The NBA playoffs are finally here, and there were some great first round matchups. Almost every series was competitive and very exciting to watch.
One of the best series so far was the Memphis Grizzlies vs Los Angeles Lakers series. Both teams played very competitively, and there were lots of trash talking between the two teams.
Brooks, a sixth-year player out of Oregon, recently made comments about Lebron, claiming he is ”old.” Brooks may not have been wrong, but Lebron did not take these comments lightly.
The game, after the comments, Lebron had 25 points and nine rebounds in a Lakers win. Lebron also followed up that performance by another great one the game after, having 22 points, 20 rebounds and two blocks, according to ESPN.
The Lakers performed well, but the Grizzlies have not been at full strength. Ja Morant missed game two with a wrist injury. Ja returned in game three and appeared to be at full strength. Morant had 45 points and 13 assists but that was not enough to get a Grizzlies win, according to ESPN.
The series between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the New York Knicks was interesting. The Cavaliers were favorites to win this matchup, as they had one of the most talented, but young rosters in the league.
Some of the top talent on the Cavaliers includes all-star Donovan Mitchell, all-star Jarrett Allen, all-star Darius Garland and runner up for rookie of the year Evan Mobely. Out of those four players, the oldest guy is 26 years old.
This team will be a force to be reckoned with for the next few years if they all stay together. But as of right now, it is obvious that this team does not have much playoff experience.
The Knicks were a little bit of a surprise to be playing so well, as they do not have much experience either. It was a talented team too but not as talented compared to the Cavaliers.
The Knicks all-star Julius Randle struggled this series, shooting 33.8 percent from the field and 23.5 percent from the three-point arch. He averaged 14.4 points per game in the playoffs, and nothing compared to the 25 points per game he averaged in the regular season, according to ESPN.
Even with this poor play from Randle, Guard Jalen Brunson consistently put up points this series. Brunson averaged 24 points per game this series and was a force to be reckoned with.
Speaking of forces to reckon with, the Jimmy Butler-led Miami Heat team rolled. The eight seed Heat played the one-seeded Milwaukee Bucks, and it was quite the series.
Butler averaged 37.6 points per game during the playoffs and was the clear cut leader of the Heat. Butler had 56 points in a game four win and was unstoppable. He followed up that performance with a 42-point overtime win. Butler continues to prove year after year that he is one of the best playoff performers in the league.
The playoffs this year has been arguably one of the most exciting playoffs in recent years, with many lower seeds putting up great fights. And the best part is, only one round has been played. There is much more excitement to be had.
