After a long delay, I've finally found time to move on to the Sweet Sixteen of our simulated tournament!
(5) 2006 Detroit Pistons 90, (8) 1996 Orlando Magic 85
In our first game of the Sweet Sixteen, we have two teams that came a round short of the NBA Finals in their respective years. With the Detroit Pistons, we have a team that thrives on defense (they ranked 5th in league) going up against an Orlando Magic team that was 3rd in the league on offense. The phrase goes defense wins championships, and the Detroit Pistons came one step closer to it after this game. Shaquille O'Neal was held to 25 points on 26 shots, and Orlando as a whole shot below 40% from the field. Detroit was ever worse from the field, but made twice as many free throws.
http://whatifsports.com/NBA/boxscore.asp?GameID=5810227&nomenu=1&teamfee=-1
(10) 1994 Houston Rockets 100, (6) 1998 Chicago Bulls 91
Two of the greatest teams in NBA history were the 1996 and 1997 Chicago Bulls. Somehow, it was the 1998 Bulls that kept advancing...but not anymore. Michael Jordan really struggled, scoring only 22 points on 7-23 shooting. Chicago managed a measly 36.1% field goal percentage against the great Hakeem Olajuwon-anchored defense. Olajuwon proved he had the heart of a champion, putting of monster numbers 29 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists, and 6 blocks. Though Chicago at half, Houston used a 31-12 third quarter to take the lead and seal the deal.
http://whatifsports.com/NBA/boxscore.asp?GameID=5810457&nomenu=1&teamfee=-1
(1) 1972 LA Lakers 102, (12) 1993 Chicago Bulls 95
Michael Jordan did everything possible to keep his championship dreams alive. Being the only Chicago team left, MJ put up 43 points to go along with 8 rebounds, 6 assists, and 6 steals. Nevertheless, he got minimal production from the rest of the team (except for Horace Grant's 16 pts/16 rebs) and Chicago fell to the No. 1 seed LA Lakers. Los Angeles showcased a more balanced effort as Jerry West and Gail Goodrich led the team with 22 points a piece and Wilt Chamberlain contributed 10 points and 19 rebounds. Michael Jordan may be the best player in NBA history, but it's Los Angeles trying to prove they're the best team in history.
http://whatifsports.com/NBA/boxscore.asp?GameID=5810486&nomenu=1&teamfee=-1
(10) 2005 San Antonio Spurs 101, (11) 2002 LA Lakers 84
And it wasn't even close. This match-up was the only one where neither teams won 60 games, though both won the championship in their respective year. This match-up also was the closest two teams in the Sweet Sixteen were seeded with one another.San Antonio is known as a rather boring team, but they took the simple path to winning a game. They shot better from the field, they turned the ball over less, and they made their free-throws. Shaquille O'Neal was dominant with 28 points in the game, but it was the balanced effort of the San Antonio Spurs that ending up prevailing. They got off to an 8-point lead to end the first and they never looked back.
http://whatifsports.com/NBA/boxscore.asp?GameID=5810570&nomenu=1&teamfee=-1
(5) 1993 Phoenix Suns 119, (9) 1963 Boston Celtics 100
Even though it was the Chicago Bulls who won the championship in 1993, it was the Phoenix Suns who had the best record, and here they're out to prove they were the best team from that year. Charles Barkley and the Suns didn't just beat, but blew-out, one of the greatest winners and a team that was part of one of the greatest dynasties of all time. Led by Charles Barkley (who put up 26 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals), the Phoenix Suns, who were the number one offensive team in 1993, put up 119 points on over 50% shooting and 31 free throws made. Bill Russel put up some impressive numbers with 21 rebounds, 5 blocks, and 8 assists, but that wasn't enough to prevent his dynasty from being overthrow by Sir Charles.
http://whatifsports.com/NBA/boxscore.asp?GameID=5810621&nomenu=1&teamfee=-1
(15) 2002 Sacramento Kings 110, (11) 2007 San Antonio Spurs 108
The stars really came out in the most exciting game of the Sweet Sixteen so far. I had issues deciding who would get home court for this game, since even though the Spurs had a better seed, they had the worse record due to my mistake with the Sacramento franchise. However, that would end up not mattering. The Big 3 of San Antonio played phenomenal, as Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili combined for 64 points, 26 rebounds, and 13 assists. However, it wasn't enough to overcome an absolute monster game by Peja Stojakovic, who scored 37 points on 14/24 shooting. Chris Webber nearly got a triple-double, recording 18-13-8. The Spurs led by 8 at the half, but the Kings slowly worked their way back into the game. Webber made a fade-away with 19 seconds to take a 110-108, but Duncan missed a jumper at the buzzer to tie.
http://whatifsports.com/NBA/boxscore.asp?GameID=5810664&nomenu=1&teamfee=-1
(5) 1981 Boston Celtics 109, (1) 1967 Philadelphia 76ers 105
And then there was one. With the defeat of the 1967 Philadelphia team, only one No. 1 seed remains as we head off to the Elite Eight. Boston got off to a hot start, leading by 9 at the end of one, but Philadelphia charged back to not only reach, but take the lead heading into the half. The two teams played back and forth ball for the remainder of the game, but Boston took the lead with 6 minutes remaining and never looked back. Larry Bird and Robert Parish played magnificent ball, and the two combined for 57 points, 30 rebounds, 8 assists, and 7 blocks, with both players shooting over 50% from the floor. For the 76ers, Wilt Chamberlain played about as good as one could, scoring 35 points on 17-23 shooting, while also accumulating 22 rebounds and 7 assists. Unfortunately, only one other of his teammates even made half his shots, letting Wilt's fine effort go to waste.
http://whatifsports.com/NBA/boxscore.asp?GameID=5810701&nomenu=1&teamfee=-1
(2) 1986 Boston Celtics 104, (6) 1984 Boston Celtics 88
Despite the team being just the same team but just two years apart, the game wasn't even close. Aside from the game being tied after one, the 1986 Celtics won every quarter. DJ, Robert Parish, and Kevin McHale for both teams put up similar stats, but the key difference was Larry Bird. The 1984 Bird scored just 14 points, while the 1986 counterpart broke out for 35! The biggest edge for the 1985 Celtics was their dominance on the boards, outrebounding their version of two years earlier, 56-47. Look how much different a couple of years make!
Thoughts
I think it safe to say that our simulated tournament has been rather unpredictable, or, dare I say it, madness. There are no more teams left from either the Boston Celtics dynasty of the 1960s or the Chicago Bulls dynasty of the 1990s. The GOAT Michael Jordan and the greatest coach of all Phil Jackson are both absent in the Elite Eight, as well as three No. 1 seeds. Here's what I find most interesting though. Three of the teams left did not win the championship, with two of those teams not even making the NBA Finals. Considering all the championship teams are going against each other in the next round, that means that potentially two of the teams in the Final Four for our Best Team in NBA History tournament weren't even the best team in their year!
*After looking through my info, I'm not sure how the 2006 Detroit Pistons are even in the tournament. They weren't the best team in franchise history, nor did they ever win a championship. Realizing this so late in the simulation, I thought it best just to leave them in.
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