{"id":714005,"date":"2026-04-19T15:43:50","date_gmt":"2026-04-19T15:43:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/714005\/"},"modified":"2026-04-19T15:43:50","modified_gmt":"2026-04-19T15:43:50","slug":"starting-5-lebrons-dimes-lead-lakers-joker-murray-take-control-knicks-cavs-take-playoff-game-1-wins","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/714005\/","title":{"rendered":"Starting 5: LeBron\u2019s dimes lead Lakers, Joker & Murray take control, Knicks & Cavs take Playoff Game 1 wins"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers took Game 1 over the Rockets, as The King handed out 13 assists.<\/p>\n

Not in our house.<\/p>\n

Saturday was for the home teams, as higher seeds opened the 2026 Playoffs 4-0.<\/p>\n

With four more Game 1s on the way \u2014 two on ABC, two on NBC & Peacock<\/a> \u2014 what does today have in store?<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

5 STORIES IN TODAY\u2019S EDITION \ud83c\udfc0<\/p>\n

April 19, 2026<\/p>\n

LeBron & Luke: James, Kennard lead Lakers over Rockets with Durant out<\/p>\n

Denver\u2019s D: Joker & Murray boost scoring while Nuggets shut down Wolves to win Game 1<\/p>\n

East Winners:\u00a0Spida\u2019s 32 lead Saturday\u2019s scorers, Brunson opens & KAT closes as Knicks, Cavs take Game 1\u2019s<\/p>\n

ABC Doubleheader: Sixers, Celtics meet for record 116th Playoff game, Thunder\u2019s road to repeat begins<\/p>\n

NBC Sunday Night Basketball: No. 1 Pistons clash with No. 8 Magic, Wemby makes Playoff debut<\/p>\n

BUT FIRST \u2026 \u23f0<\/p>\n

Reloaded with four more Game 1\u2019s\u2026<\/p>\n

\"Scores<\/p>\n

Sunday brings four more Game 1\u2019s to get all first-round series underway.<\/p>\n

ABC Doubleheader: No. 2 Celtics meet No. 7 Sixers (1 ET<\/a>) and No. 1 Thunder start title defense vs. No. 8 Suns (3:30 ET<\/a>)
\nSNB On NBC & Peacock: No. 1 Pistons clash with No. 8 Magic (6:30 ET<\/a>) before Wemby makes his Playoff debut vs. No. 2 Blazers (9 ET<\/a>)<\/p>\n

\"Playoff<\/p>\n

1. HOLLYWOOD NIGHT: LEBRON & LUKE SHOW TAKES GAME 1 FOR L.A.
\n\"LeBron<\/p>\n

Adam Pantozzi\/NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Houston and L.A. began their First Round series Saturday without the matchup\u2019s top-3 scorers.<\/p>\n

In response, the game\u2019s all-time leading scorer came out with seemingly one thing on his mind:<\/p>\n

Make something happen.<\/p>\n

Lakers 107, Rockets 98: James (19 pts, 8 reb) dished out eight 1st-quarter dimes, on his way to 13 total, and Luke Kennard netted Playoff career-highs of 27 points and 5 3s (100 3P%) to help the Lakers take a 1-0 lead.<\/p>\n

L.A. was without top scorers Luka Don\u010di\u0107 and Austin Reaves, while Houston missed Kevin Durant (knee contusion) after a practice collision. | Recap<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cFor me, I gotta do a little bit of everything,\u201d LeBron said postgame. \u201cThat\u2019s what the job requires. So that\u2019s being a triple-threat: being able to rebound, being able to pass, being able to shoot. Also defend.\u201d
\nJames\u2019 5th assist \u2013 to Kennard \u2013 put him at the 2,100 mark for his Playoff career, joining only Magic Johnson as the only players to log that many
\nGetting to 8 in that 1st frame, LeBron set a career Playoff high for any quarter, and a Lakers record for most in any Playoff quarter in the play-by-play era
\nFinishing with 13, James became the first player age 41 or older with both double-digit assists and a points\/assists double-double in a Playoff game<\/p>\n

\"LeBron<\/p>\n

Sean M. Haffey\/NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n

The passing game wasn\u2019t the only area where LeBron made history, as he and Bronny became the NBA\u2019s first father-son duo to win a Playoff game together.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s probably the craziest thing that\u2019s ever happened to me in my career,\u201d LeBron said of playing in the Playoffs with Bronny. \u201cThat\u2019s just insane.\u201d
\nKennard\u2019s Turn: The sharpshooter\u2019s 27 points equal the 2nd-highest total ever for a player in his Lakers postseason debut, trailing Nick Van Exel by a bucket
\nHouston filled in for Durant with five 15+ point scorers, including Alperen Sengun (19), Amen Thompson (17), Reed Sheppard (17), Tari Eason (16) and Jabari Smith Jr. (16)<\/p>\n

