It’s Thursday, April 18. It’s playoff time, and we actually have some competitive first-round series. Of the eight match-ups currently underway, half of them stand tied at 1-1. Here’s what to watch for there, and of course I couldn’t go without my Top 10 list.
1. Warriors vs. Clippers
Not sure if you heard, but the Warriors blew a 31-point third-quarter lead to the Clippers on Tuesday night in the largest comeback in playoff history. Add in another season-ending DeMarcus Cousins injury, and you have a Golden State team that now has some concerns.
Totally kidding– the Warriors will be fine. They always are. But I stand by my prediction that the Clippers will snag one more game in this series. They are a true team, a starless entity that plays basketball in a beautiful hybrid of the past and present. They have the tenacious defense and the stud bench players. But they also have the floor spacing with no signs of a fat-ass center clogging the lane down below.
I don’t think it can be understated what kind of goal the Clippers have right now – the playoffs for them is a mere stage to show the rest of the league their overachieving tendencies. Young core, deep roster, championship coach, deep-pocketed owner, huge media market…now showing they can hold their own against the Goliath of the NBA. They know that big-ticket free agents are paying attention. And like any attention whore, they know exactly what to do when the boys are watching.
Even with a first-round exit looming, the Clippers might be the real winners this postseason.
2. Nuggets vs. Spurs
I’m such a Nuggets hater, it’s outrageous. Thank God I don’t know anyone from Denver.
This series is right about where I thought it’d be at this point, with the Spurs having stolen home-court advantage, but the Nuggets netting things at 1-1. I simply trust Pop and his roster more than I trust Nuggets Coach Mike Malone and his talented first-timers.
But don’t sleep on the Nuggets’ fourth-quarter blitz in Game 2 – that was no joke. Down ten at halftime, things were not going the Nuggets’ way and they badly needed a win after dropping the first game at home. After cutting the deficit to seven in the third quarter, Denver won the fourth quarter 39-23, which was more than enough.
Any time a team has four players score 20+ points in a game, it’s going to be tough to stop them. The Spurs only had three guys touch double digits. That’s not the kind of team-centered win that Pop and the Spurs are known for, and I expect that to change when Game 3 comes to San Antonio.
3. Sixers vs. Nets
The Sixers’ Game 1 loss can be boiled down to three factors. One, and probably most importantly, Joel Embiid was still shaking the rust off after having not played in a few weeks (just look at this 1H/2H splits in that game). Two, not a single Sixers player showed up to play other than Jimmy Butler – I’d give him more credit for this, but frankly, it’s usually the opposite. And three, Brett Brown was thoroughly outcoached by Kenny Atkinson.
Game 2 was a much-needed bounce-back, with the Sixers going on a 20-1 run to start the second half, which put the Nets out of the game for good. Philadelphia finished with 80 points in the second half (51 of them in the third quarter), and put up 145 total. That’s usually going to get it done.
Philly isn’t exactly known for their depth, but they managed to have six players score in double figures. And while I will point out that this was likely influenced by the starters barely touching the floor in the fourth quarter, it’s still a welcomed sign. Also worth noting that the Nets were right behind them with five players in double-figures, and two others who hit 9. Might be something to watch going forward.
4. Raptors vs. Magic
Also count me in as a Raptors hater – I get that the Magic came into the playoffs hot, but Toronto is such a superior team it’s not even funny.
Kyle Lowry scored zero points in the Raptors’ Game 1 loss, while the Magic had seven players score in double figures. (As a side-note, if you haven’t noticed, I’m a big proponent of using the number of players scoring in double figures as a general litmus test for a team’s outcome. Does it tell the full story? Far from it. But it’s a sign that the ball is moving, everyone is getting involved, and that each player has confidence in the other four players out on the court with them at any given time.)
The Raptors got the Magic back in Game 2 with their characteristic (at least during the regular season) lockdown defense, but what’s done is done. The Magic don’t fear the Raptors, and they’ve stolen homecourt away, for whatever that’s worth (answer: it’s worth nothing in this series. The Magic’s advantage while playing at home pales in comparison to that of the Raptors). But the point is, no matter what they do, the Raptors will never be feared in the playoffs. They haven’t even come close to earning it.
Did I mention that Kyle Lowry had zero points in Game 1? In 34 minutes?? (Don’t look at his +/- for the game, that kind of ruins the fun.)
5. Top 10 List – A Look Inside Team Flights
After the first two games of any NBA playoff series, both teams pack their bags and travel to the second city for the next two games. Sometimes, like in the case of the Philly-Brooklyn series, it’s a mere bus ride. But often, like in the case of Portland-Oklahoma City, a few hours on a chartered plane is necessary. Here is what the players on the playoff teams are doing to keep busy during their travels:
10. Paul Millsap spends the flight demanding that his teammates guess the player with the third-highest salary this year. After guess No. 90, he proudly replies, “me!”
9. The Warriors flight to Los Angeles is delayed three-and-a-half hours while team staffers struggle to load Boogie Cousins onto the plane
8. Russ gathers his teammates and tries to convince them that he needs to get more looks from three if the Thunder have any chance of coming back
7. Myles Turner asks if anyone knows how he got his name before gleefully whipping out his penis. “Does he really do this on every flight?” whispers Pacers rookie Aaron Holiday to a sea of nodding heads
6. Ben Simmons pulls out his cell phone to say hi to Kendall, and asks her why she’s always out of breath when he calls
5. In a sad Freudian slip, DeMar DeRozan accidentally books a flight to Toronto
4. Gazing wistfully out the window, Kyrie turns and asks his teammates what they know about scientology
3. The Pistons hold a team meeting where they work up the nerve to ask Coach Dwane Casey if they can just start their vacations now
2. Markelle Fultz starts crying after spilling some airline peanuts. He promptly demands to be traded
1. James Harden warns the stewardess of a strange, tall man outside the plane who keeps trying to board it. “Sir, that’s Carmelo Anthony,” she replies
