If you've been following along, our story ended with the conclusion of the 2004 first round. If you haven't read it yet, you can catch up here. Now it's time to finish the journey as we cover the remaining seven playoff series, from the Conference Semifinals all the way to the NBA Finals.
Welcome to Rewritten Rings, an alternate NBA history created through NBA 2K26's NBA Eras mode. The journey begins with the 1983-84 season, and every season builds on the one before it, creating a completely different NBA history along the way.
Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant do not enter the league until the mid-2000s, fundamentally changing the landscape of the NBA before their arrival.
There are no predetermined outcomes or custom rules designed to force specific results. The simulation determines what happens, while I document the seasons, follow the careers of the players and franchises, and analyze the unexpected history that unfolds. And after nearly two decades of watching this universe develop, some of the results still manage to surprise me.
The 2004 season has already delivered plenty of surprises. LeBron James made his first playoff appearance, only to be eliminated by fellow rookie Chris Bosh. The Pacers completed an incredible comeback from a 0-3 deficit against Milwaukee, while the Celtics continued their pursuit of an unprecedented fifth consecutive championship.
But before we get to the end, there's still plenty of basketball to be played. And with Kobe Bryant arriving in the 2004 offseason and Michael Jordan following in 2005, we're getting closer to the next chapter in our alternate NBA history.
Let's finish the 2004 playoffs!
Conference Semifinals
Sacramento Kings vs. Los Angeles Lakers
We start in Sacramento, where the Kings have home-court advantage for the first time in our 21-year simulation history. They've reached the Conference Semifinals five other times, but each appearance came as the underdog, and each ended in disappointment.
This time, things are different. The Kings are the favorites, and they have an opportunity to reach the Conference Finals for the first time in our history. Standing in their way are Tim Duncan and the Los Angeles Lakers, who reached the Conference Finals just two years ago.
So far in our alternate NBA history, Duncan hasn't enjoyed the success he accomplished in reality. That 2002 Conference Finals appearance remains his only trip that far. Could he change that and lead the Lakers back?
The Kings made a statement right away, winning both games at home comfortably. Game 3 in Los Angeles was a different story, but Sacramento still found a way to take control when it mattered most.
With under two minutes remaining, the Kings held a five-point lead. Vin Baker and Duncan traded baskets, but the Lakers couldn't get any closer. Calbert Cheaney and Baker followed up Duncan's basket with scores of their own, extending the lead to nine and putting Sacramento one win away from making history.
Game 4 brought another close finish. This time, the Kings held just a one-point advantage with 1:39 remaining. The teams once again traded baskets, but the Lakers couldn't find a way to get over the hump. A Steve Smith jumper helped Sacramento pull away and complete the sweep.
The Sacramento Kings were finally headed to their first Conference Finals!
Baker was outstanding, finishing with 32 points, 14 rebounds, and eight assists. For Duncan and the Lakers, the season ended in a disappointing sweep at the hands of a franchise that had never won a Conference Semifinals series in our simulation before this year.
After five previous failures, the Kings had finally broken through. But their biggest challenge was still ahead.
New York Knicks vs. Indiana Pacers
Next, we head to Indiana, where, if you've been following along, the Pacers are probably the last team you expected to see. After falling behind 0-3 against the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round, Indiana somehow managed to win four straight games to complete one of the most remarkable comebacks in our playoff history.
Their opponents are Tracy McGrady and the New York Knicks, who also survived a thrilling seven-game series, defeating LeBron James and the New Jersey Nets to advance.
Both franchises have plenty riding on this matchup. The Knicks haven't reached the Conference Finals since 1989, while the Pacers have never made it that far. One of them is about to make history.
After losing the first two games at home by a combined 65 points, the Pacers headed to New York looking to get back into the series. Game 3 provided plenty of drama.
With under two minutes remaining, the Knicks held just a one-point lead. Then former Raptors champion Antonio McDyess, who missed the first two games of the series, helped Indiana take a three-point advantage with back-to-back baskets with a minute to go.
But rookie Chris Bosh wasn't finished making headlines.
Bosh answered with back-to-back baskets of his own, putting New York back in front with only seconds remaining. Hedo Turkoglu then hit a three-pointer, giving Indiana a two-point lead with 17.9 seconds on the clock.
Once again, Bosh came through. The rookie scored a layup to tie the game, completing a remarkable stretch in which he scored the Knicks' final six points of regulation to send the game into overtime.
In these 2004 playoffs, it wasn't LeBron James making headlines, instead it was his classmate Chris Bosh.
New York took control in overtime, with Bosh's late free throws helping seal a seven-point victory and give the Knicks a commanding 3-0 series lead.
The Pacers had just completed an incredible comeback from 0-3 against Milwaukee. Could they possibly do it again?
Game 4 was another close contest, with the Knicks holding a four-point lead with under two minutes remaining. Bosh took over once again, extending the advantage to eight as New York went on to win by nine and complete the sweep.
