NBA Playoff Volatility

The opening week of the National Basketball Association playoffs has turned home court into a shaky edge, with lower seeds and road teams already flipping multiple series. (espn.com) By April 22, the Orlando Magic had taken Game 1 in Detroit, the Philadelphia 76ers had split the first two games in Boston, and NBA.com said the Portland Trail Blazers also stole home court by tying their series 1-1. (espn.com) (nba.com) The biggest exception has been Los Angeles, where the No. 4-seeded Lakers beat the No. 5-seeded Rockets 107-98 in Game 1 and 101-94 in Game 2 for a 2-0 lead. Kevin Durant, who missed the opener with a knee issue, was cleared to play before Game 2, according to CBS Sports citing ESPN’s Shams Charania. (cbssports.com) (espn.com) That early churn has come despite a playoff format built to reward regular-season winners. ESPN’s bracket page notes every series is best-of-seven in a 2-2-1-1-1 format, with the better record hosting Games 1, 2, 5 and 7. (espn.com) The seeding gaps were real on paper. Detroit finished 60-22 and drew a 45-37 Orlando team, while Boston finished 56-26 and opened against a 45-37 Philadelphia club. (espn.com) Oddsmakers have been adjusting in real time as those results come in. ESPN’s scoreboard listed Oklahoma City as a 17.5-point favorite for Game 2 against Phoenix on April 22, while Action Network showed Detroit moving into a range around 7.5 to 9 points against Orlando after the Magic’s opening upset. (espn.com) (actionnetwork.com) Houston’s series showed how fast those numbers can swing. Before Game 2, CBS Sports listed the Rockets as 5.5-point favorites in Los Angeles with Durant back, but the Lakers still won and pushed the series to 2-0. (cbssports.com) (espn.com) The bracket is still young, and most series have only one or two games on the board. But four days into the first round, the standings already show Orlando ahead of Detroit, Boston and Philadelphia tied, Denver and Minnesota tied, San Antonio and Portland tied, Toronto up 2-0 on Cleveland, and the Lakers holding the only 2-0 lead in the West. (nba.com)