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