Bosh helped finish the job, but it was McGrady who led the way statistically, finishing with 27 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, and three steals.
The Knicks were headed to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 1989!
For Indiana, there would be no second miracle. Their incredible comeback against Milwaukee was one of the highlights of the playoffs, but their season ended just short of making even more history.
San Antonio Spurs vs. Phoenix Suns
Next, we head to San Antonio, where the top-seeded Spurs are looking to return to the Western Conference Finals. Standing in their way are the Phoenix Suns, who haven't reached the Conference Semifinals since 1999, when they made an incredible run to the NBA Finals as a sixth seed.
San Antonio made a statement early, winning the first two games by a combined 61 points. But Game 3 in Phoenix was a completely different story.
With 1:27 remaining, the Suns held a six-point lead and appeared ready to get back into the series. The Spurs weren't going quietly, though.
San Antonio went on a 5-0 run, capped off by a Ricky Davis corner three-pointer, cutting the deficit to one. Ron Artest answered by attacking the basket to push the Suns' lead back to three.
Jason Terry responded with another corner three to tie the game, and that's how regulation ended.
The three-point shooting continued in overtime. Davis hit another one to give the Spurs a two-point advantage with 1:41 remaining. Artest tied the game, but Erick Strickland, who had replaced Glenn Robinson after Robinson fouled out, answered with another three for San Antonio.
After the Spurs extended their lead to five, Artest and Jason Richardson both connected from beyond the arc. Richardson's three cut the deficit to one, but San Antonio made its free throws to maintain the advantage.
Terry then made only one of two free throws, giving Phoenix one final opportunity to steal the game. Artest attempted a three-pointer for the win, but missed, and the Spurs escaped with a thrilling victory.
San Antonio was now up 3-0!
After such an exciting Game 3, I was hoping Game 4 would deliver more of the same. Instead, the Spurs took care of business with a convincing victory. Robinson finished with 26 points and five assists as San Antonio completed the sweep.
That gave us three consecutive sweeps in the Conference Semifinals, with only the defending champions and Philadelphia still left to play.
Would we see sweeps across the board?
Boston Celtics vs. Philadelphia 76ers
We finally head to Boston, where the four-time defending champion Celtics have lost only five games all season, including the playoffs. Their quest for a fifth consecutive championship is still alive and well, but standing in their way are the Philadelphia 76ers, who finally won a playoff series for the first time since 1992.
There's an interesting piece of history here. The last time Philadelphia won a playoff series before this season was against the top-seeded Celtics and Larry Bird.
Now, more than a decade later, they're facing the top-seeded Celtics again. With this being the seventh playoff meeting between these franchises in our simulation, including three consecutive Eastern Conference Finals matchups in the 1980s.
Boston took Game 1 convincingly, and I was already thinking we might be headed for another sweep. But just as they did in 2002, the Sixers shocked the basketball world by winning Game 2 in Boston, handing the Celtics their sixth loss of the season.
Unfortunately for Philadelphia, they may have awakened a sleeping giant.
The Celtics responded by winning the next three games, all in blowout fashion, to take the series in five. Ray Allen finished with 23 points in the deciding game as Boston advanced to its sixth consecutive Eastern Conference Finals.
The Sixers deserve credit for finally breaking through and winning a playoff series, but taking down this Celtics dynasty was always going to be a much bigger challenge.
Conference Finals
Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks
In Boston, the Celtics were hosting their fifth Eastern Conference Finals out of six consecutive seasons making the East Finals. In each of the previous four appearances when they held home-court advantage, they went on to reach the NBA Finals and win the championship.
Could the Knicks finally break that pattern?
Boston won both games at home by 20 points before heading to New York and adding a 14-point victory. Suddenly, the defending champions were just one win away from another trip to the NBA Finals.
There was little doubt about which team was better in this series. The Knicks were clearly outmatched, losing all four games by double digits.
Manu Ginobili finished with 21 points, five rebounds, and five assists as Boston completed the sweep.
The Fantastic Five were heading to their fifth consecutive NBA Finals!
For New York, the season ended with another missed opportunity. The Knicks still haven't reached the NBA Finals in our simulation, as their last real-world appearance remains back in the 1970s.
For Boston, however, this was becoming familiar territory. Five straight Finals appearances, with the opportunity to capture five consecutive championships.
One more opponent stood between them and more history.
San Antonio Spurs vs. Sacramento Kings
Our other Conference Finals matchup would be much more eventful.
For the first time in our simulation, the Sacramento Kings had reached the Western Conference Finals. And no matter what happened, someone was going to make their first NBA Finals appearance.
The Spurs had never been to the Finals, while the Kings' only appearance came in 1951 as the Rochester Royals in real life. If they win, it would be their first time in our sim.
There was another interesting storyline heading into this matchup. The Kings and Spurs were the only two teams remaining that were still undefeated in the 2004 playoffs. Both had swept their way through the first round and Conference Semifinals.
Something had to give.
