The top eight teams in the West were: the Suns, Spurs, Mavericks, Lakers, Nuggets, Thunder, Trail Blazers, and Grizzlies.
The top eight teams in the East were: the Bulls, Heat, Celtics, Magic, Hawks, Knicks, 76ers, and Pacers.
So.
Western Conference first-round matchups: Suns vs. Grizzlies, Spurs vs. Trail Blazers, Mavericks vs. Thunder, Lakers vs. Nuggets.
Eastern Conference first-round matchups: Bulls vs. Pacers, Heat vs. 76ers, Celtics vs. Knicks, Magic vs. Hawks.
With the first-round playoff matchups announced, the fans, already unable to wait, immediately launched into heated speculation and discussion.
"Come on, who's going first?!"
"I'll go first!"
A fan with the ID [Blake Su's Little Fan Girl] jumped in first and said, "Let's start with the East. Bulls vs. Pacers.
"This is the East's No. 1 seed against the No. 8 seed. There's no suspense here. 'Windy City Rose' Rose will definitely lead his team past the Pacers with ease.
"It might even be a sweep.
"Next is Heat vs. 76ers. Without AI, the 76ers' 'Iggy' Iguodala can't carry the stage by himself. They clearly aren't a match for the villains."
"There's a very good chance the Heat sweep the 76ers too.
"Then there's Celtics vs. Knicks. The aging 'Shaq' being out for the season because of injury won't have too much of an impact on the Celtics.
"The 'Celtics Big Four' vs. the 'Amar'e-Melo' duo.
"This will be a huge matchup with an Eastern Conference Finals feel. It'll probably take six games, maybe even a Game 7, before the winner is decided.
"As for who advances, for now, I'll give it to the more explosive 'Amar'e-Melo' duo.
"Finally, Magic vs. Hawks. Even though the Magic struggled a little in the second half of the season, with 'Superman' Howard there, that 'one star, four shooters' lineup is still powerful.
"The Hawks definitely have plenty of capable players, but without an absolute superstar, they shouldn't be able to beat the Magic.
"So... based on my analysis and predictions, the Eastern Conference teams advancing from the first round are the Bulls, Heat, Knicks, and Magic.
"Now for the West.
"Suns vs. Grizzlies. I think everyone saw their two recent back-to-back games. The Suns won far too easily.
"No pressure.
"With 'Monster Rookie' Blake Su on the Suns, they'll definitely sweep the Grizzlies 4-0.
"Spurs vs. Trail Blazers is another series without much suspense. If 'B-Roy' were still at his peak, maybe there would be a fight.
"But right now, the Spurs will probably advance 4-1, maybe even by sweep.
"As for Mavericks vs. Thunder, this is a clash between Dirk Nowitzki and the 'Thunder Trio.' Nowitzki is in excellent form this year, and the Thunder, the biggest dark horse outside of the Suns, won't be easy to deal with either."
"This series will be like Celtics vs. Knicks in the East. It's bound to be exciting. Uh... in my view, it'll also be a hard-fought series that goes to Game 7.
"In the end, the 'Thunder Trio' will win with their talent.
"Finally, Lakers vs. Nuggets. A big reason the Nuggets were able to hold the fifth seed in the West was because of the wins they picked up back when 'Melo' Anthony was still leading the team.
"Now, without Anthony, they're just an empty shell, all appearance and no substance. How could they be a match for the defending champions? The Lakers will definitely advance with ease.
"This year, the Lakers are aiming for a three-peat and trying to build a new 'Purple and Gold' dynasty.
"So, the teams advancing from the first round in the West will be the Suns, Spurs, Thunder, and Lakers."
She spoke with confidence and detail.
That prediction from the user named [Blake Su's Little Fan Girl] left countless fans stunned. Quite a few even nodded along subconsciously.
It felt... it felt like that really was how things would play out.
"Heh... that was a really good analysis!"
"Honestly, it really does sound about right. There's nothing wrong with it. This feels exactly like the script for the first round."
"Huh? [Blake Su's Little Fan Girl]? Is this Blake Su fan actually a girl?!"
"Wow, she really knows basketball."
"What? A girl? And a serious hoops fan too? Respect. @[Blake Su's Little Fan Girl], can I get your contact info?"
"I know basketball too. Maybe we could talk sometime."
"Do you have a photo?"
"Are you single?!"
"Whoa... that was direct."
"Huh? Wait... why does the tone feel like it's gone off track?"
"Excuse me, is this still a thread discussing the first round of the playoffs?"
"A bunch of thirsty weirdos!"
"Ahem... stop, stop. Let's get back on topic. Although this fan with the ID [Blake Su's Little Fan Girl] does make some sense, I still don't fully agree."
"Same here. Aren't the Knicks being overrated? The 'Amar'e-Melo' duo is definitely strong, but their chemistry still doesn't seem good enough.
"The 'Celtics Big Four' aren't going down in the first round."
"And the Mavericks too. Nowitzki is genuinely in great form this year. He may look a little soft, but he's really strong. You absolutely cannot underestimate him.
"As for the 'Thunder Trio,' they're definitely a group of insanely talented players, but they're still lacking experience."
"Exactly. Speaking of lacking experience, I think the Suns are the same. Blake Su, Curry, and George have no playoff experience at all.
"And Carter is injured.
"With only Nash having some playoff experience, sweeping the Grizzlies won't be easy."
"Bingo!"
"The playoffs aren't the regular season. That's the stage where teams throw everything they have into it, where defensive intensity rises sharply. The Grizzlies have the 'Black and White Bears' and balance inside and out.
"They've always been underestimated.
"If anyone dares to look down on them, they'll pay for it in the playoffs."
"Uh... everyone has their own point. Before the first round starts, people can say whatever they want. Just treat it as entertainment.
"Everything will be revealed in three days, once the playoffs tip off."
"That's right."
"But no matter what, I'd rather believe in the Suns than the Heat. I really can't stand those villainous stars who teamed up in their primes. I'd love nothing more than to see them fall in the first round.
"Lose to the 76ers.
"Even though I know that's really hard!"
"I agree!"
"Heh, stop being salty. Once they win the championship, all of this will disappear."
"..."
Ever since 1:00 p.m., when the league officially announced the first-round matchups in both conferences, the fans' heated debates had continued without stopping.
And it was not just the fans.
Major news reports and media broadcasts were all hotly discussing the first round, wildly building hype for the playoffs that were set to begin in three days.
The heat around the playoffs kept climbing.
It was not until one day later, when the NBA officially released the season's various statistical leaders and several season awards after compiling the data, that the fans' attention finally shifted.