NBA Playoffs Game 1 winners and losers: Luka Doncic dominates Clippers; Nets’ Big Three wins postseason debut

Saturday was heaven for these of us who take pleasure in sitting on the sofa and watching NBA playoff basketball for 12 consecutive hours. All 4 video games have been thrilling and shut, for probably the most half, because the tone was set within the first recreation in half of the league’s postseason collection.

The very best half in regards to the playoffs is that the celebs come out in full drive. There’s no extra minutes limits or holding again — simply my finest towards your finest and let’s see what occurs. That was definitely the case on Saturday, however whereas some stars shined, others struggled. Right here’s are the outcomes from the primary set of Sport 1s, together with some winners and losers from the day.

NBA Playoff Sport 1 outcomes

Winner: Nets Large Three

Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving mixed to go 11-for-32 from the sphere within the first half towards the Celtics, and the Nets trailed by six heading into the locker room. Then the league’s latest Large Three proved how shortly they’ll flip issues round, going 15-for-26 whereas outscoring the Celtics by 17 within the second half to cruise to a Sport 1 win.

The Nets’ stars additionally deserve credit score on protection, significantly Durant and Harden, who mixed for 4 steals and a block within the second half to assist stifle the Celtics assault. It was only a glimpse of how harmful this staff might be when all three of these guys are clicking.

Loser: Celtics offense

The Nets averaged 118.6 factors per recreation throughout the common season. In case you maintain them to 104 factors, because the Celtics did on Saturday, you HAVE to win that recreation. As an alternative the Celtics solely mustered 93 factors, and missed a priceless probability to steal a recreation from Brooklyn on a subpar offensive night time. The Nets performed good protection, however in the end Boston was simply unable to make photographs — Kemba Walker and Jayson Tatum mixed to go 11-for-36 from the sphere. Holding the Nets beneath 110 factors might be not going to occur typically throughout this collection, so the Celtics could be kicking themselves for going ice-cold within the second half and letting this one get away.

Winner: Robert Williams

The Boston Celtics have taken half in a hell of lots of playoff video games, so while you put your identify within the franchise report books it’s a reasonably unimaginable accomplishment. Williams blocked 9 photographs within the collection opener towards the Nets, setting a brand new Celtics report for a playoff recreation.

He wound up one rebound and one block wanting a triple-double with 11 factors and 9 rebounds to go along with the blocks, and did all of this in simply 22 minutes. I listed Williams because the Celtics’ X-factor heading into this collection, and he definitely confirmed what he’s able to in Sport 1.

Winner: Luka Doncic

31 factors. 11 assists. 10 rebounds. Plus a Sport 1 win over a staff some are calling the title favourite. Not unhealthy for a 22-year-old. It was Doncic’s third triple-double in seven profession postseason video games.

Doncic was plus-19 in his 41 minutes, and the Mavericks scored an absurd 130.8 factors per 100 possessions with him on the ground on Saturday. The Clippers are going to have their palms full on this collection.

Loser: Kristaps Porzingis

Oh boy, the Kristaps hate certain was flowing on Saturday night. The 7-foot-3 middle scored 14 factors on 4-for-13 capturing, together with 1-for-5 from 3-point vary whereas knocking down simply 4 rebounds. He even drew some ire from Dallas sports activities legend Dez Bryant after a deep 3-point try barely caught a chunk of the backboard in a two-point recreation within the fourth quarter.

As nice as Doncic was in Sport 1, the Mavs are going to wish Porzingis to play higher in the event that they’re going to upset the Clippers within the first spherical.

Loser: Clippers within the clutch

After final postseason’s repeated, embarrassing fourth-quarter meltdowns towards the Nuggets, you’d think about the Clippers would wish to begin this playoff run with a powerful clutch efficiency. Nicely, that didn’t occur. The truth is, they have been downright terrible, being outscored 18-5 within the final six minutes of the sport. In case you’re counting at house, that’s a clutch web score of minus-121.4, and a clutch offensive score of 28.6. Kawhi Leonard scored simply three factors within the fourth quarter on 1-for-4 capturing. Yikes.

Among the many groups with the league’s prime 12 data throughout the common season, the Clippers had by far the worst clutch web score, so this isn’t precisely a brand new drawback. They’ll want to wash it up shortly, particularly towards a participant like Luka Doncic.

Winner: Khris Middleton

It’s straightforward to determine a participant as a “winner” when he fairly actually wins the sport for his staff. Middleton was the primary supply of offense for the Bucks on Saturday with 27 factors, six rebounds and 6 assists, and he buried the Warmth with an extremely troublesome game-winning fadeaway jumper with lower than a second remaining in extra time.

Due to Giannis Antetokounmpo’s limitations within the half-court, Middleton has grow to be the Bucks’ go-to scorer down the stretch of video games, and has a historical past of arising clutch. Coming off of a five-game loss to the Warmth final postseason, this was an enormous win for the Bucks’ confidence transferring ahead, and it might not have occurred with out Middleton’s heroics.

Loser: Jimmy Butler

Sure, he made an amazing play to get the sport to extra time, however Butler went 4-for-22 from the sphere, together with 2-for-9 from 3-point vary. Contemplating they have been one Khris Middleton bounce shot away from double extra time, only a couple extra made buckets from Jimmy Buckets may have given the Warmth a Sport 1 win. For what it’s price, Butler didn’t appear too involved after the sport.

“You miss photographs. You’ve bought days like that. That’s OK. The entire thing is you’ve simply gotta bounce again, work out methods how one can be higher,” Butler stated. “We’ll proceed to take those that we missed, as a result of they’ll fall.”

Winner: Damian Lillard

Because of Denver’s harm points, many really feel that the No. 6 Blazers have shot at a first-round upset. It definitely helps when Damian Lillard performs the way in which he did in Sport 1. Lillard put up 34 factors and 13 assists on 5-for-12 3-point capturing because the Blazers pulled away within the second half for a convincing win on Saturday to steal home-court benefit from the Nuggets.

Lillard had three subpar scoring efforts towards Denver throughout the common season, however he made up for that shortly regardless of hounding protection from Facu Campazzo all night time lengthy. Nikola Jokic will in all probability win MVP, however his supporting solid simply gained’t be sufficient to maintain up with Portland if Lillard continues to play like this.