Last time on The New Millennium, Stephen Curry was given back the reigns to the Dallas Mavericks, and led his team to a 50 win season en route to claiming his second MVP. Will Curry add another ring to his collection? Who will claim the ultimate prize and win the 2013 NBA Championship?
First Round
The Pacers would have no issues in the East, easily sweeping the 76ers. The Bulls, starved for playoff success, would take down the defending champion Hawks, as Damien Baxter dropping a crucial 41 points in the decisive Game 4 win. A hungry Carmelo Anthony would power his Knicks through the first round, as they took down the young Heat in 4 games. The always tough Boston Celtics gave the heavily favored Nets a run for their money, but New Jersey won Game 5 to advance.
Out West, the SuperSonics brought life to Seattle, pushing the top seeded Grizzlies all the way to 5 before veteran Tyson Chandler stepped up with a couple crucial tip-ins late to send Vancouver through. The Lakers ran into the buzzsaw known as Kevin Durant, who averaged over 40 points a game in a tidy 4 game victory. The Warriors put up a hell of a fight, but young Blake Giffin was too much to handle inside, as the Rockets won in 5. Another young big man in Anthony Davis caused a lot of problems for Stephen Curry and his Mavericks, as Utah would also force a Game 5. With Curry held in check, Clifton Davenport stepped up for the former champs, scoring 37 points in 27 minutes in Game 5 to send Dallas through.
Second Round
The second round was not nearly as close, as the Mavericks swept the Rockets to punch their ticket to the Western Conference Finals. They would be joined by the Vancouver Grizzlies, who's stifling defense completely held KD in check, and the Grizzlies won in 5.
Out East, the Bulls saw another playoff run fall short, as they were swept by the Pacers, who got an incredible 47 points from Klay Thompson to win Game 4. Carmelo Anthony fought desperately to finally get his spot in the Conference Finals, bringing the fight to veteran Nets. But New Jersey has been here so many times before, and got multiple clutch shots throughout the series, before Jason Richardson closed it out with a game winning 3 to win Game 5 and advance.
Conference Finals
With both series features the top two teams in each conference, they both felt very similar at times. Out East, the Nets quickly took a 2-0 lead, only for big man Cliff Moor to claw Indiana back into it with two straight wins. In Game 6, Darryl Berry came off the bench to save the Pacers' season with 36 points. But in Game 7 on their home floor, the Pacers could not contain the duo of Oscar Jacobsen and Jamaal Teague inside, as the Nets advanced to their fourth NBA Finals in The New Millennium.
In the West, the Mavericks would also take a 2-0 lead, and it would also evaporate, this time thanks to the efforts of surprise star Anton Kiba for the Grizzlies. Game 5 went to the Mavericks, as Curry and Davenport combined for 56 points, but Game 6 went to Vancouver, as Marvin Williams scored 21 points to save the Grizzlies' season. In Game 7 on their home floor, not one Grizzlies player scored more than 16 points, but it didn't matter. They held Dallas to 38% shooting and just 88 points, as the fans in Vancouver celebrated their very first NBA Finals berth.
NBA Finals
Game 1 in New Jersey was the Rudy Gay show, as he dropped 31 points on the vaunted Grizzlies defense to claim victory. Game 2 was a defensive slugfest, and New Jersey would only have two players score in double digits. Fortunately for them, that was all they needed, as Roland Snow and Jamaal Teague combined for 48 points in a 91-83 win.
After holding out for as long as they could, the Grizzlies finally gave way in Game 3. The home fans witnessed the visiting Nets waltz to a 37 point win, as Jason Richardson, Rudy Gay, Nick Young and Roland Snow all scored above 20 points. Game 4 started well for Vancouver, as Anton Kiba was on fire. But the tandem of Rudy Gay and Jason Richardson cut the Grizzlies apart in the second half, as Richardson scored 9 of his 20 points in the 4th quarter. In the end, the Nets showed their class, and pulled away from a valiant Grizzlies team in Vancouver. As the clock stuck, Richardson collapsed to the floor, completely spent. Age has caught up with the Nets star throughout the season, as he put the lowest scoring average of his career. But in the end, it was worth it, as Jason Richardson lifted another Larry O'Brien Trophy, securing his legacy in New Jersey lore. The New Jersey Nets are the 2013 NBA Champions!
NBA Finals MVP: Jason Richardson(17.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 4.7 apg)
Real life was never kind to the New Jersey Nets, who lost back to back Finals before eventually leaving the state. They've rebounded in recent years, but in this alternate reality, there was never a need for rebuilding. The Nets have consistently been a force in the Eastern Conference for many years now, and now win their second title. Join me next time on The New Millennium for the 2013 offseason.
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