Biggest takeaways from the first weekend of the 2024 NBA playoffs - ESPN

The NBA playoffs tipped off this weekend, as the Denver Nuggets look to become the first repeat champions since the 2017 and 2018 Golden State Warriors. They picked up right where they left off in the Western Conference a season ago, winning their fifth consecutive playoff game by downing the Los Angeles Lakers. The East also features a rematch of last season's conference finalists, but this time it was the Boston Celtics dominating Game 1 against the Miami Heat, after falling 3-0 last season.

Our NBA experts were at all eight Game 1s on Saturday and Sunday — all of which were won by the home team, the first time that has happened since 2013 — and shared their first impressions of every series, with a glance at what we might expect as these teams head into Game 2 and beyond.

MORE: Complete coverage of 2024 NBA playoffs

To have a shot, Magic need to find their shot

The Orlando Magic dropped Game 1 of their series against the Cleveland Cavaliers for one clear reason: poor shooting.

The Magic shot just 32.6% from the floor, 21.6% from 3, and 63.3% from the free throw line. They scored just 15 points in the second quarter and 17 points in the third.

Orlando did enter the playoffs with statistically the worst offense of any team in the postseason (112.9 points per 100 possessions, 22nd overall in the regular season). The Magic know that has to change for them to advance.

«When you go 19-of-30 on free throws and 8-for-37 on 3-pointers, it's hard to make up ground,» Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said after the game. «We hang our hat on defense, and holding a team to 97 points is a good job. The question is how do we clean up some of the things on offense for the next game?»

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