You know the phrase, “like a kid in a candy store?” It needs to be reworded to “like an NBA fan on the first playoff weekend.”

Today’s Lineup

🎉 Happy birthday to Jarrett Allen and Rodney Stuckey! 🎉

Weekend Playoff Update

OKC dominates Memphis 131-80 for fifth-largest playoff win ever

There’s thundering into the postseason, and then there’s what OKC did on Sunday.

In a more-than-dominant showing to open up their playoff run, the Thunder blew by the Grizzlies on Sunday afternoon in a 51-point win, good for the fifth-largest margin of victory in NBA playoff history and the biggest ever in a Game 1. After a 20-0 OKC run in the second quarter, the Thunder led by 30+ at half and never looked back, putting an exclamation point on their opening game. Aaron Wiggins dropped 21 PTS off the bench while Jalen Williams added 20 for an OKC team that looked every bit as good as their record and seed would suggest.

The Grizzlies are still in a state of flux after firing coach Taylor Jenkins just a few weeks ago, but that doesn’t make this performance from OKC any less impressive. For all the talk about their playoff inexperience, the Thunder showed none of it in Game 1, owning the court from the opening whistle despite a quiet day from MVP favorite SGA. A storm is brewing…

Westbrook turns it on late, helps Denver to 112-110 OT comeback win

The apology needs to be as loud as the disrespect!

In a matchup of former teammates and MVPs, Russell Westbrook (15 PTS, 8 REB, 2 STL) got the better of James Harden on Saturday afternoon to help Denver to a rousing comeback win over the Clippers. Alongside a near-triple-double from Nikola Jokic (29 PTS, 12 AST, 9 REB, 3 STL), Brodie caught fire to help the Nugs battle back from down 15 and force overtime, where he also forced the game-sealing turnover.

The Beard was cooking in his own right, nailing threes and clutch buckets to the tune of 32 PTS and 11 AST. Kawhi added 22 PTS and 3 STL of his own, but when the cards were down, Russ used the opportunity to answer his critics as loud as possible. Did you know he was the all-time leader for clutch shots made by a point guard? Now you do.

Bring on Game 2!

Elsewhere on the playoff bracket…

• Basketball is a game of runs, and that was especially true over at MSG on Saturday. After Jalen Brunson left the game with an injury in the third quarter, all seemed lost for the hometown team. But Brunson’s return sparked a Knicks knockout punch, with JB dropping 34 total PTS and the Knicks riding a 21-0 run to a 123-112 victory over Detroit. What happened in the locker room? “I think he grabbed his cape,” coach Tom Thibodeau said.

• In a battle of D. Mitchells, Donovan got the better of Davion last night. Cleveland welcomed Miami to the playoffs on Sunday with a 121-100 win, with Spida, Darius Garland, and Ty Jerome combining for 85 PTS. Solid day for the East’s top dawgs!

• There’s nothing like good old-fashioned trash talk to ignite a first round series. With the Pacers hosting their first G1 since 2014, Tyrese Haliburton got into it with Damian Lillard while Dame was on the bench. Regardless of who won the argument, Indiana won the game—Pascal Siakam notched 25 PTS to help Indy survive Giannis’ 36 PTS and 12 REB. Pacers take Game 1, 117-98.

• Did you forget about the defending champs? After a “quiet” 61-win regular season, Boston opened the playoffs with a comfortable 103-86 victory over Orlando, holding the Magic to under 90 PTS despite 36 from Paolo Banchero. Orlando had the lead at the break, but the C’s pulled away over the course of the second half thanks to 30 PTS (7 3PM) from Derrick White.

• The Luka-LeBron Lakers have been the story of the NBA this season, but Anthony Edwards got the last laugh in their Game 1. Ant and Minnesota soundly defeated the LakeShow 117-95 behind a 50% team three-point effort and 25 PTS from Jaden McDaniels. Luka had 37 PTS, but a quiet day from the rest of L.A.’s squad gave Minny all the help it needed.

• We know they’re both already 35+ years old, but the league messed up letting Steph Curry (31 PTS, 6 REB) and Jimmy Butler III (25 PTS, 7 REB, 6 AST) find each other. Taking on the second-seeded Rockets, Golden State handled business in a defensively-oriented 95-85 win, with Steph and Jimmy leading the way.

And The Winner Is…

The playoffs may be upon us, but regular season award hype is still in full swing! On Saturday, the league announced the three finalists for each major award—below is the full list. Let us know what you think!👇

Most Valuable Player: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC), Nikola Jokic (DEN), Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL)

Rookie of the Year: Stephon Castle (SAS), Zaccharie Risacher (ATL), Jaylen Wells (MEM)

Defensive Player of the Year: Evan Mobley (CLE), Draymond Green (GSW), Dyson Daniels (ATL)

Most Improved Player: Cade Cunningham (DET), Ivica Zubac (LAC), Dyson Daniels (ATL)

Sixth Man of the Year: Payton Pritchard (BOS), Ty Jerome (CLE), Malik Beasley (DET)

Clutch Player of the Year: Jalen Brunson (NYK), Anthony Edwards (MIN), Nikola Jokic (DEN)

Coach of the Year: Kenny Atkinson (CLE), J.B. Bickerstaff (DET), Ime Udoka (HOU)

Three in the Key

Signing Off

And we out! Thanks for spending a potion of your day with us. This week, try to take time and look back on everything you’ve accomplished recently. It’s easy to keep moving the goal posts forward, but don’t forget to look up every once in a while and remember how far you’ve come. See you soon!

Walker Carnathan