All home teams won on the first day of round 1, except for the 2nd-seeded Toronto Raptors who were defeated by the 7th-seeded Indiana Pacers. Indiana was led by Paul George who ended with 33pts, scoring 10-of-13 fields in the 2nd half, along with 17pts in the 3rd quarter. George has helped lead Indiana back into the playoffs, after they missed the playoffs last year after George sat out most of the season after the horrific leg injury he suffered during the 2014 world cup. The 2nd-seeded Raptors lose home court advantage, and will need to bounce back in order to make it past the first round, something which they have not done since the 1st round format was changed to a 7-game format.
The Warriors hosted the Rockets in a rematch of last year's western conference finals, a series featuring this season's top 2 scorers: Steph Curry and James Harden. The Rocket's Patrick Beverley would try to set a physical tone, lowering his shoulder into Curry during the pre-game handshake. Curry would respond by singlehandedly outscoring the Rockets team 16-15 in the 1st quarter on his way to 24pts in under 20min - including 5-of-7 3-pters. James Harden was held to 17pts without a free throw attempt. Curry suffered an ankle injury and played briefly before being subbed out of the game as a precautionary measure. It is unknown if he will return for game 2.
The Atlanta Hawks gave up a 19pt lead at home to the Boston Celtics who were led by Isaiah Thomas' 27pts, but would end the game with a 1pt lead to retain home court advantage. OKC blew out the Dallas Mavericks by 38pts, led by Westbrook (24pts) and Durant (23pts) and Dallas would score a franchise-low for playoff points (70pts).
In other news, "ESPN 30 for 30" recently aired "This Magic Moment", a documentary featuring the 1990's-era Orlando Magic with Shaquille O'Neal and Penny Hardaway. It recounts the beginning of the Orlando Magic as a new expansion team, the rise of Shaq and Penny, the 1995 NBA Finals against the Houston Rockets, and the reasons that contributed to Shaq's ultimate decision to leave the team for the LA Lakers. Shaq would eventually win 3 championships with Kobe in LA, and 1 with Dwayne Wade in Miami, however "This Magic Moment" reflects on the potential the Magic had and how great they were with their nucleus of young talent.
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Paul George suffers Severe Leg Injury Team USA - WARNING - GRAPHIC VIDEO (1min 27sec):
ESPN 30 for 30 - "This Magic Moment" Trailer
ESPN 30 for 30 - "This Magic Moment" Part 1 (54min 39sec): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4-kqV_XxWQ
ESPN 30 for 30 - "This Magic Moment" Part 2 (49min 43sec): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Z6UXgHdxKA
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