Recapping every Game 1 in the Eastern Conference

In the opening game of the 2-7 matchup in the East, the Celtics put it on the Hawks early. The dynamic duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown was on full display, helping to bury Atlanta in a 30-point halftime hole. Derrick White, Marcus Smart, and Rob Williams were all very effective for the C's, while the defense held the Hawks to just 99 points. Game 2 will be Tuesday night in Boston.

Philly took care of the Brooklyn Nets in game 1 of the 3-6 matchup, with the Sixers winning 121-101. Joel Embiid led the way with 26 points, but the 3-ball is where Philly won this game. The Sixers shot 21/43 from behind the arc on Saturday, outscoring the Nets by 24 from deep. It will be interesting to see if the Nets have enough answers on defense as this series progresses, with game 2 taking place tomorrow night in Philadelphia.

In a game where the biggest headline was the injuries to Giannis Antetokounmpo and Tyler Herro, Miami was able to steal game 1 in Milwaukee. After a shaky performance in the Play-In, Jimmy Butler came to play today, pouring in 35 points and dishing out 11 assists. In what was a dominating performance all-around, Jimmy also shot 15/27 from the floor, while Center Bam Adebayo had 22 points and 9 rebounds for Miami. With Tyler Herro breaking his hand, the Heat will need to look for more scoring options to have a shot to pull the upset. Looking at Giannis's injury, he took a hard fall onto his lower back after a drive in the 1st quarter. While he attempted to keep playing, he had to eventually be subbed out and would not return. If Giannis is unavailable or limited moving forward, this series could get really interesting. Game 2 will be Wednesday night in Milwaukee.

The most entertaining first-round series on paper in the East didn't disappoint in Game 1, with the Knicks pulling out a hard-fought win on the road. While I did pick Cleveland to win this series in 7 games, if Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle, and Josh Hart play how they did yesterday, I expect New York to advance. I'm excited to see what adjustments the Cavs make for game 2 and how the Knicks will respond. Game 2 in this series will be Tuesday night in Cleveland.