The 2005 NBA Playoffs kicked off Saturday with four games that all shared the common thread of one team jumping out to a big lead over their opponent during the contest. However, not all of the teams were able to maintain their early advantages and emerge victorious in the first game of the series. Here's a recap of day one:
Boston Celtics 102, Indiana Pacers 82: This game looked like it would be competitive early on. That all changed in the second quarter when Boston outscored Indiana 39-11 and put the game away. The Celtics were extremely impressive on offense, shooting 51.4 percent while having six players finish in double figures.
Leading scorer Paul Pierce didn't even have a basket until midway through the fourth quarter. The team was equally impressive on defense. They held Indiana to 34.8 percent from the field, while rookie Tony Allen shut down veteran sharpshooter Reggie Miller, holding him to seven points on 1-for-7 shooting. Pacers star forward Jermaine O'Neal played but was ineffective, looking to still be bothered somewhat by the right-shoulder injury that sidelined him for most of the last month of the regular season.
Indiana, who many believe to be a strong candidate to advance, came out flat and looked disorganized at times, especially on the defensive end, where the Celtics consistently found wide-open scoring opportunities. Raef LaFrentz led the Celts with 21 points, hitting all five of his threes and eight of nine shots overall. The Pacers will be in search of some momentum to reverse a downright poor showing in Saturday's series opener.
Detroit Pistons 106, Philadelphia 76ers 85: The defending champs appeared to be caught off guard as Philly jumped out to an early 12-point lead after the first quarter. Detroit stormed back in the second quarter, however, behind improved defense and 13 points from Antonio McDyess to take a two-point lead into halftime. They increased the lead by the fourth quarter when they blew the game open, with Rasheed Wallace leading the charge. Wallace had 24 of his team-high 29 points after halftime. Allen Iverson led all players with 30 points and 10 assists for the Sixers in the loss, while Chris Webber had one of his better games with his new team, scoring 27 points. The teams will face off again on Tuesday, and the Sixers' chances to compete in the series will be seriously hurt if they fail to win a game in Detroit.
Houston Rockets 98, Dallas Mavericks 86: Both teams entered the playoffs playing their best basketball, with the Rockets on a seven-game winning streak and the Mavs on a nine-game run. It was Houston, however, who set the tone early and never relinquished its lead throughout. After falling behind by 19 points midway through the second quarter, the Mavs gradually chipped away at the deficit, narrowing it to 75-71 early in the fourth quarter. They would get no closer, as Mike James scored six straight points and put the game beyond the reach of Dallas. Tracy McGrady torched Dallas for 34 points, while James came off the bench to add 16. The Mavs shot an anemic 35.8 percent from the field, with several of their key scorers, including leader Dirk Nowitzki, struggling to find the basket. Home-court advantage won't be as significant in this series, since the two cities are only 200 miles apart. However, the Mavs will need to find their usually potent offense if they intend on taking control in this series.
Seattle Supersonics 87, Sacramento Kings 82: The Sonics led from the start, building a 21-point lead in the third quarter, but the Kings stormed back, getting to within 83-82 with a minute to go. Antonio Daniels responded with a key layup for Seattle, and Cuttino Mobley and Mike Bibby both missed potential game-tying three-pointers. Bibby, usually among the Kings' best playoff performers, could only manage three points on an atrocious 1-for-16 shooting night.
The difference in this game was Seattle's frontcourt of Jerome James and Reggie Evans. The duo combined for 22 points and 30 rebounds, 16 of which were on the offensive glass. James also added five blocks, shutting down the paint for much of the game. Ray Allen led all scorers with 28 points, and Rashard Lewis returned from injury for Seattle to score 23 points. Kings center Brad Miller returned from injury but could only log eight minutes and was nothing more than a minor factor in the game. Peja Stojakovic had been hobbled as well, but was effective, leading the Kings with 24 points. However, his efforts were not enough to render Sacramento's comeback successful. Bibby and company will look to rebound on Tuesday night.
The other four series began on Sunday. The Celtics-Pacers and Mavericks-Rockets series will continue tonight.
