Who were the first-round MVPs of the NBA Playoffs?

The NBA Playoffs are the time of year when the stars shine brightest, and this year's postseason has already seen the emergence of new up-and-coming stars and the continued excellence of the best players in the NBA.

With the second round of the NBA Playoffs underway, here are the MVPs of the first round in this year's postseason! 

Minnesota's young superstar Anthony Edwards has come to life in this season's NBA Playoffs, drawing comparisons to Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan as he helped his team sweep Kevin Durant's Phoenix Suns in the first round.

Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!

According to the NBA website, Edwards stepped up his production from 25.9 points, 5.1 assists, and 5.4 rebounds in the regular season to 31 points, eight rebounds, and 6.3 assists in the first round. Edwards scored +35 points in the final two closeout games to win the series. 

New York's Jalen Brunson was simply unstoppable for the Knicks in the opening round of the NBA Playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers, averaging 35.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, and nine assists in the team's 4-2 series victory.

The Yardbarker website reports Brunson became the second player in Knicks history to post three consecutive 40-point playoff games and the second player in NBA history to put together three or more consecutive games of 35-plus points and 10-plus assists. 

For the Dallas Mavericks to defeat the fully loaded Los Angeles Clippers, it would need some 'Luka Magic' to get them over the line, and that's exactly what happened in the series. Doncic averaged 29.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 9.5 assists.

Doncic recorded a 27-plus points double-double in the final three games of the series and became the fifth player in NBA history to have 30-plus points in 20 or more playoff games at 25 years or younger, joining LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, and Jayson Tatum. 

Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!

Reigning NBA Finals MVP Nikola Jokic was at his usual best in the first round of the NBA Playoffs against the Los Angeles Lakers, averaging nearly a triple-double with 28.2 points, 16.2 rebounds, and 9.8 assists.

The 'Joker' had two games with over 25 points and 20 rebounds in the series and picked his scoring outbursts in a timely fashion, making sure the other players around him stayed hot. Jamal Murray hit two game-winners in the opening series.

OKC's Shai Gilgeous Alexander has been a frontrunner for NBA MVP all season, helping the Thunder to the top seed in the West and a matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans in the opening round of the playoffs.

Gilgeous Alexander wasn't at his MVP best in the opening series, but he didn't need to be, as the Thunder swept the Pelicans in four games. The Canadian star averaged 27.3 points, six rebounds, and five assists, with his 33 points in game two being his best.

Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!