Eastern Conference
Cleveland Cavaliers 4-0 Miami Heat
What a thrashing this was - Cleveland won the series by a combined 122 points, the most of any playoff series. The Heat were never in the contest, finishing with a 55-point defeat in front of their home crowd. It was a one-way series in which Cleveland barely broke a sweat.
The best regular-season team in the East held their ground and saved themselves for the future, even if Darius Garland's injury could prove problematic.
The disappointment: Bam Adebayo (17.5 points at 43.8% shooting, 11 rebounds)
Since the departure of Jimmy Butler, Adebayo was supposed to be the Heat's undisputed best player. But like his team, he wasn't in the game.
While little was expected of most of his teammates, Adebayo failed to transform himself into a leader. Yet that was the plan for the franchise, which must be wondering if their future lies with this pivot or not.
Boston Celtics 4-1 Orlando Magic
A straightforward win, Boston were collectively too strong for the Magic. However, the duo of Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner did their utmost to make it a fight, but it was not enough.
Orlando can nevertheless be pleased to have taken a game off the Celtics, but will need to improve their squad if they are to think big. For the Celtics, the injury to Jrue Holiday is perhaps the one cloud in an otherwise blue sky.
The disappointment: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (5 points, 26.1% shooting, 26.7% three-pointers)
A renowned veteran, elite 3-and-D player and two-time NBA champion, he signed for three years and $66 million last summer to bring his experience to the team when the going gets tough.
The least we can say is that it was a total failure. An average of five points, abysmal percentages and no impact: KCP failed at the very moment when he needed to justify his signing. He has two more years to make his mark.
New York Knicks 4-2 Detroit Pistons
We don't know what to make of this one. Admittedly, a few contentious refereeing decisions undoubtedly influenced the outcome, but it's hard to say whether the Pistons were really in a position to pull off an upset.
New York, however, failed to reassure with their conference final objective in mind, and despite their squad depth, they could struggle against the Celtics. For Detroit, the season has been a success, and the next one looks to be full of positives.
The disappointment: Tim Hardaway Jr (12 points, 33.8% shooting, 30.8% three-pointers)
As with KCP, when you have a battle-hardened veteran on your roster who was a finalist last season, you expect him to bring something to the table.
All THJ brought to the table, though, was his chronic inconsistency. It's a shame, because he could have had a big impact on Game 6 in particular, and kept the Knicks under pressure.
Indiana Pacers 4-1 Milwaukee Bucks
Last year's rematch turned out much the same. With the added bonus of a serious injury to Damian Lillard, and Giannis Antetokounmpo strong but isolated. It's time to ask the tough questions in Milwaukee, which has gone nowhere since winning the title in 2021.
For Indiana, it's confirmation that the campaign has already been a success, and the Pacers will have nothing to lose against the Cavs. And they've proved that they have a real team, not just a collection of individuals.
The disappointment: Kyle Kuzma (5.8 points on 34.3% shooting, 30% three-pointers)
Is this really a disappointment? There were real doubts when Kuzma replaced Khris Middleton in February. The end of his regular season was unconvincing, and the playoffs were catastrophic. The highlight was a zero-point Game 1, and a non-existent impact. We wonder what's next for Kuzma and his team.
Western Conference
Oklahoma City Thunder 4-0 Memphis Grizzlies
We expected a show from the season's No. 1 team, and this was one. After a spanking in Game 1 (crushing by 51 points), Memphis hardly ever looked like winning, even though the two home games were closer and the Grizzlies could have snatched Game 4.
Nonetheless, it was a proper sweep, OKC didn't dip into their reserves, and Memphis will have some choices to make going forward.
The disappointment: Ja Morant (18.3 points, 41.5% shooting, 25% three-pointers)
Long gone are the days when the Memphis project seemed destined for the title. Their point guard, Morant, has been in decline for the last three years, between extra-sporting events, injuries and poor form.
It is now unclear what will become of Morant, who made no impact in this series and missed Game 4 through injury. A disappointment for the man who, in 2022, was announced as one of the future faces of the NBA.
Houston Rockets 3-4 Golden State Warriors
This was a series that lived up to its promise and could have gone either way for the Rockets. Amen Thompson was great, and Alperen Sengun superb. However, the experience was in the Warriors' camp, and the stalwarts, Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler in particular, responded in Game 7 after coming close in Game 6.
Nevertheless, Houston will no doubt emerge stronger from this exercise, while Golden State can look forward to the next round optimistically.
The disappointment: Jalen Green (13.3 points on 37.2% shooting, 29.5% from three-pointers)
With the exception of a huge Game 2 with 38 points, the No.2 in the 2021 draft missed out on his series. With Green's terrible shooting and lack of impact, he is slipping down the Rockets' pecking order. Not least because of his chronic inconsistency, which has been his biggest problem since his arrival in the NBA.
Watch out, though, because if Houston are looking to improve the team, he could be sacrificed to make bigger gains.
Los Angeles Lakers 1-4 Minnesota Timberwolves
There were legitimate doubts about the Lakers' lack of a defensive sector going into this series and Rudy Gobert's performance in Game 5 served as a reminder of their problems.
But apart from that, LA never seemed to get into the rhythm. The Luka Doncic-LeBron James partnership lost some of its sparkle and the Wolves were too good defensively, in the wake of a huge Anthony Edwards performance, to wrap things up in five and confirm their status as outsiders for the title. In the end, the series came to a logical conclusion.
The disappointment: Austin Reaves (16.2 points, 41.1% shooting, 31.9% three-pointers)
Reeves seemed to have found his place as a discreet but effective third man after the arrival of Doncic. But during this series, he never regained his form from the regular season, with an average down by four points in the end.
On top of that, Reeves had no impact, not a single game in which he caught fire, and little to celebrate. We could blame the leaders, but the support players must also do their bit, too.
Denver Nuggets 4-3 Los Angeles Clippers
The best series of the first round, without a doubt... at least until Game 7, which went easily to the Nuggets. Once again, the Clippers faltered mentally when it came to closing out the contest, even though the team looked solid enough to go far.
The support players made the difference for Denver, who nevertheless drew on their reserves, but without resorting to Nikola Jokic's dependency. It should be a good series against OKC next.
The disappointment: James Harden (18.7 points, 43.6% shooting, 36.4% three-pointers, 9.1 assists)
Once again, 'The Beard' disappeared when his team needed him most. An average down by four points, but above all an apocalyptic Game 7 (seven points at 2/8 shooting).
Where he was supposed to be the leader, Harden once again became the stooge, as he was in Game 7 between the Celtics and 76ers in 2023. It's just another chapter in the book of a player who is not (or is no longer) decisive in the playoffs. What's next? In any case, there's a big chance that the Clippers could explode this off-season.