The Spurs drew first blood, handing Sacramento its first defeat of the postseason with an eight-point victory. San Antonio followed that up with a 16-point win in Game 2, continuing its unbeaten run.
But things changed once the series moved to Sacramento.
The Kings responded with two consecutive 10-point victories, evening the series at two games apiece and ending San Antonio's perfect playoff run.
Through the first four games, the home team had won every contest. That streak ended in Game 5, as Sacramento routed the Spurs in San Antonio to take its third consecutive victory.
The Kings had now won three straight against a team that hadn't lost a game before this series. After everything they had accomplished to get here, they were suddenly just one win away from their first NBA Finals.
Could Sacramento finish the job at home and complete the gentleman's sweep after dropping the first two games?
Nope, as the Spurs responded with a 15-point victory in Game 6, sending the series back to Texas for a deciding Game 7.
For San Antonio, this was familiar territory in the worst possible way. Last season, the Spurs lost a Game 7 in the Western Conference Finals in Portland. Their other two appearances in this round hadn't even gone that far.
Would history repeat itself?
This time, the Spurs would get the job done.
San Antonio dominated Game 7, winning by 18 points to advance to its first-ever NBA Finals. Glenn Robinson led the way with 35 points and five rebounds.
Robinson, Jermaine O'Neal, and Jason Terry have spent their entire careers together in San Antonio. After years of coming up short, the three stars had finally reached the biggest stage in basketball.
The Kings' historic run had come to an end, but the Spurs had made history of their own.
For the first time San Antonio was going to the NBA Finals!
The 2004 NBA Finals: Boston Celtics vs. San Antonio Spurs
We've finally reached the end of the 2004 season, and for the fifth consecutive year, the Boston Celtics are in the NBA Finals.
Their championship journey began in 2000, when they defeated Len Bias, the most accomplished athlete in our simulation, and the former champion Golden State Warriors.
They followed that up with championships against the Timberwolves in 2001, the Jazz in 2002, and the Trail Blazers in 2003.
Now, they're looking to make it five in a row.
For the fifth straight time, Boston will face a different opponent in the Finals. But this matchup is unique. Each of the previous four opponents had reached the NBA Finals in our simulation before meeting the Celtics. San Antonio is the first franchise to face Boston in the Finals without ever having been there before.
The Spurs have already made history by reaching this stage. But can they pull off an even bigger surprise and prevent Boston from capturing its fifth consecutive championship?
Game 1 looked like it might produce an upset in Boston. The Spurs were putting up a fight, but the Fantastic Five found another gear when it mattered most.
With 1:42 remaining, Boston had built a five-point advantage. Part of the problem for San Antonio was foul trouble, as both Jason Terry and Glenn Robinson fouled out.
The Celtics extended their lead to seven twice and eventually won by that margin.
I couldn't help but wonder how different the outcome might have been if Terry and Robinson hadn't gotten into foul trouble. The Spurs had been right there, but Boston once again found a way to win.
The next two games were complete blowouts by the Celtics. After nine sweeps had already taken place during these playoffs, it looked like we were headed for another one.
I honestly don't remember a postseason in our simulation where the winning teams had been this dominant.
But San Antonio wasn't ready to go home just yet.
The Spurs saved face with a 13-point victory in Game 4, handing Boston only its seventh loss of the season. Suddenly, the question was whether San Antonio could pull off the most incredible comeback in our Finals history.
Only the 1988 Washington Bullets had ever come back from a 0-3 deficit in the NBA Finals to win the championship in our simulation.
Could the Spurs become the second?
Unfortunately for San Antonio, the answer was no.
Boston returned home and took care of business, winning Game 5 by 17 points to close out the series.
THE BOSTON CELTICS ARE NBA CHAMPIONS AGAIN!
Ray Allen finished with 24 points and six rebounds in the deciding game, but it was Kevin Garnett who once again earned the Finals MVP award. Garnett averaged 18 points and nine rebounds in the series, capturing his third Finals MVP.
The Celtics had done it again. Five consecutive championships, five straight trips to the Finals, and another season of dominance.
If you ever wondered what would happen if Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett teamed up at the beginning of their careers, now you have your answer.
Through the end of the 2004 season, this trio is a perfect 5-0 in the NBA Finals. And that's not even counting the fact that they've helped Chris Webber and Manu Ginobili capture five championships as well.
In reality, Ginobili won four championships alongside Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs. Here in our alternate universe, he's already at five and counting. Webber, meanwhile, never even reached the NBA Finals in real life.
Perhaps the most remarkable part of this dynasty is that the Fantastic Five have spent their entire careers together in Boston. Five championships later, they're still standing at the top of the basketball world.
But how much longer can they keep this going? Can they stay together and chase a sixth consecutive championship?
And with Kobe Bryant arriving in the upcoming offseason and Michael Jordan set to follow in 2005, the league could enter an entirely new era.
The Celtics have ruled the NBA for five straight years. Now, the next chapter of Rewritten Rings is about to begin.
The 2004-05 season is next!
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