NBA Playoffs 2017: Schedule, Odds and Predictions for Monday's Bracket Matchups
The Cleveland Cavaliers and San Antonio Spurs both emerged victorious in the opening contest of their first-round series on Saturday.
They just did so in different ways.
LeBron James and Co. watched as a potential game-winner from Indiana Pacers forward C.J. Miles clanged off the iron and gave the Cavs a 109-108 victory at home. San Antonio didn't sweat as much. Gregg Popovich's team absolutely dismantled the Memphis Grizzlies, 111-82.
The Spurs "settled down" after Memphis led 30-25 after a quarter, according to Pau Gasol (via Jabari Young of the San Antonio Express-News):
That's one way to put it. Just look at NBA.com's lead tracker:
Ugly, pretty, easy, hard...a win is a win. On Monday night, Cleveland and San Antonio will try to get another.
Series update
| Pacers @ Cavaliers | 7 p.m. ET | Quicken Loans Arena (Cleveland, Ohio) | 2 | CLE 1, IND 0 | TNT |
| Grizzlies @ Spurs | 9:30 p.m. ET | AT&T Center (San Antonio, Texas) | 2 | SAS 1, MEM 0 | TNT |
Odds
According to OddsShark, the Cavaliers are 7.5-point favorites over the Pacers in Game 2. OddsShark also lists the Spurs as favorites, though the spread varies between 10.5 and 11 depending on the outlet.
Cavaliers vs. Pacers
Paul George set the tone after the buzzer sounded on the league's first playoff game of 2016-17 on Saturday.
The Pacers star told the media he was unhappy with Miles for taking the final shot, per Scott Sargent of WFNY:
Miles seemed to disagree with the notion that every last-second look must go to PG-13, via FS-Indiana's Jeremiah Johnson:
James, who ensured George didn't get the rock back on the final possession, was pleased with the outcome, per ESPN's Rachel Nichols:
George's readiness to makes the game-deciding play is admirable, but his willingness to publicly hang a teammate out to the dry is questionable. Given the numbers ESPN's Tim MacMahon passed along, George's comments ring somewhat hallow despite his status as Indy's clear top dog:
"Some interesting @ESPNStatsInfo research on Paul George with the game on the line: pic.twitter.com/Qlbkmyc4di
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) April 16, 2017"
James didn't cover George, his longtime postseason nemesis, much aside from crunch time. PG-13 had his way, going for 29 points on 9-of-19 shooting along with seven dimes and five boards with J.R. Smith as his primary defender. But LBJ, perhaps preserving himself, torched the Pacers—32 points, 12-of-20 shooting, 13 assists, six rebounds, three turnovers and three steals.
Expect Cavs head coach Tyronn Lue to implement a similar defensive attack in Game 2 and beyond. James will cover George in crunch time exclusively. The formula worked and would've worked better had Cleveland not gone on an ice-cold streak in the fourth quarter.
The Pacers figure to steal a game or two, but it's likely they'll have to do so on their home floor. Cleveland should take Game 2 at the King's house.
Spurs vs. Grizzlies
Game 1 of Spurs-Grizzlies was the second-biggest beatdown of the opening round.
Kawhi Leonard exploded for 32 points on an unbelievable 11-of-14 shooting to go along with five assists, three boards, two steals and two turnovers. The five dimes were a team-high, and the Claw was absolutely thrilled (sarcasm intended) about his distribution, per Young:
Overall, Memphis was stout in the regular season. In his first year as head coach, former Miami Heat assistant David Fizdale commanded the No. 5 unit based on Basketball-Reference.com's Adjusted Defensive Rating metric.
But having 40-year-old Vince Carter—the NBA's oldest active player—cover one of basketball's best is never going to end well:
"That's what star players do," Popovich said of Leonard after the game, via Raul Dominguez of the Associated Press. "It's the playoffs, he stepped up. He made a lot of great plays for us. He's a very determined individual. He's just beginning to come into his own and realizing the effect he has on a game on both ends of the court."
Pop's right—and that's what his star is going to do going forward. Despite strengths in Marc Gasol and Mike Conley, Memphis is weak on the wing and has no chance of stopping the unshakeable Leonard.
Game 2, and the next two after that, should go San Antonio's way.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
