After the Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Houston Rockets, they also returned to Minneapolis as soon as possible.
Timberwolves fans are naturally excited about the team's feat of sweeping their opponents.
After the players got off the plane, about 2,000 fans were waiting outside the airport. They held up signs full of slogans to cheer for the team and wore the uniforms of different players.
As the Timberwolves players walked onto the bus, these fans stood there and chanted in unison.
The person who shouted the most was Zhao Feiyang.
He is a well-deserved hero of this city and one of the key factors in the Timberwolves' sweep of the Rockets.
"MVP! MVP!"
"Welcome home! We will accompany you to reach the finals and create history..."
"You are our heroes and the heroes of this city. We will always love you..."
After the players walked onto the bus, there were still many fans greeting them warmly.
This scene also made the players sigh with emotion, especially many players who did not make it to the playoffs at all. They were simply shocked and speechless by such a scene.
"Oh! No! This is just winning the first round. It's hard to imagine what they will be like if we reach the finals..."
"Just wait! There will be a day, it's definitely not far from us..."
"It feels so good to win, it makes me find the excitement I haven't had for a long time..."
The players were chatting away, and the entire team bus was filled with a happy atmosphere. The team's head coach, Norman Thomas, did not interrupt such a happy time. He sat next to the assistant coaches and chatted.
After the ups and downs and struggles of the regular season, the Timberwolves have never had such a happy time from top to bottom.
Zhao Feiyang sat alone in the corner. Although he was very happy, he did not chat with everyone. Instead, he remained silent and enjoyed a moment of rest.
"Hey, Zhao, what are you thinking about?"
Kevin Martin said hello and sat down next to Zhao Feiyang.
Zhao Feiyang also woke up from his distraction. Seeing Martin approaching, he also responded proactively, "Kevin, who do you think our next opponent will be?"
"If nothing else...I think the Portland Trail Blazers will win!"
Martin analyzed it carefully, "Now they are tied 2-2 with the Clippers. It seems that there is not much difference in strength between the two sides, but I don't think the Clippers can beat them..."
"Of course, this is just my personal analysis, and it may not be so accurate... It's just that I prefer that we will face the Trail Blazers..."
Hearing what Martin said, Zhao Feiyang nodded in agreement.
"We're thinking the same thing...I also think the Trail Blazers can win!"
"If that's the case, then our next opponents are the two brothers Damien and McCollum... If we play them, I think things will get very interesting..."
Zhao Feiyang smiled meaningfully.
Martin didn't quite understand.
After he continued to ask, Zhao Feiyang finally explained, "We have played against them several times in the regular season. Do you still remember the winning and losing rates of our two teams? Without exception, we defeated them all. ....."
"As long as we don't make any big mistakes in the second round, I think they may be better than the Rockets..."
"Of course, the biggest variable is Damian Lillard. This guy is very surprising. When he is playing well, he is like Michael Jordan, but when he is not playing well, he is like Kwame Brown. ......."
Meanwhile, word spread quickly that the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Houston Rockets.
When other teams in the league learned that the Timberwolves swept the Rockets, many clubs were worried about the threat posed by the Timberwolves.
Some celebrities and industry insiders also made various analyzes on the show.
"Oh! It's really surprising. I never thought that the Timberwolves could defeat the Rockets and sweep them. In this case, it seems that they are indeed capable of fighting this season..."
"Boldly predict that the Timberwolves may eventually compete with the Warriors for the championship in the Western Conference Finals..."
"I predict that the Trail Blazers will defeat the Clippers and advance to the next round, and that the Timberwolves will defeat the Trail Blazers and advance to the Western Conference Finals in the second round... The only thing that eludes me is that I don't know Who is better, the Warriors or the Thunder..."
Just as the outside world was speculating, the war situation in the east and west was also changing one after another.
First of all, in the Western Conference, there was no suspense in the match between the Golden State Warriors and the Memphis Grizzlies. After the fourth game, the Warriors also won the Grizzlies' home court at FedEx Plaza Arena.
Like the Timberwolves, the Warriors swept their opponents 4-0 to advance to the second round.
Compared with the surprise brought by the Timberwolves, the Warriors' performance did not surprise other teams in the league. Many people in the industry firmly believe that they can make history with 73 wins. Therefore, no one doubts them at all. Will fall in the first round.
Among the other two teams that may advance, in addition to the Portland Trail Blazers and Los Angeles Clippers who tied, the Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs also played 3-1.
Judging from the records and performance of both sides, the Thunder are obviously stronger than the Spurs. Having won the match point, they seemed to have a better chance of advancing to the next round.
In the East, the Cleveland Cavaliers are the ones that fans pay the most attention to.
The Cleveland Cavaliers met the Detroit Pistons in the first round, and they also defeated their opponents in only 4 games.
Not only did they show a sweeping attitude, but they also showed that they were bound to make it to the finals.
The tough play of the Big Three also makes other teams in the Eastern Conference fearful.
Obviously, for any team capable of reaching the Eastern Conference Finals, the Cavaliers are their biggest threat, bar none.
Only if they can defeat the Cavaliers can they reach the finals!
The Atlanta Hawks and Boston Celtics tied 3-1, and the Hawks won the match point. Although the series was very difficult, anyone with a discerning eye can see that it may be difficult for the Bostonians to advance to the top spot this season. Second round.
The Toronto Raptors and Indiana Pacers have the smallest strength gap in the Eastern Conference. The two teams scored a 2-2 score in the fourth game.
Although the combination of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan is not as strong as it seems, it is enough for the Pacers who are not stable enough!
As for the Miami Heat and Charlotte Hornets, the two giants of the Heat are still highly anticipated. In the eyes of many fans, even without LeBron, the team will definitely reach the Eastern Conference Finals easily.
In the end, the facts were a slap in the face. Not to mention reaching the second round, the Heat even had a difficult series.
In the fourth game, they barely tied the score at 2-2. This situation undoubtedly made the game more confusing.
