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Game 1: Lakers inside duo overpower Thunder 87-79

The AP reports:

Other than being out of breath, Andrew Bynum displayed little rust in teaming with Pau Gasol to dominate the middle in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 87-79 victory against the Oklahoma City Thunder in their playoff series opener Sunday…

Gasol scored 19 points, Bynum added 13 and Kobe Bryant had 21 points on 6-of-19 shooting after missing four of the final five regular season games to rest his swollen right knee and broken right index finger…

Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 24 points on 7-of-24 shooting in his playoff debut—under the 30.1 average of the NBA’s youngest-ever scoring champion. Former UCLA star Russell Westbrook added 23.

Game 1: Garnett, Allen lead Celtics past Heat

The AP reports: Kevin Garnett had 15 points and nine rebounds and the Boston Celtics played Miami-style defense to beat the Heat 85-76 in the opener of their playoff series Saturday night. Trailing 44-41 at halftime, the Celtics held the Heat to 32 points in the second half. And with substitute guard Tony Allen shadowing Dwyane Wade, the Heat star scored 26 points after averaging 33.7 in three regular-season games against Boston… With 40 seconds left in the game, a scuffle near the Miami bench resulted in two technical fouls against Garnett, an automatic ejection, and one each to Boston’s Glen Davis and Miami’s Udonis Haslem and Richardson.

Game 1: Johnson scores 22, Hawks beat Bucks

The AP reports: Led by Joe Johnson and getting production from all their key players, the Hawks blitzed the Bucks before halftime, survived a lackluster showing over the final two quarters and held off Milwaukee 102-92 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference series… Milwaukee made a game of it led by Brandon Jennings, who scored 34 points in his playoff debut… Joe Johnson scored 22 points, Mike Bibby added 19 and the other Atlanta starters also were in double figures. Crawford put up 17 points in the first postseason appearance of his 10-year career.

Game 1: LeBron, Shaq lead Cavs over Bulls

The AP reports: Completely healthy and well rested, the Cavaliers took their first step toward an NBA title on Saturday as LeBron James scored 24 points and Shaquille O’Neal looked and played 10 years younger in a 96-83 victory over the Chicago Bulls in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference series. O’Neal, playing for the first time since tearing a thumb ligament on Feb. 25, had 12 points, five rebounds, four assists and three blocks in 24 minutes as the top-seeded Cavs won a testy opener between two teams that obviously don’t care for each other… Derrick Rose had 28 points and 10 assists for Chicago, which had the misfortune of being the first team to face the Cavs in these playoffs. .. Mo Williams added 19 points and 10 assists, and Jamison, acquired at the trading deadline from Washington, had 15 points and 10 rebounds. Cleveland blocked 12 shots—10 in the second half.

Game 1: Melo scores 42, Nuggets beat Jazz

The AP reports: It had been a while since Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith found the net like this. Anthony scored a playoff career-high 42 points and Smith’s fourth-quarter flurry of 3-pointers helped the Denver Nuggets beat the injury-riddled Utah Jazz 126-113 on Saturday night in Game 1 of the playoff series. “We need that,” Anthony said after Smith scored 18 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter… Although Boozer (rib) returned to Utah’s lineup and scored 19 points, the Jazz lost center Mehmet Okur, who aggravated his left Achilles’ tendon injury in the first half, leading Boozer to believe he’ll have to move over to center for Game 2 Monday night… Kenyon Martin pulled down 12 rebounds in 34 minutes—the most he’s played since missing 18 games because of a balky left knee during the stretch run when the Nuggets fought through lots of adversity, including George Karl’s two-month absence to fight throat cancer.

Bulls clinch 8th playoff spot in East

The AP reports:

The Chicago Bulls clinched the NBA’s last unclaimed playoff spot on Wednesday night, as Derrick Rose scored 27 points and Joakim Noah added 21 points and 13 rebounds in a 98-89 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats.

Overcoming numerous injuries, internal strife, key trades and a horrible stretch early in the season, the Bulls closed the regular season with a three-game winning streak to beat out Toronto for the right to face Eastern Conference top seed Cleveland.

Needing a win or a Raptors loss to New York to get in, the Bulls quickly took it to the Bobcats, never trailing and leading by as many as 18 points.

