The NBA Playoffs have arrived with a tornado of goodness in the opening week. From some heart pounding finishes, elite level performances, and a clear changing of the guard in terms of who carries the NBA torch forward, the postseason is off to the start we all wanted. (Well except for Lakers, Sixers and Heat fans!)
KNICKS SIXERS STREET FIGHT!
If you know me, you know I’ve been living within a ridiculously humorous inner conflict for the better part of five decades when it comes to my love of New York and being a die hard fan of the green and white rivals from Boston. But in all seriousness, this Knicks team is quite enjoyable to watch and having the spirit of the fanbase and the city behind them is such welcome addition to the playoffs. Their miraculous Game 2 victory to take a 2-0 lead over the 76ers was not just the product of a shooters bounce, human error and a clutch shot. It was the product of continuing to play hard, play together and their endless hustle, driven by their players, Coach Thibs and in turn their fans. There are very few arenas in the NBA that get to the volume and intensity that MSG does when the Knicks are contending. Watching and feeling the crowd through the TV during game 2 took me back to what it felt like during their 1999 NBA finals run as I was lucky enough to be a sports news intern in attendance. Admittedly, for a few moments while watching Latrell Sprewell, Allan Houston, Marcus Camby and Larry Johnson nearly blow the roof off the Garden, I thought about what it would be like to be a Knicks fan. I then met Larry Bird for the first time, who was then coaching the Pacers, during a fortuitous post game moment and the thought has not returned since. (will share the Bird story soon!)
While Joel Embiid was able to put on this superman cape in game 3 dropping 50 points to give Philly some life, it was snatched away on Sunday as Jalen Brunson delivered one of the greatest playoff performances in Knicks history with 47 points and 10 assists on the road in Philadelphia, leading NY to a game 4 win. With Embiid continuing to labor through this series and the Knicks seeming to have both the momentum and the karma around them, they’ll look to advance to the 2nd round for the first time since 2013 on Tuesday back at home. With Josh Hart, OG Anunoby, Isaiah Hartenstein and Donte DiVincenzo doing whatever it takes around Brunson the Knicks have figured out how to win playoff games without Julius Randle, which many didn’t think they could do.
For Philly, it is hard to be critical with the type of year it’s been for them dating back to training camp while dealing with the James Harden saga, and then of course being without Embiid for over 2 months leading into April. It is clear the Embiid Tyrese Maxey combo is what Philly feels it can build a contender around, but this is still another lost season for the Sixers with Embiid, now 30 years old, in his prime. If Philly is sent home in the first round, the game 2 loss at MSG is going to haunt them for a long time. Would that have guaranteed a series win? Of course not. But being tied 2-2 with Embiid on your team in a best of 3 series against a Knicks team with a thin front court would be a winnable scenario. As the Sixers have not played in an eastern conference finals since the 2001 season, the year Allen Iverson was the MVP, leading Philly back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1983, this is a fanbase who has “trusted this process” for a decade now in Philly. They are starved for a deep playoff run with Embiid. It will be a very interesting off-season in terms of their roster if they don’t come back and win this series.
THE PACERS ARE HERE!
The Indiana Pacers have arrived in these NBA playoffs after taking a 3-1 series lead following back to back home wins over the shorthanded Bucks. (an overtime thriller on Friday and another victory Sunday) Obviously part of the storyline here is the absence of Giannis Antetokounmpo and now Damian Lillard for Milwaukee, as the Bucks without their two stars simply don’t have enough to compete in any playoff series. But we need to spotlight what the Pacers are evolving into in front of our eyes led by Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner. Adding Siakam to the mix before the trade deadline not only brought in the perfect fit in terms of skill set, but also his championship experience with Toronto in 2019. Add the elite coaching of Rick Carlisle and a gritty and entertaining mix of role players starting with TJ McConnell, Aaron Nesmith, Andrew Nembhard and Obi Toppin, and the Pacers are looking like a team that has set itself up for quite an exciting window of success in the eastern conference. If the Pacers can close out the short handed Bucks they’ll face the winner of the NY Philly series which will make for an entertaining matchup either way. (Bring on all the Knicks Pacers 90s nostalgia!)
C’s BACK ON TRACK IN MIAMI
There are many reasons the Celtics won 64 games this season, the 4th most in franchise history, and they showed several of those with intention on Saturday in a Game 3 blowout victory over the Heat in Miami. It started with imposing their will defensively not just leaning on their heavy talent advantage over the shorthanded Heat, as they held Miami to 12 points in the 1st quarter and 84 for the game. The game 2 home loss in Boston and two days of waiting had the C’s on edge and now back in control of the series with Game 4 on Monday. With Jimmy Butler and Terry Rozier sidelined Miami is without two of their top 3 scorers and their leader in Butler, whereas the Celtics are relatively healthy, deep and of course incredibly talented and versatile. This series should be over in 5 games and that is no knock on the Heat, or fanning the flames of the rivalry, the C’s are just that good and primed to win the east and battle for the title.
THE BEST OF THE WEST
There are a few things that have been made very clear in the western conference after the first week of the postseason. There is a damn good reason why the Thunder, Nuggets and Timberwolves were all battling for the top seed through the last week of the season, they are the best of the west have made it known right off the bat.
