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Clippers edge off Spurs 107-92 to take opener

Xinhua, April 20, 2015 Adjust font size:

Chris Paul scored 32 points and Blake Griffin added 26 points and 12 rebounds as Los Angeles surged in the second half to beat San Antonio Spurs 107-92 in their Western Conference first-round playoff series opener.

Jamal Crawford added 17 points for the Clippers, which built up 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 couldn't rally from their hefty second-half deficit.

In Atlanta, Kyle Korver scored 21 points, including five 3-pointers, as the top-seeded Atlanta 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 3-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 for Hawks. Johnson and Brook Lopez each scored 17 points for Nets.

In Memphis, reserve Beno Udrih scored 20 points and Memphis never trailed in routing Portland Trail Blazers 100-86 in Game 1 of the Western 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 didn't play the fourth quarter. Jeff Green had 11.

LaMarcus Aldridge led Portland with 32 points, going 13 of 34 shots. Damian Lillard added 14 points, shooting 5 of 21 overall and 0 of 6 beyond the arc. Nicolas Batum had 15 points. The Trail Blazers have lost five straight overall.

The Grizzlies swept Portland during the regular season and have won 10 of the last 11, including the first playoff game between the teams.

In Cleveland, Kyrie Irving scored 30 points in his playoff debut and LeBron James added 20 in his first postseason game with Cleveland in five years as the Cavaliers opened the series with a 113-100 victory over the Boston Celtics.

Irving made five 3-pointers and Kevin Love, another postseason rookie, had 19 points and 12 rebounds.

Isaiah Thomas scored 22 points to lead the seventh-seeded Celtics. Endi