Tyrus Thomas had 16 points and nine rebounds against his former team, while Gerald Wallace scored 15 points and Stephen Jackson 14 for the Bobcats, who had already locked up the seventh seed in the East and a first-round matchup with Orlando.

Bosh scores 42 but Warriors edge Raptors

The AP reports:

Don Nelson might not be much of a dancer, but he’s one heck of a coach.

Nelson tied Lenny Wilkens for the most wins by an NBA coach when the Golden State Warriors held off the Toronto Raptors 113-112 on Sunday night…

Golden State’s players danced in a circle around Nelson after the wild finish, which saw Chris Bosh steal the inbounds pass only to have his game-winning layup attempt roll off the rim as time expired…

Stephen Curry had 29 points and 12 assists, and Corey Maggette scored 31 points for the Warriors…

Bosh had 42 points and 12 rebounds for the Raptors, who lost for the first time in four games. Jarrett Jack scored 19 points and Andrea Bargnani had 18 points and nine rebounds.

Nets win 4th time in 6 games, beat Hornets

The AP reports:

Rookie Terrence Williams is finally figuring out how to play in the NBA, and so are the New Jersey Nets to be honest.

Williams had 14 points and a career-high 14 assists and the Nets posted their biggest win of the season with a 115-87 decision over the slumping New Orleans Hornets on Saturday night.

“Terrence was terrific,” Nets interim coach Kiki Vandeweghe said.

Unstoppable might have been a better word because the Hornets had no answer for Williams, who was 7 of 13 from the field and was the undeniable catalyst as the Nets (11-65) won for the fourth time in six games…

David West, who had 25 points, seven rebounds and six assists to lead New Orleans, noticed Williams in the game in which the Hornets allowed 40 fast-break points.

InsideHoops.com Notes:

Obviously it’s a bit late in the season for the Nets to come somewhat alive, but better late than never.

Williams has had a slightly better season than some may realize, only shooting 39.5% from the field for 7.9 points and a well-balanced 4.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 21.6 minutes per game.

In his last five games, Williams has averaged 15.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 7.2 assists.

The Nets yesterday beat a Hornets team that looked to have very little interest in competing, but still, T-Will’s improved play as of late is a rare New Jersey bright spot.

Dwight Howard owns paint in win over Mavs

The AP reports:

Dwight Howard dominates paint in win over Mavs

Dwight Howard regularly dominates in the paint for the Orlando Magic. The X-factor for the Magic is their 3-point shooting.

Howard had 17 points, 20 rebounds and five blocked shots, and his teammates converted 14 of 24 attempts from 3-point range as the Magic atoned for an earlier loss to Dallas with a 97-82 victory over the Mavericks on Thursday night.

Reserve Mickael Pietrus had a season-high 24 points, making all six of his 3-point attempts, and Vince Carter added 19 points to help Orlando win for the 14th time in 16 games…

Dirk Nowitzki scored 24 points to lead the Mavericks, whose three-game winning streak ended. Jason Terry and J.J. Barea had 16 points apiece in reserve roles for Dallas.

Nowitzki’s fellow starters—Shawn Marion, Brendan Haywood, Caron Butler and Jason Kidd—combined for only 20 points.

Dirk Nowitzki gets triple-double in Mavs win over Nuggets

Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News reports:

Either the Mavericks figured something out on Monday night, or the Denver Nuggets aren’t the same team they used to be. Or maybe it’s both.

The Western Conference’s No. 2 playoff seed now is there for the Mavericks’ taking after they dissected the Nuggets, 109-93, Monday night.

Dirk Nowitzki dominated with his second career triple-double, and the Mavericks took the season series, 2-1. That means any tie between the teams will go to the Mavericks when it comes to playoff seedings.

The AP reports:

Dirk Nowitzki’s scoring and rebounding are a given. The Dallas Mavericks’ All-Star forward also prides himself on his passing.

Nowitzki had 34 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for his second career triple-double, and the Mavericks maintained the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference with a 109-93 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Monday night.

His first 16 double-doubles this season were for points and rebounds. But with the Nuggets throwing double-teams at him, Nowitzki passed to open teammates for easy baskets.