This Week In Basketball can (not) only weigh in on every playoff series but also pay homage to Blake Griffin

Read on for some reaction/analysis from all eight first-round matchups and the backstory behind our fascination with Griffin's career arc

LOS ANGELES — What a circus of a week we just had in the NBA.

It actually began quietly with zero coaching dismissals on the Monday after the regular season ended — very much unlike the NFL — but it proved to be a roller-coaster anyway. There were devastating Play-In Tournament injuries sustained by Zion Williamson and Jimmy Butler, Golden State's immediate demise in its PIT opener at Sacramento, failure for both the Kings and the Chicago Bulls to take advantage of the wounded Pelicans or Heat in their win-or-go-home PIT games ... and then an 8-0 whitewash for home teams on the opening weekend of the playoffs for the first time since 2013.

Oh, yeah: The NBA, in the midst of all that, banned Toronto's Jontay Porter from the league for gambling transgressions … and USA Basketball announced its roster for the Paris Olympics.

There was so much happening that it's been difficult, until now, to devote the proper time and space to last Tuesday's announcement from Blake Griffin that, after 14 seasons and six All-Star appearances, he is retiring at age 35.

Griffin could have played this season if he wanted to. League sources say that the Boston Celtics wanted him back for another run after Griffin's welcome contributions in 2022-23 and, given the state of the Celtics these days, that very well might have led to a long-awaited championship ring for the longtime dunker supreme.