After one day of NBA Playoff action that featured 4 games, the results were unexpected, to say the least. There were three major upsets that we will be taking a look at today.
#1: Brooklyn Nets defeat the Philadelphia 76ers
What a story for Caris LeVert. The Nets swingman shooting guard went down with a gruesome leg injury back in November. After rehabbing for much of the season, he was a shell of his early season self when he returned. In the playoffs, he transformed. The 76ers had absolutely no match for LeVert, and he put up 23 points and also matched the amount of threes the Sixers had on his own(3). He picked up much of the slack when D'Angelo Russell was off in the first half. For the 76ers, the alarm bells should have started to ring. They were outplayed the whole game, and pretty much were carried by Jimmy Butler(36 points). Their play was so abysmal that the crowd started booing them, and forward Amir Johnson was caught checking his phone during the game. If they do not make a major change, this series could be shorter than we thought.
#2: Orlando Magic stun the Toronto Raptors
What a game. Surprisingly, this matchup was a tightly contested one. The Magic and Raptors could never get away from each other, and the 4th quarter was an exciting one. DJ Augustin was an extremely unlikely hero that nobody thought would show up this big. He put up 25 points and hit the game winning three pointer in Marc Gasol's face. In fact, the story of this game was unsung heroes. Seven of their nine active players scored in double figures, including last minute pick up Michael-Carter Williams, and rookie Jonathan Isaac, who also hit a clutch three. The Raptors relied on the duo of Kawhi Leonard and Pascal Siakam to get points, but the combo was not enough. Kyle Lowry performed his usual playoff disappearing act, and had an astounding zero points. If he cannot get into form, the Raptors could be in line for a lot of trouble.
#3: San Antonio Spurs edge out the Denver Nuggets
This series was pegged as an upset possibility, and it seems like the big stage got to the Nuggets. The game was pretty even throughout, and gave us another splendid fourth quarter. Also, Derrick White, a division two point guard that spent most of his rookie year in the G League, stepped up huge for the Spurs. He absolutely ended Paul Millsap's career with a ferocious slam, and then had the game winning steal on point guard Jamal Murray. The Nuggets played well, and Nikola Jokic posted a triple double in his first playoff game. If the Nuggets can figure out how to expose the Spurs weaknesses, this game might end up being a fluke for them.
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