NBA playoffs start off with a bang
After a week of games, the race to the NBA Finals looks to be a wide-open race
John Laforest
Staff Writer
From the Milwaukee Bucks total domination over the Detroit Pistons in game one, to the Portland Trailblazers taking a surprising 2-0 series lead on the Oklahoma City Thunder, the NBA playoffs have been a roller coaster ride thus far.
The team with the NBA’s best record wanted to show it can make a long playoff run, and the Detroit Pistons were helpless to slow them down.
“I don’t know if they were ready for us,” Antetokounmpo said. “But we just try to focus on ourselves. We just try to play with pace, run to our spots and try to make plays.”
Antetokounmpo had 24 points and 17 rebounds in just 24 minutes, and the Milwaukee Bucks rolled to a 121-86 victory Sunday, April 21 in the opener of their first-round playoff series.
The Portland Trail Blazers are another team that are off to an impressive start. The Blazers after their 20-point victory against the Oklahoma City Thunder Tuesday night have taken a 2-0 series lead. The Blazers are the No. 3 seed, while the Thunder are the No. 6 seed, but many favored the Thunder to win.
Portland’s superstar Damian Lillard knows how important it is to remain locked in even though they have the series lead. After the game he said, “I’m happy but I really don’t care I know how quickly things can change and I know how good their team is.”
The Thunder have been bounced from the playoffs in the first round the last two years and look to avoid that same fate hoping to get back into the series as it shifts to Oklahoma City. The next game is Friday with tip-off at 8:30 p.m. Central Time.
The defending NBA Champions Golden State Warriors suffered a loss they could implement their chances at securing a three peat. The Warriors will be without starting center DeMarcus Cousins for the remainder of the playoffs.
Warriors have won a championship without the All-Star center so the question of how much he will truly be missed is still in the air. The Warriors blew the largest lead in playoff history against the Los Angeles Clippers Monday night and the series is now tied 1-1
The Boston Celtics and Houston Rockets are up in their respective series 1-0, while the Denver Nuggets/San Antonio and Philadelphia/Brooklyn series are tied at 1-1.
The NBA playoffs for the last four seasons have ended with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors as the last two teams standing. The field is as wide open as it has been in years, especially in the eastern conference. How the playoffs will shake out this year is definitely slated to be full of excitement with the all new teams in the Finals.
Header photo courtesy of the Associated Press.