After finishing up one of the most exciting seasons in league history last Thursday, Bodog basketball handicappers did not have to wait long for the playoffs to begin on Saturday. This past weekend can easily be penciled is as one of the wildest in playoff history. We got to watch everything, from ejections of star players, to key injuries for others, and most importantly comebacks and last minute heroics. With all 16 teams setting the bar so incredibly high for the rest of the playoffs, here is a look at the odds after game one for several teams. The Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Clippers both sustained a serious injury while each making a statement in first round victories. Despite blowing out the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday afternoon, and basically showing all of their bookie software critics that they are for real, the Chicago Bulls lost a valuable member of their roster. For those that missed the opening game of the Bulls and 76ers series, reigning MVP point guard Derrick Rose was lost for the entire playoffs and possibly the early part of next season, when he blew out his ACL. Rose experienced a bit of a miserable season this year, as he battled knee and ankle injuries all year, while the Bulls won the top seed in the East. The loss of Rose means that stars Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah will have to step up if the Bulls want to win a title. On the other hand, the Los Angeles Clippers went through a dream season this year, after they acquired star point guard Chris Paul in the offseason. Through the influence of Paul, the Clippers locked down their first playoff appearance in nearly six years, as they battled the Memphis Grizzlies last night. For the first three quarters, the Clippers appeared like the struggling franchise prior to the Paul trade. Down by 27 entering the fourth quarter, the Clippers received terrible news, as star forward Caron Butler broke his hand, and will be done at least until the NBA finals. However, rather then throw in the towel, the Clippers, led by Paul, and recently acquired shooting guard Nick Young, mounted a comeback for the ages. What began as a 27-point clobbering entering the fourth quarter, ended with a one-point victory. The Clippers managed to go on an impressive 44-14 run to close out the game and steal the victory from Memphis. In New York, things went from bad to worse for the Knicks, as not only were they destroyed by Miami, but they also lost guard Iman Shumpert to the same injury as Bulls guard Rose, a torn ACL. With Shumpert injured, it almost solidifies a series win for the Heat, as nobody will be able to stop Dwayne Wade or LeBron James. Along with the aforementioned Rose injury, the Heat become the favorite to win the sportsbook review NBA title. If James and Wade can’t collaborate on an NBA Championship, this may be the end of Head Coach Erik Spolstra who has had his abilities questioned on more then one occasion. Hypothetically, if the Heat were to lose the NBA Championship, it would be as a result of facing the Oklahoma City Thunder. Currently facing the defending NBA Champion Dallas Mavericks, the Thunder set the bar high for the rest of the opening round games, with a historic comeback of their own on Saturday night. Star forward Kevin Durant stepped up to the plate and brought the Thunder back with less than 30 seconds to play in the game. Durant hit not one but two clutch baskets to win the game and solidify any argument that he deserves the MVP over LeBron James.
