The Oklahoma City Thunder and the Detroit Pistons every collected Sport 1 victories to start out their second-round playoff collection.
After each prime seeds held serve and moved a step nearer to the convention finals, listed here are the winners and losers from Tuesday’s NBA playoff video games.
Winners
On an evening when Cade Cunningham’s shot wasn’t falling (6-for-19), the Pistons All-Star did every part else for his workforce of their 111-101 win.
He scored 23 factors, because of attending to the road for 9 free throws, including seven assists and two steals. His protection set the tone on an evening the place the Cavs dedicated 19 turnovers, seven coming from James Harden.
The Lakers consciously tried to make somebody aside from MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander beat them in Sport 1. Chet Holmgren embraced the problem, placing up a team-high 24 factors, 12 rebounds and three blocks as OKC received, 108-90.
On an evening when the Lakers managed to pressure SGA into seven turnovers and restricted him to fifteen photographs, Holmgren picked up the slack, sinking each of his threes as well.
In his first sport on the bench after signing a contract extension, Pistons head coach Bickerstaff pushed all the precise buttons in his Sport 1 win. Ron Holland II barely performed within the first spherical, however he contributed six factors in 10 minutes and had a plus/minus of +8 Tuesday night time. Bickerstaff rode with Daniss Jenkins for 29 minutes, who had 12 factors and 7 rebounds plus an enormous dunk to finish the sport.
It has been a powerful week for Bickerstaff, who has now received 4 straight video games, together with an epic Sport 6 comeback, all whereas retaining his workforce disciplined and enjoying collectively within the face of adversity.
Losers
Fatigued groups
The Thunder have been the one workforce to brush their opening collection, getting previous the Phoenix Suns in 4 video games. They’d had eight days off earlier than Sport 1 towards the Lakers, who clearly ran out of fuel, scoring solely 37 factors after halftime. They may have been more energizing if L.A. might have completed off the Houston Rockets in 4 video games, as an alternative of six.
That appeared to harm the Cavaliers after their seven-game battle with the Toronto Raptors, although the Pistons additionally performed a seven-gamer. The distinction might have been the Pistons’ youthful wing gamers. 20-year-old Holland 23-year-old Ausar Thompson and 24-year-old Jenkins all offered defensive vitality — Jenkins collected 4 steals — towards a backcourt of Harden and Donovan Mitchell that appeared weary by the top of the sport.
Allen was the hero within the Cavaliers’ Sport 7 win over the Toronto Raptors. He scored 22 factors, grabbed 19 rebounds and blocked three photographs, wanting dominant. As soon as Allen received his third foul midway by way of the primary quarter, he primarily disappeared from Sport 1. He completed with solely two factors and three rebounds in what might have been a winnable sport with just a bit extra from Allen.
Reaves deserves credit score for speeding again from his indirect pressure in simply 4 weeks, however he didn’t look snug throughout Sport 1. After all, the Thunder’s protection makes quite a lot of opposing guards look uncomfortable.
The Lakers guard had extra turnovers (4) than made baskets (three) within the loss, capturing 3-of-16 and ending with eight factors. With Luka Doncic unlikely to return, LeBron James desperately wants Reaves to supply offensive assist and outdoors capturing if the Lakers are going to drag off an enormous upset.
