There was a definitely a few surprises in the first round. Thoughts on each series.

For one, the Spurs got whacked by the Mavs 4-1. They might be done. Parker was trying to carry the load, with some help from the hobbled Duncan, but to me it looked like they simply didn't have the firepower. Spurs, you had a good run, now step aside for a team like the Trailblazers.

Speaking of the Trailblazers, it looked like they got the short end of the stick. They were tied with Denver and San Antonio for 2nd in the West, but due to a new rule implemented this season, they dropped to 4th (with last year's tiebreakers, they would have finished 2nd). The the one team they didn't want to face, the Houston Rockets, dropped to 5th (the lowest seed possible) on the last day, due to losing a 14 point second half lead and a late game Hornets collapse in San Antonio. The Blazers fought hard, but couldn't overcome the terrible matchup problems. Too bad, they would have beaten the Hornets or Spurs in 5, which were the two other possible opponents.

Another team we need to say bye to is the Detroit Pistons. The Pistons had been to 6 straight conference finals, went to two NBA Finals, and won the title in 2004. Then they decided Iverson was the Answer. They got swept by the Cavs in the first round. At least they got the cap room. Cavs look good, really, really good. LeBron looks focused and ready to win a championship. Warnings out Kobe!

How 'bout those Nuggets? They steamrolled the Hornets in the most lopsided 4-1 series win I've ever seen. The one loss was by 2 points. Their 4 wins were by an average of over 30 points, including the historic 58 whipping in New Orleans in Game 4. Impressive.

The Lakers-Jazz series was pretty boring. The one notable was how absolutely horrible Andrew Bynum played. I'm not a big numbers guy, but 5 points and 3 rebounds per game! Ouch! Anyways, the Lakers looked bored at times, and a little soft too. Are they a different team than last year?

The Magic got down 2-1, but quickly woke up to win in 6. Courtney Lee played great, but could be out for the series against Boston. That hurts. Orlando stepped up on the road in Game 6 without the suspended Howard. It was a dirty play, but I liked seeing some fire from Dwight. He's been criticized for being too nice. They would have made the Cavs a little nervous if they still had Jameer Nelson.

That series between the Hawks and the Heat might have been the worst 7 game series I've ever seen. It was 7 blowouts. All 7 were decided by double digits. I don't have a lot to say about this one, it wasn't extremely excited or relevant.

Finally, the classic 2-7 matchup between the Bulls and the Celtics! Wow, was this a series! The series had everything. 7 overtimes. 5 games decided by 3 points or less. Two young point guards going at it. A battle between a young, hungry team and an old, tired, defending champion team. The games just seemed epic when you were watching them. The two teams continued trading blow after blow. Everytime you thought one of the two were down for the count, they got right back up and knocked the other flat on its back. I mean, this is what playoff basketball is all about. This series personified everything right about the NBA. Both teams just battled and battled, through intense, unbearable physical and mental fatigue, legs about to collapse. Using every ounce of energy, with every muscle in the body screaming at you to give up. But they kept on going, kept on playing and competing. One of the best series, and the best first round series, I have ever seen.

Overall, the first round was a good one. A lot of good matchups and games. The second round looks to be even better.