The Hawks showed why they led the Eastern Conference most of the year, and the Grizzlies beat up on the injured Trail Blazers.
MORE: Irving shines in playoff debut | Griffin dunks all over Baynes PHOTOS: Pictures of the first round
The day’s finale was much anticipated, as both teams could make a run to the Finals, but the Clippers cruised to victory over the Spurs with a 107-92 win.
Cavaliers 113, Celtics 100 (Cleveland leads series 1-0)
LeBron James’ return to the playoffs in a Cleveland uniform went much better than his previous attempt.
James and the Cavaliers rebounded from a slow start to come away with a 113-100 win over the Celtics, the same team that eliminated his Cavaliers in the 2009 NBA playoffs.
The four-time MVP had a solid game for Cleveland, putting up 20 points, six rebounds, seven assists and two steals. But the game belonged to Kyrie Irving.
The former Duke star had an impressive playoff debut, scoring 30 points — 20 in the first half — and hitting five of his nine 3-point attempts. Kevin Love also had a strong performance in his playoff debut, finishing with 19 points and 12 rebounds.
Isaiah Thomas carried the load offensively for the Celtics, scoring 22 points and dishing out 10 assists. The Celtics shot nearly 47 percent from the field but were out-rebounded by 12.
Hawks 99, Nets 92 (Atlanta leads series 1-0)
This game looked like an out-manned No. 8 seed against a bona fide top seed at its outset. By the end of the game, however, the Nets put the Hawks on notice that they would not roll over without a fight.
The Hawks led by as many as 16 points, but the Nets clipped the lead to 93-89 before Jeff Teague hit a jumper on the wing and then made two free-throws on the following possession to seal the win.
Kyle Korver led the Hawks with 21 points, hitting five 3-pointers.
Joe Johnson and Brook Lopez scored 17 points apiece for the Nets.
Grizzlies 100, Trail Blazers 86 (Memphis leads series 1-0)
The Grizzlies started with a statement victory over the injury-riddled Trail Blazers, winning 100-86 in a game that was never really close.
Beno Udrih led the Memphis’ balanced scoring attack with 20 points off the bench. Mike Conley and Zach Randolph both scored 16 points and center Marc Gasol added 15. Randolph and Gasol grabbed 11 rebounds to complete their double-doubles.
LaMarcus Aldridge did all he could to keep the Blazers in the game, but his 32 points and 14 points weren’t enough, as Portland was without guards Wesley Matthews and Arron Afflalo. As a team, the Blazers just didn’t shoot well enough. The backcourt pairing of C.J. McCollum and Damian Lillard went 6-for-29 from the field and 0-for-8 from beyond the arc.
The Grizzlies led 58-39 at halftime, and increased their lead to 24 points after the third quarter before cruising to an easy home win.
Clippers 107, Spurs 92 (Clippers leads series 1-0)
Blake Griffin sent a shockwave through the defending champions during a monster effort in the second half. Griffin scored 26 points and grabbed 12 rebounds on the night, generally terrorizing the Spurs around the rim.
Chris Paul was phenomenal all night setting the pace and dictating the Clippers’ offense. He scored a game-high 32 points and dished out six assists.
The Clippers led by as many as 18 points midway through the third quarter, but the Spurs caught fire from beyond the arc and started to chip away in the fourth. The Clippers then called a timeout and got back to ball-control basketball.
Kawhi Leonard led the Spurs with 18 points, and Tony Parker added 10 points. Parker rolled his ankle in the first quarter, and took a knee to the thigh in the second quarter, which limited his explosiveness throughout the night. Tim Duncan had a double-double scoring 11 points and grabbing 11 rebounds.
The Spurs are going to have to change up their game plan if they’re going to hang with the high-flying Clippers offense.
Highlights
LeBlock James
Markel Brown’s putback
Tony Allen brings the noise
Leonard’s alley-oop
Swat team
Monday’s Games
(All times Eastern)
Bucks at Bulls, 8 p.m.
Pelicans at Warriors, 10:30 p.m.
