The first round of the NBA playoffs tipped off over the weekend, and we saw lots of lopsided contests. Every game was decided by 9 points or more, and every higher seed won its game, except the Detroit Pistons, the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, who were stunned yesterday by the eighth-seeded Orlando Magic.
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Missed the action? Our NBC News sports team catches you up below. For continuing coverage of the NBA playoffs, be sure to check back here and our website.
Eastern Conference
The Orlando Magic entered the playoffs as the No. 8 seed in the East, coming off a largely disappointing regular season that put both their coach and star players on the hot seat. Then yesterday, they upset the top-seeded Detroit Pistons, 112-101. Paolo Banchero led the Magic with 23 points, but it was a balanced effort from Orlando, as all five starters scored at least 16 points.
The Pistons, meanwhile, only had two players score in double figures: Cade Cunningham and Tobias Harris. There were concerns about Detroit’s lack of secondary scoring headed into the postseason, and those concerns played out. Who will step up to reduce the burden on Cunningham moving forward?
“We’re sick about losing this one,” Cunningham said after posting a playoff career-best 39 points. “It’s a long series.”
Earlier, the Boston Celtics cruised past the Philadelphia 76ers, handling their longtime rival 123-91. The duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown scored 51 points. The Celtics outscored the 76ers from behind the 3-point line 48 to 12. Philly faces an uphill battle, as center Joel Embiid is out while he recovers from an emergency appendectomy.
The first game of the weekend saw the Cleveland Cavaliers defeat the Toronto Raptors 126-113, a solid start in the first playoff game for the Cavs’ tandem of Donovan Mitchell and James Harden. Raptors star Brandon Ingram scored only 17 points in the loss and said after the game he needs to shoot the ball more.
Also on Saturday, the New York Knicks beat the Atlanta Hawks 113-102. Jalen Brunson started the game on fire for the Knickerbockers, scoring 19 points in the first quarter. He finished with 28, while Karl-Anthony Towns added 25. Physicality was an issue for the Hawks, as the Knicks took 30 free throws to Atlanta’s 19.
Western Conference
Last night, Victor Wembanyama, the 7-foot-4 French phenom, made his playoff debut with the second-seeded San Antonio Spurs, and he did not disappoint. He made five 3-pointers and poured in 35 points, as the Spurs topped the No. 7 Portland Trail Blazers, 111-98.
In the crowd were Wembanyama’s predecessors, the Spurs legendary big men from the ‘90s and 2000s Tim Duncan and David Robinson. NBC cameras cut to the pair as they admired one particularly impressive move from the Frenchman.
“It’s so cool,” Wembanyama said of seeing them there. Having them around the team facility, plus other Spurs legends, “it feels safe,” he said. “It feels like if you trip, there’s a lot of hands that are ready to catch you.”
Also on Sunday, No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder blasted the No. 8 Phoenix Suns by 35 points. Reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a team-high 25 points, thanks largely to his work at the free throw line, where he made 15 of his 17 attempts.
On Saturday, Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray powered the third-seeded Denver Nuggets to a 116-105 win over the No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves. Jokic posted a triple-double, and Murray scored 30 points, a number that was also inflated by his 16 made free throws.
Meanwhile, the No. 4 Los Angeles Lakers edged out the No. 5 Houston Rockets, in the closest game of the weekend. Just before the game, the Rockets ruled out Kevin Durant with a knee injury. He’d apparently bumped his knee during practice earlier in the week.
The Lakers were missing injured stars Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, too. But 41-year-old LeBron James had a stellar game — 19 points, 13 assists and eight rebounds — and led Los Angeles to a 107-98 win.
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What We’re Reading
The most athletic players in the NFL Draft aren’t always a sure thing. Sonny Styles might be. A profile of the gifted linebacker, from our Ben Kamisar.
NBA MVP finalists are Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic and Victor Wembanyama.
Manchester City overwhelmed rivals Arsenal over the weekend and are now in control of the Premier League title race.
The Buffalo Sabres won their first playoff game in 15 years after rallying against the Boston Bruins with four unanswered goals in the third period.
A robot smoked the competition at a half-marathon in China over the weekend, beating the course in record time.
When will the Mets win again?
What We’re Watching
The first round of the NBA playoffs continues tonight, and there are three great games on Peacock. Can the Atlanta Hawks pull even with the New York Knicks? They’ll need more from their bench, which only scored 13 points in Game 1.
Also in the nightcap, the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves face off. Nikola Jokic vs. Anthony Edwards — what else could you ask for? Watch the officiating and free-throw discrepancy. The Nuggets took 14 more free throws than the Timberwolves in Game 1.
All times are Eastern:
7 p.m.: No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 5 Toronto Raptors, on Peacock
8 p.m.: No. 3 New York Knicks vs. No. 6 Atlanta Hawks, on NBC/Peacock
10:30 p.m.: No. 3 Denver Nuggets vs. No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves, on NBC/Peacock
That’s it for now! We’ll be back tomorrow.