I spent over half of 2020 doing a 128 all time MLB tournament using the What If Sports simulation.
So, of course, I've doubled the field and am now ready to do a basketball tournament.
16 Regions of 16 teams each.
I've actually got 272 teams, I'm going to do a play in round for the final 16 spots in the field; one game, winner take all.
Round One will be best of 3 - the better seed team getting home court for all 3 games.
Round Two best of 5 - the better seed is home court for all but game 3.
Round Three best of 5, 2-2-1 format.
Round Four (that's the final 32) onward - Best of 7, 2-3-2.
Today - we reveal the play in games - the Final 32 teams that made this field; one game, winner take all matchups to earn a right to play one of the tournament's 16 number one seeds.
REGION 1 PLAY IN GAME
1968 WEST CHAMP LA LAKERS AT 1993 MIDWEST CHAMP HOUSTON ROCKETS
(52-30) (55-27)
-29 year old Jerry West and 33 year old Elgin Baylor lead a Laker team that lost the NBA Finals into Houston to take on this Rocket team that lost in the West Semis with 30 year old Hakeem Olajuwon.
REGION 2 PLAY IN GAME
1966 EAST DIV CHAMP PHILADELPHIA 76ERS AT 2017 LA CLIPPERS
(55-25) (51-31)
-We get our first look at the Dipper, the Legendary Wilt Chamberlain, 29 years old. Hal Greer's also 29 and Chet Walker's 25 and they take on a Clipper squad that lost in the first round with 27 year old Blake Griffin and 31 year old Chris Paul.
REGION 3 PLAY IN GAME
2001 UTAH JAZZ AT 1954 NBA CHAMPION MINNEAPOLIS LAKERS
(53-29) (46-26)
-37 year old Karl Malone and 38 year old John Stockton lead a Utah team that lost in the first round.
They head to Minneapolis to take on our first NBA Champions we'll get to take a look at; these Lakers beat the Nationals in 7 games. George Mikan is 29; Vern Mikkelson 25.
REGION 4 PLAY IN GAME
1971 ABA W DIV. CHAMPS INDIANA PACERS AT 1958 EAST CHAMPS BOSTON CELTICS
(58-26) (49-23)
-You'll note this isn't labeled an NBA tournament - because there are ABA teams in the field. The first is this Pacers squad led by 26 year old Mel Daniels and 28 year old Roger Brown that lost in the West Finals - and they will give us our first look at the Boston Garden, facing a Celtics team that lost in the NBA Finals, paced by 23 year old Bill Russell and 29 year old Bob Cousy.
REGION 5 PLAY IN GAME
1994 CEN. DIV CHAMP ATLANTA HAWKS AT 1990 MW CHAMP SAN ANTONIO SPURS
(57-25) (56-26)
-34 year old Dominique Wilkins lead the Hawks to a division title, they fell in the East Semis - and they head to San Antonio for the first Spurs team we'll see in the tournament. This is a Larry Brown coached Spurs squad that lost in the West Semis. The Admiral David Robinson is 24.
REGION 6 PLAY IN GAME
1994 SAN ANTONIO SPURS AT 1985 PHILADELPHIA 76ERS
(55-27) (58-24)
-Fast Forward 4 years and the Spurs are back, John Lucas is the head coach; Robinson's 28, he's joined by a 32 year old Dennis Rodman. They head to the Spectrum to meet a Sixers club that lost in the East Finals; they've got 29 year old Moses Malone, 34 year old Julius Erving, and a 21 year old rookie Charles Barkley.
REGION 7 PLAY IN GAME
1971 CHICAGO BULLS AT 2020 EAST CHAMP MIAMI HEAT
(51-31) (44-29)
--28 year old Bob Love and 30 year old Chet Walker lead a Bulls team that lost in the West Semis and they're going to Miami for our first look at one of last year's squads, the Heat team that lost in the NBA Finals. Jimmy Butler is 30.
REGION 8 PLAY IN GAME
1983 PHOENIX SUNS AT 2003 EAST CHAMP NEW JERSEY NETS
(53-29) (49-33)
-Walter Davis and Dennis Johnson are both 28; their Suns team lost in the first round; they head across the country to meet the Nets team that made it all the way to the NBA Finals and their 29 year old point guard Jason Kidd.
