Jayson Tatum made his presence felt within the Celtics’ first-round sequence win over the Hawks.
We’re already a recreation into the semifinals in each conferences, with a few sequence openers on faucet in each the East and West on back-to-back nights to begin off the week.
Earlier than delving too far into what’s to return, let’s look again on the opening spherical of the playoffs and establish essentially the most helpful gamers from every of the eight sequence:
Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns
First-round stats: 37.2 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 6.4 apg
Honorable point out: Kevin Durant
Phoenix’s Recreation 1 loss to the Denver Nuggets within the Western Convention semifinals dropped Booker’s first-round scoring common of 37.2 factors per recreation to 35.5 ppg. However you possibly can’t deny the tear Booker launched into within the first spherical towards the Clippers, taking pictures 60.2% general and 46.7% on 3-pointers whereas flexing two-way excellence in averaging 2.6 steals to go together with a block. Booker closed the primary spherical with a 47-point heater that included 10 assists whereas turning into Phoenix’s all-time chief in profession postseason outings with 30-plus factors (17) and video games with 40 factors or extra (six). The three-time All-Star outscored the Clippers 25-24 within the third quarter of Recreation 5 all by himself.
Led by Devin Booker’s playoff career-high tying 47 factors, the Suns defeat the Clippers in Recreation 5 to take the first-round sequence.
Jalen Brunson, New York Knicks
First-round stats: 24 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 4.8 apg
Honorable point out: Julius Randle
The fifth-year veteran led the Knicks in scoring in all 4 of their opening-round victories towards the Cavs. He additionally made an impression on the defensive finish, averaging 2.3 steals. Brunson performed in three of 4 conferences towards the Warmth in the course of the common season and averaged 20.7 ppg, 5.7 apg and shot 58% vs. Miami. All of us noticed Brunson’s craftiness on show within the first spherical, however he’ll must crank that up a notch towards Miami after the Knicks dropped Recreation 1 108-101 in what’s positive to be one of many NBA’s most bodily sequence.
Watch one of the best of Jalen Brunson from the opening spherical vs. Cleveland.
Jimmy Butler, Miami Warmth
First-round stats: 37.6 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 4.8 apg
Honorable point out: Khris Middleton
The primary participant in Warmth historical past to provide back-to-back 40-point playoff video games, the 33-year-old Butler carried his squad in an opening-round upset of the Milwaukee Bucks. (In case you missed it, colleague John Schuhmann broke down Butler’s impression within the sequence clincher in a movie research.) Butler’s 37.6 ppg within the first spherical ranked as the very best for any sequence in Warmth playoff historical past, to not point out one of the best amongst any participant at the moment within the postseason. In Video games 4 and 5 vs. Milwaukee, Butler amassed a complete of 98 factors, turning into one among 5 gamers in NBA playoff historical past to provide that many factors in a two-game span. He joined Michael Jordan (who achieved the feat on three events), Jerry West, Elgin Baylor and Rick Barry.
There’s locked in. There’s within the zone. After which there’s Jimmy Butler, who was on a mission to steer the Warmth previous the Bucks.
Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
First-round stats: 27.2 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 5.3 apg
Honorable point out: Kevon Looney
Dropped a playoff career-high 50 factors on Sunday to tie Karl Malone for the very best scoring output produced in a playoff recreation on the age of 35 or older as Golden State closed out Sacramento 120-100 in Recreation 7. Curry scored 30 of his 50 factors within the second half of the series-clinching victory, together with 16 within the fourth quarter. “What an unbelievable efficiency,” Warriors teammate Klay Thompson mentioned. “It is a Recreation 7 I’ll eternally keep in mind because the Steph Curry recreation.” That win units up what needs to be an electrical Western Convention semifinals conflict between two groups that includes a number of Corridor of Famers, headlined by Curry and Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James.
Led by Stephen Curry’s playoff-career excessive 50 factors, the Warriors oust the Kings in Recreation 7.
Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
First-round stats: 20 ppg, 11.3 rpg, 2.3 bpg
Honorable point out: Tyrese Maxey
Maxey most likely deserves to be on this spot after averaging a team-high 21.8 ppg within the first spherical with Embiid hobbled by a knee harm that restricted him to simply three video games. However in these few contests, Embiid made a mark as an imposing presence inside, particularly in Recreation 3 regardless of scoring simply 14 factors on 5-of-13 taking pictures. The favourite to win his first Kia MVP come Tuesday night time, Embiid hasn’t performed since April 20, and Sixers coach Doc Rivers says Embiid is uncertain for Recreation 1 of the Jap Convention semifinals on Monday (7:30 p.m. ET, TNT). The back-to-back scoring champ missed two video games within the 2022 East semis.
Contained in the NBA: If Joel Embiid misses Recreation 1 vs. Celtics, can 76ers cling within the sequence?
LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers
First-round stats: 22.2 ppg, 11.2 rpg, 5.2 apg
Honorable point out: Anthony Davis
Poke the bear, and he’ll ultimately clap again with a 40-point win in a sequence clincher adopted up with some Jay-Z lyrics to pound house the message. Dillon Brooks discovered this lesson the exhausting means, because the brash, younger Memphis Grizzlies are left to ponder what’s subsequent and can spend the remainder of the postseason as spectators. The Lakers’ Recreation 6 towards Memphis registered as the most important in a sequence clincher by a James-led workforce in his profession and marked the primary time since 2010 {that a} No. 7 seed ousted a No. 2 seed. For the report, James is 41-10 in video games the place his workforce has a possibility to shut out a sequence.
LeBron James’ management shines via in series-clinching rout over Grizzlies.
Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
First-round stats: 26.2 ppg, 12.4 rpg, 9.0 apg
Honorable point out: Jamal Murray
The reigning two-time Kia MVP has been up and down in his final two video games, however he posted two triple-doubles within the opening spherical towards the Minnesota Timberwolves to run up his complete to eight within the postseason. That ranks because the second-most all-time by a middle. Regardless of Jokic’s pedigree and standing on the workforce, the veteran referred to as teammate Jamal Murray “our greatest participant” after the workforce’s romp towards Phoenix in Recreation 1 of the Western Convention semifinals. In that recreation, Jokic devoured up 19 boards, together with eight offensive rebounds, which tied the Suns’ mixed complete.
Nikola Jokic information eighth profession playoff triple-double vs. Minnesota.
Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
First-round stats: 27.2 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 5.3 apg
Honorable point out: Jaylen Brown
Atlanta led by three factors with 5 minutes left in Recreation 6 earlier than Tatum hit a 3-pointer and powered house a dunk in an 11-0 Boston run that gave it an eight-point lead with just a little greater than two minutes left. Tatum and Brown mixed for 62 factors in Recreation 6, and, curiously, they’d by no means each scored 30 factors or extra in the identical playoff recreation earlier than the 2023 playoffs started. The duo achieved that feat in Video games 4 and 6 of the primary spherical, bettering Boston to 23-1 all-time (common season and playoffs) when Tatum and Brown every rating 30 or extra in the identical recreation.
Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum ‘did what star gamers are paid to do’ in Recreation 6.
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Michael C. Wright is a senior author for NBA.com. You possibly can e-mail him right here, discover his archive right here and observe him on Twitter.
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