The NBA Playoffs first round matchups are history or should I say historical. This is the best first round in overall game in and game out quality that I can remember. Not all matchups were memorable: OKC thrashed Memphis as did Cleveland over Miami. Boston vs. Orlando was only okay except for Boston not being at its peak with injuries lurking in the background. Milwaukee / Indiana and Lakers / Wolves had 2 things in common: Both were 4-1 series with superstars on the Bucks and LAL under intense scrutiny for a lot of different reasons.
Let’s go:
- Kawai and Harden will not lead the Clippers to a title. The window has closed. Playoff James (not to be confused with Playoff Jimmy) was back in Game 7 and he refused to meet with the press afterwards. The future Hall of Famer falls short in ways that remind me of LeBron and his flopping: Both should be adults in their demeanors and actions. Their antics tarnish and diminish their legacies.
- Steph Curry is to basketball what Mozart was to music. His incredible performance in Game 7 vs. Houston was the symphony of his career. The First Half Movement was Curry scoring only 3 points but orchestrating the successes of his teammates to break Houston’s focus on stopping him. Buddy Hield was an unexpected soloist as he found his stroke playing off the attention Steph was getting negating the Rockets strategy. The Second Half Movement was Steph bursting out of his cocoon of facilitation for others into the butterfly he is hitting deep three’s and twisting layups that demoralized the Rockets and broke the game open.The Third Movement is the reflection on how this all came together: Curry is playing with an injured thumb. His conditioning, movement without the ball where he is being clutched and grabbed like Connor McDavid, and his creativity with the ball leaves the viewer and, too often, the defender, awestruck. The only other athlete that executed as elegantly in his career was tennis’s Roger Federer. Not only do they win but they do it in a manner that is counterintuitive and creative.
- That leads to another masterpiece: I will call Nikola Jokic’s first game performance against the OKC Thunder a ballet along the lines of Tchaikovsky’s ‘Swan Lake.’ The interpretation is unique in that Jokic is a unique blend of awkward grace lacking in stereotypic modern NBA athleticism but filled with unteachable cleverness and unrelenting competitiveness that somehow embarrasses the opponent while not being able to jump over a small town phone book. The Grand Finale in the 4th quarter saw Jokic leading the charge with the inspired supporting cast of Braun, Murray, Westbrook and, most significantly, Gordon. Coming back from 14 points down. OKC’s failed strategy of fouling early in the Nuggets possession to win the game at the free throw line. Jokic found all manner of ways to score leading to a 42 point, 22 rebound, 6 assist Herculean effort. OKC forgot to find their man in the waning seconds enabling the Gordon piece de resistance 3 point game winning basket. The former NBA champions take down the new talented but inexperienced would be challengers. The dancers bow to the audience as the curtain falls on the 3rd first round game where the lower seed won on the favored team’s home court. What greater drama and performance can we hope for?
All series are going to be intriguing. The Warriors and Wolves will tip off momentarily as I finish writing this. The drama will continue to unfold.
Make sure to listen to The Basketball Show ‘Deep Dive’ Podcast with the great Ben Golliver and myself as we go into the weeds on the playoffs. It is worth your time to hear Ben’s insights as he is always courtside at the biggest games.
Join Ryan and me on Saturday from 10am-noon on The Basketball Show on Edmonton’s Sports1440 and online on sports1440.ca. We will be discussing the Singers and CEBL opening weekend, the WNBA upcoming opening week and, of course, all your NBA playoff updates.
In loving memory of my son, Ben, please take care and always be kind to each other – we never know what others are dealing with in their lives.
Yours in Basketball,
Paul J. Sir
Host, The Basketball Show
CEO, 3×3 Basketball Association
Color Analyst, Edmonton Stingers
