NBA Playoffs - Game 1 Winners - Nets - Bulls - Pistons - Rockets

Saturday got the NBA playoffs off to a start. Half the series premeired their game one, with three of the four home teams taking the win. We'll go in chronological order, from East to West.
New Jersey 96 Toronto 91

The veteran Nets went into Toronto and seized home court advantage from the Toronto Raptors. Chris Bosh and T.J. Ford put 22 and 21 in the basket for the Raptors, but it was not enough as the Nets pulled away in the closing seconds.

The Toronto crowd booed former Raptor, Vince Carter, every time he touched the ball. He looked nervous and didn't have a particularly effective game. It didn't matter, as Richard Jefferson came out smoking hot, wanting to show what he can do in the playoffs when he's healthy.

The Nets won the game. Yawn. This series is the least compelling of all eight series for me, because I think it is the least important. I just don't see either of these teams doing much beyond this series. The Raptors are too young, and the Nets have been down this road one too many times.

New Jersey leads series 1-0

Let's move on to the other series.

Chicago 96 Miami 91

Luol Deng unleashed a dominant performance in the Bulls victory. He scored 33, making him the star of the game in a matchup with superstars Shaquille O'Neal and Dwyane Wade.

The undermanned Bulls gave the Heat trouble in last year's playoffs, forcing them to a six game series. They added Ben Wallace in the offseason, along with the P.J. Brown to bang with the Shaq. They got more athletic, adding Tyrus Thomas in the draft. The young guys kept their heads in Game 1, as Nociona and Sefalosha added solid contributions.

The Bulls athleticism should give the Heat trouble in this series. We'll see how the Heat bounce back in Game 2, and how the Bulls young guys handle the pressure on the road in Games 3 and 4. I imagine the Heat still wins this series, but I wouldn't be surprised to see the Bulls pull off an upset. This has the makings of a classic, long, hard-fought 4 vs. 5 playoff battle.
Chicago leads series 1-0

Detroit 100 Orlando 92

The veterans dispatched with the playoff newcomers in this one. No surprises here. This is what a #1 seed is supposed to do the #8.

Dwight Howard showed his physical dominance, pulling down 19 rebounds. But the young star only scored 13 points and the 22 by veteran scoring specialist Hedo Turkoglu was not enough to keep the Magic close.

The Magic were down 8-10 throughout the second half, and you never got the sense they would make it close. The backcourt tandem of Chauncey Billups and Richard Hamilton added 22 points apiece as the Pistons got their title run off to a solid start.

Detroit leads series 1-0

Houston 84 Utah 75

Who says the Western Conference is high scoring?

Actually, this looked like the brutal series I figure this will turn into. Houston was the aggressor on their home court. The Jazz had no answer for Yao Ming, who scored 28 in the victory.

Tracy McGrady's 22 second half points put the game away. He seemed nervous in the first half, putting only 1 point on the board. After half, he took over to lead his team to the win.

The Jazz had a balanced attack, but no one stepped up as a playoff hero. This might be the story of the series. The Jazz are a hard-nosed team, but they don't have the stars to win playoff basketball.

Houston Leads 1-0

Here are some other articles about the National Basketball Association.

2007 NBA Playoffs Proposition Bets
2007 NBA Playoffs Championship Odds
NBA Franchise in Las Vegas

NBA Playoffs - Game 1 Winners - Nets - Bulls - Pistons - Rockets