3 vs. 4 — It has happened three previous times, all in the West, and each time the No. 3 seed won the series 4-1 on their way to claiming the NBA title. Those matchups: San Antonio over Utah in 2007, ...

Ralph Wiley spent nine years at Sports Illustrated and wrote 28 cover stories on celebrity athletes. He is the author of several books, including "Best Seat in the House," with Spike Lee, "Born to ...