The second round of the NBA playoffs was full of excitement and thrillers. Some teams were sent home disappointed and some showed up with the playoff lives on the line. I will be breaking down my thoughts on each series.
Milwaukee Bucks def. Boston Celtics 4-1
I liked what I saw from Boston with the victory in game one. Defensively, they forced Antetokounmpo to take tough shots by clogging the lane. Milwaukee responded by winning four games straight.
The Bucks dominated by torching the Celtics’ sluggish defense from three-point land. On defense, Milwaukee made Kyrie Irving and Jayson Tatum nonexistent on the court. Irving shot 35.2% from the floor and Tatum only averaged 12 points for the series.
With a commanding game one win, I expected Boston to make it a tougher series but they folded. I wasn’t sure if Milwaukee was going to continue their dominance from the regular season up into this series but they proved it. Regular season or playoffs, it doesn’t matter, the Bucks have showcased what they’re all about.
Golden State Warriors def. Houston Rockets 4-2
I expected this series to be close and each game was decided by six points or less. Once the Warriors took a 2-0 lead, I changed my mind that the Warriors would put away the Rockets with no problem. I was surprised when the Rockets tied the series.
In game 3, Houston won 126-121 in overtime. Stephen Curry shot poorly going 7-23 from the field but the Warriors got production from Kevin Durant with 46 points and Draymond Green with a triple-double. However, James Harden put up 41 points and Eric Gordon with 30. The Rockets won the rebound battle outrebounding Golden State 55-35. Harden hit a big three in overtime giving Houston a 124-118 lead with 49 seconds left.
Fast forward to game 5, Durant left the game with a calf strain with a couple minutes remaining in the third quarter. I thought the Rockets would take advantage of the injury but the Warriors pulled through taking a 3-2 lead in the series.
With Houston’s playoff lives on the line, they needed to win this game with Durant still out. Curry had a donut on the scoreboard at halftime and the Warriors were tied at the half. Curry flipped the switch scoring 33 points in the second half bringing the Rockets’ season to an end.
In this series, I was impressed with Andre Iguodala’s performances. Iguodala was more efficient than Curry from the arc shooting 42.1% (3PT 12-25) while Curry was 27.9% (3PT 19-68) from distance. Golden State will need Iguodala to keep hitting shots from the perimeter as Durant will be out for game 1 of the western conference finals.
Portland Trail Blazers def. Denver Nuggets 4-3
This series went longer than I anticipated. Game 3 of this series was the most thrilling game of the playoffs going to four overtimes. Nikola Jokic posted a triple-double of 33 points, 18 rebounds, and 14 assists and CJ McCollum had a game-high 43 points.
With seconds left in the first overtime, Jokic put up a tough three-pointer and I thought he could’ve gotten a better look. In the third overtime, Jamal Murray committed a crucial turnover which gave Blazers the ball back and tied the game at 129. Murray had another chance to win it but he took a bad shot from 30 feet. The Nuggets should’ve won this game but they blew their chances. Rodney Hood made some shots down the stretch in the fourth overtime, including the dagger that gave them a two-point lead.
In game 7, the Nuggets were up for the majority of the first half and their biggest lead was 17. I liked how Portland kept their composure through this series whenever they were down, especially in this game. Although Lillard was 3 of 13 from the field, McCollum stepped up scoring 37 points. He was special that night drilling a step-back jumper to put the Blazers ahead 98-95.
The guard tandem that Portland has is really stepping in the playoffs making their first conference finals.
Toronto Raptors def. Philadelphia 76ers 4-3
I was not expecting the Sixers to force a seven-game series with Joel Embiid not playing up to par. Embiid only had an impact in game 3. Jimmy Butler probably had his best stretch as a Sixer averaging 22 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.6 assists. Butler led the Sixers to a game 7 as Embiid wasn’t feeling like himself.
No one on Philadelphia could guard Kawhi Leonard as he scored 30 or more points in five of the seven games. The Klaw was efficient from the floor shooting 54% for the series. Butler and Tobias Harris couldn’t slow Leonard down as he was the MVP of this series.
Game 7 was a gritty game as the Raptors shot 38.1% from the field and the 76ers turned the ball over 17 times. With 10.8 seconds left in the 4th quarter, Leonard had an opportunity to put Toronto up by three but he missed the second free throw. Butler drove to the hoop and got a layup to tie the game at 90 with 4.2 seconds. Marc Gasol inbounded the ball to Leonard, and he faded into the right corner and put a shot up over Embiid. The ball hit short of the rim but bounced up, and then bounced on the other side of the rim. Toronto was full of suspense as no one knew if the shot would go in or not. Then, the ball found its way into the net and the Raptors sent Joel Embiid home crying. I was amazed that the shot went in, I was on the edge of my seat and couldn’t believe it.
Leonard was spectacular in this series and Toronto definitely deserves to advance to the eastern conference finals.
The NBA playoffs continue tonight at 9:00 PM ET as the Portland Trail Blazers are on the road against the Golden State Warriors.
Photo Credit: (Citynews Toronto), (The Boston Globe), (SB Nation), (The New Yorker), (YouTube)