The NBA playoffs are in full swing, with 8 sets of matchups in the first round, and 16 teams have already played the first two games, with a total of 5 groups of 2-0 and 3 groups of 1-1. According to NBA historical statistics, a total of 196 teams fell behind 0-2 in the first round of the playoffs, and only 13 teams completed the reversal in the end, with a probability of only 6.6%! From the perspective of the division situation, the Knicks led the 76ers 2-0, the Cavaliers led the Magic 2-0, the Bucks 1-1 Pacers, and the Celtics 1-1 Heat. In the West, the Thunder 2-0 Pelicans, the Nuggets 2-0 Lakers, the Timberwolves 2-0 Suns, and the Clippers and Mavericks tied 1-1! Obviously, the overall situation in the East is unexpected, while the competition in the West is too cruel.
The matchup between the Celtics and the Heat, because of Butler's absence, was originally the least suspenseful series among the 8 matchups. And in G1, the Celtics easily won by 20 points, but when leading a weaker opponent, anyone's mentality changes. In the G2 game, the Heat's three-point shot exploded, and 23 three-pointers were scored in the whole court to break the team's all-time record! And the Celtics only had two probes to score, Brown had 33 points and 8 rebounds, Tatum had 28 points and 8 rebounds, and the Celtics had an upset 10-point defeat! It's hard to understand that the Heat can always create miracles, but if the Celtics squander their talent and don't pay attention to their opponents, they are doomed to pay a price! And in the series between the Bucks and the Pacers, Brother Alphabet still hasn't run much, and the comeback of this round series is slim!
There is also a set of 1-1s, which is a contest between the Mavericks and the Clippers. In the G1 battle, Harden scored 28 points and 8 assists, leading the team to win the opponent lightly. In the G2 battle, after Leonard's return, the Clippers' offense and defense regressed significantly, allowing Doncic to score 32 points and 9 assists, Doncic's defensive Clippers players had a total of 2 of 17, including Harden's 1 of 5, Leonard's 2 of 0 and so on. And the Clippers in the middle of the fourth quarter, began to let the Cajun combination single, giving up Harden control, in my opinion, this is the trend of the Clippers to improve the ceiling, but this defeat, the Clippers also have some reasons for slackness, Doncic, as a leader in the Mesozoic Era, he already has the capital to challenge the Cajun combination. Expect Leonard to get back to form as soon as possible, and if he doesn't break out, it will be difficult for the Clippers to win this series.
The three groups of 1-1 were actually somewhat unexpected, mainly in the east. On the western side, it is facing a change of dynasty. In addition to Doncic, who already has the capital to challenge the Clippers and small cards, the top three in the West are all 2-0 ahead. The group with the least suspense may be the Nuggets VS Lakers. In the first two games of the Lakers, they played better than one game, James and thick eyebrows contributed about 60 points steadily, including the G2 battle, Russell broke out, and the Lakers once opened a 20-point difference, but they just couldn't win. In the final analysis, in the playoffs, Murray and Jokic were raised, and the Lakers' aging core framework could no longer match the energy, let alone role players such as Reaves and Hachimura could not be expected to step up.
The Timberwolves led the Suns 2-0, Edwards faced his idol, scored 33 points in the first game, and the Suns finally paid attention to the start of the pinch attack against Edwards in the second game, and let Gobert and Maidan usher in an explosion. The Timberwolves' performance as the league's first defensive in the regular season continued to the playoffs to increase the intensity of confrontation, the Suns couldn't adapt, and the only thing the Suns could do was the Big Three's stand-up singles, but Beal and Booker were sieves on the defensive end, and Durant's defensive end was too much consumption, and the second half of the third quarter began to dumb fire, and then collapsed! Including the game between the Thunder and the Pelicans, the Pelicans only lost by 2 points in the first game, unfortunately, but the second game was directly defeated by 32 points, lacking Zion, as the Thunder young people gradually got better, the Pelicans have lost the ability to resist.
The other two groups of 2-0 lack of traffic and highlights, the Knicks and the 76ers matchup, Embiid's style of play does not match the playoffs, as a center, high ball holding proportion + high projection ratio, including not high efficiency, has made the 76ers lose their core competitiveness, rebounding two games lost 24, how can it be possible to win? Embiid can certainly cover his ears and steal the bell, and put the responsibility on the referee for some decisions, but the results will not lie, nothing has been achieved in the past few years, is it all the referee's fault? The duel between the knights and the Magic, the Magic is still young, the key is not a stable endpoint, Mitchell was bullied in the west, and became an old cannon in the east, and the two sets of duels also lost suspense.
After the first two rounds of the playoffs and 16 games, the West is indeed accelerating the renewal, maybe after the first round, we will have to say goodbye to James and Durant, and the Clippers urgently need Leonard to step up. On the Eastern side, the Celtics dominate the regular season, and if they don't respect their opponents in the playoffs, they will definitely be overturned in the gutter. In addition, the gap between other teams is not big, the 76ers and the Magic are purely a matter of lineup and style of play, as for the Bucks, the prospects are not good, counting on the combination of Lillard and Rivers Sr., it is better to believe that the Lakers can win a Nuggets.