First Round Play-Off Suprises

The Pacers failed to put away the Boston Celtics last night, and the Mavericks couldn’t end the season for the Houston Rockets. Now we are guaranteed at least two game sevens in the first round of the NBA play-offs. Many people were surprised at the failed attempts to close out these two series because both the Pacers and the Mavericks seemed to have the momentum.

There is no doubt that round one has brought us lots of drama and excitement. The Mavericks, Pacers, and Wizards all lost game one (the Mavericks and Wizards lost games one and two), yet the Mavericks and Pacers could have closed out their series last night and the Wizards have a chance to eliminate the Bulls tonight.

There have also been a few individual performances that have raised eyebrows. Here is our list of the top five first round surprise play-off performances compared to their regular season averages.

5. Andre Miller of the Denver Nuggets – In game one, Miller put up 31 points, and had 5 assists. During the regular season Miller averaged 14 points and 7 assists.
4. Damon Jones of the Miami Heat – In game one, Jones scored 30 points and had 4 assists. During the regular season he averaged 12 points and 4 assists.
3. Juan Dixon of the Washington Wizards – In game four, Dixon scored 35 points. During the regular season he averaged only 8 points a game.
2. Raef LaFrentz of the Boston Celtics – In game one, LaFrentz scored 21 points and had 1 assists. He averaged 11 points and 1 assists per game during the regular season.
1. Andres Nocioni of the Chicago Bulls – In game one, Nocioni posted 25 points, 18 rebounds, and 4 assists. During the regular season he averaged 8 points, 5 rebounds, and 1 assist per game.

PREDICTION VS REALITY - ROUND ONE UPDATE

Let’s take a look at the My Opinion on Sports first round play-off predictions.

PREDICTION: Miami Heat over New Jersey Nets.
REALITY: Miami sweeps the series.

PREDICTION: Detroit Pistons over Philadelphia 76ers
REALITY: Detroit wins the series in five games.

PREDICTION: The Indiana Pacers will beat the Boston Celtics.
REALITY: Series tied 3-3
STATUS OF PREDICTION: Solid. The Pacers failed to win the series last night on their home floor. Game seven is tomorrow night in Boston. Paul Pierce may not play.

PREDICTION: Washington Wizards over Chicago Bulls
REALITY: Washington leads the series 3-2.
STATUS OF PREDICTION: Solid. Washington has won three games in a row after the Bulls took games one and two. The Wizards could close the series tonight.

PREDICTION: The Phoenix Suns will sweep the Memphis Grizzlies.
REALITY: Suns sweep the Grizzlies.

PREDICTION: The San Antonio Spurs will beat the Denver Nuggets.
REALITY: Spurs win the series in five games.

PREDICTION: The Seattle Sonics will beat the Sacramento Kings.
REALITY: Sonics win the series in five games.

PREDICTION: The Dallas Mavericks will beat the Houston Rockets.
REALITY: Series tied at 3-3.
STATUS OF PREDICTION: Solid. After losing the first two games on their home floor, the Mavericks could have closed out the Rockets last night. Game 7 will be tomorrow night in Dallas.

My Opinion on Sports is 5-0 in the series that have finished.