Indiana Pacers 4, New Jersey Nets 0.
Miami Heat 4, Philadelphia 76ers 1.
Detroit Pistons 4, Washington Wizards 1.
Chicago Bulls 4, Boston Celtics 2.
There were no upsets in the first round of the East, with all four top-seeded teams advancing. The same was true in the West: the Phoenix Suns eliminated the Memphis Grizzlies 4–1, the San Antonio Spurs eliminated the Denver Nuggets 4–0, the Seattle SuperSonics eliminated the Sacramento Kings 4–2, and the Dallas Mavericks eliminated the Houston Rockets 4–2.
There was little suspense, for the most part. The only result that caused a public uproar was the Rockets losing four straight games to the Mavericks after winning the first two on the road.
The Rockets furiously complained about biased officiating, causing a huge stir.
The Pacers now faced their second-round opponent: the Chicago Bulls.
