NBA Playoffs - Game 1 round-up 18th April

Dirk Nowitzki was head and shoulders above the opposition on Sunday.

Thunder 79, Lakers 87
Pau Gasol scored 19 points, Andrew Bynum added 13 and the Los Angeles Lakers used their two 7-footers to dominate the net against the Oklahoma City Thunder, winning game one of their playoff series 87-79 on Sunday. Kobe Bryant added 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.  After conceding a big lead in the first quarter Oklahoma chased hard for most of the game. Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 24 points - under the 30.1 average of the NBA's youngest-ever scoring champion. Former UCLA star Russell Westbrook added 23.  Bynum returned from a 13-game absence because of a strained right Achilles' tendon, teaming with Gasol to pull down a combined 25 rebounds and deny the Thunder key second-chance baskets.

Magic 98, Bobcats 89
Jameer Nelson scored 24 of his 32 points in the first half, and the Orlando Magic nearly wasted a 22-point lead before beating the Charlotte Bobcats in Game 1.  Rashard Lewis added 19 points, and Dwight Howard had nine blocks but was limited offensively and in foul trouble for most of the second half.  Gerald Wallace had 25 points, and Stephen Jackson played through a hyperextended left knee to finish with 18 points in the Bobcats' first playoff game in franchise history. Charlotte defended strongly against Howard to deny him near the rim and frustrate the Magic's All-Star center. Howard collected just five points and seven rebounds, and was 1 for 6 on free throws. 

Mavericks 100, Spurs 94
Dirk Nowitzki opened the playoffs in top gear, making 12 of 14 shots and scoring 36 points to lead the Dallas Mavericks over the San Antonio Spurs.  The Spurs did a good job of slowing Nowitzki in the first round last year, usually by swarming him with two and sometimes three defenders. They went with only one most of this game and the difference was huge.  Caron Butler scored 22 points and Brendan Haywood added 10 in their playoff debut for Dallas. Both were part of a major trade in February that turned a good Mavericks team into a much better one. They came into the playoffs having won eight of 10 and five straight.  Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker all looked in prime playoff form - but few others contributed as strongly. Duncan had 27 points and eight rebounds, Ginobili scored 26 and Parker had 18 points and four assists. George Hill started at point guard, but was scoreless with two turnovers in 18 minutes. 

Trail Blazers 105, Suns 100
Andre Miller scored 15 points in the fourth quarter and tied his career playoff high with 31 points as the short-handed Portland Trail Blazers stole homecourt advantage from the Phoenix Suns.  Methodical Portland was a tough matchup for the Suns all season and it was no different in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series, despite the absence of the Blazers' scoring leader, Brandon Roy.  LaMarcus Aldridge added 22 points and Nicolas Batum 18 for Portland. Jerryd Bayless also had 18 for the Blazers, 10 in the fourth quarter, but missed two free throws with 12.2 seconds left to give Phoenix a shot to tie. Steve Nash's 3-point try was well short, though, and Miller's two free throws sealed the win.  Marcus Camby grabbed 17 rebounds for Portland, two shy off his career playoff best.