We’ve now completed two rounds of SB Nation’s NBA 3 on 3 Tournament and while the first round went very much as expected, the second round has been chock full of surprises.
NBA 3 on 3 Tournament Results: Second Round Ends with Another Upset
On the last day of the second round, the Miami Heat managed to avoid falling victim to the rash of upsets. Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh had an easy victory over Iman Shumpert, Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler of the New York Knicks. Our panel of experts gave the Heat an 87 percent chance of winning any given game, and that was more than enough as the dice came up 31 and 27 for the Miami sweep. The Heat will now face the Detroit Pistons in an Eastern Conference Semi-final.
Out West it was a different story. The Heat's opponent in last year's NBA Finals, the Oklahoma City Thunder, were likewise favored to defeat the Dallas Mavericks, if not quite so decisively. The Thunder team of Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant and Nick Collison was given a 68 percent chance to win any given game with the Dallas Mavericks, a team featuring Delonte West, Dirk Nowitzki and Elton Brand. The first roll came up huge at 98, giving Dallas game one. The second roll was a 37, leveling the series at a game apiece. The third and decisive roll was 82, giving Dallas the victory and sending one of the pre-tournament favorites to an early exit. The Mavericks will now face the Los Angeles Lakers in a West Semi-final next week.
For a complete look at the SB Nation 3 on 3 Tournament, check back with this StoryStream.
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