The LA Clippers should take a lesson from the Bucks to not take their round one opponent for granted.
The Milwaukee Bucks were supposed to breeze through the Orlando Magic on their way to the second round of the playoffs. The only problem: nobody told the Magic. Or, maybe they didn’t listen. The LA Clippers should take note of the Magic’s upset victory as a reminder not to take their opening-round opponent for granted.
The eight-seed Magic upset the first-seeded Bucks 122-110 in the shocker of the first-round (so far). While Orlando has a long way to go to win the series, their game-one victory should serve as a wake-up call for the Bucks, as well as other highly-seeded first-round favorites.
After a relatively close first quarter of action, the Magic took a 33-23 lead into the second period. They kept that pace throughout and took a ten-point lead into halftime, holding the Bucks at arm’s length at 62-52.
The Bucks would make a run to open the second half, getting as close as 69-68 with just over eight minutes to play. Momentum looked to be in their favor, but the Magic would not let the tables turn and would not relinquish the lead for the rest of the game.
Magic center Nikola Vucevic lead the team with 35 points and 14 points on their way to their twelve-point victory over the Eastern Conference favorites.
The Clippers took care of business against the Dallas Mavericks with a 118-110 game-one victory yesterday, but they certainly have some room for improvement as the series continues to go forward.
The Mavericks kept the game close throughout, without the help of their second-leading scorer Kristaps Porzingis after the big man was ejected from the game in the third quarter. The Clippers took control after Porzingis was tossed from the game and never looked back, despite the efforts of second-year superstar Luka Doncic.
Doncic ended the game with 42 points, a record for an NBA player making their playoff debut. He added nine assists and seven rebounds to help keep the game close for Dallas.
The LA Clippers are a veteran team and should already know not to be looking ahead to the next round, especially when facing a team with a player as talented as Doncic. The Bucks game-one loss to the Magic should only serve as a reminder to keep their eye on the task at hand.