The NBA postseason remains a psychodrama of moments, memes and memories unlike anything in sport. We look back at the biggest takeaways
If a single, overarching lesson can be taken from this year’s NBA postseason, it’s this one: no game is over until the clock hits 00:00. Whether it was the New York Knicks stealing victory from the jaws of defeat against the Celtics in Boston in round two, Aaron Gordon’s buzzer-beating dunk sealing a crucial win for the Nuggets against the Clippers in Los Angeles in round one, or the Indiana Pacers defeating the odds over and over again with their clutch time brilliance throughout the playoffs, a lead has never felt less safe in the NBA.
Once upon a time in the NBA, it was pretty much agreed upon that a team needed at least a big two, if not a big three, to reach the promised land. But in a post “apron” era, where it’s increasingly difficult to afford to keep more than one top-tier player on your roster, it’s become more important than ever to have a bench that’s not just playable, but excellent. The playoffs are as fast, physical, and exhausting as they’ve ever been. Having the luxury of fresh legs is a superpower.
We are indisputably living in the three-point era, much to the chagrin of the internet. But one thing hasn’t changed: you still have to have other options. The Celtics found this out the hard way, as their blind allegiance to chucking ‘em up from beyond the arc, which proved a winning formula last season, came back to bite them against the Knicks in round two.