WOLVES SWEEP SUNS
Many thought the very talented on paper Phoenix Suns could give Minnesota a tough battle in the 1st round with Karl-Anthony Towns still finding his rhythm after returning from his injury. The Wolves had other plans as they feasted on the Suns with their clear size, depth and versatility advantages, along with of course their trump card Anthony Edwards, being the ultimate difference maker. Edwards in real time is solidifying himself as a budding superstar, who at age 22 has led the Wolves to their first playoff series victory since the 2004 KG led team. His 40 point masterpiece on Sunday signifies his arrival on the national stage as the Wolves wait for the winner between the Nuggets and the Lakers.
LAKERS AVOID SWEEP
With LA returning to Denver Monday night for game 5 and Jamal Murray’s status TBD with a calf strain, the Lakers must be kicking themselves after blowing multiple large leads in this series. According to ESPN Stats & Information research, the Lakers have led a total of 139 minutes compared to the Nuggets leading nearly 42 minutes through 4 games. While the Lakers were able to avoid a second straight sweep to the Nuggets on Saturday they find themselves on the wrong side of history here against the defending champs. Could the Lakers send this series back to LA with or without Murray on the floor Monday night? Sure. Could they do the impossible and win three straight against the Joker and the Nuggets? They’d have to play some of the most flawless basketball we’ve ever seen while making history, which would also include winning two games in Denver. I’m sorry, this isn’t the rivalry or me being a hater here, but it’s just not happening. Following the Lakers exit we will naturally transition into the annual “What’s next for the Lakers?” offseason drama, which as a Celtics fan I find very entertaining.
THUNDER ARE REAL DEAL
Speaking of entertaining, the Oklahoma City Thunder, while not a team much of the country knows about nor do many in the basketball world look at as a legit championship contender despite finishing as the top seed in the west, have other plans. Currently up 3-0 on the Pels, the Thunder are quickly getting their young core comfortable with the postseason pressure and didn’t give New Orleans a moment of hope in their convincing game 3 win down in NOLA on Saturday. With game 4 Monday night and the brooms on stand by, I’d expect the Thunder to try and break the Pelicans spirit right out of the gates in game 4. Over the past two seasons New Orleans has had some very exciting stretches of basketball and then been cruelly bitten by the injury bug, which includes Zion Williamson currently sidelined after sustaining a hamstring injury during the play-in tournament. After playing in a career high 70 games and leading the Pels through a stretch without Brandon Ingram during the 2nd half of the season this seems like a cruel way for the Pelicans and Zion’s season to end as when healthy they feel they are in the same conversation with the Thunder and the Wolves as part of the “next wave” in the western conference. More on OKC after they close out this series.
CHANGING OF THE GUARD
Speaking of the “next wave”, we are watching the changing of the guard in the NBA happen in real time as we are one week into the 2024 playoffs. Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant are already home, LeBron James has the private jet already fueled up for summer vacation and the likes of Giannis, Dame, Jimmy Butler and now Kawhi Leonard can only sit and watch due to injury. With Edwards, Haliburton, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic and Jayson Tatum all shining on center stage we are seeing the younger generation of stars grab the torch right in front of our eyes. Have we seen this before? Yes. But I can’t recall a time when three players of the stature of Curry, Durant and James who have carried the torch collectively for so long, all faded out of the postseason this early at the same time. Part of the beauty of playoff basketball are the stories and legacies that are created through these high pressure moments and high profile matchups that present themselves each spring. This year will be no different, except we have new faces, talents and teams writing their stories for the first time while competing for the ultimate prize. And we are just getting started!
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ABOUT: Eric W. Newman is a producer, director & content creator, who has combined his passions for filmmaking and sports into a continuously evolving career as a storyteller across film, podcast and documentary. He is a Co-Founder and Principal at UNTOUCHABLE CREATIVE. From 2019-2023 he served as Executive Producer of Showtime Basketball, an extension of Showtime network. His work includes co-director/producer of the feature documentary, “Kevin Garnett: Anything is Possible”, EP of the digital show “KG Certified” and EP/Director of “HEADLINERS with Rachel Nichols”, all part of the larger Showtime Basketball family of content. In addition Newman served as director & producer through the first two seasons of “ALL THE SMOKE”, the ground breaking show which was awarded the 2020 sports podcast of the year by iHeartMedia. He also oversaw all production for the Iverson Classic partnership which includes a series of mini-documentaries and specialty pieces across both Showtime and CBS Sports network. Most recently Newman co-directed & executive produced “BONDED BY BALL: Inside the OBL”, a 4-part series about the inaugural season of Tracy McGrady’s Ones Basketball League in collaboration with Heart & Hustle Productions and Showtime. In 2019 Newman executive produced “THE RESURGENCE: Demarcus Cousins”, for Showtime, along with leading field production for ESPN+ Sneaker Center.
The Suns and Bucks mortgaged their futures to get KD, Beal, and Dame. Unless Giannis magically returns and leads MIL to a 3 game comeback, they're going to be pretty capped out for the foreseeable future with little or nothing to show for it. Mat Ishbia needed to build a real team instead of a fantasy team in PHX and the Lillard trade did more to make Boston a championship team than it did for the Bucks.
Spot on my friend. Drastic turns for both teams.