2017-18 NBA Playoffs (Game One Reactions)

Spurs 92-113 Warriors
The Warriors kinda took a while to get going but their defense got them in the game and Klay and Durant were both too money for the Spurs to keep up with. I thought the Spurs old timers unit (Pau, Gay, Manu, Parker) were generally better than the starters, which is not a good sign. The Spurs just didn't shoot well, they never had any kind of edge, and Patty Mills marking Kevin Durant is not gonna work. I thought the Spurs would test the Warriors but I don't think so--which may be dangerous for the Warriors. Outside of Durant, Klay and McGee (and moments of Draymond), I really didn't think the rest of the team was that great, the ball movement isn't there yet and stifling Patty Mills and Tony Parker is not like going against Lillard or Westbrook. The Warriors need to get punched in the face but I don't think the Spurs are the team to do it, just not enough offense to keep up. I'll take the Warriors in 5 (maybe 4), could be Popovich has something brilliant up his sleeve but at this point even pulling Kawhi out of a hat wouldn't beat the Warriors.

Wizards 106-114 Raptors
The Raptors looked good enough for a Game One, though they let the game get closer than they should have in the 4th. Wall is such a speed demon that he controls all when he's in a groove but he still struggles to score and if too much of the load falls to guys like Oubre or Porter than the Wizards are in trouble. I thought Morris was great and Wall and Beal had moments but the rest of the cast didn't do much (I normally wouldn't say this but, man, seemed like the refs were going after Gortat, a few phantom fouls on him). The Raptors were okay, they can play better but considering their usual tentative play in opening games, this was a good W for them. And probably an indication that they are indeed way better than the Wizards. We'll see, but I'd be surprised if the Wizards won Game Two.

Heat 103-130 Sixers
The Heat were up at halftime and I couldn't figure out why. The game stayed close through much of the 3rd quarter, then the Sixers just ran off and left them. That made sense to me. It felt like Simmons, Saric and Belinelli were getting anything they wanted and Ilyasova and Covington were contributing, too. And for the Heat, Olynyk played well, James Johnson had moments and Wade pitched in from the bench, but otherwise they never really got anything going. Felt like the Sixers should've pounded them from beginning to end and though it looks like they did, this game was really a lot closer than the score suggests. I think the Sixers win Game Two (wouldn't be surprised to see the Heat regroup and take both games in Miami, though).

Pelicans 97-95 Blazers
I thought this was a tough one to figure: I thought the Blazers were awful--like really awful--and still could've (maybe should've) won the game. So were the Pelicans lucky to pull this out? Or can they keep stifling the Blazers? I honestly can't tell. I think they're the two closest matched teams in the post-season, wouldn't be surprised if they play 6 more games just like this one. I gotta think the Blazers will win Game Two.

Bucks 107-113 (OT) Celtics
I think every game is gonna be tight in the 4th quarter, chippy as hell, back and forth and I think I still like the Bucks to pull out the series. Without Kyrie to build a lead and Smart to do some dirty work, I just don't think the Celtics are equipped to handle this. The Bucks are better in the mud and as great a coach as Stevens is, I don't think his mind works in un-perfect conditions. I think all of these games are gonna come down to luck and tenacity and I think the Bucks are built to work harder in those conditions. Doesn't mean they'll win but I picked them to win the series and I'll stick with them. I wouldn't be surprised if Game Two goes into OT, as well.

Pacers 98-80 Cavs
I didn't watch the Pacers once this year (thanks, Obama!) but my gut is that how they played today is who they are: they attack the basket, they play tight D and they scramble for loose balls. They're built around Oladipo and they know who they are. So for them I don't think today was any kind out of body experience. Lebron tends to like to blast through the 1st round, he knows his own team's strengths and weaknesses and after a long regular season, he knows how to size up a soft 1st round opponent and take them out quickly. So today's performance was...uh....not good. They looked kinda Raptors-like out there today against a Pacer team that was just playing their game. I thought the Cavs would be ready for action and have the Pacers' number, but that is not what happened. Not a good sign for the Cavs. I wanna say I'd be shocked if the Pacers took Game Two...but I wouldn't.

Jazz 108-116 Thunder
This one got much closer at the end than this game actually was (man, when Alec Burks came off the bench and got hot at the last minute it reminded me that he had fallen so far out of the Jazz rotation that I had to be reminded he still existed). This is a match between the prim and proper kid that shows up for school every day and is the teacher's pet but doesn't actually learn anything (Jazz) against the slackass student who blows everything off but is good at taking tests (Thunder). This is test time and last night's game was the perfect example: Jazz got out to a big lead, Thunder came back and were up buy halftime, then dominated the 2nd half so thoroughly that they let the Jazz come back and make it close in the end. The Jazz started well and finished well but during the bulk of the game the Thunder were too much for them. I expect all the games to be like this, with the Jazz stealing one or two are home. I expect the Thunder to take Game Two (though don't be surprised if they fail to cover the spread if they're up by 20 with 3 minutes to go).

Wolves 101-104 Rockets
There's a moment early in this game that says it all about Chris Paul's performance: Paul jukes his man in the lane, steps out to get a wide open 15 footer, then at the last second twists his whole body around to pass to Harden, who is double covered and loses the ball out of bounds. I told ya Paul sucked in the playoffs but I didn't expect to suck this early. And while I don't expect Paul to be this bad for the rest of this series, I also don't expect Clint Capela to go for 24 and 12 every night either. This good shouldn't have been this close when you consider that the Wolves didn't even play good! And Chris Webber is right: why the hell Towns standing over in the corner all the time? And why does Jamal Crawford get so much playing time? The fact that Butler and Crawford are the only Wolves with (+) minutes just shows how flawed the +/- system is, because they were both terrible in this game and the idea that the Wolves prospered in their presence is an utter fluke. (I used to love the Wolves but they've been Thibbed, now they're the most boring, most frustrating team in the league *sigh*) I'm still convinced the Rockets are gonna fail but not yet. I reckon they'll win Game Two by a wide margin.