DeRozan scores 18 as Spurs pick up Game 1 win over Nuggets

DeMar DeRozan scored 18 points and Derrick White had a key steal in the closing seconds in the San Antonio Spurs' 101-96 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Saturday night in Game 1 of their playoff series.

Game 2 is Tuesday night in Denver, where the second-seeded Nuggets failed to parlay the NBA's best home-court record (34-7) into a win against the seventh-seeded but much more seasoned Spurs.

The Spurs' win marked the third by a road team on the opening day of the NBA playoffs. They joined the Nets, who won at Philadelphia, and Magic, who won at Toronto.

The Nuggets, making their first playoff appearance in six years, trailed most of the night. Their last lead came with four minutes left in the first quarter but they trimmed a 12-point deficit to one in the closing minutes.

Curry drains 8 3s in Warriors' rout of Clippers

Stephen Curry scored 38 points and made eight three-pointers to give him the most in post-season history, and the top-seeded Golden State Warriors began their quest for a three-peat by running away from the frustrated Los Angeles Clippers for a 121-104 victory in their playoff opener Saturday on a night tempers flared.

Kevin Durant and Patrick Beverley were ejected with 4:41 to go, just 19 seconds after they received double-technicals when Durant stripped Beverley and the Clippers guard fell into the scorer's table. They both became enraged again and official Ed Malloy immediately sent them both to the locker room. Durant high-fived fans as he exited and the home crowd went into chants of "Beat L.A.!"

Curry shot 8 for 12 from deep to pass Ray Allen (385) for career postseason threes with 386, had a post-season career-high 15 rebounds, seven assists and the 31st 30-point postseason performance of his career.

Perhaps this old, heated rivalry still has all the testiness of years past — just with new faces all around.

These teams are meeting for just the second time in the post-season after the Clippers took a seven-game, first-round series in 2014 when the California franchises had a deep dislike for each other.

Game 2 is Monday night back at Oracle Arena.

Draymond Green got Golden State going by making all five of his shots in the first quarter on the way to 17 points to go with seven assists and seven rebounds, while Durant scored 23 points as the Warriors ran their post-season winning streak to seven games.

On one of his marvelous threes, the two-time MVP knocked one down from way back late in the third, nearly did the splits in the air and landed on his behind — still smiling all the while.

Montrezl Harrell scored 26 points and fellow reserve Lou Williams contributed 25 points and nine assists as Los Angeles returned to the playoffs after missing last season following six straight appearances.

Beverley, who missed last Sunday's 131-104 loss at Oracle because of a right hip pointer and was booed during pregame introductions, didn't score in the first half and wound up with three points on 1-for-7 shooting, seven assists and seven rebounds.

He and Durant received double-technicals with five minutes left before they got into it again.

Nets upend 76ers

D'Angelo Russell flashed some post-season magic, playing like the all-star leader Brooklyn needed with 26 points, and Caris LeVert scored 23 to lead the Nets to an impressive 111-102 win Saturday over the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series.

The sixth-seeded Nets turned Philly in the city of 20,000 boos — and that's just counting the ones echoing throughout the Wells Fargo Center — as they smoked a Sixers team that resembled one straight out of the early Process era.

Jimmy Butler scored 36 points and saved the Sixers, widely considered a favourite to at least reach the East semis, from losing by 25. Joel Embiid slogged his way through 24 forgettable minutes on his bum left knee. Ben Simmons was a postseason dud against Russell, his high school teammate.

Russell, LeVert and Spencer Dinwiddie gave the Sixers fits off the dribble, buried open looks from three-point range, and suddenly a team that got hot late just to make the playoffs has the upper-hand on the road over a 51-win team stocked with stars.

Russell, who scored 19 points in the second half, can safely scroll through his cell phone to see he's trending.

Who knows what the Sixers used a phone for — benchwarmer Amir Johnson appeared to show Embiid a text when they sat on the bench and the Sixers down 16 in the fourth. Johnson slid the phone into his warmup pants pocket.

The Sixers sure phoned it in.

Poised for a post-season breakthrough, Russell flourished and hit a string of jumpers in the third that never let the Sixers seriously chip away at the lead. LeVert's third three in the fourth made it a 16-point game and there was no looking back for one of the biggest wins since the Nets moved to Brooklyn. Russell raised his arms in celebration as he headed down the tunnel into Brooklyn's locker room.

Embiid rusty

Embiid was introduced to a roaring standing ovation and heard chants of "MVP!" and "Trust the Process" when he opened the game with two free throws. But he just wasn't ready to play at an all-star level for any serious length of time. He was hit with a technical when he shoved Jared Dudley to the ground and went back to the locker room for more treatment with about three minutes left in the first half. He scored 22 points — including 12 free throws — and had 15 rebounds.

Butler kept the Sixers in the game with a sensational first half that showed why the franchise surrendered so much to land the four-time All-Star. He buried a three at the horn to send the Sixers into the break down 62-54. He was 6 of 10 and scored 23 points while the rest of the Sixers shot 10 of 38 for 31 points. Simmons, a first-time all-star, missed four of five shots and scored only two points.