NBA Semifinals Recap: GAME 1
Photo Courtesy: NBA
May started with a bang with the NBA Semifinals, from nail-biting fourth quarters, an ejection, tough defense, a triple-double, a late three that sealed a game win, and - Sheesh. Where do we begin?
Let's start with the Bucks vs. Celtics. This Game 1 was one for the books. The Milwaukee Bucks faced NBA's No. 1 defense on Sunday and held star player Giannis Antekounmpo to 24pts. Antetokounmpo connected on just 9 of 25 shots from the court, but the Bucks still managed to win by 12pts despite shooting troubles. The power forward retrieved 13 rebounds, had 12 assists and earned his second playoff triple-double of his career.
The Celtics' star player Jayson Tatum had 21 pts, six rebounds, six assists, and two steals. And shooting guard, Jaylen Brown, was held to just 12 pts. The game ended in a 101-89 victory for the Bucks as they held two key players with a combined score of only 33 pts. Safe to say, the NBA's No. 1 defense met their match yesterday.
The Warriors had a riveting 117-116 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. And it was a notable performance from Warriors guard Jordan Poole that resulted in 31 pts, adding to their victory against the Grizzlies. Poole has become a key playmaker during this season, and after Sunday's performance, there's no questioning it.
"Being able to put the defense in a lot of rotations, the way that they're trying to guard us, it's going to be really hard to guard all three of us the same way when we're out there together," Poole told the press after the game. "It's just being able to make the right play, and get these other guys good looks."
While Poole put on a show, Draymond Green stole it after being ejected for a Flagrant 2 foul. Green hit Grizzlies Brandon Clarke in the face and grabbed his jersey, pulling him to the ground. While controversies suggest it was not, the referees made the call as a flagrant foul at first. However, after re-watching the play, they upgraded it to a flagrant foul 2, which caused Green to leave the court, flailing his arms around excitedly. Despite his absence, the Warriors sealed the win with a clutch 3-point shot from Klay Thompson late in the fourth. Grizzles, Ja Morant, had a chance to take the win with a lay-up but missed it with only seconds left. Despite missing the game-winning shot, Ja Morant had a great night finishing with 34 pts.
Game 2 will be tomorrow, and we'll be front and center to see how both series progress. Which teams do you think will make it to the Championship?
