Wembanyama Leads Spurs to Victory in Playoff Debut
Victor Wembanyama, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Nikola Jokic have been nominated for the NBA's Most Valuable Player award.
Victor Wembanyama made a remarkable impact in his NBA playoff debut, leading the San Antonio Spurs to a 111-98 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. Wembanyama, one of the three MVP contenders, scored a game-high 35 points, including 21 in the first half, helping the Spurs secure the first game in their best-of-seven series.
"It's good to get this one out of the way," the Frenchman said. "We just tried to do the things we've been doing all year and stay solid.
"There was pressure on us to win the first game, but it wasn't that much pressure if we just stayed to the plan."
Thunder and Celtics Start Playoffs Strong
In other playoff action, the defending champions Oklahoma City Thunder and the Boston Celtics both delivered commanding performances to begin the postseason.
The Thunder, who are the number one seeds in the Western Conference, dominated the Phoenix Suns 119-84. Last year's Finals MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, led the team with 25 points, seven assists, and four rebounds.
The Boston Celtics, seeded second, defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 123-91. Jayson Tatum contributed 25 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists, while Jaylen Brown added 26 points.
Magic Upset Pistons in Eastern Conference Series
The Orlando Magic caused an upset by defeating the Eastern Conference top seeds, the Detroit Pistons, 112-101, taking a 1-0 lead in their seven-game series.
This victory for the eighth-seeded Magic, who earned their playoff spot through the play-in tournament, extended an unwelcome NBA record for the Pistons. Detroit has now failed to win a postseason game at home for 11 consecutive matches dating back to 2008.
Forward Paolo Banchero starred for the Magic with 23 points, nine rebounds, and four assists, overshadowing Pistons point guard Cade Cunningham's playoff-best 39 points.
"[We] didn't come out with the right energy, gave them life early on," said Cunningham. "Then we had to deal with that for the rest of the game.
"There's no confidence drop from us. It's going to be a long, fun series."
