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The NBA playoffs kicked off on Saturday with the Warriors dusting the Spurs, and from there things actually got interesting in the other three games with the Raptors, Sixers and Pelicans all taking 1-0 leads in their respective series. Here is one observation from each matchup, along with the game scores and a recap of our live updates from the day's action.

NBA playoff scores for Saturday, April 14

• Warriors 113, Spurs 92 (Box Score) 
• Raptors 114, Washington Wizards 106 (Box Score)
• Philadelphia 76ers 130, Miami Heat 104 (Box Score)
• New Orleans Pelicans 97, Portland Trail Blazers 95 (Box Score)

Warriors flip the switch

So much for worrying about Golden State as they limped down the stretch. Against the Spurs in Game 1, the Warriors were engaged on both ends from the jump, and they resisted the temptation to play solely through Kevin Durant, as they have too often done in Stephen Curry's absence. Instead, it was back to the crisp ball and player movement and offensive balance that has come to define this dominant three-year Warriors run. 

Durant scored 24 points on just 17 shots and was completely under control the whole way, Draymond Green was back to himself as the do-it-all point forward, falling just two boards shy of a triple-double, and with Green distributing and Durant drawing his normal attention, Klay Thompson found the space to drill 11 of 13 shots, including five of six from downtown, for 27 points.

Raptors same but different

Well, playoff DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry showed up again in Game 1 (that's actually not fair to DeRozan, who maybe wasn't great but was at least solid and had a big stretch to open the second half), but whereas that was once enough to bury the Raps, now they have more to their team. This is exactly why they added the pieces they did and changed the way they play to a more inclusive, modernized, less pick-and-roll and more 3-point heavy system, so they wouldn't be so desperately dependent on their two All-Stars. 

Coming into this 3-6 matchup with Miami, a lot of people were trying to say the Heat posed a lot of challenges for Philly, that they're smart and scrappy and Eric Spoelstra is a great coach and they shoot 3s and yada yada, but I'm not buying it. It's not that those things aren't true of the Heat. They are. It's just that this Sixers team is becoming a monster. 

Ben Simmons was one rebound shy of a triple-double in his postseason debut, using the expanse of space defenders give him because of his lacking jumper to get a head of steam going to the basket and see passing lanes even more clearly -- as if he needs that. The Sixers shot over 64 percent from 3 as a team. JJ Redick, Marco Belinelli and Dario Saric combined for 73 points. And to think, Joel Embiid didn't even play. I see this a lot like the Spurs-Warriors series in that the Heat just don't have the horses to play with Philly if the Sixers are on their game, as they certainly were in Game 1. 

The Brow gets first playoff win

The Pelicans thoroughly outplayed the Blazers all night and Damian Lillard had a nightmare game, but Portland still had a real chance to steal Game 1 at the end. I'm just going to leave this here: Terry Stotts drawing up a backdoor cut to the basket for Meyers Leonard when the Blazers were down by three with just over 10 seconds left was, shall we say, questionable. Then, on the ensuing inbound pass, to go for a basket cut for two again? Hey, Blazers, you're down three with 10 seconds left. You have Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum. Take your shot. 

Now, aside from that, the Pelicans deserved to win this game. Anthony Davis, who finally has a playoff victory under his belt, was sensational with 35 points and 14 boards, Rondo was Playoff Rondo (which is to say he was great with 17 assists) Read More Here