Kyrie Irving scored 30 points in his playoff debut and LeBron James added 20 in his first post-season game with Cleveland in five years as the Cavaliers opened a run toward an NBA title with a 113-100 victory over the Boston Celtics on Sunday.
Irving made five three-pointers, while Kevin Love, who is another post-season rookie, had 19 points and 12 rebounds.
It was Cleveland’s first home playoff game since May 11, 2010, when the Celtics won Game 5 and James left the floor to some boos from Cavaliers fans. He departed for Miami two months later, but he is home now, all is forgiven and Cleveland is aiming to end a championship drought dating to 1964.
Photo: AFP
Isaiah Thomas scored 22 points to lead the seventh-seeded Celtics. They will try to even the best-of-7 series in Game 2 tonight.
Clippers point guard Chris Paul scored 32 points, while Blake Griffin added 26 points and 12 rebounds as Los Angeles surged in the second half to beat the San Antonio Spurs 107-92 in their first-round playoff series opener.
Jamal Crawford added 17 points for the Clippers, who met the defending NBA champions’ challenge in a difficult post-season-opening matchup for two powers. Griffin threw down his usual array of roof-raising dunks, while Paul quarterbacked Los Angeles to an 18-point lead in the third quarter.
Kawhi Leonard scored 18 points for the Spurs, who had won the opening game in their previous 11 playoff series.
Tim Duncan had 11 points and 11 rebounds, but the Spurs could not rally from their hefty second-half deficit.
Game 2 is tomorrow night.
In Atlanta, Kyle Korver scored 21 points, including five three-pointers, as the top-seeded Hawks held off the Brooklyn Nets 99-92 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference playoff series.
The Hawks led nearly the entire game and pushed the margin as high as 16 points, but the Nets kept coming back.
Finally, Jeff Teague dropped in a floater coming off the left wing, giving Atlanta a 95-89 lead. Joe Johnson missed a three-pointer from the corner for Brooklyn, and Teague made a pair of free throws with just under a minute remaining to essentially seal it.
Teague and DeMarre Carroll scored 17 points apiece.
Game 2 is tomorrow night in Atlanta.
The Memphis Grizzlies downed the Portland Trail Blazers 100-86 after reserve Beno Udrih scored 20 points in Game 1 of their Western Conference first-round series.
Zach Randolph had 16 points and 11 rebounds, and Marc Gasol added 15 points and 11 rebounds. Mike Conley finished with 16 points and did not play the fourth quarter. Jeff Green had 11.
LaMarcus Aldridge led Portland with 32 points while taking more shots than anyone had ever taken against Memphis in the post-season, going 13 of 34.
Damian Lillard added 14 points, shooting five of 21 overall and naught of six beyond the arc. Nicolas Batum had 15 points.
The Trail Blazers have lost five straight overall.
Game 2 is tomorrow night.
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