The first day of the 2019 NBA Playoffs was not a good one for top seeds — but a great one for SBOBET NBA fans who also happened to back the underdogs.
With the exception of the Golden State Warriors, the other three higher seeds in action — the Philadelphia 76ers, Toronto Raptors, and Denver Nuggets — were all upset at home to go down 1-0 in their respective series.
But while it’s a bit foolish to overreact to three separate series after just one game, those Game 1’s might have shown that those series might be more competitive than first believed.
Nets top 76ers with Joel Embiid ailing
The various NBA 2019 updates about Joel Embiid’s health heading into the 76ers’ first-round series against the Brooklyn Nets weren’t great.
While Embiid looked great in his duel against Giannis Antetokounmpo, the All-Star big man missed five of the team’s last seven regular-season games with a lingering knee issue. And even his status for the series opener was in doubt.
Embiid eventually played against Brooklyn, but he was far from his usually brilliant self on both ends of the floor. He was able to play just 24 minutes and though he had 22 points and 15 rebounds, he shot just 5-of-15 from the field.
Of course, Embiid wasn’t the only reason for the Sixers’ defeat. Ben Simmons was a non-factor as he finished with just 9 points and 3 assists, and was a team-worst minus-21 in 32 minutes. Meanwhile, J.J. Redick and Tobias Harris combined for just nine points as the Sixers went an awful 3-of-25 (12 per cent) on 3-pointers as a team.
As for the Nets, their guards once again led the way. D’Angelo Russel had 26 points, while Spencer Dinwiddie and Caris LeVert combined for 41 points off the bench.
The fact that Embiid was clearly not 100 per cent is a troubling sign for the Sixers, who are already very shallow as it is. If he continues to be limited by his knee, this series against the Nets will likely be more competitive than most people anticipated.
D.J. Augustin magic lifts Orlando in Toronto
The Magic’s NBA 2019 odds to make the playoffs weren’t very high at the start of the season. But they made their way past the wild East playoff race and are making noise in the playoffs by upsetting the No. 2-seeded Raptors.
D.J. Augustin did most of the damage against the Canadian dinos. The veteran point guard had 25 points, including the game-winning 3-pointer, to lead the Magic to their first playoff win since 2012.
Pascal Siakam and Kawhi Leonard were both excellent for the Raptors as they combined for 49 points. But Kyle Lowry failed to show up as he went scoreless on 0-of-7 shooting from the field.
Lowry is coming off his worst regular season since his first year with the Raptors in 2012-13. He averaged just 14.2 points on 41 per cent shooting.
Even with Lowry not quite at the top of his game, the Raptors should still find a way past the plucky Magic. With Leonard and Siakam both playing well, they have too much firepower not to do so.
But if they are to live up to their lofty championship aspirations, they will need much more from their veteran point guard in succeeding rounds.
Spurs steal one from Nuggets
The No. 2-seeded Denver Nuggets had no shortage of doubters heading into the playoffs. That group probably grew even larger after their 101-96 defeat to the San Antonio Spurs.
Some of the big question marks people had about the Nuggets reared their ugly head in Game 1. For one, All-Star big man Nikola Jokic was either unable or unwilling to take over even when the Nuggets needed him to, especially down the stretch, as he finished with just 10 points.
That left 22-year-old point guard Jamal Murray to take the big shots down the stretch, and he didn’t make too many. He finished with 17 points on just 8-of-24 from the field and 0-of-6 on 3-pointers.
As for the Spurs, their two All-Stars — LaMarcus Aldridge and DeMar DeRozan — both struggled with their shot. They combined for just 33 points on 12-of-36 from the field.
However, young guards Derrick White and Bryn Forbes picked up the slack with 31 points on 13-of-19 shooting between them. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich singled out White’s “spectacular” performance after the game.
The Spurs were a popular pick to spring a first-round upset, but it had more to do about scepticism about the Nuggets. They’re now a quarter of the way toward that accomplishment, so Denver really need to step up their game immediately.
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