The very first game of the first round of the NBA’s 2022 Eastern Conference playoff series between the Boston Celtics was an instant classic by all accounts, with the punch-for-punch tilt close from wire to wire. Decided by a buzzer-beating layup coming from trust and ball movement as both veteran point guard Marcus Smart and star forward Jaylen Brown passed up potential game-winners to get the rock to a cutting Jayson Tatum, who laid up and in as time expired to secure the Game 1 win for Boston.
Widely seen as among the greatest starts to a first-round series — and by some, among the greatest of any Game 1 series — the tilt from start to finish has elevated anticipation for the rest of the series to perhaps unsustainable levels.
But even if no other game of the series plays out as such an intense contest, let’s join ESPN’s Zach Lowe and the rest of the “NBA Today” show crew in giving that game its flowers before Game 2 rolls around on Wednesday.
This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook!
