The first round of the 2011 NBA Playoffs has been nothing short of spectacular thus far. Nearly every series has been competitive, and there have been some unexpected teams pushing perennial championship contenders to the brink of elimination.
In the Western Conference, nobody could have predicted that the Memphis Grizzles, who prior to this year had playoff wins, would be holding a 3-2 series lead over the San Antonio Spurs.
Led by big men Zach Randolph, and Marc Gasol, the Grizzlies have shocked fans by being one win away from pulling off the upset as the No. 8 seed in the West.
After an overtime thriller tonight, the Spurs came out on top and no one should count out a team with as much playoff experience as the Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobili-led Spurs. However, it would take quite the effort from San Antonio to win this series, and it seems as if San Antonio has finally burned out after a remarkable 61-win regular season.
Last night in Los Angeles, with the series knotted up at two games a piece against the New Orleans Hornets, the Lakers needed Kobe Bryant to perform at his best on a gimpy ankle, and he did just that by pouring in 19 points and dishing out four assists.
In what has been another first round surprise, the Hornets currently trail the Lakers 3-2, with the series heading back to New Orleans for Game 6. Chris Paul has been stellar thus far, and although it still seems like a long shot, if the Hornets can find a way to win at home, anything can happen in Saturday’s Game 7 at the Staples Center.
The series most experts predicted would be the likeliest for an upset was the matchup between the Dallas Mavericks and Portland Trail Blazers.
Trailing the Mavericks by 18 entering the final quarter, Brandon Roy led the Blazers on a remarkable run in Game 4 to even the series up at two games a piece.
However, third-seeded Dallas, known for their first round collapses, regained their composure in Game 5 in a 93-82 victory. Under the leadership of Jason Kidd and Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas will look to silence their critics and advance to the Western Conference semifinals tomorrow night in Portland.
Now, the team that looks the strongest in the Western Conference is the Oklahoma City Thunder. Led by NBA scoring champion Kevin Durant, the Thunder took down the Denver Nuggets in five games.
After a mental lapse by point guard Russell Westbrook in Game 4, which essentially handed the Nuggets a meaningless victory, the Thunder will look to lean on the shoulders of Durant in their impending Game 5 contest. After the acquisition of center Kendrick Perkins on Feb. 24, the Thunder became a legitimate championship contender. With the recent struggles by the Spurs and Lakers, it would not be surprising to see the Thunder turn into the new powerhouse in the Western Conference.
Moving out East, there have been a few surprises, particularly one brewing in Atlanta. Although they have had difficulty containing center Dwight Howard, the Atlanta Hawks have done an excellent job of defending the Orlando Magic from the perimeter. With Game 6 set for Thursday evening in Phillips Arena, a rambunctious crowd is sure to electrify Josh Smith and company, and could lead the fifth-seeded Hawks to the first round upset.
LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh–the so-called Big 3–closed out their first-round series tonight in Miami. After a minor collapse in their previous matchup, the star-studded Heat–the team with the most pressure to make a run in the postseason–will look to advance and face the Boston Celtics in an intriguing Eastern Conference semifinals series.
Two other teams have clinched first round series victories so far, the Boston Celtics and the Chicago Bulls.
The Celtics took care of business fairly easily, handling the New York Knicks in a convincing four game sweep. The Bulls, on the other hand, could have easily lost any of their first four games versus the Indiana Pacers, eventually winning the series in Game 5 by a score of 116-89.
Derrick Rose, likely the 2011 MVP, took matters into his own hands in the series-deciding contest while leading the Bulls to just their second playoff series victory since Michael Jordan left town in 1998.
As the dramatic first round of the 2011 NBA Playoffs comes to a close, the Chicago Bulls and Oklahoma City Thunder have looked like the strongest teams in their respective conferences. Do not be surprised to see either of these squads make an impressive run through this year’s postseason.