West#1-Los Angeles 128 West#8-Denver 114

(Lakers Lead Series 1-0)

The Lakers started slow but finished like champions. Lead by Pao Gasol’s 36 points and Kobe Bryant’s 32, the Lakers 1-2 punch showed why it’s going to be tough to knock them off this postseason. The Nuggets big guys, Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony, each put in 30 points. The Nuggets are a very good 8th seed. Their 50-32 record would be good enough for a 4th seed in the Eastern Conference, but this is the Western Conference and this is the year of the well-balanced Lakers who will end this series in four games. The top to bottom strength of the Western Conference will help the Lakers become stronger in their quest for the championship.

East#7-Philadelphia 90 East#2-Detroit 86

(Sixers Lead Series 1-0)

Wow, someone forgot to tell the Sixers that this was suppose to be an easy series for the Pistons. They took the lead halfway through 4th quarter after being down by as many as 15 points to stun the host Pistons. Philadelphia was lead by Andre Miller and his 20 points while Willie Green contributed a career playoff-high 17. The Pistons’ top scorer was Rasheed Wallace who had 24 points, nine rebounds and matched a franchise playoff record with seven blocks. The Pistons and their inconsistent effort will need to be fixed and quick. The Sixers showed tonight that they are here to play and that this is going to be an interesting series.

East#1-Boston 104 East#8-Atlanta 81