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Brogdon’s 22 not enough for Indiana in Game 1 defeat

Chris Graham
basketball
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Malcolm Brogdon had 22 points and 10 assists in his playoff debut for Indiana, but the Pacers fell to Miami, 113-101, in the opener of the best-of-seven first-round NBA playoff series.

The 2016 UVA alum was just 6-of-18 from the field and 1-of-6 from three-point range in 39 minutes.

The Pacers, the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference, had to make a go of it without their other superstar, Victor Oladipo, who played just nine minutes before leaving with a left eye injury in the first quarter.

Oladipo’s status for Game 2 on Thursday at 1 p.m. is uncertain.

Tuesday was a wild day in terms of playoff action, with both of the top seeds – Milwaukee in the East, and the Los Angeles Lakers in the West – going down to defeat in their respective Game 1s.

The Bucks, just 3-5 in the bubble after dominating Eastern Conference play before the COVID-19 shutdown in March, fell 122-110 to eight seed Orlando.

The Lakers, despite getting 23 points, 17 rebounds and 16 assists from the ageless Lebron James, dropped a 100-93 decision to Portland, which outscored LA 19-6 in the final 6:38 to pull the upset.

Story by Chris Graham

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Chris Graham

Chris Graham

Chris Graham is the founder and editor of Augusta Free Press. A 1994 alum of the University of Virginia, Chris is the author and co-author of seven books, including Poverty of Imagination, a memoir published in 2019. For his commentaries on news, sports and politics, go to his YouTube page, TikTok, BlueSky, or subscribe to Substack or his Street Knowledge podcast. Email Chris at [email protected].