The Dallas Mavericks, Toronto Raptors, and Minnesota Timberwolves emerged victorious in their respective NBA playoff games on Tuesday, evening their series and gaining an advantage. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving led the Mavericks to a 96-93 win over the Los Angeles Clippers, while Pascal Siakam’s standout performance helped the Raptors defeat the Milwaukee Bucks 104-101. In the Western Conference, the Timberwolves took a 2-0 lead in their series against the Phoenix Suns with a 123-97 victory.
The NBA playoffs kicked off this weekend, and the action lived up to the hype. All eight Game 1s were won by the home team, the first time that has happened since 2013. Here are some of the key takeaways:
* The Denver Nuggets beat the Los Angeles Lakers 122-109, extending their winning streak against L.A. to nine games.
* The Boston Celtics set a franchise playoff record with 22 made 3-pointers, while Jayson Tatum recorded his first career playoff triple-double in a 118-107 win over the Miami Heat.
* The Philadelphia 76ers beat the New York Knicks 110-108, despite another injury scare for Joel Embiid.
* The Toronto Raptors dropped Game 1 to the Orlando Magic 118-95, as the Magic held them to 32.6% shooting from the field.
* The Milwaukee Bucks took a 1-0 series lead over the Miami Heat with a 109-102 win, as new acquisition Damian Lillard poured in 35 first-half points.
