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Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks dominated the Celtics in Game 1. While the Warriors escaped with a victory in the first game against the Grizzlies after the refs ejected Draymond Green. Plus, what to expect in Sixers-Heat and Suns-Mavericks.
Bucks-Celtics: What’s one takeaway from Game 1?
Howard Beck: It’s going to take a minute for the Celtics to adjust to the Bucks’ relentless defense after their breezy four-game sweep of the (largely defenseless) Nets. Jayson Tatum (6-for-18) and Jaylen Brown (4-for-13) never could get a rhythm going in Game 1. And the Bucks looked just as stout as ever, despite missing one of their best perimeter defenders in Khris Middleton.
Chris Herring: That Milwaukee’s defense is several notches better—and taller—than Brooklyn’s, despite the regular-season efficiency metrics that would have them look similar in that regard. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown were a respectable 38.8% (7-for-18) from deep, but were a combined 23% (3-for-13) from inside the arc—a sign that the lengthy Bucks aren’t allowing anything easy near the rim.
Robin Lundberg: The Bucks are not the Nets. Milwaukee is a much bigger, stronger and obviously more together team for Boston to have to deal with this round rather than the theoretical squad they just faced. Also, Giannis consistently impacts games more than any other player in the league.
Rohan Nadkarni: While Marcus Smart won Defensive Player of the Year, he wasn’t the best defensive guard on the floor against the Bucks on Sunday. Jrue Holiday was a menace, and I was particularly impressed by him challenging Boston’s ballhandlers with full-court pressure. Holiday can make it difficult for Smart (or anyone else in the Celtics’ backcourt) in a way essentially nobody on the Nets could. Milwaukee’s defense overall was really dialed in on Sunday. I’m curious to see as the series goes on how Boston adjusts to the physicality its Round 1 opponent wasn’t capable of bringing.
Michael Pina: Neither team could do anything at the rim, where the Celtics shot 45.5% and the Bucks shot 50%. These numbers are embarrassing. Giannis Antetokounmpo finished just 7-for-18 inside the paint, while the Bucks clamped down on Jayson Tatum, who went 2-for-7 from the restricted area. Both defenses should be pleased, but both offenses will need to make more outside shots if they want to open things up down low.
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Warriors-Grizzlies: What’s one takeaway from Game 1?
Herring: Klay Thompson’s confidence, even after an uncharacteristic empty trip at the line in the closing seconds, should be sky-high. Aside from hitting the 26-footer that proved to be the game-winner with 36.6 remaining, he then served as the last line of defense by contesting Ja Morant’s last-second scoop attempt that bounced off the backboard. It’s been a while since Klay’s been able to impact a game so heavily, with so much on the line.
Pina: Jaren Jackson Jr. had his best game of the season: 33 points, 18 shots, 10 rebounds, six threes, nine free-throw attempts and only three personal fouls in 31 minutes. And … the Grizzlies lost. Memphis can generate quality offense elsewhere (Desmond Bane probably won't be this quiet again), but it still feels like they wasted a gem of a performance from one of their most important players, who had zero offensive rhythm in the first round.
Nadkarni: I still don’t understand how Golden State won the rebounding battle, particularly matching Memphis with 16 offensive rebounds. The Dubs played Kevon Looney only 19 minutes, Brandon Clarke was most often the tallest player on the floor, and Golden State closed super small without Draymond. And with all that, the Warriors still held their own on the boards, including that key scrum after the late Klay Thompson free throw, in which the Grizz cost themselves valuable seconds by not quickly securing the ball. It really feels like Memphis should dominate the glass in this series. The Warriors keeping pace on the boards can make a significant difference.
Beck: Can we steal that “Never underestimate the heart of a champion” line from Rudy Tomjanovich? Seems apropos here, with the Warriors pulling out a heartstopping win, on the road, after playing the entire second half without the ejected Draymond Green. Steph Curry and Klay Thompson struggled all afternoon, but the Splash Brothers delivered down the stretch—with Curry hitting a late three-pointer and blocking a Ja Morant layup, and Thompson hitting the game-winning three-pointer in the final minute.
Lundberg: The Grizzlies not only lost a game but perhaps the series. Losing at home in Game 1 when Draymond Green was ejected and it was there for the taking feels like something the Grizzlies can’t come back from against this proven Warriors core. It felt like they missed their chance.
What are your thoughts on the Flagrant 2 call on Draymond Green?
Pina: My first reaction: It was ridiculous. After seeing the replay, though, he indeed smacked Brandon Clarke in the face, then grabbed his jersey and pulled him to the ground. By the letter of the law, that's a Flagrant 2. But also, like, it's the playoffs, which has me circling back to my initial thought: It was ridiculous.
Beck: It looked like a Flagrant 1 to me. The contact to Brandon Clarke’s face seemed incidental and not egregious. Same for Green’s hand getting caught in Clarke’s jersey. He clearly wasn’t trying to throw him down, since he actually tried to cushion the fall as soon as he saw what was happening. The officials overreacted. It wouldn’t surprise me if the league downgrades it to a Flagrant 1.
