Overview
- The Indiana Pacers defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 117-98 in Game 1, with Pascal Siakam leading a balanced scoring effort and Giannis Antetokounmpo scoring 36 points in a losing effort.
- Miami Heat made history as the first team to win two road games in the play-in tournament to secure a playoff berth and will face the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round.
- Top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder and Cleveland Cavaliers are favorites to advance, with the Thunder boasting a record-setting regular season led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
- The Boston Celtics, defending champions, are set to begin their title defense against the Orlando Magic, with concerns around Jaylen Brown's knee injury being closely monitored.
- Betting markets highlight potential upsets, including the Golden State Warriors being favored against the No. 2 seed Houston Rockets in their Western Conference matchup.