CSL March Madness: Round 1, Part 1

Game 1, #17 Denver Nuggets vs. #16 Indiana Pacers
RESULT: Indiana Pacers WIN, 110-85
Screenshots of game result:


Analysis:
LeBron James was simply too much for the Nuggets to handle. He had 50 points on 75% shooting, and no one on the Nuggets even came close to scoring that much. The leading scorer for the Nuggets was Jrue Holiday with 16 points on 70% shooting, but it simply wasn't enough. LeBron didn't get much help from anyone else on the team, Kobe and Lance included, but it didn't matter in the end. The Pacers will move on to face the New Orleans Pelicans in the 2nd round.


Game 2, #25 Sacramento Kings vs. #8 Chicago Bulls
RESULT: Chicago Bulls WIN, 121-117
Screenshots of the game result:


Analysis:
Sac-Town led this game the whole way, even leading by as much as 14 at halftime. Even going into the 4th quarter, they led by 9 points and were in the drivers seat. But led by Derrick Rose's 34 points, the Bulls made a comeback and, in a nail biter, won by 4 points. Tyreke Evans was dominant as usual with 32 points on 50% shooting, but he and Kyle Lowry combined for 14 turnovers, which proved costly in the end. Even Kawhi Leonard added 28 point on 67% shooting, but it wasn't enough to stop the 8th seeded Chicago Bulls. The Bulls will move on to play the winner of Dallas and Atlanta.


Game 1, #24 Dallas Mavericks vs. #9 Atlanta Hawks
RESULT: Dallas Mavericks WIN, 106-90
Screenshots of the game result:


Analysis: This game simply came down to Atlanta never finding their shot. Their total team field goal percentage was a stupidly low 31%, while Dallas shot a blistering 53%. Outside of Rudy Gay and DeMarcus Cousins, the Hawks simply got no production from anybody, while for the Dallas Mavericks, DeMar Derozan was having the game of his life with 37 points. David West chipped in 20 (with 10 from the foul line!), and OJ Mayo had 17. The first upset of the bracket means Dallas will be moving on to play the Bulls in the 2nd round.

Game 1, #29 Boston Celtics vs. #4 Detroit Pistons
RESULT: Detroit Pistons WIN, 99-84
Screenshots of game result:


Analysis: In one of the ugliest games of the century, the Pistons pull out a 15 point win. After trailing by 9 at the half, the Pistons came back with a 4th quarter point differential of +17. The Pistons shot 39% while the Celtics shot 35%, so neither team played well, but the difference came down to the Pistons having a star player; Melo dropped 34 points on the Celitcs, while the Celtics, who have to rely on more of a team effort, were led by Shabazz's 21 points. The Celts didn't have the firepower necessary to keep up with the top team in the East, as expected. The Pistons will be playing the winner of WAS-PHI in the 2nd round.

Game 1, #20 Philadelphia 76ers vs. #13 Washington Wizards
RESULT: Washington Wizards WIN, 108-92
Screenshots of game result:


Analysis: As expected, the Washington Wizards won handily against the 76ers. The Wizards led in every statistical category, including steals, blocks, turnovers, fouls, rebounds, FG%, points in the paint, fastbreak scoring... everything, really. The 76ers, got a combined 63 from Wade and Bynum as per usual, but as is so often the problem with this team, there was no help from anybody else. Meanwhile, John Wall lit the Sixers up with a 26 point, 10 assist game. Blake Griffin added 25 and Jonas had 12, hell, even Jonas Jerebko got into the action with 14 points. The Wizards ended up shooting 60% against a paper thin Sixers defense. The Wizards now look ahead to playing the Pistons in the next round.

Game 1, #28 Orlando Magic vs. #5 Los Angeles Clippers
RESULT: Los Angeles Clippers WIN, 115-104
Screenshots of game result:


Analysis: The Magic came disappointingly close to taking down one of the top western conference teams, but in the end, Chris Paul and Al Jefferson were too much for Vasilije Micic and Nerlens Noel to handle. Even without Josh Smith and Kemba Walker due to injury, the Clips pulled out the win by calling on their role players to step up and perform, and that they did. Doron Lamb had 18, Will Bynum had 22, JR Smith had 10, and though Andrew Wiggins was the game's leading scorer (shooting 20 FTs) and Nerlens Noel and Giannis Antetokounmpo both had respectable games, the game came down to the play of role players, and the Clippers' role players can't be beat. The Clipps will head on to the 2nd round to play either the Harden-less Rockets or the Milwaukee Bucks.

Game 1, #21 Milwaukee Bucks vs. #12 Houston Rockets
RESULT: Houston Rockets WIN, 106-94
Screenshots of the game result:


Analysis: Well, being without James Harden didn't cost the Rockets a loss this time around. The Bucks put up a valiant effort, but their field goal percentage of 38% didn't hold up to the always ultra-efficient Rockets with a 50% FG%. The big 3 of Milwaukee had 53 points, but Gerald Green's 2/12 shooting and Faried's 2/8 shooting held them back in a game where every point counts. Andre Iguodala was 1 rebound away from a double double, TT was 3 rebounds away, and Darren Collison ended up with a double double on 18 points and 10 assists. They'll be playing the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2nd round.


Well, there you have it. In the top half of the first round, we only had 1 upset, though many of the lower seeded teams came very close to advancing. That means we'll be seeing some top tier teams battling it out for bragging rights in the 2nd round. I'll probably have the 2nd half of the 1st round done tomorrow. Here is your bracket after today's sims: