Oklahoma City made history, Boston relied on its depth, Cleveland benches brought to life, and Golden State closed the closest. Here’s how Top Seeds handle business and open the first round series of NBA Playoffs 2025:
Thunder humiliates the Grizzly with a record-breaking blow
The Oklahoma City Thunder sent a lightning message to the league with the dismantling of the Memphis Grizzlies 131-80. This is the biggest winning margin ever in Game 1 and the fifth largest in NBA playoff history. What made it even more spectacular? Starguard Shy Gilgauss Alexander spent his break nights and scored just 15 points.
It was a complete team effort. Jalen Williams led with 20 points and six assists, while Aaron Wiggins got off the bench with 21 points. All five starters showed the depth and cohesion that hit double digits on scoring and earned the Western top seed to OKC.
Ja Morant scored 17 points for Memphis, but the Grizzlies looked like they had seen the top from the opening tip.
“There’s never going to be that bad again.” Morant made a promise. However, unless Memphis finds the answer quickly, this could be a short series.
The Celtics slowly overcome the start to cruise past magic
The Boston Celtics rocked the dull first half to beat Orlando Magic 103-86 thanks to Derrick White’s dominant performance. The security guard knocked down seven threes and finished with 30 points, causing a second-half surge that kept the game out of reach.
Jason Tatum had a horrible fall in the fourth quarter, but returned to the finish with 17 points and 14 rebounds. Jalen Brown added 16 and Payton Pritchard scored 19 points off the bench in a complete team victory.
Orlando, meanwhile, struggled to produce offenses outside Paolo Banchelo’s 36 points and Franz Wagner’s 23. No other magical players scored in double digits.
The Cavaliers pull away late when the ties shine in their debut.
The Cleveland Cavaliers bent offensive firepower with a 121-100 victory over the Miami Heat, led by Donovan Mitchell’s 30 points and Ty Jerome’s breakout performance. Jerome scored 16 of 28 points in the fourth quarter, helping Cleveland pull away after Miami brought things closer through three-quarters.
Cleveland started hard, dominated paint early, and was hit from outside when Miami was tuned. It was a complete show from the top seed in the East, with Darius Garland also chipping at 28 points.
Miami’s defense once made regular season stretches elite, but there was no answer. Head coach Eric Spelstra needs to make important adjustments if the Heat is even hoping for the series.
The Warriors hold rocket rally with defensive grinds
The Golden State Warriors survived a fourth-quarter surge from the Houston Rockets, earning Game 1 with a 95-85 victory. Stephen Curry led with 31 points, while Jimmy Butler added 25 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists and five steals in his first playoff game with the Warriors.
Houston reduced its 23-point deficit to just three in the fourth quarter, but Golden State’s defense was solid. Alperen Sengun led the Rockets with 26 points, but Houston shot six of 29th and 11th of 20th from the free throw line. These are numbers that can’t win a playoff game.
The Warriors’ calm and experience made a difference. Unless Rockets cleans up the run, Golden State has full control over the series.
Take home
All four top seeds opened the playoffs with victory, but none made a statement as loud as Oklahoma City. If you want Grizzly, Magic, Heat, or Rocket to keep the season alive, you need to respond urgently in Game 2.
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