ROUND 1…FIGHT!

GAME 1 RECAP: EASTERN CONFERENCE

BULLS VS PACERS 

Right off the bat, the Bulls and Pacers game started off with Indiana distinguishing itself as the aggressor. Darren Collison came out on fire in the first half, scoring fifteen points, and matching Derrick Rose on seemingly every basket. Roy Hibbert was having his way in the paint, and used his 7’2” frame to score easily over an undersized Noah. Indiana was the team playing with the defensive intensity we’ve grown accustomed to see from Chicago. With the exception of Rose, the Pacers completely stifled Chicago’s offense. Danny Granger came out and couldn’t miss a shot if he tried in the 3^rd quarter. Tyler Hansbrough was abusing Carlos Boozer on offense, draining mid-range jumpers at will against him. It appeared as if Indiana had this game in the bag… not if Derrick Rose had anything to do with it.

 Indiana held a double digit lead with 3:30 left to go in the game, when the Bulls made their 4^th quarter run. On the shoulders of Derrick Rose, the Bulls cut a ten point deficit down to one. The Bulls trailed the entire game, until a drive and kick from Derrick Rose out to Kyle Korver proved to be the game-winning three point shot.

You have to give credit to the Pacers, nobody expected them to come out and play as well as they did against the number one team in the East, especially on their home court. I think this game will prove to be a wake-up call for Chicago, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they win Game 2 by double digits.

HEAT VS 76ERS

The Sixers came out with the adrenaline pumping for Game 1 against Miami on Saturday. Philly played strong in the first half, jumping out ahead by as many ad 14 points. The Sixers played proficient defense, and it led to fast-break opportunities. Miami turned the Heat up in the 2^nd quarter though, scoring 35 points and outscoring Philadelphia by 17. Lebron completely shut down Andre Iguodala on offense, holding him down to four points, although he did finish with 9 assists and 8 rebounds. It was the play of point guard Jrue Holiday and forward Thaddeus Young which propelled the Sixers back into the game. After a three pointer by James Jones, which gave Miami a 13 point lead, Philly made their run with 6:40 left in the 4^th. Iguodala found an open Thaddeus Young on a backdoor cut underneath the basket to slice the lead down to one. That’s when Dwyane Wade decided to take over.

With a minute-and-a-half left, Wade sealed the game by drawing a foul and making leaning fade-away banker for the 3-point play. Miami dominated the boards after the 1^st quarter, out-rebounding Philadelphia 52-39. They switched to a zone defense which slowed down the Sixers offense and forced them into a half court battle. The Heat got solid contributions from James and Bosh, who both finished with double-doubles, and scored over 20 points.

Game 2 should be another good one, with the Sixers gaining some confidence after their near comeback on Miami in the 4^th quarter. I don’t expect Miami to come out as slow as they did in Game 1, and if Wade is able to play, I expect him to be more engaged in the offense early on. I think it will be a close one, but Miami will hold down home court and take Game 2.

CELTICS VS KNICKS

Sunday’s playoff debut between the Celtics and Knicks lived up to all the hype. The game was tight throughout; with the Knicks making a run in the 2^nd quarter and taking a 12 point lead into the half. Boston came out with their patented shut-down defense in the 3^rd, holding the Knicks down to only 13 points in the quarter. Even with solid D from the Celtics, the Knicks controlled the lead for nearly the entire second half. That is, until Jesus Shuttlesworth emerged in the Garden. 

With 37 seconds left in the game, Tony Douglas, who was in the game for an injured Billups, hit a big 3-point shot to put the Knicks ahead by three. An inbound alley-oop from Rondo to KG cut the lead down to one. The next possession, a controversial offensive foul on Carmelo Anthony gave Boston the ball with 21 seconds left on the clock. The Celtics inbounded and Delonte West swung it over to Ray Allen, when he drained a 3-point dagger and gave Boston the lead. The Knicks were left with no timeouts, and were forced to take it the full length of the court with 11 seconds to go. Douglas takes it up the court and gets it to Carmelo, who forces up a contested three pointer and misses to end the game.

Although the Knicks didn’t end up with the victory, I think they exposed some major vulnerabilities in Boston. Amare Stoudemire was attacking the basket at will, and whether it was Garnett or O’Neal defending, he was too quick for them to keep him in front.

Going back to the iffy offensive foul call on Anthony, although it was in a crucial moment of the game, I don’t blame that as the reason why the Knicks lost. They were up by as many as 12 points, and held the lead nearly the entire game. The injury to Chauncey Billups couldn’t have come at a worst time either. While Douglas filled in admirably, and hit a big three late in the 4^th, I think the experience from Billups might have given New York a better chance at the end.  Time management was also key on that last possession. Left with no timeouts, the Knicks had no choice but to take it up the entire length of the court without a set play, ending up in a bad shot my Carmelo.

You have to give credit to the Celtics, the reason they got Ray Allen was for situations like these. Jermaine O’Neal also played a solid game, ending up with 12 points and 4 blocked shots. They will need him to play a strong 20-25 minutes a game, especially with Shaq still unable to play.

I think the health of Billups will prove to be a major factor if the Knicks want to beat the Celtics, not only in Game 2, but in the series. His leadership and experience is second to none on New York, and in situations like the one they had at the end of Game 1, it might prove to be the difference between winning and losing. 

MAGIC VS HAWKS

After last years shellacking from the Magic, Atlanta came into Game 1 of the playoffs with a more focused mindset. They didn’t look overwhelmed by this Magic team like they did a year ago in their previous playoff encounter.

Atlanta’s game plan was simple; don’t let Orlando beat you from the perimeter. They played Howard straight up, switching off between Al Horford, Zaza Pachulia, and Jason Collins. The Hawks knew they had nobody to match up to him, but resisting to double team Howard allowed their defense to cover the three ball, which Orlando has lived and died by all season. Howard played a dominant half, scoring a career-high 31 points through the first two quarters.

It was the well-balanced offense by Atlanta that really proved to be the reason they played so effectively. They finished off with five players in double figures, including a valiant performance off the bench from Jamal Crawford, who finished with 23. Although it’s not noted on the box score, Jason Collins and Zaza Pachulia played a key role in slowing down Howard in the 2^nd half. Every time would get the ball in the paint, they made sure to foul him hard, and make him earn it at the line.

I had a feeling Atlanta would come out with something to prove, so I wasn’t really too surprised they won the opening game in Orlando. They did provide evidence in the regular season that they might have the blueprint to beat the Magic, winning three out of four meetings, holding the Magic to under 100 points in each one. If Atlanta can keep up that same aggressiveness on defense, and balance on offense, they should be successful in this series.

      With that being said, I see Stan Van Gundy making some adjustments for Game 2, and Orlando probably will take this one down. The Hawks did what they had to do though, and stole one on the road.