Let’s see what the US media said about this year’s NBA semi-finals. Is the biggest surprise and predicted finals reliable?

Nether teams ranked higher in this year's NBA playoff semifinals failed to win Game 1. Since then, the Boston Celtics and the Minnesota Timberwolves have been able to rebound. But the pressure is high, and the injuries of stars such as Stephen Curry and Carl Anthony Towns have put a heavy burden on their respective teams.

New York Knicks vs. Boston Celtics

Who is under the most pressure in tomorrow's crucial Game 4?

It is obviously necessary to be Jayson Tatum and his lightning rod long jump game, and occasionally bad contact occurs. Or Jaylen Brown, who shot only a little better from the field in the series than Tatum’s tough shooting percentage. (Brown made 5 of 23 threes. But the reality is that the Celtics, despite their brickwork on the outside, still have five averaged double-digit scores and a good ball-breaking record.)

Knicks star Brunson has a high approval rating in New York, which is right, because his great performance is legendary. But taking a step back, the unsettling fact is that Brunson was suffocated by the Celtics’ rotation guards, especially Derek White and Jereu Holiday. Brunson shot just 38% from the field in the series. Boston kept him off the bottom line; Brunson had only 18 shots in three games, 33% less than his average shot rate in the first round against the Detroit Pistons. The Knicks averaged just 95 points in the first round of playoffs and shot just 42% from the field in the series. Additionally, Carl Anthony Towns is now dealing with a left-hand injury, and the Celtics are more determined than ever to deliberately foul Mitchell Robinson, who made 7-of-23 shots on the foul line to steal the Knicks’ property. -- Brian Winder

Denver Nuggets vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

Jokic can rebound in his poor shooting touch?

Nicola Jokic rediscovered his shooting touch in one of the next two games. According to ESPN Research, the three-time MVP is in an unprecedented dilemma, shooting below 40% from the field in three straight games, with at least 15 attempts in his first career (regular season or playoffs). Jokic is one of the most efficient superstars in NBA history, shooting 33.3% from the field in those three games and he made more mistakes than assists in the series. Oklahoma City’s No. 1 defense made Jokic’s job difficult, and it will continue to put pressure as the series progresses! If Jokic cannot improve his efficiency, the Nuggets will be eliminated in that moment. -- Tim McMahon

Golden State Warriors vs. Minnesota Timberwolves

Warriors' biggest weakness, how do the Warriors take advantage of it without Stephen Curry?

As one of four teams in the league to rank in the top 10 in both offense and defense in both regular season, the Timberwolves don’t have many major weaknesses. Minnesota's 23-6 record since the calendar moved to March will only strengthen that. However, Wolves don’t always protect the basketball like a team that should completely lock in the value of every possession. Although Minnesota led the Golden State Warriors 2-1, Wolves made more mistakes in two of the three games than the Warriors, including 21-15 in Game 3. Despite winning the turnover battle, the Golden State Warriors only scored 13 points from Wolves’ turnovers in Game 3, while the Wolves scored 16 points from Warriors’ turnovers. If the Warriors can continue to use Draymond Green, Jimmy Butler, Brandin Pozimski, Gary Payton II and Jonathan Cumingga to harass Wolves’ ball handlers and become more organized in their transitional game as they force Minnesota to make mistakes! The Golden State Warriors may be able to steal a victory to extend the series and give Curry a chance to heal his left hamstring for a return in Game 6! The Timberwolves must not let the Warriors drag the game to Game 6, otherwise they will have great trouble and face the situation of being eliminated -- Dave McMenaming

Indiana Pacers vs. Cleveland Cavaliers

Can the Cleveland Cavaliers rebound in this series?

Rediscover their best offense in history in the regular season. Cleveland's offensive rating ranks No. 1 in the NBA. But outside Donovan Mitchell, the entire series offense was a struggle, ending with a downpour of Game 4, putting the Cavaliers on the brink of elimination. In the first half of today's game, the Cavaliers scored 39 points while delivering three assists and 14 turnovers. Worse, Mitchell is the player with the highest average score in the playoff series since LeBron James, but he did not play in the second half due to an ankle injury. He will perform on MRI tomorrow. If the results are not good, then the Cavaliers will explain this year - Jamal Collier

What is the biggest surprise in the second round so far?

For the first time in NBA history, three teams have reached a positive score difference of 9 or higher. Then these teams – the Thunder, the Cavaliers and the Celtics – eased their way through the first round, defeating the powerful play-off team with a total score of 12-1. They all seem to be fighting for the league finals and the NBA Finals.

So, even if the role of injury and shooting luck played by these three teams, the Celtics Cavaliers and the Thunder, struggled collectively in the second round, was a huge surprise. The regular season Big Three played against Denver, Indiana and New York 4-7 in these playoffs. As expected, the Big Three may still advance. But unexpected results make the game more entertaining and overall more competitive. -- Zach Kram

NBA Finals Choice: Celtics vs. Thunders

Although both teams are behind 2-1 as of this moment, I still insist on watching the Celtics and the Thunder. Boston’s performance in Game 3 reminded them of their opposition advantage when they made a three-pointer against the Knicks. Due to the lack of strength of the top seed Cavaliers, if the Celtics enter the Eastern Conference Finals, they will definitely be favored. In the West, Minnesota is the safest bet to reach the league finals and has also played well with Oklahoma City this season. Still, the Thunder remained in a home advantage throughout the playoffs, making them a hit. -- Kevin Pelton