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| 2013 NBA PLAYOFFS |
The NBA Playoffs kicked off this weekend, and we got a chance to see every team’s “Second Season” debut. The home teams looked good, going 8-0 and winning by an average of 16 points. The road teams will get their chance to rebound, but the bigger question is: Who can challenge Miami in a seven-game series?
 | 131 | 117 |  |
MVP: After struggling in Game 1, Stephen Curry atoned for his performance by making himself unstoppable with his unconscious shooting and brilliant playmaking. His 30 points and 13 assists were simply too much for the Nuggets to overcome.
X factor: The Warriors converted an absurd 14-of-25 (56 percent) shots from 3-point range and had the Nuggets' defense running all over the court trying to close out on shooters. The shooting opened up the lanes and allowed the Dubs to score 44 points in the paint.
That was … exciting: The final margin might suggest the contest wasn't entertaining, but that's far from the case. This game had everything: dunks, rejections, ballhandling wizardry and impressive long-range shots. We have a competitive series on our hands, folks.
 | 71 | 87 |  |
Defining moment: After a flat second quarter, the Knicks came out on fire at the start of the third, jumping all over the Celtics with a 25-4 outburst. Boston was unable to recover over the game's final 18 minutes.
MVP: Carmelo Anthony. Melo carried a heavy load yet again for the Knicks' offense, and he did it with great efficiency against a tough Celtics defense. Anthony scored 34 points on just 23 shot attempts. He's averaging 35 points per game in the series.
That was … déjà vu: One game after setting a franchise low for points in a half during the postseason, the Celtics had a repeat effort in Game 2. They shot a putrid 19 percent from the field after intermission, and managed to score a mere 23 points in the second half.
 | 86 | 98 |  |
MVP: Dwyane Wade. The Heat need a healthy Wade to repeat. With 5:16 left in the third, they got the best indication yet that they'll have one. The guard with the allegedly balky knee soared through traffic and cleaned up a Mario Chalmers miss with a two-handed finish that was equal parts power and grace. He finished with a robust 21/7/3 line.
Defining moment: With the scrappy Bucks hanging around through three quarters, the defending champs opened the final period with a 12-0 run to put the game away. That wasn't surprising. This was: 10 of the 12 points were scored by Norris Cole and Chris Andersen.
That was … a change: Brandon Jennings scored 26 in Game 1, while Ersan Ilyasova misfired to the tune of two points on 1-of-7 shooting. On Tuesday, the script, as they say, was flipped. The guard scored just eight points on 15 mostly unwise shots, while Ilyasova posted a team-high 21 points.
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