2016 NBA Playoffs schedule and results: Pacers upset Raptors; Warriors, Hawks win at home

Good morning. Let’s basketball.

WELL, THAT HAPPENED: Just as expected, we had two blowouts in the West. The Thunder smoked the Mavericks by 38 (it wasn’t that close) and the Warriors beat down the Rockets by 26 (it wasn’t that close). But in the East, the Pacers upset the Raptors because Paul George Is A God and the Hawks squeaked by Boston by one despite a massive comeback by the Celtics.

Toronto has home court advantage, a better bench and a big edge in physicality up front. The front office built a good team and the stars worked hard to improve on their games. And it still wasn’t enough in Game 1 -- just like nothing they did was enough in the past two postseasons.

The series is just starting and the Raptors could still come back and beat Indiana to advance to the second round for the second time in franchise history. In order to do so, however, they have to find a way to stop one of the best scoring forwards in the game in George. Hey, no one said slaying demons would be easy.

The difference between the top three teams in the West and the rest of the conference was huge during the regular season. That gap was on full display in the first matchup between the Thunder and the Mavericks, when Dallas simply had no chance of even keeping the game close. Oklahoma City started out the game with a 9-0 run that set the tone and things would only go downhill for the Mavericks after that.

The Thunder simply kept executing in the third period, killing any hope of a comeback the Mavericks might have had. Westbrook and Durant continued to be in attack mode and the lead grew past 40 points. Things got chippy at times but there was not much excitement of any kind in the second half.

Don’t pick on Steph Curry if you don’t want to incur the wrath of Draymond Green.

Patrick Beverley decided to try his luck, getting in an early confrontation with Steph that resulted in both players getting technicals. He did not escape the watchful eye of Draymond Green, unfortunately for him.

The Toronto Raptors entered the 2016 NBA Playoffs looking for vindication. Toronto had an excellent regular season, setting a franchise record with 56 wins and locking down the East’s No. 2 seed. But after getting swept out of the playoffs last year by the Wizards, Toronto had to experience some postseason success before anyone would buy them as a true contender for the NBA Finals.

After one game, they’re off to a poor start. The seventh-seeded Indiana Pacers knocked off Toronto 100-90 in Game 1 of their first round series in the Eastern Conference playoffs on Saturday afternoon behind a barrage of three-pointers and a great game from Paul George.

Of course, their reward is a matchup against Oklahoma City, with two of the NBA’s five or six best players. That’s not a reward at all.

Place: Chesapeake Energy Arena

This series projects to be the most entertaining one in the NBA’s first round. Here’s how to watch.

Place: Philips Arena

Dallas is scrappy and feisty, and over the past two weeks, its defense has been one of the best in the NBA by tricking opponents into playing their pace. But it just doesn’t have Oklahoma City’s talent, and there’s no amount of sorcery and dark magic that can bridge that game.

There are a few striking similarities between the two players who will face off at small forward this series. Both players underwent major surgeries for the first time last year, and both surgeries caused their seasons to end prematurely, ending the playoff chances of their teams. But while Durant returned to Oklahoma City this year and regained his incredible MVP form, Matthews’ road back was more difficult.