The NBA playoffs tipped off this weekend, as the Denver Nuggets look to become the first repeat champions since the 2017 and 2018 Golden State Warriors. They picked up right where they left off in the Western Conference a season ago, winning their fifth consecutive playoff game by downing the Los Angeles Lakers. The East also features a rematch of last season’s conference finalists, but this time it was the Boston Celtics dominating Game 1 against the Miami Heat, after falling 3-0 last season.
Our NBA experts were at all eight Game 1s on Saturday and Sunday — all of which were won by the home team, the first time that has happened since 2013 — and shared their first impressions of every series, with a glance at what we might expect as these teams head to Game 2 and beyond.
MORE: Complete coverage of 2024 NBA playoffs
To have a shot, Magic need to find their shot
The Orlando Magic dropped Game 1 of their series against the Cleveland Cavaliers for one clear reason: poor shooting.
The Magic shot just 32.6% from the floor, 21.6% from 3, and 63.3% from the free throw line. They scored just 15 points in the second quarter and 17 points in the third.
Orlando did enter the playoffs with statistically the worst offense of any team in the postseason (112.9 points per 100 possessions, 22nd overall in the regular season). The Magic know that has to change for them to advance.
“When you go 19 of 30 on free throws and 8-for-37 on 3-pointers, it’s hard to make up ground,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said after the game. “We hang our hat on defense, and holding a team to 97 points is a good job. The question is how do we clean up some of the things on offense for the next game?”
The starting backcourt of Jalen Suggs and Gary Harris combined to shoot 4 of 22 from the field and 1 of 12 on 3s. Meanwhile, backup guards Cole Anthony and Markelle Fultz went 0 of 7 and 0 of 4, respectively.
Despite getting a combined 17 points from that quartet, Orlando isn’t panicking.
“We shot 32(%) from the field, 21 from 3 and 60 from the line, and it still wasn’t ever over until the last two minutes,” said Paolo Banchero, who scored a team-high 24 points, but was just 2-for-7 from 3 and 4-for-8 from the free throw line.
“Obviously, we need to hit shots to win this series,” Franz Wagner said. “But I’m confident we’ll make them next game.”
— Kendra Andrews
Timberwolves defense is more than just Gobert
Anchored by Rudy Gobert, the Minnesota Timberwolves’ interior defense is obviously acclaimed. The center controls the paint and is on track to win NBA Defensive Player of the Year honors for the fourth time. But in a 120-95 demolition of the Phoenix Suns in Saturday’s opener of the first-round series, Minnesota’s perimeter defense proved especially disruptive.
Suns star Devin Booker scored 18 points on 16 shots and finished 1-for-7 when Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels was the primary defender. McDaniels seemed to be everywhere — challenging shots, disrupting passing lanes, cutting through screens intended to free up Suns guards for open looks.
“Jaden just fights through everything,” Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch said.
Added Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards: “Jaden, to me, it’s him and Rudy for [NBA] Defensive Player of the Year.”
Nickeil Alexander-Walker was another disrupter, recording four steals off the bench for Minnesota. Forward Naz Reid was especially active — at plus-22 off the bench. And it wasn’t only Booker who struggled.
Sharpshooting Suns guard Grayson Allen finished with just four points on 0-for-3 shooting from…
This article was originally published by a www.espn.com . Read the Original article here. .