Looking back at the 2022 NBA playoffs, I still get chills thinking about how unpredictable the entire tournament turned out to be. As someone who's followed basketball religiously for over fifteen years, I can confidently say this was one of the most dramatic postseason runs I've ever witnessed. The bracket we all filled out in April looked completely different by June, with underdog stories and unexpected upsets rewriting narratives at every turn. What struck me most was how even the most carefully analyzed predictions fell apart within the first week - a reminder that in playoff basketball, regular season dominance doesn't always translate to postseason success.

I remember specifically thinking about how teams handle pressure during those crucial opening games. The reference to La Salle's disastrous three-game start earlier in the season kept popping into my mind while watching certain playoff teams struggle. When a team like the Phoenix Suns, who dominated the regular season with 64 wins, looked completely out of sync in their second-round series against Dallas, it reminded me how fragile team chemistry can be under the bright lights of postseason pressure. The Mavericks, led by Luka Dončić's otherworldly 32.5 points per game in that series, exposed defensive weaknesses the Suns had managed to hide all season. Watching that unfold felt like witnessing the NBA version of what happened to La Salle - when the foundation cracks, everything can collapse remarkably fast.

The Eastern Conference bracket delivered its own brand of chaos that I found particularly thrilling. Personally, I've always been drawn to teams that overcome mid-season obstacles, which made Boston's journey from 18-21 in January to NBA Finals appearance absolutely captivating. Their first-round sweep of Brooklyn, featuring that iconic Game 1 comeback from 15 points down, showcased the defensive identity that would define their playoff run. The Celtics held Kevin Durant to just 38.6% shooting in that series, numbers that still surprise me when I look them up. What impressed me most was how Boston's rotation tightened to essentially seven players, with Derrick White becoming the unexpected X-factor after his mid-season acquisition.

Out West, the Golden State Warriors' path back to championship glory felt both familiar and freshly earned. Having covered their dynasty years extensively, I noticed something different about this title run - it was grittier, less dominant but more resilient. Their six-game victory over Memphis in the second round featured several moments where the Warriors of old might have folded, particularly when Ja Morant dropped 47 points in Game 2. Instead, we saw Jordan Poole emerge as a legitimate scoring threat, averaging 25.8 points through the first three rounds. The Western Conference Finals against Dallas demonstrated Golden State's championship DNA, with Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green combining for 58.3 points per game while making all the clutch plays when it mattered.

The NBA Finals matchup between Golden State and Boston delivered exactly what basketball purists like myself crave - strategic adjustments game to game, legendary individual performances, and dramatic momentum swings. That series had me constantly reevaluating which team had the advantage. Boston stealing Game 1 on the road behind Jayson Tatum's 12 assists showed their growth, while Golden State's 107-97 Game 4 victory to even the series featured what I consider Curry's masterpiece - 43 points while shooting 50% from three-point range. The defining moment came in Game 5 when Andrew Wiggins, often criticized throughout his career, delivered 26 points and 13 rebounds, cementing his transformation into the two-way force Golden State needed.

Reflecting on the complete 2022 playoff bracket reveals patterns I believe will influence team building for years. The value of two-way wings, the importance of having multiple creators, and the strategic emphasis on defensive versatility all became clearly evident. What stays with me most is how the playoffs reinforced basketball's fundamental truth - systems beat talent unless talent buys into the system. The Warriors' championship, secured with their 103-90 Game 6 closeout, wasn't about having the best player on the court every night (though Curry certainly had his moments), but about having the most cohesive unit when it mattered most. For all the bracket chaos and unexpected results, the team that best embodied collective resilience ultimately raised the Larry O'Brien Trophy, reminding us why we love playoff basketball's unpredictable journey.

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