Durant gets an extra day to heal his bruised knee, as the series picks up on Tuesday with Game 2 from L.A. (10:30 ET, NBC\/Peacock).<\/p>\n

2. NUGGETS WIN GAME 1: 2ND-HALF SHUTDOWN COOLS RIVAL WOLVES
\n\"Nikola<\/p>\n

Matthew Stockman\/NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Nikola Joki\u0107 had 6 points at halftime. He finished with a 25-point triple-double.<\/p>\n

Jamal Murray went 0-for-8 from 3. He logged a game-high 30 points.<\/p>\n

Denver started 6-for-22 (27.3 FG%) from the field. They won by double-digits.<\/p>\n

Showing no panic, the 3-seed Nuggets let their game find its own way in time, and that paid off for a 1-0 First Round lead.<\/p>\n

Nuggets 116, Wolves 105: Denver shook off a quiet start to catch the Wolves by halftime and lead the rest of the way, with Joker (25 pts, 13 reb, 11 ast) and Murray guiding the group past Anthony Edwards (22 pts, 9 reb, 7 ast) and their rival Wolves.<\/p>\n

Not to be lost in Saturday\u2019s Playoffs excitement, Denver has now won 13 straight games, dating back a full month to its last loss on March 18. | Recap<\/a><\/p>\n

Cold Open: The Nuggets\u2019 6-for-22 start had them facing their largest deficit of the game (12 pts), and still trailing by double-digits going into the 2nd quarter
\nTale Of Two Lines: With 3s not falling, Murray started driving, getting to the foul line eight times in his 14-point, 2nd-quarter rally. He finished 16-for-16 from the stripe
\n\u201cWe just had to keep shooting,\u201d Murray said. \u201cMyself included.\u00a0I didn\u2019t make a 3 today. But I didn\u2019t stop shooting. And I was able to find guys and keep the defense on their toes.\u201d
\nA Breakthrough: Then early in the 3rd, a 17-2 Denver run built a double-digit lead, with Joki\u0107 going on the attack for 12 of his 25 points in that quarter
\nJoker credited homecourt advantage: \u201cWhenever we needed a little spark, [the fans] were behind our back, and I love to play in front of our crowds. I think they\u2019re great.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Anthony<\/p>\n

From there, the Nuggets held the Wolves to just four made 3s and 43 points in the 2nd half. Minnesota had only seven halves all season of 43 points or fewer.<\/p>\n

AE & KG: Edwards passed Kevin Garnett twice with his 237th career Playoff assist, in his 32nd career 20+ point playoff game, taking the franchise lead in both categories
\nMurray Joins Joki\u0107: Murray reached his 20th career 30+ point Playoff game, joining Joker (35) as the only Nuggets ever with 20 or more such games
\nJoki\u0107 Tops MPJ: Joker passed former Nugget Michael Porter Jr. (166) for 2nd-most Playoff triples made in franchise history<\/p>\n

Game 2 from Mile High comes our way Monday night (10:30 ET, NBC\/Peacock).<\/p>\n

3. EAST WINS: BRUNSON OPENS, KAT CLOSES, SPIDA LEADS ALL SCORERS
\n\"Karl-Anthony<\/p>\n

Elsa\/NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Floater in the lane: \u2705<\/p>\n

Contested wing 3-ball: \u2705<\/p>\n

Fadeaway bank shot: \u2705<\/p>\n

Transition triple: \u2705<\/p>\n

Face-up fadeaway J: \u2705<\/p>\n

Pull-up from long-range: \u2705<\/p>\n

Jalen Brunson started Saturday 6-for-6 for 15 points in under 6 minutes.<\/p>\n

All that, and the Knicks were up just six, as both New York and Atlanta shot over 85% in the opening 4 minutes of their First Round series opener.<\/p>\n

Knicks 113, Hawks 102: Brunson scored 19 of his game-high 28 points in that 1st quarter, and Karl-Anthony Towns (25 pts, 8 reb) took control down the stretch, as New York outlasted CJ McCollum (26 pts, 4 3s) and Atlanta for a 1-0 series lead. | Recap<\/a><\/p>\n

2nd-Half KAT: After a 1-for-6 1st half, Towns took the baton from Brunson, scoring 19 of his 25 points in the 2nd half
\n\u201cI was just rusty,\u201d Towns said of his 1st half. \u201c12 days, 13 days without playing\u2026 It takes a toll. So just trying to knock the rust off early in the game.\u201d
\nIt was Towns who sealed the win in the 4th, sinking a triple followed by an and-1 take for back-to-back 3-point plays, capping a 10-0 Knicks run and stretching their lead to 19
\n\u201cI knew I was gonna get a chance to show what I could do in a pivotal moment,\u201d said Towns. \u201cI felt good about the 4th quarter and I\u2019m glad I was able to make those shots for my teammates.\u201d
\nJB Ties Clyde: Brunson recorded his 29th Playoff game of 25+ points as a Knick, tying Walt Frazier for the 2nd-most in franchise history. Only Patrick Ewing (43) has more<\/p>\n

