Trendlines: The smallest markets are winning the NBA finals

CNN
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Welcome to Trendlines, your weekly installment of what’s trending up and what’s trending down in sports.

This week we’re talking about the NBA Finals, and the emergence of the small market team.

Think about the iconic NBA franchises: The Los Angeles Lakers, the Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls and, if you indulge me, the New York Knickerbockers.

This NBA Finals features two nicknames to never win an NBA title: the Thunder and Pacers.

These two teams are from not-so-iconic American cities: Oklahoma City and Indianapolis.

So let’s start there with a big downswing.

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