Written by Ryan Cole & Media by Mikey Ward.
NBA Playoff Update (April 22)
The first wave of playoffs games came to a close late Sunday night with every home team stealing the first victory. From a buzzer beater finish in one series, to a blowout in another, the beginning of the playoffs has started with a bang and we are here to keep you informed!
Miami Heat vs. Milwaukee Bucks (MIA 1-0)
The defending champs came out Sunday night just as the defending champs should, with a rout of the Milwaukee Bucks by 23 points. James nearly picked up a triple double with 27 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists. Wade and Bosh picked up 16 and 15 points respectively. However, the story of the game was Miami’s strong bench play with Ray Allen, who picked up 20 points and Chris Anderson, with 15 points. Next: Tuesday 6:30 on NBA TV
New York Knicks vs. Boston Celtics (NYC 1-0)
In one of the more tighter games of the playoffs, the Knicks snuck by the Celtics 85 to 78. Carmelo Anthony played well at times, and also experience a small shooting slump during most of the second quarter but still finished with 36 points. The theme of the game was the 2nd half defense of the Knicks holding the Celtics to only 25 points and creating 20 turnovers. Kenyon Martin, who picked up 9 rebounds, played big minutes for the Knicks as Tyson Chandler proved ineffective. Next: Tuesday 7 on TNT
Indiana Pacers vs. Atlanta Hawks (IND 1-0)
The Indiana Pacers rode on the shoulders of Paul George Sunday afternoon as he gave the playoffs its first triple double with 23 points, 12 assists, and 11 rebounds. The Pacers just came out of the gates with more “bite” than the Hawks, beating them 107-90. The Pacers kept a respectable lead for the majority of the game, but allowed the Hawks to reach single digits in the 4th quarter due to the impressive play of Jeff Teague, who finished the game with 22 points. Next: Wednesday 6:30 on NBA TV
Brooklyn Nets vs. Chicago Bulls (BKN 1-0)
The majority of predictions called the series between the Nets and the Bulls to be the closest of the first round of the playoffs. This was not so in game 1, as the Nets tore apart the Bulls 106-89 on Saturday. The Nets outscored the Bulls in the paint 56-36 and controlled the pace throughout the game. Deron Williams put up 22 points and Brook Lopez contributed with 3 blocks. Next: Tonight 7 on TNT
Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Houston Rockets (OKC 1-0)
The Thunder spoiled James Harden’s playoff return to Oklahoma City 120-91. The Thunder shot 56 percent and were able to hold Houstons streaky offense to only 91 points and 36 percent shooting. Durant, Westbrook, and Ibaka combined for half the Thunder’s points and Kevin Martin also picked up 16. James Harden scored 17 points in the first half, but only finished with 20 points in the game, as the Thunder picked up their defense in the second half. Next: Wednesday 6 on TNT
San Antonio Spurs vs. Los Angeles Lakers (SA 1-0)
San Antonio’s bench was the story of this game on Sunday, with the Spurs taking care of the Lakers 91-79. Manu Ginobili was held to only 19 minutes because of a preexisting injury, but still made the most of his time with an 18 point spark off the bench. Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol proved to be somewhat productive with 20 and 16 points respectively, but it was not enough to dispel the attack of the veteran combo of Tony Parker and Tim Duncan. Next: Wednesday 8:30 on TNT
Los Angeles Clippers vs. Memphis Grizzlies (LAC 1-0)
The Clippers placed their mark in the win column on Saturday with an impressive win over the Memphis Grizzlies 112-91. In what is poised to be a close series, game 1 displayed Los Angeles physical dominance. The game was particularly rough with nearly 60 personal fouls called throughout the match. The Clippers stole the game in the 4th quarter by outscoring the Grizzlies by 15 points. Clipper leader, Chris Paul, finished the game with 23 points, 7 assists, and 2 steals. Next: Tonight 9:30 on TNT
Denver Nuggets vs. Golden State Warriors (DEN 1-0)
The Nuggets and Warriors game came down to the final seconds, with the Nuggets sneaking away with a 97-95 win. Steph Curry was held to only 19 points on 7-20 shooting, while 14 year journeyman Andre Miller came up with 28 points off the bench and a driving layup with 1.2 seconds left to give Denver the lead. The biggest loss for the Warriors was not in the game itself, but in their all star power forward David Lee who is out for the rest of the playoffs with a hip injury. Next: Tuesday 9:30 on TNT
