.

Before we knew it, it was already early April, and the season was really coming to an end.

At this time, except for a few rankings that have not yet been determined, most of the rankings and even the matchups have been determined.

Cleveland Cavaliers locker room.

At this time, the Cavaliers were preparing for the last game of the season, and their opponent was the Bobcats.

This is a very delicate game, because the Bobcats are now ranked eighth with 43 wins, only one win less than the seventh-placed Bulls, but have the head-to-head advantage.

Because at this time the Cavaliers have already opened up a two-win gap with the Magic and secured the first place in the Eastern Conference, so this game will decide who they will play against in the first round.

If they win this game, there is no doubt that they will play against the Bobcats in the first round.

If they lose, the Bobcats will have the same record as the Bulls and can move up to seventh place by virtue of their head-to-head advantage.

In that case, their first-round opponent will change from the Bobcats to the Bulls.

At this time, the team's general manager Danny Ferry and head coach Mike Brown came to the locker room and called James out.

In a private office on the second floor, the three had a conversation.

The content of the conversation was naturally about the last game of the season tonight, or it could also be understood as deciding who would play in the first round.

Originally, this kind of thing was discussed between the coaching staff and the management, but because of James' special status in the Cavaliers, the management gave him treatment that exceeded that of a player.

"This is the first time the Bobcats have made the playoffs. They have no experience and their inside line is weak. The starting center is 37-year-old Ratliff. Choosing them is a no-brainer." Brown gave his opinion.

His idea was simple. Such an opponent would not only not pose any risk, but would also reduce consumption, giving them enough time to prepare for the second round.

Because currently ranked fourth is the Celtics, although they are older, their strength should not be underestimated with the addition of Rasheed Wallace.

Ferry nodded and then looked at James.

Brown's opinion can only be used as a reference at best. What is more important is James' attitude.

This sounds a bit ridiculous, but it makes sense given that James may opt out of his contract this summer.

The Cavaliers have become a strong team in the league because of James, and they cannot afford the risk of losing James.

Or to put it in a more realistic but not so nice way, the Cavaliers now dare not go against James' ideas at all.

"The Bulls." James gave the answer without much thought.

This answer made Brown's eyelids jump.

"The Celtics are a tough team to deal with. We have to get into shape before playing against them." James then gave his reasons.

A legitimate reason.

"LeBron is right, Mike, our main players need to rest tonight, we are going to lose this game." Ferry said directly.

Brown was stunned for a moment.

"Mike?" Ferry called Brown again.

Brown finally came to his senses and nodded.

Having made up his mind, James left the office and returned to the locker room.

After James left, Brown shook his head slightly bitterly.

James's reasons sound reasonable, but upon analysis they are simply nonsense.

What kind of team are the Celtics now? They are the team that played two rounds of seven games to reach the Eastern Conference Finals and finally defeated the Lakers to win the championship.

Experience and toughness are their labels, and although they are two years older than they were then, this season they added Rasheed Wallace, a guy who also has those labels.

Facing a team like this, your best option is to conserve your energy as much as possible and be prepared to play a full seven games against them.

Of course, he actually understands why James made this choice.

Because James lost face in the season opener, and the previous dunk contest made him lose face even more. He needs a chance to get back at his former self. Is there a better opportunity than the playoffs right now?

But doing so would be risking the team's future, because the Bulls are just young and their configuration is not bad, especially compared to the Bobcats.

"Relax, relax." Ferry walked up to Brown and said after seeing his reaction.

"Didn't we just beat the Bulls by a large margin? Our record this season is 3 wins and 1 loss. As long as we are serious, there is no difference between us whether it is the Bobcats or the Bulls." Ferry continued to explain.

"I hope you are right." Brown smiled helplessly.

The decision has already been made, and there is no point in objecting.

Ferry saw this and patted Brown on the shoulder, saying something meaningful: "Think about how to win."

In fact, everyone knows that if the Cavaliers fail to win the championship this year, James will most likely leave the Cavaliers.

This is why they are smashing their roster like crazy this season.

Once James leaves, both he and Brown will be unemployed immediately.

With the Cavaliers' main players not playing and their substitutes losing to the Bobcats, the 2009-2010 regular season officially came to an end and the Eastern and Western Conference rankings were all released.

In the West, the Lakers won 56 games and ranked first without any danger. Although they did not perform well at the beginning of the season, they quickly got into shape with the return of Gasol. It is worth mentioning that Kobe not only showed improvement in footwork, but also contributed 6 buzzer beaters in a single season.

The Mavericks ranked second with 55 wins. The addition of Caron Butler and Haywood made the Mavericks' front and back court look very solid. Since 2006, they once again looked like a championship-level team.

The Rockets are in third place with 54 wins. Hamilton's joining has made the Rockets even stronger. It's a little unbelievable, but they seem to be even stronger than during the Yao Ming and McGrady era.

The Suns ranked fourth with 53 wins. Sending away O'Neal allowed fans to see the strength of this running and gunning team again. The addition of Channing Frye also seemed to be just in time. The only thing worth assuming is what heights the Suns could have achieved if they had acquired Xu Yong.

