NBA Playoffs Down to "Final Four"

Although I'm disappointed that "my" San Antonio Spurs and Miami Heat didn't quite make it to their respective conference finals, I still enjoy watching the National Basketball Association playoffs...but I'm glad I was at work last night and didn't witness the horrendous 31-point blowout that Cleveland put over Toronto in their opening round game for the Eastern Conference championship.  Still, it's "best of seven" and I recall, just recently, when San Antonio did something similar to Oklahoma City in their first game...only to see the Thunder win the next four out of five and the series.  Still, I have trouble comparing the Raptors, an admittedly talented team, with Oklahoma City and its superstars Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook along with the crucial supporting cast of players Serge Ibaka, Steven Adams, and Enes Kanter.  The latter two shut down the Spurs offense in the "paint" during the previous series and have to be given a great amount of credit for the team's playoff surge so far.  Also, I'm starting to hear kudos deservedly being given to Thunder first-year head coach Billy Donovan.  And if upsetting favored San Antonio wasn't enough, Oklahoma City then shocked everyone by coming from behind in the second half to beat the heavily favored Golden State Warriors in the first game of the Western Conference finals, 108-102...

I don't think that a team like Golden State, headlined by its two-time MVP guard Stephen Curry, will buckle under to the Thunder.  Still, by beating them on their home court, Oklahoma City has definitely earned their attention and respect.  Who knows what will happen in the next game, which will begin tonight at nine (on TNT).  As it stands now, my favorite team of the remaining four is Oklahoma City, followed in order of preference by Golden State and Toronto, the latter of which I'm afraid is a lost cause against the mighty Lebron James-led Cavaliers.  I happen to like Lebron and the way he unselfishly works with his teammates.  What I don't like about Cleveland is the way that this city acts as if it has some kind of proprietary claim on him, just because he grew up in the area and played for the Cavaliers during his early NBA years.  I don't see people in other American cities acting this way toward NBA players from their area who are on teams in other towns.  If the Cavaliers were playing in a different city, I'd probably be rooting for them instead of against them...