The intensity, passion, and scrappiness of playoff basketball has been on full display in the past three days. On the weekend, basketball fans were treated to two straight days of quadruple-header basketball that lasted more than 20 hours. Of the 11 games played so far, seven were won decisively by double-digit points, but the matchups have been interesting and poised to get even better. In this article, we will discuss four quick observations from the first three nights of the playoffs.
1. Late Game Execution and Fouls- the two most intriguing matchups of the first round have been the duels between the Philadelphia 76ers and New York Knicks in the East and the Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets in the West. The Knicks and Nuggets have a 2-0 lead in the respective series, but both had to make comebacks late in the game. However, the 76ers and Lakers will rue their late-game executions. The inability of both teams to grab defensive rebounds allowed the opposition multiple chances. It placed Donte DiVencenzo and Jamaal Murray in a position to make game-winning shots in surreal circumstances. Also, the referees have changed the way they call the games compared to the regular season, and in these clutch time minutes, referees have allowed the players to be more physical. They were questionable calls by the referees, but the 76ers and Lakers have only themselves to blame. However, they head home after letting two chances slip away, and the focus must be on winning Game 3.
2. Dame Sizzles and Cools- many fans and analysts touted the Indiana Pacers’ chances to upset the Milwaukee Bucks. The Pacers won 4 of the five matchups in the regular season, and the pressure is on the shoulder of Damian Lillard to deliver for his team in the absence of Giannis Antetokounmpo. Lillard started the game sizzling scoring 16 of the first 20 points and a whopping 35 points by halftime to establish a 27-point league. However, in the second half, Dame failed to score and finished with a team worse -6 from the field. The Pacers switched from a drop coverage to blitzing the pick and roll and placing an athletic defender on Lillard’s screens. Although the Bucks won by 15 points, it feels like the Pacers found something to make life difficult for Lillard. So will Dame be able to counter the strategy and be closer to the first half than the second-half player? Only time will tell.
3. Ant-Man Takes the First Bite- the series between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Phoenix Suns feels like a battle of the Marvel superheroes with the collection of stars on the court. After Game 1, Anthony Edwards showed that the Ant-Man was the best player on the court. Edwards scored a game-high 33 points, grabbed nine rebounds, and sprayed out six assists. Ant went head-to-head against his childhood idol Kevin Durant and outdueled the superstar. Edwards is only 23 years old and averaging 28.5 points and a true shooting percentage of 60%. Edwards is the youngest player to average this many points and be that efficient in NBA history. Can Ant do an encore performance in Game 2? Stay tuned.
4. Homecourt and Experience Helps in the Playoffs- after three days of playoff action, the home team has won all 11 games. It shows us the value of taking the regular season seriously and stacking those wins for the higher seeds in the conference. The electricity of a team in their home building fuels big runs, and comebacks, and pushes role players to deliver incredible performances. Also, the start of the playoffs has reminded us that young teams may do well in the regular season, but the playoffs favor teams with experience. The Orlando Magic, Indiana Pacers, and even Oklahoma City looked shaky in their win. It will be interesting to see whether this trend of the home team’s dominance will continue for the rest of the playoffs.
5. Key injuries loom over series- if a team is going to make a deep run into the playoffs, teams need a bit of luck in not suffering major injuries to key players. The Bucks and Clippers won Game 1 without Giannis and Kawhi Leonard, but how long will these superstars continue to miss games in this series? Joel Embiid continues to be hobbled by an injury to his surgically repaired left knee. The team is winning the plus-minus difference in this series with Embiid in the game, but the Sixers struggle without their superstar center. The Miami Heat struggled to keep up with the Celtics without Jimmy Butler and will be desperate to have Terry Rozier back in the lineup soon. The team that can get their star player back healthy on the floor will put their team in a position to win their respective series.