NBA Playoffs 2019: 3 Talking points from NBA Playoffs - April 15th

The second day of NBA playoff action housed four first-round matchups, none of which ended in a statistical upset. The Houston Rockets led a rout of the Utah Jazz via a 122-90 scoreline as the Bucks manhandled Detroit 121-86 in Griffin's absence. The other two clashed involved Portland edging past OKC 104-99 while Celtics took care of business in Game 1 against the Pacers, defeating the Oladipo-less Indiana side 84-74.

With all teams having played their first games of the postseason, experts have some remote idea of what might play out in the coming future. While the Bucks and Rockets got statement wins to kick off their campaign, the Celtics and Trail Blazers made sure they got the job done before heading into Game 2.

Let's discuss some of the prominent talking points from the most recent postseason clashes of this year.

#1 Portland Trail Blazers grab first playoff win since 2016; Kanter takes charge

Enes Kanter is averaging more than 13 ppg & 8.5 rpg in Portland.

Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers have been swept in the first round of the playoffs for the past two seasons. Their latest win against the Thunder in Game 1 came after 10 straight playoff losses, tracing back to as far as 2016. Safe to say, having started this year's postseason journey with a win is a pleasant experience for the team.

This was a gratifying victory for the cursed Blazers side, but a big chunk of the credit has to be handed to an unlikely hero.

OKC traded this talented Turkish center a couple of years ago in an exchange for someone (Melo) who they themselves ended up trading to the Rockets after just a year. Kanter dropped 20 points - which also included a crunch time layup to seal the game - and pulled down 18 boards in the first of the seven-game series to beat his former team. He shot 8-of-15 from the floor and also record two blocks and a steal on the defensive end.

#2 Giannis looks playoff ready as Thon Maker gets clobbered by his former team

It would be a surprise to see this series go beyond 4 games.

Giannis Antetokounmpo was must-watch TV on a night when all eyes were focussed on the Game of Thrones Season 8 premiere. High-flying dunks(including one from the free-throw line) and elite athleticism are what define the Greek Freak's sheer dominance on the floor.

Against the lowly Pistons, he finished with a double-double of 24 points and 17 rebounds in just 23 minutes of playtime. However, his former teammate, Thon Maker, could only manage 4 points on a miserable 2-of-10 shooting night from the floor. Maker requested a trade out of Milwaukee back in February in the hopes of having a larger role than what he had with the Bucks.

#3 Paul George's shoulder is a major concern for the Thunder going forward

Paul George has been a force with Westbrook by his side.

Paul George has put together career-high numbers this year in scoring, bested only by James Harden in the MVP race for this year. He's averaging 28 points per game along with recording 2.3 steals (another career-best) en route to getting the gold this year.

Entering into the postseason, PG13 was listed as questionable for Game 1 against the Blazers but he played as part of a game-day decision.

"Four days ago I couldn't even lift my shoulder," he said. "Then fast forward to today this is the first day I've even shot the ball, so for me it's just rhythm."

With intense taping on his shoulders, George took the floor for what turned out to be a heartbreaking loss for his team. He started off 1-of-6 from the field in the first period and finished a dismal 4-of-15 from downtown for the game.

However, he ended with a solid double of 26 points and 10 rebounds, including a crunch three-pointer with 8.2 seconds remaining to bring OKC to as close as 1 point within the Trail Blazers.

Every minute George hustles on the court is bound to take a toll on his yet-not-recovered right shoulder, and with the math suggesting at least 4 more games for the Thunder to go through, things don't look good for Brodie and the Oklahoma City Thunder.