On April 20, Beijing time, the NBA playoffs first round of G2 continued, the Heat defeated the Hawks 115-105 to change the total score to 2-0, the Timberwolves defeated the Grizzlies 96-124 the total score became 1-1, and the Pelicans defeated the Suns 125-114, also rewriting the total score to 1-1.
Big Incident 1: Hunter and Lowry clash physically, and Trey Young persuades them to take a technical offense each
The most incendiary first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs should be the Heat and Hawks series. In the first match between the two teams, Butler had a verbal altercation with Trae Young, and the two were subsequently fired by Huntera. In the second game, the Heat and the Hawks clashed again, with veteran Lowry clashing with Hunter many times in the game. In a round of heat attack, Hunter reached out to block Lowry who wanted to overtake behind him, Lowry also took the opportunity to dance and try to commit a foul, but the referee did not blow the penalty, but he fell to the ground and rolled a few times, and after getting up, the two had a dispute, and then the two pushed each other and sprayed garbage words, and this time it became Trey Young, and then the referee blew the punishment of both technical prisoners.
It can be said that this is the intensity of the playoffs, the defensive actions of both sides are getting bigger, the referee's blowing scale is also relaxed, and the league is very much advocating this kind of physical contact, because it can greatly improve the viewing of the playoffs. It's just that the Hawks players don't have an advantage in this series, they just played two consecutive play-offs, followed by two more away games against the Heat, and the energy is really overwhelmed. Coupled with the Hawks' lineup, no one can really form a confrontation with Butler, which also allows Butler to get a luxurious data of 45 +5+5 this game, so in this series between the Heat and the Hawks, the Hawks have basically been out of the game in advance.
Big Event 2: Booker's hamstring injury withdrew early, and the Suns' plan to win the Pelicans was destroyed
If there is no suspense in which round of the playoffs this season, it should be this round of the Suns and Pelicans. In the first game, Paul led the team to an easy win in the last quarter, but in the second game, Booker's unexpected injury disrupted the Suns' playoff plans. This season, the Suns are one of the healthiest teams in the league, with only Paul seriously injured in the regular season but quickly returning. And Booker's injury in this game is indeed a bit unexpected.
Booker exploded in the first half, shooting 12-of-12 three-pointers and 7 of 11 from the field, with 31 points, 2 rebounds and 1 assist, but in the second half Booker was accidentally injured in a rebound, and then the Suns officially announced that Booker suffered a right hamstring tension and withdrew from the game early. Without Booker, the Suns' offensive efficiency declined, and the Pelicans led in consecutive scoring climaxes led by Ingram and McCollum to reverse the game. After this campaign, the Pelicans became the first team in NBA history to be 10 wins away from 50% of the regular season (36 wins and 46 losses) but defeated a 60-win team on the road, and the series is about to return to the Pelicans' home stadium, which will also put a lot of pressure on the Suns.
News after the game was that Booker would be doing an MRI check tonight, while the team would fly away tomorrow but wouldn't be training. According to the general situation, the first-degree strain of the hamstring generally requires a break of 7-10 days, and from the current situation, it is not excluded that Booker will miss more games.
The Suns' only goal this season has been to compete for the championship, but Booker's injury this time clearly undermined the Suns' plans. So do you think the Suns will still reach the finals this year like last season?