It was a great start to the NBA playoffs for many USC Trojans. USC alumni went 4-2 in opening games. Evan Mobley then won a second game to make the record 5-2 overall. Bronny James did not get too much time on the court, but he still got a chance to make history again with his father, LeBron James. Evan Mobley and Onyeka Okongwu both delivered great complementary performances for their star teammates.
Here is how each USC Trojan fared this past week in the first week of the NBA playoffs:
De’Anthony Melton
De’Anthony Melton and the Warriors’ run in the postseason came to a close before the first round of the playoffs officially kicked off. The Phoenix Suns sent home the Warriors in the final Western Conference play-in game on Friday in dominant fashion. In the first game of the play-in, Melton had 7 points but still stuffed the stat sheet against the Clippers, as he had 2 steals, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists. In his final game of the season vs the Suns on Friday, Melton had 16 points, on 2-4 from 3 shooting, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists. Melton definitely proved he was a worthy rotational player this season, and he should be a priority for the Warriors in free agency.
Onyeka Okongwu
Onyeka Okongwu and the Atlanta Hawks had their hands full with Karl Anthony Towns, especially in the second half, in the first playoff game of the 1st round Saturday. Onyeka was very productive and efficient offensively. Onyeka shot 6-9 from 3, had 19 points, and hauled in 8 rebounds. For the Hawks to steal a game on the road, he will have to be even more dominant.
Bronny James
It was a short stint for Bronny James, but still, he and his dad sharing minutes in the postseason together was historic and a memory that will last forever. Bronny only got 3 minutes, and he only posted 1 turnover and 2 fouls vs the Rockets in game 1. He should see some more minutes during the playoffs, especially this round, but it’s so great to see him and his dad, Lebron James, continue to make history.
Nikola Vučević
For the first time in quite some time, Nikola Vučević did not have to worry about play-in basketball; he instead enjoyed a break, and in his first playoff game of this postseason, the Celtics were dominant. Nikola Vučević, off the bench in 17 minutes, only posted 3 points, but he had 6 rebounds and 3 assists to round out his stat line. This was not a very productive outing for him, but I still expect him to come up big for Boston at some point.
Evan Mobley
It was the James Harden and Donovan Mitchell show as both guards had electric game 1 performances. Mobley was not that far off, as he was extremely efficient and had a couple of momentum-setting dunks. Mobley was 6-9 from the field, had 17 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists. The Cavs’ offense was playing with great synergy, and the team was clicking on all cylinders. The Cavaliers did not need a star Mobley game, and they might not need one this entire series. If Cleveland advances to the second round vs either Detroit or Orlando, they definitely will need more.
This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: USC basketball report – Evan Mobley and Onyeka Okongwu deliver
Reporting by Micah Huff, Trojans Wire / Trojans Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
