But this time, it shouldn't be considered a "fluke," right?
In about a week's time, the other three teams that had advanced to the division finals in the East and West were determined:
The Lakers once again defeated the Jazz Team with a large score of 4-1, entering the Western Conference Finals for the second consecutive year.
Originally, the Jazz Team was Yao Ming's bane.
But this time, Yao turned into the Jazz Team's bane instead.
The battle between the Mavericks and the Hornets concluded with the Mavericks, like the Eastern Pacers, once again "overcoming the strong with the weak" and snatching the other Western Conference Finals slot.
The final Western Conference Finals matchup was set:
Lakers vs. Mavericks!
Before this matchup began, Kobe lifted the regular season MVP trophy at Staples Center.
The outside world wasn't surprised by this outcome.
