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The Utah Flash defeated the Iowa Energy in convincing fashion to open the NBA D-League playoffs. Utah recovered from a slow start and drew off to win 107-76 to take a 1-0 lead in their first-round series against top-seeded Iowa. The series now moves to Des Moines where the Energy will have to win both games to avoid falling out of the playoffs in the first round for the second straight year. Here are a few observations from tonight's game.

- Heading into tonight, a big key for the Energy was finding players to step up after their roster was decimated by GATORADE Call-Ups over the past few weeks. That didn't happen, as Curtis Stinson was basically on his own when it came to producing any offense. Other than Stinson (11-20), the Energy starters combined to shoot 14-45 from the field. The Energy reserves only scored 13 points. Iowa was also 3-22 from three-point range and 13-24 from the thre free-throw line.

- The Flash got it done with a team-wide effort, as has been the case over the final stretch of the season where they played excellent basketball. Six players were in double-figures and all but one player scored. The bench outscored Iowa's bench 46-13.

- Brian Hamilton was the MVP for Utah, coming off the bench to score 18 points on 8-13 shooting along with 12 rebounds. Hamilton might not get a lot of pub, but he is one of the NBA D-League's success stories after showing up at a Utah open tryout prior to the 2007-08 season. He's been to training camp with the New Jersey Nets prior to the last two seasons.

- The Energy thought they were getting some reinforcements with an assignment of the Suns' Taylor Griffin before the game, but he was a complete non-factor. Griffin went 0-4 from the field and free-throw line and grabbed two rebounds in 23 minutes. It's very rare when an NBA assigned player gets shut out in an NBA D-League game.

- Curtis Stinson was probably the best player on the floor tonight, coming up three assists shy of a triple-double, but he can't do it alone. He will need another huge performance in Game Two for the Energy to have a shot at defeating Utah.

- Another player off the bench who proved to be a sparkplug for Utah was Jordan Brady. The local product who played his college ball in Utah's home arena on the campus of Utah Valley State went 124th overall in the 2009 Draft, but has managed to stick with the Flash all season. He scored eight points with four rebounds in 20 minutes, and outplayed an NBA Draft pick.