Road Dogs, Too

* Philadelphia was the only road team to win Sunday, impressive in a comeback from a 14-point deficit against Orlando in the fourth quarter. If Dwight Howard is the Magic's best player, he has to take over late in games.

* Speaking of Orlando, let's tell Stan Van Gundy that the only NBA coaches who can complain about their teams and get away with it are Phil Jackson and Gregg Popovich. With everyone else, the guys stop listening pretty quickly and wait for you to get fired.

* If you're being picky you would complain that the Lakers led Utah by 22 and let the Jazz come to within nine points. Utah's problem, again, is defense. Los Angeles carved up the Jazz in the first half.

* I have Miami beating Atlanta, but give it up to the Hawks for opening the series strong.

* Couldn't make it for much of Denver's easy win over New Orleans, but that's a typical Hornets performance this season. Too many games it appeared they just weren't there.

Road Dogs

A rarity in the NBA playoffs - road teams came through in Saturday's opening games:

* Derrick Rose was great for Chicago over Boston and Ben Gordon got hot in the fourth quarter. Conversely, Ray Allen made one shot for the Celtics. You just don't know how Boston is going to play without Kevin Garnett.

* Cleveland's blowout of Detroit was no surprise. I'm giving the Pistons one game (Game 4) to avoid a sweep.

* Let's see how San Antonio responds in Game 2 after losing at home to Dallas. It didn't seem to me the Spurs could respond offensively when they needed to and that's where they miss Manu Ginobili.

* I have Houston beating Portland in this series, but the 27-point blowout (and the Rockets had the game all the way) was the day's most eye-opening score. Can the young Trail Blazers suck it up?

First Round NBA Playoff Predictions

EASTERN CONFERENCE
No. 1 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 8 Detroit Pistons: The Cavaliers are the No. 1 seed for the first time in franchise history and LeBron James is the likely Most Valuable Player. Only a poor Eastern Conference allowed the wobbling Pistons to make the playoffs. Cleveland beat Detroit in six games two seasons ago when the Pistons were still the Pistons. It will be easier this time. Cavaliers in 5.

No. 4 Atlanta Hawks vs. No. 5 Miami Heat: The Hawks turned heads by pushing Boston to seven games in last season's playoffs. It's a miracle the Heat won 43 games, since Dwyane Wade had to carry the entire load. Wade and Atlanta's Mike Bibby are the only players in the series who have played at a high playoff level, but Wade has a title. Who likes all chalk in the playoffs anyway? Heat in 7.

No. 3 Orlando Magic vs. No. 6 Philadelphia 76ers: Do people realize the Magic won 59 games? Even with the loss of Jameer Nelson in the backcourt, Orlando kept rolling. Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu should be back. The 76ers faded late to just a .500 record, and they don't have anyone to compete with Dwight Howard inside. Magic in 5.

No. 2 Boston Celtics vs. No. 7 Chicago Bulls: Kevin Garnett's injury news diminishes this series. The pressure is on Ray Allen and Paul Pierce to carry the Celtics, and for coach Doc Rivers to keep things together. The Bulls can run and score some, but their big guys don't do much. Boston is still the defending champs and Pierce won't let them lose this one. Celtics in 6.

WESTERN CONFERENCE
No. 1 LA Lakers vs. No. 8 Utah Jazz: This was a tough six-game set last season won by the Lakers, but things are different this time. Los Angeles is still the top seed, but the Jazz have struggled with injuries and overall performance on the road. The Lakers' length was too much for Utah in the 2008 playoffs - now add Andrew Bynum to the mix. Lakers in 5.

No. 4 Portland Trail Blazers vs. No. 5 Houston Rockets: The closest first-round matchup. The Blazers have a wonderful home court and Brandon Roy. The Rockets have Yao Ming, and Ron Artest leads a tough defense. Can anyone else besides Roy score consistently for Portland, and can the tandem of Greg Oden and Joel Przybilla contain Ming? Houston's guards will make the difference. Rockets in 7.

No. 3 San Antonio Spurs vs. No. 6 Dallas Mavericks: Before Garnett's news, Manu Ginobili being lost for the Spurs was the biggest injury heading into the playoffs. San Antonio's defense isn't as good as in past seasons, and Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry can score with the best of them. The Spurs still have Tim Duncan. Spurs in 6.

No. 2 Denver Nuggets vs. No. 7 New Orleans Hornets: Because the Lakers won the West by 11 games, the Nuggets being the second seed doesn't seem to mean much. Chauncey Billups has made Denver act like a professional basketball team. Only Chris Paul (and David West to a point) have held up their end for the Hornets. If Carmelo Anthony wants to be a superstar, it's time to show it. Nuggets in 6.