Good morning to everyone but especially to...
THE LOS ANGELES LAKERS
Three months ago, Austin Reaves was sidelined with a hamstring injury and Rui Hachimura was stuck on a Wizards team going nowhere. Sunday, they played starring roles as the Lakers beat the Grizzlies, 128-111, to take Game 1 in Memphis.
Reaves scored 14 points in the fourth quarter -- including nine straight and an emphatic "I'm him" scream -- and finished with 23 points. Hachimura had 29 points in his playoff debut, tying the Lakers playoff record for a bench player.Add in 22 points from Anthony Davis and 21 from LeBron James, and it was the first time the Lakers had four 20-point scorers in a playoff game since 1988. The names then: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Byron Scott and James Worthy.The Lakers closed the game on a 15-0 run and outscored Memphis 30-11 over the final 8:40.The Lakers have won 24 straight best-of-seven series after winning Game 1.The Lakers turned a major weakness into a strength in Game 1, writes our Sam Quinn.
... AND ALSO A GOOD MORNING TO THE LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS
The Clippers may not have had Paul George (and may not have him at all this series), but they have exactly what Russell Westbrook pointed to after making a game-sealing block: heart.
Behind a 38-point Kawhi Leonard masterclass and clutch plays on both ends down the stretch, the Clippers shocked the Suns, 115-110, in Game 1 in Phoenix.
Leonard scored 13 points in the fourth quarter, and Westbrook had a huge impact throughout: Despite shooting just 3-19, he had 10 rebounds (five offensive), eight assists, two steals and three blocks.The Clippers won second-chance points, 12-7, and points off turnovers, 15-5.This is the first time the Suns have lost with Kevin Durant in the lineup (they are now 8-1).Here's our Brad Botkin on Westbrook, who didn't let shooting struggles stop him from making winning plays.
Honorable mentions
And not such a good morning for...
Getty ImagesTHE INJURED STARS: GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO, JA MORANT, TYLER HERRO AND PAUL GEORGE
The injury bug rears its ugly head seemingly every postseason, but through just two days of playoffs, this is a bit excessive. Shortly after the George injury news, three more big names suffered significant injuries while playing.
It doesn't get any bigger than Giannis Antetokounmpo, of course, and the Bucks superstar played just 11 minutes before being ruled out with a lower back contusion.
The two-time MVP landed hard after colliding with Kevin Love on a drive late in the first quarter. He went to the locker room, returned briefly, left again and then was ruled out for good.Mike Budenholzer said X-rays came back clean and Antetokounmpo is day-to-day. Game 2 is Wednesday. Antetokounmpo, unsurprisingly, was sorely missed in the Heat's 130-117 Game 1 upset of the No. 1 seed. Jimmy Butler had 35 points and 11 assists for the visitors, who shot 60% (15-25) from 3 after going just 34.4% (fourth-worst in the NBA) from deep in the regular season.Kevin Love nailed four 3-pointers and had 18 points. Here's our Jack Maloney on the surprise standout performance.Miami didn't emerge unscathed, though: Tyler Herro broke multiple fingers on his right hand diving for a loose ball late in the first half and will be out several weeks.
Earlier in the day, Ja Morant suffered a right hand injury of his own after landing awkwardly in the fourth quarter. Morant immediately motioned for a sub and was in clear pain even well after the game, when he said his Game 2 status is "in jeopardy." X-rays came back negative and Game 2 is Wednesday.