NBA Playoffs 2015: Scores, Results, Top Stats and Best Highlights from Saturday
The NBA playoffs came back with a Russell Westbrook-on-a-fast-break type of bang.
Round 1โs tone was set after an overtime slugfest between the Washington Wizards and Toronto Raptors. The rest of the day held a legendary performance from playoff-rookie Anthony Davis, Derrick Roseโs rendition of Jay Zโs โPublic Service Announcementโ and James Harden claiming Texas for a night.
But that wasnโt all, of course.
Below are some of the wildest plays and strongest statlines from the first day of the 2014-15 postseason.
Scores and Results
| Washington Wizards (5) def. Toronto Raptors (4) | 93-86 (OT) |
| Golden State Warriors (1) def. New Orleans Pelicans (8) | 106-99 |
| Chicago Bulls (3) def. Milwaukee Bucks (6) | 103-91 |
| Houston Rockets (2) def. Dallas Mavericks (7) | 118-108 |
Best Plays from Saturdayโs Top Performers
Greivis Vasquez forces OT: Bonus Highlight!
With his team down three with under 30 seconds to go in regulation, Greivis Vasquez saw his chance.
Bradley Beal treated a faint forearm like a gunshot wound and flailed his body into the ground, leaving Vasquez unoccupied. In a heartbeat, Torontoโs top point guardโfor one day, at leastโcrossed over, squared up and buried the Raptorsโ biggest shot of the day.
And then proceeded to mesmerize the world with the cockiest shoulder-shimmy it has ever seen.
The Raptors went on to lose in overtime, as Paul Pierce walked the walk after doing a whole lot of talking these past few days.
Adi Joseph, NBA editor for SportingNews.com, had some fun with Pierce at the expense of Drake, the Raptorsโ global ambassador:
Drake will have the last laugh, though, as his beloved Raptorsโwith their โ6โ shirts and โ6 Manโ Lou Williams (NSFW lyrics)โgive the rapper tons of publicity.
Alright, alright. That was a nice shot/tremendous dance from Vasquez, but on the day he only poured in a modest 10 points and three dimes.
Let's get to the stars now.
Anthony Davis
Stats: 35 points (13-23 FG), seven rebounds, four blocks
A few months ago, I wrote an article that illustrated just how clutch Anthony Davis is. Heโs as cold-blooded in the closing minutes as he is dominant in the first 40-plus.
On Saturday, Davis was held in check for much of the game. The Warriors were the leagueโs top regular-season D, and it showed against New Orleans. Despite a height advantage, The Brow was forced out of his comfort zone and kept out of the paint.
But when the scoreboard announced the beginning of the fourth and final quarter, it might as well have been the Batman symbol.
Davis, now playing with an aggressive anger, exploded for 20 points in the period and brought the Pels to within four points at the six-second mark after being down double-digits less than two minutes before.
This ferocious alley-oop slam helped get New Orleans back into the contest:
Davis chalked up his early struggles to nerves, as reported by The Associated Press, so just imagine what heโll do in Game 2 when those first-day jitters disperse.
Stephen Curry
Stats: 34 points (13-25 FG), four rebounds, five assists, three steals
While Davis waited until the final act to put the โSโ on his chest, Curry gave fans a show from the opening tip.
"That's what he does," head coach Steve Kerr said of his MVP candidate point guard, per AP (h/t ESPN.com). "Steph's our engine. Everything we do starts with him."
Curry is so slick off the bounce and so deadly with his jumper that defenders are almost always in a no-win situation. The only way to stop him is to foul himโฆor deny him the ball.
But the Pelicans werenโt able to do so, and Tyreke Evansโ knee injury in the second quarter didnโt help matters. ESPN's Marc Stein provided an update on the injury, which sounds extremely serious:
"I never felt nothing like that before," Evans also told Stein. Gulp.
If "Reke Havoc" is sidelined, Davis will have an even heavier load to carry. He and Curry will keep on trading blows, but theyโre unlikely to have a whole lot of one-on-one interactions.
Here, though, Curry got the best of ADโand wasnโt shy about it either.
The point guardโs muscles arenโt big, but his game (and highlight reel) just keep on growing before our eyes.
Derrick Rose
Stats: 23 points (9-16 FG), seven assists, two steals
While he didnโt have any jaw-dropping plays on Saturday, D-Rose played fearlesslyโand thatโs noteworthy.
Say what you will about the injury-plagued PG, but you canโt diminish his courage on the court. Rose sprints and leaps and crashes just like he did before all those knee injuries.
Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau has nothing but admiration for his floor general, per K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune.
"Obviously, we're a much better team with Derrick. He has been through a grind. We're very pleased to have him back. Hopefully, this is the beginning of a long run of health for him.
Time does go by quickly. You're talking about a guy who is sort of now in the middle of his career. He has been through a lot. Early on, you're 22 and the MVP of the league and there weren't many bumps in the road. He has hit a few bumps and gotten through those. The fact he has, I think, has made him stronger.
"
In his first postseason game since 2012, the 26-year-old former MVP finished behind Jimmy Butler (25) as Chicagoโs top scorer. He displayed a willingness to takeโand makeโlong-range shots (3-7 3PT) but also flashed that olโ D-Rose athleticism we know and love.
And missed.
With Rose at full strength, the Bulls could be dangerous in the East. It definitely feels good to have him back in the postseason mix, though, regardless of wins or losses.
The game hasnโt been the same without one of its brightest stars.
All stats are accurate courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com. Enjoy the playoffs!
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