Aaron Gordon

Jamal Murray recorded 21 points (7-of-20 FGs, 4-of-5 FTs), nine rebounds, seven assists, one steal and three three-pointers in 48 minutes in Saturday’s win over the Clippers.

Murray did not get off to the best start on Saturday, shooting 2-of-8 from the field in the first half. While slightly better after the intermission, the rebounds and assists were where the Nuggets guard was most impactful in Game 1. Who helped pick up the slack in stretches was Russell Westbrook. Despite shooting 5-of-17 from the field, he chipped in with 15 points, eight rebounds, three assists, two steals and two three-pointers in 34 minutes off the bench. Murray’s overall stat line was solid, but the Nuggets will need him to shoot better moving forward.

Aaron Gordon amassed 25 points (8-of-14 FGs, 8-of-10 FTs), eight rebounds, one assist, two steals and one three-pointer in 46 minutes in Saturday’s win over the Clippers.

Having finished the regular season with three consecutive games of at least 18 points, Gordon carried that positive form into Saturday’s playoff opener. During the regular season, he scored 20 points or more in 12 games, four more than his total during the 2023-24 campaign. While Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray are expected to lead the way offensively for the Nuggets, receiving consistent production from Gordon is crucial if they are to win this series. Denver will host Game 2 on Monday night.

Nikola Jokic finished Saturday’s win over the Clippers with 29 points (12-of-24 FGs, 4-of-6 FTs), nine rebounds, 12 assists, three steals, one block and one three-pointer in 46 minutes.

Based on the numbers, no opposing center has done a better job defensively on Jokic than the Clippers’ Ivica Zubac. While he made the three-time MVP work in Saturday’s series opener, The Joker still finished one rebound shy of a triple-double while recording a complete stat line. Also, Jokic only committed two turnovers in his 46 minutes on the floor. As has been the case for most of his NBA career, Jokic is going to get his numbers, and he’ll do so efficiently. The Nuggets host Game 2 on Monday.

LeBron James shot 8-of-18 from the field and 2-of-2 from the foul line in Saturday’s Game 1 loss to the Timberwolves, scoring 19 points with five rebounds, three assists, two steals, three blocks and one three-pointer in 36 minutes.

Jaden McDaniels finished Saturday’s Game 1 win over the Lakers with 25 points (11-of-13 FGs), nine rebounds, two assists, one steal and three three-pointers in 33 minutes.

McDaniels’ aggressiveness on the offensive end was one of the key factors in Minnesota’s Game 1 victory. He didn’t hesitate to make plays on that end of the floor, and the result was a highly efficient outing in Los Angeles. McDaniels scored 20 points or more 12 times during the regular season, most recently doing so in a March 16 win over the Jazz. Nights like Saturday have not been the norm for Jaden, so it would be unsurprising if his production took a hit in Game 2 on Tuesday. However, his performance in Game 1 has given the Lakers something to think about when they draw up their defensive game plan for Tuesday.

Tobias Harris accounted for 25 points (8-of-13 FGs, 5-of-5 FTs), six rebounds, two blocks and four three-pointers in 40 minutes in Saturday’s Game 1 loss to the Knicks.

Saturday’s series opener was a tale of two halves for Harris. Shooting 7-of-10 from the field, he scored 22 points in the first half. Harris would only attempt three shots after halftime, going silent as the Pistons went from leading by eight at the end of the third quarter to trailing by 13 due to a 21-0 Knicks run. While the overall line was encouraging, the Pistons need a more consistent Harris if they’re to win this series. Game 2 is on Monday night.