New York and Atlanta tip off Game 2 at The Garden Monday night (8 ET, NBC\/Peacock)<\/p>\n

\"Donovan<\/p>\n

Jason Miller\/NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n

With 2:01 remaining, the Cleveland crowd rose to its feet.<\/p>\n

The Cavs\u2019 first unit subbed out to a standing ovation, up 16.<\/p>\n

Playoff basketball was back in The Land, celebrating a First-Round, Game 1 win for the third consecutive year.<\/p>\n

Cavaliers 126, Raptors 113: Donovan Mitchell poured in a game-high 32 points, setting an NBA record with his ninth straight 30+ point performance in a series opener, as the Cavs rolled to a 1-0 lead over RJ Barrett (24 pts), Scottie Barnes (21 pts, 7 ast) and the Raptors. | Recap<\/a><\/p>\n

Applause-Worthy: Backing up Mitchell, Max Strus went for a Playoff career-high 24 pts, James Harden (22 pts) dished out 10 assists, and Evan Mobley (17 pts, 7 reb) controlled the paint
\nGo Time: In a 4-point game with 1:11 to play before halftime, Cleveland exploded into the 2nd half with a 27-9 carryover run, leading the rest of the way. Strus had 11 points (3 3s) in that decisive stretch
\n\u201cComing out in the 3rd quarter, we upped our intensity defensively,\u201d Mitchell said of the getaway run. \u201cAnd then obviously, offensively, we did what we do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mitchell\u2019s record-setting nine-game, 30+ point streak in Game 1s has helped him to a 33.1 ppg average across 12 career Game 1s.<\/p>\n

This was his 32nd-career 30+ point Playoff game, and 13th for Cleveland, passing Kyrie Irving for 2nd-most in Cavs history.<\/p>\n

\u201c32 is 32, but I\u2019m happy I got a steal\u2026\u201d Mitchell said. \u201cI\u2019m finding ways to get rebounds\u2026 Those are the little details that carry over to wins.\u201d
\nHarden\u2019s History: The Beard passed Larry Bird (3,897 pts) for 13th place on the NBA\u2019s all-time postseason scoring list
\n\u201cIt\u2019s tough for defenses to try to figure out which ways to guard both of us,\u201d Mitchell said of his first Playoff pairing with Harden. \u201cWe gotta keep it up for the series.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"James<\/p>\n

4. TODAY ON ABC: 76ERS-CELTICS RIVALRY, CHAMPS START TITLE DEFENSE
\n\"Jaylen<\/p>\n

Isaiah Vazquez\/NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n

The reunited 2024 champs and the Divisional rival who played them closer than anyone this season.<\/p>\n

The well-rested defending champions and the red-hot shooting squad who won the West Play-In Finale.<\/p>\n

ABC\u2019s Playoff matine\u00e9 doubleheader delivers on drama and deep storylines. Here\u2019s what to watch for:<\/p>\n

(7) Sixers at (2) Celtics (1 ET): NBA Playoff Sunday tips off with the 116th postseason meeting of Philly and Boston, the most in NBA history.\u00a0 The Celtics lead this series all-time, 66-50.<\/p>\n

The last time these two franchises met in the Playoffs, the 2023 East Semis went a full seven games, with Jayson Tatum delivering an iconic 50-ball to end it.<\/p>\n

Jay & Jay: Scoring 20+ points in each of his last seven games, Tatum (21.8 ppg in 16 gm) is reunited with Jaylen Brown, who set career-highs (28.7 ppg) while leading the C\u2019s all year
\nBefore Tatum\u2019s return, these two teams lived up to their thrilling history with three early season matchups, each decided by the final possession (2-1 PHI)
\nPhilly\u2019s Answer: The Sixers will look to attack with the duo of top-5 scorer Tyrese Maxey (28.3) and two-way talent VJ Edgecombe, the first rookie in 7+ years with 1100 points and 100 steals \u2014 not to mention Paul George, who\u2019s averaged 21.2 ppg in his Playoff career<\/p>\n

\"Dillon<\/p>\n

Christian Petersen\/NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Following Philly and Boston, OKC takes off on its road to two in a row.<\/p>\n

(8) Suns at (1) Thunder (3:30 ET): The reigning champs begin their quest to repeat, taking on Devin Booker, Jalen Green and the hot-shooting Suns.<\/p>\n

No NBA team has repeated since the Warriors in 2017-18, with seven straight unique champions since.<\/p>\n

