Bang start to the NBA playoffs!
Two title favorites messed up at home. Nowitzki club Dallas Mavericks loses against the Utah Jazz without the injured superstar Luka Doncic. The Memphis Grizzlies even get a big smack against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
However, after Day 1 of the playoffs, everyone is talking about a crazed fan chaining himself to the basket in Memphis — mid-game!
Dallas Mavericks — Utah Jazz 93:99
calf strain! That’s the shock diagnosis for all Mavericks fans. Because Dallas superstar and Nowitzki successor Luka Doncic is injured. Without him, the hosts keep the game open for a long time, but in the crucial moments the Jazz around Donovan Mitchell (32 points) and French giant Rudy Gobert are simply better.
When will Doncic be back? Mavs coach Jason Kidd: “We have to look from day to day.” Without the Slovenians, it will be difficult for the secret favourite, who finished fourth in the regular season, to survive the first playoff round at all.
The Mavericks are 1-0 down against Utah.
Memphis Grizzlies — Minnesota Timberwolves 117:130
Hammer! The West runner-up was unexpectedly smacked in the head by the Timberwolves, who only qualified for the playoffs by beating the Los Angeles Clippers in the play-in tournament.
Grizzlies superstar Ja Morant has 32 points but cannot avoid defeat.
Incredible scene in the first half of the game: A female fan chains herself to the basket on FedExForum. Apparently an animal welfare protest against Timberwolves co-owner Glen Taylor, whose poultry company had to slaughter several million animals because of bird flu. The accusation: the killing was done in a way that was inhumane to animals!
The protest forced play to be halted in the second quarter while security guards removed the chain and carried the woman out of the arena.
Foto: Brandon Dill/AP
” data-zoom-src=”https://bilder.bild.de/fotos/die-ketten-frau- wird-aus-der-halle-tragen-5cc1cfe855ee402aba114988468db5a3-79796322/Bild/5.bild.jpg”/> The Chain Woman is carried out of the hallFoto: Brandon Dill/AP
How the woman managed to smuggle a metal chain into the hall is the big question.
At the play-in tournament, there was a similarly blatant incident. In Minnesota, a woman, dubbed the “Glue Girl” by US media, attempted to glue her hand to the hardwood floor with superglue.
It’s 1-0 for the Timberwolves.
Philadelphia 76ers — Toronto Raptors 131:111
The fourth in the east against the fifth. A sixer has a maximum evening: 38 points from Tyrese Maxey. He just can’t be stopped by the Raptors.
Toronto’s super rookie Scottie Barnes is out injured after Joel Embiid steps on his foot in the fourth quarter.
The 76ers are 1-0 up.
Golden State Warriors — Denver Nuggets 123:107
Warriors megastar Steph Curry comes into play with a foot injury and comes off the bench at West third.
Still, it’s a no-brainer for the Warriors, who are clinching an easy win.
In the Nuggets, the big title pick from many pundits, Nikola Jokic, last season’s MVP, is visibly struggling to put his stamp on the game. He has problems with fouls early on.
The Warriors lead 1-0.
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The USA Insider! Nils Suling lives in the USA and analyzes the issues America is talking about. Everything about football, basketball, ice hockey, baseball, soccer, martial arts. Follow the USA insider on Twitter: @NilsSuling
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