REGION 9 PLAY IN GAME
1953 EAST CHAMP NEW YORK KNICKS AT 1999 E DIV CHAMP MIAMI HEAT
(47-23) (33-17)
-25 year old Harry Gallatin leads our first Knicks squad; they lost the NBA Finals and are off to Miami where they meet Pat Riley's Miami team that played just 50 regular season games and whose season came to an end in the Eastern playoffs against the Knicks. Alonzo Mourning is 28; Tim Hardaway is 32.
REGION 10 PLAY IN GAME
1994 UTAH JAZZ AT 1995 CHICAGO BULLS
(53-29) (47-35)
-We've already seen Stockton and Malone, let's drop back 7 years to their 1994 versions. This Jazz group lost in the West Finals. Stockton's 31; the Mailman's 30 as is Jeff Hornacek. They will go to Chicago to face the first Michael Jordan team we'll see in the tournament, he's 31, played in just 17 games fresh from the baseball diamond. Scottie Pippen's 29; they fell in the East Semis.
REGION 11 PLAY IN GAME
1980 MW DIV CHAMP MILWAUKEE BUCKS AT 1990 CHICAGO BULLS
(49-33) (55-27)
-Don Nelson's Bucks made the West Semis; they've got a 31 year old Bob Lanier and a 23 year old Marques Johnson. They're going to Chicago for the second Jordan team we'll see in this play in round; the '90 Bulls lost to the Pistons in the East Finals and are a couple years away from starting their title run. Michael's 26; Scottie's 24, Horace Grant is also 24.
REGION 12 PLAY IN GAME
1995 NEW YORK KNICKS AT 1994 INDIANA PACERS
(55-27) (47-35)
-A couple teams that are familiar with each other as a 90s rivalry is renewed. This Knicks team's season ended at the hands of the Pacers in the East Semis. A 32 year old Patrick Ewing leads his club. The year prior; the playoff series went the other way, with the Knicks bouncing this Pacers squad. Reggie Miller is 28 years old. Will Spike Lee make the trip to Indiana?
REGION 13 PLAY IN GAME
1987 MW CHAMP DALLAS MAVERICKS AT 1986 WEST CHAMP HOUSTON ROCKETS
(55-27) (51-31)
-Mark Aguirre and Rolando Blackman are both 27; their Mavs squad lost in the first round of the playoffs and they will be staying in Texas to take on the Rockets team that made the NBA Finals - it's the Twin Towers, 23 year old Hakeem Olajuwon, 25 year old Ralph Sampson
REGION 14 PLAY IN GAME
1978 PAC DIV CHAMP PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS AT 1998 PHOENIX SUNS
(58-24)
-Bill Walton and Maurice Lucas are both 25; their Blazers lost in the West Semis and they're off to Phoenix for a Danny Ainge coached Suns team that lost in the first round. Jason Kidd's 24, Danny Manning, 31.
REGION 15 PLAY IN GAME
1998 SAN ANTONIO SPURS AT 1968 NBA CHAMPION BOSTON CELTICS
(56-26)
-It's the third 90s Spurs team in the Play In Round, with their 3rd different coach, as Greg Popovich helms this group that lost in the West Semis. The Admiral is 32 and Tim Duncan is a 21 year old rookie. They are off to the Boston Garden to meet the 2nd NBA Champions we've seen in this Play In Round, the '68 Celtics who beat the Lakers in the Finals. Bill Russell is a 33 year old player/coach; Sam Jones is 34, John Havlicek, 27.
REGION 16 PLAY IN GAME
2011 ORLANDO MAGIC AT 2007 CEN DIV CHAMP DETROIT PISTONS
(52-30) (53-29)
-The Play In Round concludes with 25 year old Dwight Howard and 34 year old Vince Carter's Orlando Magic team that lost in the first round of the playoffs and they will go to the Motor City to face a Pistons squad that made the East Finals. Rip Hamilton's 28, Chauncey Billups, 30.
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