The NBA postseason has been outstanding. We’ve had Game 7s, upsets and great individual performances. Some have stood out more than others. Here’s a quick reminder of what we’ve seen so far.
2018 NBA Playoff Storylines
1. Play that Jazz
Utah was the hottest Western Conference team down the stretch in the NBA regular season. A lot of it had to do with Ricky Rubio. But now that he’s sidelined with a hamstring problem, it has overshadowed what was an incredibly impressive first round performance by the team. They were up against a supposed contender in OKC, but the Thunder were just not deep enough to take on a more team-oriented Jazz squad. Now that Houston is the opponent it’s tough sledding from here on in for Utah.
2. Vintage Dwayne Wade for one night
It was one of the highlights of the first round. Dwayne Wade came off the bench and led the Miami Heat to a then series tying win against Philadelphia in Game 2. For a few hours, everyone thought that the Wade could do the impossible and take an average Miami team and actually compete with the Sixers. But it was not to be, as Phila just exerted themselves over the next three games and dispatched the Heat. Still, the story of Wade returning to Miami during the season was only topped by this one magical night for us old school NBA fans.
3. Terry Rozier
At first, experts thought that third year pro Terry Rozier would simply have a good game or two in the absence of Kyrie Irving. But we’re in to our second straight series of him outplaying an opposing point guard and it doesn’t look like he’s going to slow down any time soon. The former Louisville scorer has turned the ball over minimally, has challenged all-stars by driving into the paint and has played ferocious defense. No one had the Boston Celtics leading the series in round two against the Sixers at any point. But Rozier made it possible in Game 1. What a story. From bench player to possible playoff MVP if the Celtics go the distance.
Matthew Ross is a sports commentator and a radio host on TSN 690 Radio in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He’s also a contributor to ESPN 101.3 Plattsburgh/Burlington. Follow him @MatthewWords.