Cuckoo but true: as the first round of the playoffs took a turn for the topsy-turvy, it was hard to tell who the favorites were. (NBA).

Maybe in the end things will get back to normal. The silly notion of No. 8 seeds getting to the second round of the playoffs will pass. The possibility of Lakers coach Phil Jackson going Del Harris on us and leading the three-time defending champs to an early departure won't last. The idea of seeing Kevin Garnett still in uniform in the middle of May--and, heck, fellow early-exit specialist Tracy McGrady, too--maybe these crazy visions will quickly disintegrate. But for now, in the early going of this postseason, one constant has emerged: Nothing is impossible.

Mathematical history would suggest otherwise. Since the league went to a 16-team playoff format in ...