Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks were a couple wins from beating Toronto. The Philadelphia 76ers were maybe a couple bounces from doing it a round earlier.
Neither team was good enough to finish the job last season, but both think this is their time after Kawhi Leonard went back to the Western Conference.
That left the NBA champions weakened and the Bucks and 76ers looking like the favorites to represent the East in the NBA Finals — where perhaps they'd have to deal with Leonard again.
The Bucks appeared headed there in 2018-19, right up until midway through the East finals.