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With the Supersonics breezing through to the advancement, they had to wait for the outcome of the Mavericks vs. Hornets matchup.

In the meantime, the Lakers' Jermaine O'Neal suffered another injury, this time a shoulder issue, and after surgery, he was expected to recover in 2-3 months.

This also meant he was out for the season.

This left the Lakers without a reliable power forward.

Although Pau Gasol and Bynum made a decent twin tower combination, they could be easily disrupted by the opponent's small-ball tactics, especially against a team like the Supersonics with their wind-like pace.

As the Supersonics' biggest rivals in the Western Conference, the Lakers, like the Celtics, were severely affected by injuries.

Meanwhile, the Celtics had a bloodbath in the first round against Ross's Bulls, playing out what might be the most intense first-round series in history.