Looks like the number 1's learned something from game 1 (NBA)

A few days ago I wrote about how momentous it was that both number 1 seeds, The Lakers and the Bucks, lost their first playoff game and this is something that has only happened a few times in the history of the league. Both teams looked sloppy in game 1 and I made some sort of speculation about how the teams might have been feeling out the opposition or actually allowing their best players to rest in game 1. There is also the momentum that number 8 ranked teams feel when they "barely" made the playoffs that probably gets them on the court with an enthusiasm that the number 1 team doesn't necessarily feel.

After both number 1 seeds lost their first game, they returned to the wood to return to true form and in the case of the Los Angeles Lakers, they absolutely dominated their number 8 opponents.


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I don't know if the Lakers were embarassed by the unwanted press over being defeated relatively convincingly by a team that has double the amount of losses than they do or what, but yesterday it appeared as though a championship team was on the floor and it was an extremely one sided affair as the LA side cruised to a 111-88 victory.

People who don't watch the full game probably expect some sort of incredible performance on the offensive by LeBron James, but in game 2 you would be dreadfully wrong. James, who was double-covered almost every time he went inside the paint, failed to get anything going offensively and only managed to score on very close shots. He missed every 3-pointer he attempted, had 6 turnovers, and finished the night with a mere 10 points despite playing almost the entire game.


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Thank goodness for Anthony Davis who managed to have a fantastic performance and went 3 for 4 from 3-point range, made all his free throws, had 11 rebounds and only turned the ball over twice. It's a good thing he was on his game because only two other Lakers managed to have more than 10 points total.

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Missed a few inside the paint, but overall a fantastic performance by Davis

I feel as though Portland might have had a bit of the wind taken out of their sails as game two probably brought reality back in. The Lakers didn't even play perfectly and they still win by over 20 points. It could have been an even greater margin but by the end of the 3rd, the Lakers were up by 30 points and pumped the brakes a bit in the 4th giving their stars some bench time as it was basically impossible for the Blazers to catch up at that point.

The Bucks on the other hand was also a rather one sided affair they outscored the Magic by 20 points after 3 quarters. It just isn't very often that someone comes back from that sort of deficit and at the end Milwaukee won by a convincing 15 points.

Game 3 is going to tell a lot about both of these situations. In my opinion the Lakers losing game 1 was a complete fluke and I would bet money that the Magic will win one more game but still lose the series. After seeing a less-than-perfect Lakers completely dismantle the Blazers, I reckon L.A. will win the next 3 straight.

What do you think? Got an opinion? I'd love to discuss it in the comments.



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I wonder how many 1 seeds have ever been knocked out by 8's... probably not that many. I haven't been paying much attention to sports at all this year to be honest, but i do like interesting factoids like this.

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