To sum up the first round of the 2011 NBA playoffs, we had two major upsets and lots of very close games. Although it would have been nice to see a game seven, nevertheless these last eight game series have been stunning.
The Chicago Bull were able to shut down the resilient Indiana Pacers pretty easily with a 4-1 game record.
The Boston Celtics easily dominated the New York Knicks even after assumptions that the Knicks star power would be capable of shutting down the Eastern conference defending champions.
For the first time ever, we got a glimpse off the Miami big three in playoff mode as they impressed many against the young and talented Philadelphia 76’ers.
One major upset came in the series between the Atlanta Hawks and the Orlando Magic. The Magic were heavily favored, especially after how last year they swept the same team in a series. The Hawks managed to redeem themselves with a record of 4-2.
In the West, the Los Angeles Lakers managed to defeat the New Orleans Hornets led by the talented and young Chris Paul. The Lakers seemed a bit off their game as they’re record was 4-2.
The Dallas Mavericks, (after rumors that they would choke in the 1st round), wiped away any doubt and beat the Portland Trail Blazers in six.
The Oklahoma City Thunder managed to easily defeat the slightly favored Denver Nuggets in five games.
The biggest upset so far though, came in the San Antonio Spurs and Memphis Grizzlies series. Being heavily favored as the best team in the league, the Spurs thought they had it in the bag, but the persistency of the Grizzlies allowed them to upset the Spurs with a record of 4-2.
These conference semifinals will start as most do every year, with a majority of higher seeds expected to continue, but only time will tell which team shall reign supreme over all.