Looking to Round 2
Edition #242
The opening round of the playoffs wasn’t wild — but it was telling. From breakout stars to underwhelming exits, we learned a lot. Now, before the rest of the conference semifinals tip off, let’s break down what mattered most.
Let’s start with the Bucks vs Pacers series, and it honestly might be time Giannis Antetokounmpo gets traded. He scored a total of 165 points in the first-round series, averaging 33.0 points over 5 games. Meanwhile, his so-called co-star Damian Lillard played three games, missing some of the team’s most crucial games, yet he scored a total of 21 points in the series, averaging 7.0 points per game. Horrible. Just a note, Tyrese Haliburton hit the game-winning shot to eliminate the Bucks, and after the game, his dad rushed on the court and had a few “words” to say to Giannis. The Pacers banned John Haliburton from attending games for the foreseeable future.
Now, let’s move on to Knicks vs Pistons. I had a lot of confidence in the Pistons to win this series, but they didn’t, which is fine, because not many expected them to go far in the playoffs, even if they did win the series. They’re a young team and have a bright future ahead of them. Jalen Brunson scored a total of 199 points, which led everyone who played.
The Magic vs Celtics series was ugly, and the point differential in this series as a whole was 54. The only reason this series even went to 5 games was because the Magic defense kept the Celtics in check in game 3, when they won 95-93. Aside from that, nothing really notable in this series. Jayson Tatum scored the most total points, finishing with 125 points over four games played (he missed Game 2).
The Heat vs Cavaliers series was basically the same story as the Magic, Celtics series, except the Cavaliers actually sweeped the Jimmy Butler-less Heat. The point different in this series was 122 in favor of the Cavaliers. Donovan Mitchell scored a total of 95 points. Evan Mobley scored a total of 65 points.
Heading over to the Western Conference now, we start with Thunder vs Grizzlies, which was also a series where the top team, the Thunder, swept the 8 seed. The point difference was 78, and while the Thunder won the series, the final 2 games were pretty close, especially the last one. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a total of 111 points. Ja Morant scored a total of 55 points before missing Game 4 due to a hip injury:
The Clippers vs Nuggets series was the best one in the first round. The Nuggets advanced in 7 games, but the Clippers fought incredibly hard. Yes, there were a couple of blowouts, which unfortunately included game 7, where the Clippers lost by 19 (but the Nuggets had a 30-point lead of sorts), but these 2 went back and forth, and it was nice to finally see Kawhi do his best. He finished with 175 total points across the seven games, becoming the top scorer. Harden was doing well until he did what Harden does in Game 7, and finished with 7 points. Nikola Jokic finished with 168 total points.
The Lakers vs Timberwolves series was an utter disappointment for the Lakers, but really goes to prove that the Lakers need a center. Badly1. They had Luka Doncic. They had LeBron James (who, btw, sprained his MCL in the final game). But nope, they still had to lose to a team that traded Karl Anthony-Towns. Rudy Gobert went nuts, finishing with 49 rebounds, including 24 in game 5. Luka Doncic finished with 151 points, leading the way. Anthony Edwards finished with 134. LeBron with 127.
The Warriors vs Rockets series started out just like the Lakers vs Timberwolves one. The Warriors had a 3-1 lead, everything was going right. From there, everything went haywire, and the Warriors went from a big lead to tied 3-3. And they mainly lost game 6 because Steve Kerr took Podz out of the starting lineup. Dumb decision. It turns out that after Buddy Hield finished with 0 points in 17 minutes in game 6, Buddy Hield took notice of what everyone said about him, and went off in game 7, scoring 33, more than Steph.
Round 2:
Looking to Round 2, we now have tons of great series.
Starting with the Pacers and the Cavaliers. Indiana won 3 out of the 4 meetings this year. The regular season doesn’t matter, though, and the Pacers have been extremely clutch all postseason long. All-time, the Cavaliers have the winning record in the playoffs against the Pacers. I have the Cavaliers taking this series 4-2. It’s going to be a great one to watch.
Then we have the Celtics vs the Knicks. You guys know by now that I had the Knicks winning it all at the start of the season, and even called this team the most complete roster. They’ve shown us that they have the fire to win games in the playoffs. If they can beat the Celtics and finally overcome this “I can’t beat teams over .500” statement, then they have a very high chance of winning the NBA Finals this year. I’m taking the Knicks, 4-3 over the Celtics, in an OT classic for game 7 that everybody will remember forever.
Now, Nuggets vs Thunder. In all honesty, if the Nuggets still had coach Michael Malone, then I would take the Nuggets here, but the series against the Clippers was just way too close, and while they finished on a high note, that’s the Clippers. This is the best team in the NBA in the Oklahoma City Thunder, who finished with 68 wins. Give me the Thunder in 6 here.
Finally, the Timberwolves vs the Warriors. I wasn’t confident about a Warriors playoff run in my previous article. I mean, just think about it. The best possibility out of the 3 teams was obviously the Timberwolves, and I think the Warriors have a decent shot at beating the Timberwolves. Anthony Edwards is what he is, though, and Rudy Gobert is going to bring trouble for the Warriors. It’s going to be a challenge for the Warriors, even if they’ve won their last 3 meetings against this team. If any team can do it, though, it’s GSW.
Round 1 Basic Clutch Ratings:
With that, let’s watch some basketball!
Article coming soon!