5 most memorable moments from 1st round of NBA playoffs

The opening round of this year's NBA playoffs had more style than substance, as several of the matchups weren't overly competitive. It was very much a stepping stone to what lies ahead, with all but one of the top seeds advancing to the conference semifinals.

While the majority of the games lacked plot or intrigue, basketball fans were given several major talking points that will carry over into the weeks ahead. There were laugh-out-loud quotes, extraordinary highlights, and an unfortunate series of injuries that changed the complexion of the postseason.

Here are five moments that stood out above the rest.

Curry injures knee in Game 4

A wet spot on the hardwood at Toyota Center resulted in the reigning league Most Valuable Player being sidelined for at least two weeks.

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry was eventually diagnosed with a Grade 1 MCL sprain in his right knee, with the hope being that he'll be able to return to action for Game 3 against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Nonetheless, watching the NBA's leading scorer go down like that was a tough pill to swallow, even though his Warriors teammates had little trouble disposing of the Houston Rockets without him.

Rockets appear unenthused over Harden's game-winner

Sure, this was probably blown way out of proportion, but considering the behind-the-scenes turmoil surrounding the Houston Rockets and their apparent chemistry issues, seeing their bench barely crack a smirk in a clutch situation like this raised a number of red flags.

All-Star guard James Harden drilled a fadeaway jumper during the dying seconds of Game 3 to give Houston a 97-96 lead. An inbounds pass gone horribly awry at the expense of Draymond Green led to the Warriors' demise.

However, with 2.7 seconds left on the clock, there was more than enough time for Steve Kerr's roster to get off a clean shot, which is likely why the Rockets were so mellow on the sidelines. Houston lost the series in five games, with Harden's shot merely delaying the inevitable.

Raptors have a fourth quarter for the ages

The No. 2-seeded Toronto Raptors were dead in the water during Game 5 against the Indiana Pacers at Air Canada Centre, trailing by 13 points heading into the fourth quarter. With the series tied 2-2, the "We The North" movement needed a strong showing in the final 12 minutes to avoid going down a game heading back to Indiana.

What happened next will stay with supporters of the franchise for a long, long time. Toronto outscored the Pacers 25-9 in the final period, with a Solomon Hill 3-pointer leaving his hands a split-second too late to potentially break the Raptors' hearts at the end of regulation.

Without that all-or-nothing run, it's safe to assume the Raptors' eventual series victory - their first seven-game win in franchise history - would have never happened.

Clippers lose Paul, Griffin in Game 4

There was such hope in Clipper country. The team wasn't perceived as more of a title contender than the Warriors or San Antonio Spurs entering the playoffs, but taking into account Curry's bum knee, there were ramblings that maybe this was the year the Clippers would find themselves battling for the Larry O'Brien trophy.

Then Game 4 against the Trail Blazers happened, and everything broke down - literally. Chris Paul, the engine that keeps the team running, fractured the third metacarpal in his right hand after attempting to swipe the ball away from Gerald Henderson, which he needed to undergo surgery to repair.

Blake Griffin also re-aggravated a left quad injury he dealt with during the regular season, ruling him out for the remainder of the playoffs. Portland took advantage of a decimated Clippers roster by winning the next two games and sending Los Angeles packing.

"He's an idiot."

Russell Westbrook had spent the better part of his team's opening-round series running roughshod over the Dallas Mavericks. That wasn't enough to impress Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, though, who said Kevin Durant was the only superstar on the Thunder ahead of Game 5.

The 27-year-old guard went on to score 36 points, grab 12 rebounds, and dish out nine assists that night to help OKC boot the Mavericks from the playoffs. When asked afterwards whether he was aware of Cuban's controversial comments, Durant intervened and answered on Westbrook's behalf.

"He's an idiot," Durant said of Cuban. "He's an idiot. All right. That's what we've got to say about that. He's an idiot. Next question."

Honorable mentions: Charlie Villanueva interrupts Russell Westbrook's dance routine, Drake claps in Rodney Stuckey's ear, Austin Rivers suffers nasty cut around left eye, Dwyane Wade's 3-pointers late in Game 6