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4 players poised to bounce back in Round 2 of NBA Playoffs

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From Damian Lillard's Game 5 heroics to the struggles of Donovan Mitchell, the first round of the NBA playoffs had its share of brilliance and duds.

Here are four players who are poised to bounce back in Round 2 after subpar showings in the opening round.

Clint Capela (HOU)

Regular season: 16.6 PPG, 12.7 RPG, 64.8 FG%
Postseason: 10.8 PPG, 10.6 RPG, 59 FG%

Capela averaged 9.5 points on 53.1 percent shooting through the first four games of the Houston Rockets' series against the Utah Jazz. It was clear he wasn't his usual self, especially in Game 4, when Capela was limited to four points on 1-of-6 shooting from the field and 2-of-6 shooting from the charity stripe. He also struggled on the defensive end, posting a game-worst minus-20 rating.

The fifth-year center revealed postgame he'd been playing through a pair of respiratory illnesses that gave him difficulties breathing. Diagnosed by doctors on Sunday, Capela was given a full recovery period of four-to-five days. His 16-point, 10-rebound, 3-block performance in Wednesday's series clincher seemed to line up with that timeline - and that's bad news for the Rockets' second-round opponent.

Nikola Mirotic (MIL)

Regular season: 11.6 PPG, 5.4 RPG (14 games with Bucks)
Playoffs: 7.5 PPG, 1.8 RPG

The Milwaukee Bucks didn't really need Mirotic to be at his best as they coasted past the Detroit Pistons and tied the second-highest point differential in a series in NBA history. The club had the luxury of easing the 28-year-old back in after he missed nearly a month due to a thumb injury.

Chris Schwegler / National Basketball Association / Getty

Mirotic was understandably rusty in his return, totaling six points on 3-of-13 shooting - including 0-for-6 from beyond the arc - during the Bucks' first two playoff games. But he found his rhythm in the following two contests, knocking down 58.3 percent of his shots from the floor and an encouraging six triples. His stretch-four and -five skill sets will come in handy versus the Boston Celtics, against whom he shot 42.9 percent from distance in three regular-season meetings.

Rodney Hood (POR)

Regular season: 9.6 PPG, 45.2 FG%, 34.5 3-PT FG% (27 games with Blazers)
Playoffs: 3.2 PPG, 27.3 FG%, 16.7 3-PT FG%

The Portland Trail Blazers acquired Hood midseason to bolster their second unit, which ranked 20th in points scored prior to his arrival. His offensive production dropped slightly after he joined Portland and has taken a further nosedive during the playoffs. Head coach Terry Stotts has steadily reduced Hood's playing time and only Zach Collins had a worse plus-minus rating against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 5.

Abbie Parr / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Hood's recent performances and playoff track record (22.1 percent career 3-point shooter) aren't encouraging. But Portland will need to find some sort of offensive production from its bench, which ranks dead last among the 16 playoff teams in points scored and triples made. The fifth-year guard is a streaky scorer, posting 15 points or more in 19 regular-season games, and could be a prime candidate for an improved second-round performance.

Fred VanVleet (TOR)

Regular season: 11 PPG, 37.8 3-PT FG%
Postseason: 7.2 PPG, 31.3 3-PT FG%

VanVleet did a solid job blanketing Terrence Ross, limiting the Orlando Magic sharpshooter to 20 points on 31.6 percent shooting across the entire five-game set as his primary defender. But the concern for the backup guard came more on the offensive end, where the Toronto Raptors scored 12 more points per 100 possessions with VanVleet off the court. Fortunately, his slight drop in scoring and efficiency can be attributed to Magic guard Michael Carter-Williams.

David Sherman / National Basketball Association / Getty

The former Rookie of the Year used his length to effectively disrupt VanVleet, holding him to 12 total points on 28.6 percent shooting during the first round. Against all other defenders, VanVleet shot 45 percent from the floor. The Rockford, Ill., native hasn't exactly torched the Philadelphia 76ers this season, but his primary second-round counterpart, T.J. McConnell, doesn't have the wingspan that Carter-Williams did to challenge him defensively.

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