Four more playoff series got underway on Sunday, with the top four seeds in the league getting into action. For three of them, they got the expected wins. However, Houston may have a problem.
WARRIORS 95, ROCKETS 85
It was the defining question for Houston going into this series: When the Rockets needed a bucket in the fourth quarter of a tight game, who would they turn to? Could they score in the half-court when it mattered?
After watching Game 1, we still don't have an answer. While Alperen Sengun scored 26 to lead the Rockets, he's not the guy who creates his own shot in the half-court like that. It was often Amen Thompson trying to create late, but he finished 4-of-9 shooting on the night (although he did have six assists). Maybe he will evolve into that guy, but he's not that guy yet.
The Warriors, on the other hand, have two of those guys, and one of them is one of the greats ever to do it.
Stephen Curry scored 31, Jimmy Butler 25, and other players like Brandin Podziemski and Moses Moody stepped up with clutch shots late.
This is going to be a defensive struggle of a series and the Rockets can't leave points all over the court like they did in Game 1 (6-of-29 from 3, 20.7%, and 11-of-20 on free throws, 55%). For Houston, there is room for improvement and ways to win. However, the big question about them entering this series is the same question we have after Game 1.
CELTICS 103, MAGIC 86
While a deep Celtics playoff run will be about Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, Game 1 against the Magic was all about the Boston guards: Jrue Holiday, Derrick White and Payton Pritchard. That trio powered the Celtics to a 1-0 series lead against the Magic.
Boston trailed by one at the half but Jrue Holiday changed the tenor of the game in the third quarter with his two-way play — he was a disruptive defensive force at the point of attack against Franz Wagner and he scored all nine of his points in the quarter. His energy flipped the game on its head.
Meanwhile, on a day Boston's biggest names were not sharp — Tatum and Brown were a combined 2-of-10 from 3 — White took over, hit seven 3-pointers and led everyone in scoring with 30.
Payton Pritchard looked like the Sixth Man of the Year he will be and added 19 points.
This game followed the expected script for this series: Orlando was physical, its defense impressive, making life difficult for Boston, but the Magic couldn't score enough to win. They don't have the shooting or depth of options. Paolo Banchero put up 36, Wagner 23, but they were the only Orlando players to score in double digits. It's not clear where more offense is going to come from for the Magic.
CLEVELAND 121, MIAMI 100
Before tip-off of this game, the NBA on TNT crew announced the finalists for all of the league’s individual postseason awards. When it got to Sixth Man of the Year, there were likely some casual fans who said, "Who is Ty Jerome?"
He's the guy who came off the bench, scored 16 in the fourth quarter (making it 28 for the game) and secured the Cavaliers' Game 1 win.
It wasn't just Jerome. The Cavaliers had the best offense in the Association during the regular season and nothing changed in this game. In the first quarter, the Cavaliers' guards drove into the lane at will, scoring 18 points in the paint. Then, when the Heat adjusted, the Cavaliers kicked out to open shooters at the arc, who knocked down shots. Donovan Mitchell stepped up with 30 points and Darius Garland had 28. Miami, which played good defense in the final weeks of the season, had no answers.
"They have guys that drive and break you down off the dribble and they can also just shoot pull-up threes and they're very good spot-up shooters, as well," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "So that's the task and it's up to us to figure out how to beat that."
It will be interesting to see what adjustments Spoelstra makes. Miami's offense hung with the Cavaliers for three quarters, then went ice-cold. Kel'el Ware looked like a rookie. The challenge for Spoelstra is he doesn't have enough chess pieces on the board to simply move things around and compete with the No. 1 seed Cavaliers. There are no easy answers.
THUNDER 131, GRIZZLIES 80
While one could summarize what worked for Oklahoma City with "everything," let's focus on their defense. It's just astoundingly good, and with a week off and fresh legs, Memphis was doomed.
Oklahoma City walled off the paint to Grizzlies guards, rotated on a string and challenged everything, and essentially forced Zach Edey floaters or contested shots on every part of the court. There was no air for Memphis to breathe.
Oklahoma City put up 131 points in a game where Shai Gilgeous-Alexander struggled, shooting 4-of-13 from the field. Jalen Williams led the Thunder with 20 points, but no player was under pressure to take over. This was a team win. And a demoralizing one for the Grizzlies, who were outplayed in every facet of the game.
The only drama left in this series: Can Memphis win a game? Didn't feel like that Sunday.
