Not all 50-win seasons in the NBA are equal.
Optics shape perception.
The Los Angeles Clippers were an underappreciated and undervalued 50-32 win squad – a fantastic starting five of James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, Kris Dunn, Norman Powell and Ivica Zubac, and coached by the tremendous Ty Lue.
The 50-32 Denver Nuggets dealt with chaos – friction between the coach (Michael Malone) and general manager (Calvin Booth) that resulted in both getting fired with three games remaining in the regular season.
The New York Knicks’ 51-31 season seemed underwhelming with the additions of Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges, and colored by the 60-win seasons by Boston and Cleveland and the idea that the Knicks were never close to those two teams, losing all four games to the Celtics and all four games to the Cavaliers this season.
The Indiana Pacers’ 50-32 campaign was muted by a slow start, lack of drama and a dynamic star and Cleveland’s 64-win season.
The Los Angeles Lakers’ 50-32 season produced the prospect of a deep playoff run with the trade deadline acquisition of Luka Dončić paired alongside LeBron James.
What happened to those teams as the 2025 NBA playoffs began Saturday?
The Pacers trounced Milwaukee, 117-98; the Nuggets showed resolve in a 112-100 overtime victory against the Clippers; the Knicks pulled away from Detroit, 123-112; and Minnesota crushed the Lakers, 117-95.
How have perceptions changed after Game 1?
The Pacers, who reached the Eastern Conference finals last season, look impressive again with Pascal Siakam (25 points, seven rebounds, one block, one steal) and Tyrese Haliburton (10 points, 12 assists) playing like All-Stars. Maybe Indiana is peaking at the right time and capable of getting back to the conference finals.
Nikola Jokic, regardless if he wins his fourth MVP in five seasons, is the best player in the league and helped get interim coach David Adelman, who is auditioning for the full-time job, his first playoff victory. As good as the Clippers have been defensively, stopping Jokic (29 points, 12 assists, nine rebounds, three steals) is a problem for every team. Clippers-Nuggets has the potential for an all-time great first-round series.
The Knicks passed their first test. The Pistons are tough and led for long stretches, including most of the third quarter and almost half of the fourth. But the Knicks turned a 98-90 deficit into a 111-98 lead. Experience mattered, and the Jalen Brunson-led Knicks showed determination, especially in the fourth quarter during a 21-0 run. Brunson had 34 points and eight assists, Karl-Anthony Towns had 23 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, four steals and three blocks and OG Anunoby had 23 points, seven rebounds, five steals and two blocks. That’s what the Knicks need from their three best players.
The Lakers looked vulnerable, the only home team to lose Saturday. They couldn’t generate quality offense inside the 3-point line, shooting 18-for-42 on 2s and more important than that, James and Dončić didn’t overwhelm Minnesota. James scored 19 points on 8-for-18 shooting (1-for-5 on 3s), and Dončić had a quiet 37 points and just one assist – almost 40 from Dončić and the Timberwolves still won. That’s like a win-and-a-half for Minnesota, which limited James and Dončić to a combined four assists. First-time head coach JJ Redick of the Lakers wasn’t happy with his team’s physical intensity in the first half. It’s also on him to fix that, and offensive issues, for Game 2.
What just happened matters most. The NBA playoffs produce prisoners of the moment. But it’s just one game. Perspectives change from game to game.