Lundberg: It certainly wasn’t what I would’ve called. However, it does make for good content given Draymond instantly made it into his own conversation topic. Perhaps the refs were being sensitive to where the contact was and a player being pulled out of the air when it came to the justification for the decision, but fortunately for the officials the Warriors won so it shouldn’t be a lingering story.
Herring: Much like the announcers on the broadcast, I was very, very surprised Green ended up being ejected over that play. Wouldn’t be stunned if the league downgraded it after the fact, though what’s done is done at this point. The Warriors helped reduce the continued scrutiny of the call by winning the game.
Nadkarni: I’m a huge Draymond Green fan, at the same time, I have to admit he’s difficult to officiate. His reputation perhaps puts refs on edge. It also means he gets away with far more verbal abuse than most players because of how high his baseline of intensity is. Ultimately, I’m glad Green is not called for technicals every time he blows up, and as far as the flagrant goes, kicking someone out of a playoff game for what happened there was stupid. Make it a big fine if you have to dissuade players from those plays. But don’t compromise the integrity of the result of a high-stakes game because referees are trying to judge intent by deciphering a slow-mo replay. It’s the playoffs. Let the players decide the outcome.
Sixers-Heat: What’s one thing you’re watching for in Game 1?
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Lundberg: Does James Harden still have it in him? Harden is a good facilitator and a net positive of course but he hasn’t been the scorer we all once knew since his hamstring injury last playoffs. With Embiid out, expect the Sixers to spread the floor for the Beard. Whether he can deliver will be fascinating to see.
Nadkarni: Will the Sixers go small? Paul Reed has been good in short bursts, but asking him to play anywhere close to Embiid’s minutes is a huge risk. And DeAndre Jordan has rightfully not been used during the playoffs after struggling down the stretch of the season. I think Doc Rivers can engineer a lot of space for James Harden by playing lineups with either Georges Niang or Matisse Thybulle at the five. Niang brings shooting while Thybulle would have to morph into a screener/roller. It’s a big ask for those guys, but I think worth a shot, especially in non-Bam Adebayo minutes. With no Embiid, Rivers is going to have to take some risks. Why not see if you can catch Miami off guard with some funk?
Beck: James Harden, James Harden and James Harden. But also, James Harden. Oh, you asked for one thing. Sorry. James Harden. Can he still dominate a game? Can he still carry a team? Can he win a game (or two, or three…) while Joel Embiid recovers from a concussion and an orbital fracture? Because if he can’t, the Sixers’ title hopes are going to vanish very quickly. This also might be Harden’s last, best chance to change the narrative about his postseason failures.
Pina: Will James Harden be an unanswerable superstar, or is that asking too much at this point, against a defense that will coax as much hero ball from Philadelphia as they can? Joel Embiid isn't available, so the Sixers will need Harden to punish Miami's switching with stepback magic and precise kickout passes. Does he have a 40-point, 18-assist, three-turnover night in him?
Herring: Can James Harden pick up more slack with Joel Embiid out? His quiet postseason was the subject of our newsletter last week, heading into Game 6 against Toronto. Yet he quieted those questions by having a fantastic showing to close the door on the Raptors. But with Embiid now slated to miss time against the No. 1 seed Heat and their elite defense, Harden's task gets tougher.
Mavs-Suns: What’s one thing you’re watching for in Game 1?
Nadkarni: How will Suns navigate switches on both ends of the floor? We know Mikal Bridges is one of the best defenders in the game, but Dallas will try its hardest to hunt a different matchup with Luka Dončić. Will Bridges hedge and recover? Or will Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton be forced to dance with Dončić? On the other end of the floor, if the Mavs go five wide, can Ayton make them pay in smaller lineups. Assuming the Mavs switch to keep Paul and Booker from attacking drops, Ayton is going to have to thrive offensively to punish those coverages.
Herring: The matchup between Phoenix—the sport’s most elite clutch-time offense, with both Chris Paul and Devin Booker—and a much-improved Dallas defense. Paul torched New Orleans for a record 14-of-14 shooting in Game 6. But during the season, the Mavs surrendered just 65 points total in their 67 possessions against Phoenix this season when Dorian Finney-Smith guarded Paul, per the NBA’s matchup data.
Lundberg: I want to see if the Mavericks defense can hold up against the Suns. Because if they can be as tough as they have been, given Jalen Brunson’s emergence as a consistent force and of course Luka Dončić, I give Dallas a real chance against Phoenix.
Pina: How often will the Mavericks go small, and, when they do, can Deandre Ayton punish them on the block and offensive glass? As Jason Kidd progresses through this series he may find that it's the only way his team can beat the league's very best. (Luka Dončić, Reggie Bullock, Spencer Dinwiddie, Jalen Brunson and Finney-Smith are a scary group!)
