Winners and Losers from the 1st Weekend of the NBA Playoffs
The 2015 NBA playoffs are officially underway featuring Derrick Rose’s impressive return to the postseason, while Tyreke Evans’ injury provides concern for the New Orleans Pelicans.
As more casual basketball fans check in for the playoffs, the NBA's season-long stars like LeBron James, James Harden and Steph Curry continued to perform, while others, including Kyrie Irving and Isiah Thomas, put on a show in the playoff debut.
Irving came out firing in the the Cavs' opening game, posting 30 points. In similar fashion, Thomas proved to be one to watch, contributing 22 points and 10 assists for the Celtics.
The first game definitely does not determine the winner of a series, but some teams or players worked to establish a favorable position in the opening bout.
The Western Conference went all chalk as the higher seeds won their opening games. In the East, only one team was able to pull off the upset away from home.
As the next set of games begin to tip off on Monday night, let's take a look at the winners and losers from Game 1.
Winner: Los Angeles Clippers
1 of 6The Western Conference features arguably the most intriguing first-round matchup between the Los Angeles Clippers and San Antonio Spurs. The Clippers own the No. 3 seed and dominated the Spurs 107-92 on Sunday night.
The Clippers' impressive performance boiled down to the impressive play of their stars, Chris Paul and Blake Griffin.
“The team goes as we go and we sort of feed off each other,” Paul said according to Ben Bolch’s report for the Los Angeles Times. “Blake was so aggressive early and it opened it up for me.
Veteran point guard Paul showed his ability to effectively navigate a half-court offense, scoring 32 points on 20 shots.
While Paul showed off his smooth skills, Griffin enforced his will down low using his brute strength. The 6’10’’, 251-pound forward got the best of San Antonio's big men on his way to a double-double, with 26 points and 12 rebounds.
Griffin terrorized one player in particular Sunday night with his posterizing dunks. Aron Baynes fell victim twice in this game and should look to stay clear of the athletic big.
The Clippers got an important win to set the tone of the series, but there are still games to play against Gregg Popovich and the defending champion Spurs.
Loser: Toronto Raptors
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The Raptors' 93-86 overtime defeat to the Washington Wizards made Toronto the only higher-seeded team to lose their opening game of the playoffs.
The Raptors shot a poor 38 percent from the floor and were pushed around on the glass as the Wizards out-rebounded Toronto, 61 to 48. Nene in particular secured 13 rebounds and scored 12 points. Drew Gooden also grabbed 10 rebounds while only featuring for 23 minutes.
“Until we make [rebounding] a priority, it’s going to be hard for us, “ Toronto coach Dwane Casey said according to ESPN.com.
Kyle Lowry, specifically, looked horrid Saturday, finishing with only seven points and going 2-of-10 from the field before fouling out.
As a whole though, the reliable scorers for the Raptors did not step up. Lowry, DeMar DeRozan and Louis Williams combined to go 15-of-57 from the floor.
The Raptors climbed back from a double-digit deficit, making the overtime defeat even more disappointing on their home court.
Winner: Chicago Bulls
3 of 6The feel-good story of the NBA Playoffs spotlights Derrick Rose’s return to the playoffs for the first time since he tore his ACL in 2012.
The former MVP matched the total from his last playoff game three years ago with 23 points, while his backcourt partner Jimmy Butler posted 25 points in their 103-91 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday.
“It’s good to have them out there,” Chicago Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said, according to the Chicago Tribune’s K.C. Johnson. “And they’re similar in the sense they combine the power with the speed. And they play off each other well. The more they play together, the better it will be.”
The guards showed their speed and explosion in the fast-break play above, capped with a dunk by Rose.
The problem for the Bulls this season is their injury misfortune not allowing Chicago to play their two studs together often. Butler missed games due to a left elbow injury, and Rose’s return season took a major hit due to his torn meniscus.
“I’ve always said the playoffs are about revelation and redemption. Now you can add restoration,” ESPN.com’s J.A. Adande said. “To think of all the work and frustration [Rose has] been through these past three years made the moment he triumphantly came out Game 1 so poignant, while elevating the potential of the Bulls these playoffs.”
Not only Bulls supporters, but also basketball fans across the country will look to see Rose return to his old self throughout this series and the rest of the playoffs.
Loser: New Orleans Pelicans
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As Rose made his triumphant return to the playoffs, fellow University of Memphis product Tyreke Evans left his game in the second quarter due to a knee injury.
The Pelicans’ starting point guard left after bumping knees with the Warriors’ Andre Iguodala and is listed as questionable for the second game with a bone bruise. Evans played only 12 minutes and scored one point in Game 1.
Fellow point guard Jrue Holiday is also listed as questionable with a lower right leg injury and could only play 21 minutes in Game 1.
“Tyreke and Jrue are pretty much in the same situation,” Williams said to John Reid of NOLA.com. “Tyreke is going to be a game-time decision and we’ll wait to see how they feel after this morning and probably before the game.”
The No. 8 seed already seems to be outmatched by the Golden State Warriors, so mounting injury concerns heighten the Pelicans’ chances of getting swept.
Anthony Davis had a monster first game but their loss showed he needs help, and these injuries means even more reliance on their star forward.
Winner: Anthony Davis
5 of 6The emergence of Anthony Davis continues as the power forward willed the New Orleans Pelicans to a near-comeback against the Golden State Warriors Saturday.
The Kentucky product posted a game-high 35 points, including 20 points in the fourth quarter to pull the Pelicans back to within four points with under 10 seconds remaining against the top-seed Warriors. Golden State led by as many as 25 points in the game, but Davis refused to go down without a fight.
The 22-year-old showed fans on a national stage his potential to become the best player in the NBA in a few years time. In particular, the 6’10” forward showed off his athleticism with the sky-high alley-oop, shown above, in the fourth quarter.
The Pelicans do not necessarily receive a ton of media coverage and barely squeaked into the playoff in a difficult Western Conference as the eighth seed. As Davis’ career matures, more and more casual fans will learn of the potential Davis possesses.
New Orleans looks to be outmatched by the Warriors, but the player nicknamed “The Brow” gained more respect with his performance in his playoff debut.
Loser: Portland Trail Blazers
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Portland’s bad form continues, as their 86-100 away defeat to the Memphis Grizzlies Sunday marks their fifth loss in a row.
The Grizzlies swept Portland during the regular season, and the Trail Blazers failed to put up a fight in the opening game of the series as well. Memphis never trailed against Portland and extended their lead to as many as 29 points in the third quarter.
“I think a good wakeup call for us,” LaMarcus Aldridge said, according to SI.com. “But definitely tonight they manhandled us.”
Aldridge tried to carry the Trail Blazers with 32 points, but he needed 34 shots and 42 minutes to put up that tally. Damian Lillard struggled to find the bottom of the net, going 5-of-21 from the floor and missing all six of his three-point attempts in Game 1.
Portland posted their worst shooting performance of the season on Sunday, shooting only 33.7 percent.
Both Memphis and Portland are beat up, but Portland will need to handle the Grizzlies’ physicality and strong defense better to have a shot in Game 2.
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