NBA Playoffs 2015: Assessing Latest Round 1 Scores, Results and Intriguing Stats
Tempers flared, stars shined and both underdogs fell behind 0-2 on Monday night.
After back-to-back days full of postseason hoops, fans were brought down to Earth on Monday with just two games on the schedule. But the contests did not disappoint.
The Chicago Bulls took a 2-0 lead on the Milwaukee Bucks in a game that included seven technicals (plus an ejection), a Jimmy Butler poster dunk and lots of animosity between two physical, aggressive teams.
Shortly after the conclusion of that battle, the New Orleans Pelicans looked to even their series with the top-seeded Golden State Warriors, but to no avail. Steph Curry and Co. were just too good despite an admirable effort from Anthony Davis’ team.
Let’s look at some key numbers from Monday night.
Results
| Chicago Bulls def. Milwaukee Bucks | 91-82 | Bulls lead 2-0 |
| Golden State Warriors def. New Orleans Pelicans | 97-87 | Warriors lead 2-0 |
Important Stats
Number: 31
Significance: Points scored by Chicago’s Jimmy Butler in Game 2
This season, Butler has taken the leap.
The fourth-year pro has gone from a benchwarmer to strong role player to an absolute, bona fide star. While Derrick Rose is the bigger draw, this isn’t even the former MVP’s team anymore.
It’s Butler’s.
B/R's Sean Highkin brought us inside the United Center:
Milwaukee had no answer for the funky-haired forward on Monday, as he erupted for 31 points on 10-of-19 shooting to go along with nine rebounds. Butler isn’t just some shot-chucking wingman, though. He’s also one of the league’s top perimeter defenders.
“I know Jimmy’s been putting in a lot of work on his game, and it’s paying off at the most important time of the year,” Joakim Noah, who snagged an unbelievable 19 rebounds in Game 2, told Jeremy Woo of Sports Illustrated. "He’s playing great basketball and it’s great to have him as a teammate…"
In 20 previous playoff appearances, Butler had surpassed 20 points just once. This year, he’s done it in both Game 1 and Game 2.
"Jo, Derrick were telling me to score the ball—literally telling me to shoot and not to pass up any shots," Butler said on Monday, per The Associated Press. "I was feeling it a little bit so I just put the ball in the basket.”
If Butler, who threw down an abusive dunk on top of Zaza Pachulia in the final period, keeps feeling it the rest of the series, it may not go more than four games.
Number: 48
Significance: Points scored by the “Splash Brothers" in Game 2
The Pelicans gave Game 2 everything they had after nearly stealing Game 1.
Davis poured his heart out for all but three minutes, finishing with 26 points (9-22), 10 boards, three assists, two steals and two blocks. Eric Gordon knocked down five of his 10 attempts from distance to finish with 23 points. Tyreke Evans, playing through a knee injury suffered in Game 1, flirted with a triple-double (16 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists).
But it wasn’t enough. And pretty much everything else that New Orleans throws at the Warriors the rest of the way won’t be either.
When Curry and Thompson heat up, there are few things more entertaining in professional sports. Thompson, especially, was on fire Monday night and wound up with 26 points on 11-of-17 shooting.
The Splash Brothers really disregard the opposing defense, because there’s no stopping them when they’re on. These guys shoot where they want and when they want, no matter what the Pelicans do on D.
But they’re not just a couple of snipers. They defend, pass and make their teammates better in the same way that LeBron James does.
With Jrue Holiday dealing with a nagging leg injury, it’s been difficult for NOLA’s guards to stay with Curry and Thompson. Coach Monty Williams needs to figure out something, though, because the Pelicans are backed into a corner from which few have ever escaped.
Number: 93.9
Significance: From Sam Amick of USA Today: “According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the team that starts a best-of-seven series with a 2-0 lead has won 245 out of 261 times.”
Just two games into their respective playoff series, the Pelicans and Bucks might already be cooked.
As Amick noted, 93.9 percent of teams that go down 0-2 eventually get bounced. Could they win a game or two on their home floors? Sure. But history tells us that the Warriors and Bulls have all but punched their tickets to Round 2.
"We know that we can beat this team," Davis said after losing Game 2, per AP. "We were right there. They made shots, and we didn't."
The Pelicans, more so than the Bucks, have showed some fight. They came within four points with under 10 seconds to go in Game 1. They were smacking around the Warriors early in Game 2 and kept it close down the stretch.
NBA.com's Jim Eichenhofer made another good point:
The Warriors, despite AD’s heroics and back-to-back strong showings from his supporting cast, might just be too good.
Similarly, the Bulls look to be significantly better and more ready than the young Bucks. Milwaukee has shown a lot of frustration with Chicago’s in-your-face style, and it’s probably indicative of the players' knowing their fates.
The Bucks are much, much more likely to get swept than the Pels, who could conceivably win two games at home.
Don’t bet on either team, though. There are always exceptions, but the numbers tell us that the Bucks and Pelicans are down for the count.
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