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Day 2 of the 2021 NBA playoffs had everything you'd expect from NBA playoff games. We've seen injuries, fights, upsets and some incredible playoff debuts. Four games took place last night and every single one of them was a thriller that went down to the wire. The L.A. Lakers vs. Phoenix Suns game was particularly eventful, with many analysts and fans admitting they did not expect Game 1 to be so intense.
Four first-round Game 1s last night and their results
The 1st-seeded Utah Jazz took on the 8th-seeded Memphis Grizzlies and the heavily favored LA Lakers took on the 2nd-seeded Phoenix Suns. Meanwhile, the Washington Wizards visited Wells Fargo Center to take on the 1st-seeded Philadelphia 76ers while Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks experienced the NBA playoff atmosphere at Madison Square Garden as they took on the New York Knicks. Let's look at the outcome of every game that happened last night and evaluate what happened.
Philadelphia 76ers hang on to win against the Washington Wizards after a tight battle
For the first matchup of the evening, the Philadelphia 76ers take Game 1 of the first-round series against the Washington Wizards. They hung on to win 125-118 in the tightly fought contest. The game was a constant back and forth between the two teams which involved several lead changes and ties. The highlight of the match was Tobias Harris, who dropped 37 points on 15-29 shooting from the field, including 2-of-5 from beyond the arc. Russell Westbrook had 16 points, 14 assists and 5 rebounds along with a block as he debuted for the Washington Wizards in the NBA playoffs. However, a key turnover by him in the final minute of the game sealed the win for the Philadelphia 76ers.
Joel Embiid had 30 points and Seth Curry had 15. All-Star point guard Ben Simmons, although lacking in the scoring department, dished out 15 assists and grabbed 15 boards while putting on a defensive clinic. Runners up for the 2021 scoring title, Bradley Beal had 33 points and 10 rebounds but it wasn't enough to grab the win.
Devin Booker shines in his NBA playoff debut as the Phoenix Suns defeat the heavily favored LA Lakers
The second game of the evening was probably the most anticipated and exciting matchup of the first round of the 2021 NBA playoffs. The 7th-seeded LA Lakers entered the game as the favorites over the Phoenix Suns. This is the first time in 30 years that a 7th seed was favored over the 2nd seed. Meanwhile, it was the Phoenix Suns' first playoff game in a decade. The last time these two teams faced off in the NBA playoffs was when the Suns' Steve Nash and Lakers' Kobe Bryant went head-to-head.
The game started in exciting fashion, with LeBron James nailing two back-to-back threes that dulled the faces of the Phoenix crowd. However, the Suns weren't going to let anything get them down as Devin Booker took over the game and shone in his first-ever NBA playoff game. It would later be known as the best playoff debut by a Suns player.
Anthony Davis, Andre Drummond, Kyle Kuzma and several other LA Lakers players struggled. Coach Frank Vogel didn't seem to have his rotations figured out as the Phoenix Suns took advantage of every slip-up. Chris Paul got injured and was sent to the locker room but eventually returned, albeit not a 100% fit. LeBron James took a major hit falling to the floor and a fight erupted resulting in a host of technical fouls eventually causing the ejection of Cameron Payne. LeBron James had 18 points, 10 assists and 7 rebounds along with 3 steals but it wasn't enough as his teammates just weren't contributing the same.
Trae Young's game-winner silences Madison Square Garden as Atlanta Hawks steal Game 1 from New York Knicks
The game saw surreal hype as it was the first NBA playoff game at Madison Square Garden in 2013. The crowd was loud and ecstatic and cheered for their local New York Knicks as they took on the 5th-seeded Atlanta Hawks. The highlight of the game early on was the Knicks bench that stepped up and outscored the starters. Derrick Rose showed his vintage self while rookies Immanuel Quickley and Obi Toppin got the crowd on their feet.
But after a constant back-and-forth contest, the Atlanta Hawks hung on to win Game 1 on the road and upset the Knicks. Trae Young crossed over his defender and got into the lane to drop a floater with 0.9 seconds left on the clock to seal the deal for his team.
Julius Randle didn't perform as expected and we shall see how the New York Knicks respond in Game 2.
Young and hungry Memphis Grizzlies upset the 1st-seeded Utah Jazz in Game 1
The fourth and final NBA playoff showdown of the night was between the Memphis Grizzlies and the Utah Jazz. The Jazz have been juggernauts nearly all year and were the first team to reach 50-wins in a shortened 72-game season. Their main source of offense is the three-point shot in which they excelled all season as they were 1st in the league in both attempts and makes. But as we have seen from years past, the "live and die by the three" offense hasn't worked out in the NBA playoffs, and that's exactly what went wrong for the Utah Jazz. They collectively shot 12-47 (25.5%) from beyond the arc and eventually started to scramble for buckets.
Ja Morant and Dillon Brooks balled out and dropped a combined 57 points. Donovan Mitchell announced a few hours before the game that he wasn't going to lace up and that gave added motivation to the young Memphis Grizzlies team that they have a shot. Mitchell said he expects to return soon and we shall see how the Utah Jazz respond in Game 2 on their home floor.
