What We Learned From Game 1 of the NBA Playoffs
Golden State and Milwaukee show why they are #1 seeds
Both teams were atop their respective conference at the end of the regular season and showed why they were there in their first round matchups. Golden State wasn't killing their opponents, but were definitely outclassing their opponents from LA. PG Steph Curry continued his fantastic season, scoring 38 points with 15 rebounds and 7 assists. He scored eight three-pointers for the Warriors from 12 attempts, with the other four starters scoring five total three-pointers. The Clippers did stay in the game, but never could really be in contention for a win. This may be how the series goes for LA, close but no cigar. For Milwaukee, they should just be declared as the first team into the next round of the NBA Playoffs. The Bucks obliterated the Pistons 121-86, being led by PF Giannis Antetokounmpo, who scored 24 points and had 17 rebounds. Giannis and company outscored Detroit 38-18 in the first quarter, never taking their foot off of the gas pedal until the fourth quarter when they practically had already won the game. Detroit seemed to be in disarray without Blake Griffin, which is very unlucky for them now that the team fears he will be out for the whole series against Milwaukee. Unless something changes or a key player suddenly becomes injured, expect the Warriors and Bucks to be in the Conference Semifinals of the NBA Playoffs.
Nuggets and Raptors may be leaving early
Who expected both the Raptors and Nuggets to lose Game 1 of their respective matchups? Alright, maybe some experts thought that Denver may go out to the Spurs due to the experience level at San Antonio, but the Nuggets just looked like the worse team. C Nikola Jokic was not a factor in the game, which is something the Nuggets could not have happen. Jokic is a huge part of why this team has done excellent this season, but he needs to show up when it matters. Defensively, Denver played average, and overall deserved to lose Saturday night. For Toronto, it may have been more of a one game thing rather than what the series will turn out being. Orlando upset the Raptors with a three-pointer with little time on the clock, resulting in a 104-101 win for the Magic. The Raptors never seem to crack Orlando's code, going 2-2 in the regular season series, and that bad habit continued on Saturday. The mistake that may haunt the Raptors is allowing Orlando back into the game in the second quarter. The Magic outscored Toronto 32-18, giving the away side a lead heading into halftime. Orlando ran with it and eventually won the game. Between the Nuggets and Raptors, I believe the Nuggets have a better chance to be upset due to how young the team is and the inability to utilize Jokic.
There is no truly boring matchup
While watching this weekend's slate of games, I realized that I never got bored of watching them. Each matchup has their own "wow" factor about them. If you want a game filled with defense, watch the (4) Boston Celtics face the (5) Indiana Pacers, who had the lowest scoring game of the weekend. Star power? Almost any game you decide to watch will have stars, whether it is the whole Warriors starting five, to Giannis in Milwaukee, to even D'Angelo Russell in Brooklyn. This year is the first year in a while that has me wanting to watch every series, even in an era of uneven rosters and a two-legged MVP race. Whether you are a die hard NBA fan, or just a casual fan who only watches during the playoffs, this year will be the year for the people.
If you ever want to contact me about anything related to sports or the blog, please feel free to send me an email at [email protected] and I will try to get back to you as soon as I can!
