Each night, Eye on Basketball brings you what you need to know about the games of the NBA. From great performances to terrible clock management the report card evaluates and eviscerates the good, the bad, and the ugly from the night that was.
| Los Angeles Lakers | The Lakers are tall? Have we mentioned that? Because they're really super tall. Also wide. The Nuggets had no real chance against the Lakers in Game 1 and it was a bad sign for their chances against L.A.. The Lakers shut down the lane completely and devoured the Nuggets' offense. Meanwhile, Devin Ebanks hit the open shot after the double inside, and Steve Blake even contributed. Oh, yeah, and Andrew Bynum blocked ten shots. The Lakers had the most impressive win of the West on opening weekend of the playoffs. |
| San Antonio Spurs | The Spurs played well, beat the Jazz by 15. But Utah hung around for most of the game. The Spurs held the Jazz to a 98 efficiency, which is a great mark, but Utah was within striking range for most of the game. The Spurs can play better against a team they have outmatched at so many possessions. But 28 points from Parker is not only replicable, but likely the standard going forward. Manu Ginobili's ability to dominate his matchup with Gordon Haywood is as good as an assurance for a series win as San Antonio will get. But there's room for improvement. |
| Los Angeles Clippers | They get an F for the first three quarters and A-plus-plus for the fourth. So they wind up here. It was arguably the gretest comeback in NBA history, and an absolutely incredible turn of events for a team that seem on the rails, headed for a sweep, that's how bad it looked. The Clippers just kept their head down and kept playing with consistency. They got unlikely contributions and closed the game with defense. The best win in franchise history? Has to be up there. |
| Atlanta Hawks | The comeback attempt from Boston was inevitable. But setting the tone early was what let Atlanta escape. They played hard throughout and kept the pressure up on Boston. In particular, they attacked the glass and went for every loose ball. They out-hustled a hustle team. They're in position to put the boots to Boston in Game 2 if Rondo is suspended. |
| Boston Celtics | Boston came out flat, with no effort. They could have survived their poor shooting by forcing the Hawks into a bad shooting night but instead they allowed a huge lead. The comeback effort keeps them from an F, but Rondo losing his head and potentially costing himself Game 2 is pretty huge. The Celtics just weren't prepared on Sunday. |
| Denver Nuggets | The Nuggets need to go back to the drawing board. They're going to need a whole new plan against the Lakers. |
| Utah Jazz | Utah just needed to prove they could hang. They did. If they make the series competitive in any sense, it'll be a franchie win. But starting Josh Howard was a critical mistake from Ty Corbin. Note to playoff coaches. If something has been working really well and you have the option of completely changing that to rely on a veteran player with questionable health and athleticism? Don't go for it. |
| Memphis Grizzlies | They allowed a 26-3 run. That'll pretty much wrap up Game 1 for them. |