Game 1 weekend has come and gone so I decided to break down all of the action that occurred during the weekend. First here were my picks before the series started.
Cavaliers 97, Magic 83
Donovan Mitchell was dominant throughout the game, scoring 30 points and leading Cleveland to victory. Cleveland’s defense also had the Magic all over the place, as Orlando scored 86.3 points per 100 possessions in the game and only 62.7 points in the half court per 100 plays. They could not get the ball in the basket and the struggles were primarily from their guards. Gary Harris was 0-6 (0-5 from 3), Jalen Suggs was 4-15 (1-7 from 3), Cole Anthony was 0-7 (0-4 from 3), and Markelle Fultz was 0-4 (0-0 from 3). If they are going to win the series, they need their guards to play better. The Magic, as usual, took a ton of free throws, 30 of them, but they have to make more of them, shooting 63.3% from the foul line in game 1. Their defense was okay, Cleveland missed a ton of open 3’s in the game. If the Magic are going to win this series, they need better guard play, their two stars, Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero have never played in a playoff game before and they need more help. For Cleveland, they got really good games from Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, Mobley had 16 points and 11 boards while Allen had 16 points and 18 boards. Cleveland is going to need better play from the rest of their players though as Darius Garland was the only other Cavalier in double figures with 14 points. They need Max Strus and Caris LeVert to play better because though Orlando’s offense has been inconsistent this season, I think they’ll score more than 83 points in the next game. I think that a night start and less nerves will serve both teams well in game 2. Game 2 is Monday at 7:00pm/EST on Monday.
Timberwolves 120, Suns 95
I worried about the Suns jump shooting the Wolves to death in this series. I also worried about the Wolves offense in this series. Neither were a concern in game 1. This was Anthony Edwards’ afternoon, 33 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists on 14/24 from the field and 4/8 from 3. He absolutely took over the game in the 3rd quarter scoring 18 points and hitting 2 electrifying 3 pointers in the last minute of the 3rd quarter to stretch the Wolves lead from 13 to 19 and they never looked back. Minnesota’s defense was also awesome, like it has been all season, holding the Suns to just 11/25 around the rim (Rudy Gobert is one of the best defensive players in NBA history) and holding Devin Booker down all afternoon, who scored just 18 points on 5/16 shooting. Kevin Durant had a big game, 31 points and 7 rebounds on shooting splits of .65/1.00/.78, and the moment he and Edwards had after the first Edwards 3 at the end of the first was awesome, Ant was talking his talk and Durant was loving it. The Suns need to figure out the backup center spot because Drew Eubanks is unplayable. He was a -14 in 9 minutes and had a net rating of -81.3. You just cannot have that guy on the court but I am not sure where the Suns can find minutes at that backup 5 spot when Jusuf Nurkic sits. Can they rely on Durant at the 5 for that long, I don’t think so. It is a huge concern for the Suns as we head into game 2. Phoenix needs to find an answer for Anthony Edwards as well because if he plays like he did tonight this series could be over quickly. Game 2 is Tuesday at 7:30pm/EST on TNT.
Knicks 111, 76ers 104
Joel Embiid came out on fire, scoring 9 points in the first 3 minutes of the game. Then, he went down in the 2nd and it looked like it was over. He threw an alley-oop to himself off the backboard, threw it down and when he fell started grabbing at his surgically repaired left knee. The reaction on X, formerly Twitter, was that he was done for the series (I also thought he was out). However, he did return at the start of the 3rd and played well in that quarter, scoring 12 points in the period. Then, in the fourth a mixture of him being tired, his knee (maybe) hurting (I have no idea if his knee was hurting), and Mitchell Robinson playing elite defense, Embiid was a non-factor, missing all 5 of his field goal attempts in the quarter. Overall, Embiid finished with 29 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists. Tyrese Maxey added 33 points for the Sixers and Kyle Lowry played a great game, scoring 18 points with 4 three pointers and making a bunch of plays on defense but it was not enough, they’ll need more from guys like Kelly Oubre Jr. and Tobais Harris to win the series. For the Knicks, Josh Hart, Deuce McBride, and Mitchell Robinson carried the day. McBride hit 5 three pointers to go along with 21 points. Robinson was awesome on the defensive end, holding Embiid down in the fourth while blocking 4 shots during the game (he’ll be in the starting lineup by the end of the series). Lastly, the Sixers left Josh Hart open all night and he made them pay with 3 three pointers in the fourth quarter all coming within the final 6 minutes of the game. Jalen Brunson did not play his best game, 22 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists, on 8/26 from the field and 1/6 from 3. I expect him to bounce back in game 2 and over the course of the series. This was an incredible game and one that hopefully sets up for an incredible series. Game 2 is Monday at 7:30pm/EST on TNT.
