Thanks to the 36 points of the No 1 of the 2020 draft, the Wolves won Act I of their series once morest the Grizzlies (117-130). Warriors, Sixers, and Jazz also started well.
© Getty Images via AFP
Edwards was unstoppable in Memphis during Act I of the first round of the play-offs.
Golden State and Philadelphia, strong once morest Denver and Toronto, started the NBA play-offs well on Saturday, as did Utah and Minnesota, which regained the advantage of the floor by winning in Dallas and Memphis, Anthony Edwards bursting the screen, for its premiere at this point.
What if the “splash brothers” were in fact no longer two but three? To see Jordan Poole (30 pts, at 9/13 including 5/7 behind the arc) planting banderillas from all corners of the field, we say to ourselves that coach Steve Kerr was right to make him a starter, when of the victory once morest the Nuggets (123-107).
JORDAN POOLE = BASKET CHAMPAGNE pic.twitter.com/QH7NgJS5mm
— ???? (@domariasss) April 17, 2022
This choice made Stephen Curry start on the bench. And for his return following a month of absence, the point guard scored 16 points, without his injured ankle bothering him. As for Klay Thompson, he was solid (19 pts), Draymond Green struggling in all directions (12 pts, 9 assists, 6 rebounds, 3 blocks). On the Denver side, Nikola Jokic responded (25 pts, 10 rebounds, 6 assists), but without weighing on the meeting.
Edwards shines for his premiere
Excessive love for Anthony Edwards.
The guy holds 36 points for his first career Playoffs game, victory in Memphis, and with an XXL smile he says that Jaden McDaniels was Wolves’ MVP tonight. This guy really is a gem. https://t.co/CSZgA6edOW
— TrashTalk (@TrashTalk_fr) April 17, 2022
In Memphis, where Minnesota won (130-117) quite unexpectedly, the duel between Anthony Edwards, No 1 of the 2020 draft aged 20, and Ja Morant, 22, chosen in 2nd position in 2019 by the Grizzlies, has kept all its promises.
The first, by no means paralyzed by the stakes, was impressive. Striking in the basket, solid in shooting (12/23), fierce defender (2 counters including a sensational on Morant), he finished with 36 points, like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar or Julius Erving, for their first in the play-off.
Premier match d’Anthony Edwards en playoffs ????
???? 36 points
???? 12/23 shooting
???? 6 passes
???? 4th performance in history for a 1st game in the playoffs
???? 4th youngest player at 30 pts in playoffspic.twitter.com/7uPLTkZAbi
— Basket-Infos (@Basket_Infos) April 17, 2022
Morant was not outdone (32 pts, 8 assists). But he did not have Karl-Anthony Towns by his side, Minnesota’s second weapon, dominating in the racket (29 pts, 13 rebounds), even if he had to struggle with Jaren Jackson Jr, formidable defender (7 once morest, 12 points).
Started stronger (first quarter won 41-33), Wolves led almost the entire match, however letting Memphis approach three units at the start of the 4th quarter. But two award-winning baskets from Patrick Beverley (10 pts) and Jaden McDaniels (15 pts, 7 rebounds), in the money-time, definitely repelled the opposing inclinations.
“Sacrifice is the key word”
Earlier, Utah took advantage of the absence of Luka Doncic on the Mavericks side to win in Dallas (99-93). Sluggish in the first period, during which Bojan Bogdanovic took over offensively (26 pts), Donovan Mitchell accelerated the tempo for the Jazz, scoring 30 of his 32 points in the second act.
???? #NBA75 — Donovan Mitchell weaves his web around this Game 1.
17 points in the 3rd QT, including this furious dunk!
???? via @NBABet.pic.twitter.com/zlZS3HmBW4
— Basket USA (@basketusa) April 16, 2022
Almost not used in attack, Rudy Gobert (0/1, 5 pts only free throws) was very dissuasive (3 once morest, 17 rebounds), the Mavs having been limited to 38.7% success in shooting.
“Hopefully I’ll have more scoring opportunities in the next game, but at the same time for most of the game we moved the ball around. Sacrifice is the key word, that’s what it’s all regarding in the play-off, ”commented the French pivot.
The Sixers bend the Raptors
Led by 12 lengths in the last quarter, Dallas returned to one unit two minutes from time, when Royce O’Neal scored his first basket of the game, three points (95-91), which definitively extinguished the Texas hopefuls. Without Doncic, who is nursing a calf strain, the Mavs lacked solutions in attack, despite Jalen Brunson (18 pts) and Spencer Dinwiddie (17 pts).
In the East, Philadelphia had a tough night in Toronto (131-111), which lost to injury Scottie Barnes, whose ankle bent under the weight of Joel Embiid.
When Joel Embiid steps on you, it doesn’t feel good…
Scottie Barnes had to leave the game.
X-rays showed nothing on his ankle.
MRI scheduled for the day ????????pic.twitter.com/XWbpBwWmaP
— The 6th man (@the_6th_man) April 17, 2022
Rare fact, but which says a lot regarding the depth of the Sixers collective, the Cameroonian was only the fourth best scorer for his team (19 pts, 15 rebounds), behind James Harden (22 pts, 14 assists), Tobias Thomas (26 pts, 6 assists) and Tyrese Maxey on a cloud (38 pts, at 14/21).
Definitely the young people were in the spotlight for this first night of Playoffs! ????
Tyrese Maxey (38 PTS) caught fire once morest the Raptors, at only 21 years old…????????pic.twitter.com/wFndQVCHyt
— First Team (@FirstTeam101) April 17, 2022