The Thunder are the NBA\u2019s youngest champion in 50 years, and boast the league\u2019s best defensive rating (106.5) since the 2019-20 Bucks, holding opponents 3.5 FG percentage points below the league average
\nPhoenix joins OKC with a top-10 defensive rating (112.9, 9th), while both teams rank top-5 in steals per game (9.5+)
\nThe Reigning MVP: SGA is the first guard in NBA history to average 30+ ppg on 55% shooting. He also ranks 2nd in ppg (31.1), 2nd in iso ppg (8.3), 2nd in 30-pt games (43), and 1st in total clutch points (175)
\nSuns all-time leading scorer Devin Booker has the help of a hot hand in Jalen Green, who enters off the 2nd-ever back-to-back 35+ point performances in Play-In history<\/p>\n

5. SNB: NO. 1 PISTONS, NO. 8 MAGIC COLLIDE BEFORE WEMBY\u2019S PLAYOFF DEBUT\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Cade<\/p>\n

NBC & Peacock\u2019s Sunday doubleheader features two of this Playoff field\u2019s strongest contenders, in East 1-seed Detroit and West 2-seed San Antonio.<\/p>\n

But their respective First Round opponents are uniquely qualified to make this matchup tougher than seedings might suggest.<\/p>\n

(8) Magic at (1) Pistons (6:30 ET): Detroit begins its Playoff after its first 60-win season since 2006-07.<\/p>\n

The league leader in both steals (10.4) and blocks (6.4) per game, the Pistons operate with the identity of defensive physicality \u2013 something Orlando just utilized to overpower the Hornets in its Play-In win to get here.<\/p>\n

The Pistons are led by the rising All-Star duo of Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren.<\/p>\n

Cade is back from his collapsed lung, and Detroit\u2019s offensive engine was missed: The Pistons have a 120.4 OffRtg with Cade on-floor, and a 111.1 with him off; a 9.3-point swing
\nFirst-time All-Star Duren dominates the paint with the league\u2019s 3rd-most PITP, while Ausar Thompson logged the most steals in a season (146) by a Piston since Ben Wallace in 06-07<\/p>\n

The Magic enter the series coming off a Play-In game statement, making their third straight Playoffs. The team split its four-game series with Detroit this season.<\/p>\n

Paolo Banchero has 336 points through his first 12 career Playoff games (28.0 ppg), and led the way for Orlando in its Play-In win, with 12 first quarter points and a game-high 25 overall
\nAcquired last offseason, Desmond Bane has delivered offensively, leading the team in total points (1647) and total 3s (167), and ranking 2nd in assists (338)<\/p>\n

\"Victor<\/p>\n

Soobum Im\/NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n

After a year of bending physics on the court \u2014 and transforming the Spurs into one of the league\u2019s toughest teams \u2014 third-year superstar Victor Wembanyama\u2019s about to make his debut on the league\u2019s biggest stage: The Playoffs.<\/p>\n

(7) Blazers at (2) Spurs (9 ET): Wemby is set to make his first Playoff appearance against a Portland team that beat San Antonio once in three tries this season.<\/p>\n

The Spurs return to the Playoffs for the first time since 2018\u201319, with their first 60-win season since 2016\u201317. They flipped from 60 losses to 60 wins in just two years
\nFebruary March: Half those wins came in the final 2.5 months of this season, losing just four games after the start of February (30\u20134 record)
\nWith Wemby on the floor, opposing teams shot 5.7% worse \u2013 the largest on\/off difference of the decade \u2013 and the Spurs posted a 103.6 defensive rating, which would rank as the best in the league over a full season<\/p>\n

But it\u2019s not just Wemby. He\u2019s backed by a dynamic trio of guards.<\/p>\n

Stephon Castle, the reigning Rookie of the Year, took a leap this season, increasing his points, rebounds, assists, and steals.
\nDe\u2019Aaron Fox, a two-time All-Star, finished second on the team in scoring and led the team in total clutch points.
\nDylan Harper, the No. 2 overall pick in this year\u2019s draft, provides a spark off the bench for this Spurs squad.<\/p>\n

Portland features the league\u2019s third-best defense since the All-Star break, and an international All-Star on the rise, who\u2019s coming off a huge performance.<\/p>\n

Deni Avdija became the first player to record 40 points and 10 assists in a Play-In game, capping off a breakout year in which he joined Joker and Luka as the only players to average 24\/6\/6<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers took Game 1 over the Rockets, as The King handed out…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":714006,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[19484,88997,7,88998,6,56381,50537],"class_list":{"0":"post-714005","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nba","8":"tag-19484","9":"tag-april-19","10":"tag-basketball","11":"tag-first-round-nba-playoffs","12":"tag-nba","13":"tag-nba-playoffs-2026","14":"tag-nba-starting-5-newsletter"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nba\/116432148013971183","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/714005","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=714005"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/714005\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/714006"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=714005"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=714005"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=714005"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}