Nuggets 114, Lakers 103
That felt like one the Lakers let get away. D’Angelo Russell did not shoot it well, 6/20 from the field and 1/9 from 3 point range is not going to cut it and he needs to hit more shots if the Lakers are going to have any chance to win this series. However, I think he will bounce back. He has shot the ball very well this season, 41.5% on 7.2 three point attempts per game during the regular season. Anthony Davis had a huge game (he has been awesome all season) 32 points, 14 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 blocks on 12/23 from the field (12/19 from 2 point range) and 8/9 from the foul line. If the Lakers are going to win this series they are going to need big games like this from Davis every night. LeBron also had a very good game, 27 points, 8 assists, and 6 rebounds, in the loss. For Denver, Nikola Jokic was, well, Nikola Jokic. 32 points, 12 rebounds, 7 assists, and 2 steals in the game to go along with a career high 4 dunks, including one that sealed the game. He was as incredible as he always is. Denver won this game on the offensive glass, they had 18 second chance points in the 11 point win, and in transition, 21 fast break points. Those are 2 areas that are vital for the Lakers to at least keep close if they want any chance of winning this series. Los Angeles also got out mathed by Denver, being out scored by 21 from beyond the arc, they won’t win if they lose in all those fields again. The Lakers led this game by double digits in the first half but late in the 2nd quarter Denver tied the game and that momentum carried into the 3rd quarter where the Nuggets created their lead. The Lakers had their chances and a couple of times made it look like they had a chance to get firmly back into the game but they never did as both teams move on to game 2. Game 2 is Monday at 10:00pm/EST on TNT.
Celtics 114, Heat 94
That was an obliteration, Boston smoked Miami in that game. It started with the 22 three pointers that the Celtics made, 4 from Sam Hauser, 4 from Derrick White, and 4 from Kristaps Porzingis. Speaking of Porzingis, his rim protection and ability to hit shots gives the Celtics a different dimension, not even to mention how he is such a game breaker for Miami’s zone. He did not stuff the stat sheet but 18 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 blocks is a solid game and he was much better at defending the rim than 2 blocks indicates. Jayson Tatum had his first playoff triple-double, 23 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists for Tatum in the game and though he was not efficient, he played a very good game. The Celtics just have so many weapons offensively and their defense was just as good today. It is going to be a very tall task for Miami to pull off the upset, who before a 35 point 4th quarter had just 59 points in the game, their offensive rating through 3 quarters was 86.8, they were bad on Sunday. Jamie Jaquez Jr. played well, 16 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists, he was very aggressive throughout the game and finished well around the rim. Boston was willing to concede Bam Adebayo shots, both in the mid-range and from 3. He scored 24 points and grabbed 6 rebounds in the game but it never really felt like he made a huge impact. We can talk about Tyler Herro’s game, I won’t bring up the stats but they were bad and he did not play well, he needs to score big and efficiently to give the Heat a chance in the series. It’ll be a tall task for Miami to win this one but if they are going to pull it off, they need to play better than they did on Sunday. Game 2 is Wednesday at 7:00pm/EST on TNT.
Clippers 109, Mavericks 97
The final score does not indicate how much of a blow out this was, the Clippers dominated this game. 28 James Harden points to go along with 8 assists led the way and 20 points and 15 rebounds for Ivica Zubac provided the boost for the Clippers that the Mavericks could not overcome. Big Zu had a huge game, his 10 first quarter points really set the tone for the Clippers at the start of the game. Harden then picked it up for the Clippers as the game went on, hitting 6 three pointers in the game, his willingness to take catch and shoot threes is such a big reason why the trade to the Clippers has worked out so well. The energy Russell Westbrook gives the Clippers off the bench cannot go unnoticed either. The Clippers are at their best when they play with pace and Westbrook gives their 2nd unit that kick in the behind they need to pick up their pace. If the Clippers are going to win the series they need to get Kawhi Leonard back and they’ll need Paul George and Norman Powell to provide big games but this was an ideal start for the Clippers. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving provided what they needed to in this one. 33 points, 13 rebounds, and 6 assists for Luka and 31 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists for Kyrie but it was not enough. Daniel Gafford had a really tough game, 3 points and 0 rebounds and Maxi Kleber is borderline unplayable. Kleber is not a threat to give a hard roll to the rim and he does not make 3’s at a high enough clip to justify the lack of a lob threat he provides Dallas. P.J. Washington needs to make more 3’s for Dallas because he was 2/7 and that is not going to cut it. I also think Jason Kidd needs to pick a rotation and stick with it, he played ten guys in non-garbage time but only 4 played over 20 minutes. I am just not sure how anyone gets into rhythm if they are only playing 15-17 minutes during the game. I still think this will be a really good and really long series but Dallas needs better production from the others on the team if that is going to happen. Game 2 is Tuesday at 10:00pm/EST on TNT.