The Nuggets, Jazz, Spurs and Thunder ranked 5th to 8th, and the Trail Blazers became the last team to be squeezed out of the playoffs.

In the East, the Cavaliers are at the top of the list with 60 wins. Although they have won six games less than last season after adding O'Neal and Jamison, this does not affect their strength.

The Magic are second with 59 wins;

The Hawks, Celtics, Heat, and Bucks ranked third to sixth respectively.

The final record of the Bobcats and the Bulls was 44 wins, but because the Bulls' record against the Bobcats was 1 win and 2 losses, the Bulls finally ranked eighth.

…

Chicago, United Center training ground.

"Who would have thought that we would actually face the Cavaliers in the first round." Noah said while wiping his sweat after finishing the training.

"They chose us," Xu Yong reminded.

"Yes, they chose us." Noah nodded, looking eager to try.

He has worked exponentially harder in the past two months, and what he gained is not only a stronger body, but also greater self-confidence.

"Do we have a chance?" At this moment, Brown on the side spoke up.

Although he worked hard for a month to find a rotation position in the Bulls, it is still unrealistic to expect a guy who has lost confidence for ten years to regain his confidence all at once.

"Of course there is a chance! Have you forgotten that we beat them badly in the opening game!" Noah waved his fist as big as a sandbag.

Xu Yong also nodded affirmatively, then smiled and said: "The last team to make such a choice was the Mavericks three years ago."

When he said this, Noah immediately nodded "Yeah Yeah", and the memory of Brown's death resurfaced in his mind.

At that time, he was still playing for the Lakers, and the Lakers also made it to the playoffs. His impression should be the most profound.

And if you really think about it, the Mavericks were even more outrageous at that time, because in the penultimate game, if the Mavericks had won the Warriors, the Warriors wouldn't even have made it to the playoffs.

As a result, the Mavericks also played with all substitutes in that game and sent the Warriors into the playoffs.

Then there is the “Warriors Black Eight” that fans are familiar with.

Baron Davis and his Golden State gang sent the Mavericks back home in the playoffs, not only depriving the Mavericks of a chance for revenge (they were reversed by the Heat in the 2006 Finals), but also allowing Nowitzki to receive the almost shameful regular season MVP trophy after being eliminated.

It was from then on that Nowitzki was almost completely synonymous with being a wimp, without any doubt.

"Don't they really study history?" Brown asked in confusion. Just like Xu Yong said, that was only three years ago.

"They just look down on us." Noah sneered.

"Okay, go back and rest early." Xu Yong said as he stood up.

Noah and Brown nodded after hearing this, then packed up and left the training hall.

After they all left, Xu Yong went back and practiced some extra shooting.

Others might not be able to think of it, but how could he not think of the reason why James chose the Bulls.

A large part of the reason was because of him.

Although psychologically speaking, they will not lose confidence because of the Warriors' black eighth defeat.

But black eight is a low-probability event.

In terms of strength, the Bulls are not as good as the Cavaliers.

So this is the Bulls' chance, but it is very difficult to do, and giving it your all is just the basics.

Just as Xu Yong was practicing late at night, social media had become lively again.

The moment the playoff matchups are confirmed, it’s a carnival night for James fans!

You know, the last dunk contest caused them to suffer internal injuries, and now they finally got the chance.

"Some people think they are so great just because they win a dunk contest. Can a dunk contest champion help them win even one playoff game?!"

"The regular season is 3-1, and the last time they played they were defeated. Do the Bulls have even the slightest chance?"

"Sweep, a gentleman sweep is impossible. I say, even God can't help it!"

…

However, just like in the past, the user named "KBforever" staged another Changbanpo incident, and this group of James fans killed him seven times in and out.

"How much do you care about that slam dunk contest champion? He never mentions you guys unless he mentions you guys?"

“Well, that’s what people in Dallas thought three years ago, and next thing you know.”

"You guys are really good fans. You put pressure on the Cavaliers in advance. What will happen if they lose a game?"

…

Durant's mansion in Oklahoma.

He was puffing smoke in the room and laughing at the screen of his mobile phone.

Harden is getting the hang of things really quickly.

Just based on this level of arguing, it's almost half as good as his.

Moreover, the feeling of a master bringing up his apprentice gives him a sense of accomplishment.

Of course, it also piqued his interest.

He put the Mosaic cigarette in his hand aside, then switched numbers one by one and started his performance.

"Some people win and never mention it once, while some people lose and it's like getting a scar for life." Comment from "KBfnas".

"After all, he was dunked over and scored a buzzer beater, and then he was defeated in the dunk contest." Comment from a "loyal Lakers fan".

"Why are you presenting the facts, you scoundrels?" Comment from "Cleveland Kingdom Guard"

"How dare you bully young James again, he should be exiled to Orlando!" Comment from "KBfnas".

"God may not hear your prayers, but he can certainly feel your arrogance." Comment from "Los Angeles Nation".

…

It was late at night, but the typing sounds on the keyboard were becoming more and more frequent.