The first round off the NBA Play-offs kicked off in the most spectacular fashion. From upsets to injuries, round 1 of the series had it all.
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The first round off the 2021 NBA Play-offs kicked off in the most spectacular fashion. From upsets to injuries, Game 1 of the seven-game series had it all.
The Lakers lost the big man battle against the Suns, and the game too as a result. Ja Morant and Dillon Brooks carved up the Jazz in the pick-and-roll in the second half. Trae Young joins LeBron James, Chris Paul and Derrick Rose with a 30-10 playoff debut.
The LA Lakers dropped their first game of the 2021 NBA play-offs, falling 99-90 against the Phoenix Suns in a contest that wasn’t even as competitive as the final score might have suggested. That means there’s plenty of room for improvement before Game 2 on Tuesday.
The young Suns couldn’t lean on Chris Paul to carry them to the finish line after he hurt his shoulder, so it was up to the youngsters to lead the way. They did just that. Devin Booker scored more points (34) than LeBron James and Anthony Davis combined (31). DeAndre Ayton had more rebounds (16) than Davis had points (13). Mikal Bridges held James below 20. Cameron Payne was an important supplementary ball-handler before his ejection.
The Suns had every excuse to lose this game. For most of them, it was their playoff debut. Chris Paul got hurt and could hardly shoot but it didn’t matter.
Phoenix did what they have done all season. They took care of business, and if there were any doubts about how this team would hold up in the postseason, those should now be gone. The Suns look ready for the moment.
Memphis Grizzlies win 112-109 on the road over the Utah Jazz.
After battling through the play-in tournament, the Grizzlies now have a 1-0 lead on the team that finished the regular season with the best record in the league.
Dillon Brooks went for 31 points to nearly match his career-high, while Ja Morant kept up his strong play to finish with 26 of his own in the first official playoff game for both youngsters.
The Grizzlies were certainly helped by the fact that Donovan Mitchell sat out due to an ankle injury, Rudy Gobert fouled out in the fourth quarter and the Jazz shot just 12-for-47 from 3-point land.
But while they may have had some things go their way, they absolutely earned this victory with some tough and confident play on both ends of the floor.
The New York Knicks had no answer for Trae Young on Sunday, particularly down the stretch, as the Atlanta Hawks pulled out a wild 107-105 victory to take a 1-0 series lead.
With 32 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds,Trae Young, joins LeBron James, Chris Paul and Derrick Rose as the only players in history to post at least 30 points and 10 assists in a playoff debut.
Young put a stamp on the biggest performance of his life, one that perfectly highlighted his rapidly maturing game, with the game-winning bucket with under a second remaining.
