While the top teams in "NBA 2K18" competition to determine the best NBA franchise of all time appear so dominant that they are destined to be on collision course with one another to meet deep in the tournament, there is plenty of intrigue in the other matchups before reaching that point.
Earlier we set the stage with the parameters of the tournament and the seeding. The "NBA 2K" simulation engine has proven itself to be reliable in the past, and in with that in mind, any major upsets occurring would be unlikely. That has proven the case here in the first round of the tournament as only two lower seeds prevailed, and both could easily have been considered toss-ups beforehand.
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Lakers Region
The Cavs dominated defensively and on the boards in their series with LeBron James posting 22 points, eight rebounds and eight assists per game. Though they dropped a game, the Knicks had the second-best point differential in the round, outscoring the Blazers by an average of 13 points. The Mavericks actually put up a surprising fight against a much deeper Pistons team, with Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry draining the most 3-pointers in the round while both averaging over 20 points per game.
The second round will see James and the Cavs go up against the overall No. 1 Lakers team, while the Knicks and Pistons will have a series defined by some old school toughness when they face off against each other.
Bulls Region
The biggest upset, in terms of seeding, came with the No. 20 Timberwolves knocking off the No. 13 Rockets in a series that took OT in Game 7 to determine who would advance. Minnesota ended up making the second most 3-pointers per game in the round, while Houston finished the round as the best team in terms of points in the paint. The other series in the region never seemed in doubt despite going five or six games.
The Bulls may have caught a break by missing the Rockets, who have a number of exceptionally skilled big men and scorers. Houston probably would have presented more of a challenge than the Timberwolves. The Spurs undoubtedly have a better roster than the Nuggets, especially inside, but Denver has a number of scorers that could get hot and make the series interesting.
Celtics Region
The Nets were the other franchise to pull off a mild upset, and they did so in impressive fashion. They had the biggest point differential in the entire round, winning by an average of 16.4 points. Jason Kidd was arguably the MVP of the round with 20 points, 10 assists and 3.6 steals per game. The Jazz came back from down 3-0 in the series, something never before done in the NBA, to avoid the upset to the Pelicans.
The Kings-Jazz matchup may be the most fascinating of the second round. Utah displayed the best passing ability in the first round with the most assists per game, thanks in large part to a backcourt of John Stockton, Pete Maravich and Deron Williams. Sacramento has one of the best lineups in the competition with several great big men and a bunch of excellent 3-point shooters.
Note: The graphic above incorrectly lists the Memphis Grizzlies as the #26 seed. It was actually the Orlando Magic.
Warriors Region
This region had the only two sweeps of the first round, and the other two series were won with ease. It was the Heat, though, that (at least statistically) showed the most with their performance. Miami had the biggest point differential of the round, winning by a staggering average of 22 points. The Heat version of James led the round in assists with over 12 dimes per game, Alonzo Mourning led the team in both scoring and rebounding and Tim Hardaway ranked second in steals.
The Heat and Thunder will meet in a 2012 NBA Finals rematch, with Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant hoping for some measure of revenge against James. The Warriors, the highest scoring team in the first round, look primed to cruise past a solid Bucks roster.
Bryan Wiedey posts sports gaming news and analysis daily at Pastapadre.com, is co-founder of the sports gaming site HitThePass.com, hosts the "Press Row Podcast" and can be reached on Twitter @Pastapadre.