Winners and losers of NBA playoff openers: Kings, Lakers rise; injuries rattle Bucks, Grizzlies
seventh-seeded Los Angeles Lakers beating the Memphis Grizzlies, the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference.
Sacramento’s De’Aaron Fox, a favorite to win Clutch Player of the Year, scored 38 points in his first playoff game, a Kings victory over the Golden State Warriors.
And injuries are already a menace with Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, Memphis’ Ja Morant and Miami’s Tyler Herro exiting games and not returning with injuries.
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Here are the Game 1 winners and losers of the weekend:
Winners
► Kawhi Leonard and Russell Westbrook, Los Angeles Clippers
Leonard had a game-high 38 points on 13-for-25 shooting in the Clippers’ win against the Phoenix Suns, and while Westbrook was just 3-for-19 from the field, he was a factor elsewhere with 10 rebounds, eight assists, three blocks and two steals. He had key offensive rebounds and defensive stops in the final minutes.
► Jimmy Butler, Miami Heat
He’s Playoff Jimmy for a reason. He brings it – win or lose – all the time and especially in the postseason. Butler had 35 points, 11 assists, five rebounds and three steals in Miami’s 130-117 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. Tyler Herro’s broken right hand sapped some sweetness from the win.
Knicks to a 101-97 road victory against Cleveland, scoring 21 of his 27 points in the second half – 12 in the third and nine of New York’s final 14 points in the fourth. The Cavs failed to contain Brunson, who got to his spots and had access to his offensive skills.
► Sacramento Kings
Sacramento has a subdivision of winners from its 126-123 victory over the Golden State Warriors:
— The Kings, for the first playoff victory since beating the San Antonio Spurs in a six-game series in 2006.
— De’Aaron Fox, for scoring a game-high 38 points, including 29 in the second half and 15 in the fourth quarter. Fox showed why he is legit candidate to make All-NBA.
121-101 victory over the Brooklyn Nets: 23 points (7-for-13 on 3s) and 13 assists. Harden needs those kinds of games if Philadelphia is going to reach the conference finals for the first time since 2001.
► Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics
The Atlanta Hawks had no answers for Tatum and Brown in Boston’s 112-99 victory. Brown had 29 points and 12 rebounds, Tatum had 25 points and 11 rebounds and they shot a combined 22-for-46 from the field. Using a small-ball lineup and spreading the court – sometimes with five players on the perimeter – Tatum and Brown had plenty of space to create for themselves or others.
Lakers’ 128-112 victory against Memphis. Reaves had 23 points – nine consecutive points when the Lakers began to pull away from the Grizzlies late in the fourth quarter.
Losers
► Phoenix Suns
The Suns wasted strong performances from Kevin Durant (27 points, 11 assists, nine rebounds), Devin Booker (26 points) and Torrey Craig (22 points), and their bench was outscored 34-10 at home.
► Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks
Young had just 16 points on 5-for-18 shooting, including 1-for-5 on 3s. His eight assists were tempered by five turnovers. While single-game plus-minus can be misleading, the Hawks were outscored by 14 points with Young on the court against the Celtics.