Two of the top four teams in the NBA Eastern Conference, the No. 1 Milwaukee Bucks and the No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers, were upset by the No. 8 Miami Heat and the No. 5 New York Knicks, respectively, in the first-round playoffs.
Jimmy Butler cemented his reputation as "tough" with his epic performances for the Heat during their 4-1 series win against the Bucks.
The Knicks showed the rest of the league that, even in today's NBA which is about spacing, speed and efficiency, the slow, physical old-fashioned way of playing from the 1990s could also enable a team to win.
The Boston Celtics beat the Atlanta Hawks 4-2, but the process was much more breathtaking than many had expected.
Jimmy Butler (#22) of the Miami Heat shoots in Game 5 of the NBA Eastern Conference first-round playoffs against the Milwaukee Bucks at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, April 26, 2023. /CFP
Jalen Brunson (#11) of the New York Knicks passes in Game 5 of the NBA Eastern Conference first-round playoffs against the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio, April 26, 2023. /CFP
Jalen Brown (#7) of the Boston Celtics shoots in Game 6 of the NBA Eastern Conference first-round playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, April 27, 2023. /CFP
Host: Li Xiang
Cover designer: Feng Yuan