Bucks 109, Pacers 94
The first half of this game belonged to Damian Lillard, 35 points allowed Milwaukee to head to halftime with a 69-42 lead. Then, Lillard did not score in the 2nd half, shooting 0/5 in the half. Khris Middleton also played a great game for the Bucks. 23 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists, Middleton was a +25 in the 15 point win. The Pacers really struggled to contain him. Milwaukee’s bigs did a great job as well. Brook Lopez’s rim protection was on full display as he had 3 blocks to go along with 11 points and 4 rebounds. Pat Bev did Pat Bev things, just 5 points but 8 assists and 7 rebounds to go along with hounding Tyrese Hailburton throughout the game. The Bucks defense was the main story tonight, holding the highest scoring offense in the NBA to just 94 points, a season low and only the 2nd time the Pacers were held under 100, if the Bucks can continue to hold teams to those numbers, they’ll be in great shape. Aside from Pascal Siakam, Indiana was ice cold throughout the game Siakam had a huge game, a game high 36 points and 14 rebounds, the former champion showed that while the rest of his teammates might be inexperienced in the playoffs, he is not. Tyrese Haliburton needs to be more aggressive, he only took 7 shots in the game after taking 15.2 per game in the regular season. However, Indiana just needs to make more shots, especially from 3 where they went 8/39 in the game. I thought they settled down well in the 2nd half but it was too little too late, they need to play the way they did in the 2nd half for the entirety of game 2. Game 2 is Tuesday at 8:30 on NBATV.
Thunder 94, Pelicans 92
This game was a slug feast that neither team looked all that great offensively in. Neither team had good offensive ratings, 97.9 for the Pelicans and 101.1 for the Thunder, and neither team had anyone get going, Shai Gilgous-Alexander was the leading scorer with 28 points. The Thunder got crushed on the glass, especially in regards to second chance points, the Pelicans had 24 second chance points while the Thunder had just 11. The Pelicans badly miss Zion Williamson, who would have given the Thunder fits with his size and ability to finish through contact at the rim. I think Chet Holmgren would have struggled with that. Speaking of Holmgren, he played a good game but it was flawed. 9 offensive rebounds by Jonas Valanciunas is going to happen with Holmgren;s size and that could provide issues for the Thunder but 15 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 blocks make up for it. Holmgren’s ability to stretch the floor and hit 3’s while also being an elite rim protector is such a huge advantage for OKC, like what Kristaps Porzingis gives Boston. There were times during the game that I thought the Thunder looked a tad bit overwhelmed, they did not finish around the rim well for much of the game and that could also provide issues for them down the line. As I said about Dallas, I’ll say about the Thunder, they need to cut the rotation, 11 guys played but just 8 over 10 minutes and 4 over 20 minutes. Let guys get into a rhythm and cut down your rotation by 2 or 3 guys. I hated the Pelicans last possession, down 2 CJ McCollum just ran the clock out and chucked an iffy 3. When you are losing, you have to go quickly to make sure you can either get an offensive rebound or foul and extend the game if you miss. You cannot dribble the game out and take 1 shot. Otherwise, New Orleans should feel encouraged about this one. They shot 11/39 (28.2%) from beyond the arc and still only lost the game by 2. I know OKC will play better in game 2 and this one was the Pels probably needed to steal but I think they’ll have a real chance to win the series if they can steal game 2. Game 2 is Wednesday at 9:30pm/EST on TNT.
Game 1 weekend was a bit of a let down with a bunch of blowouts and all the home teams holding serve. However, that could set us up for a really fun week as we get into all the game 2’s and 3’s.
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