SAN ANTONIO - Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker scored 18 points each as the San Antonio Spurs led from early in the first quarter and beat the Los Angeles Lakers 91-79 on Sunday in Game 1 of their Western Conference first-round series.
Tim Duncan added 17 points and 10 rebounds, Matt Bonner had 10 points and Kawhi Leonard had eight points and 11 rebounds for San Antonio.
Dwight Howard had 20 points and 15 rebounds, Steve Nash scored 16 points and Pau Gasol added 16 points and 16 rebounds for Los Angeles.
Despite the efforts from Howard and Gasol, the Lakers failed to take full advantage of their inside presence, much to the consternation of the injured Kobe Bryant, who watched the national broadcast.
“Post. Post. Post,” Bryant tweeted in reference to the Lakers’ offense.
Bryant is out for the remainder of the season with a torn Achilles.
Los Angeles’ length caused San Antonio problems early as the Spurs missed their first three shots - all inside the paint - as they altered their shots to avoid Howard and Gasol.
Nash, who returned after missing nine games with a hip/hamstring injury, gave the Lakers their only lead with a jumper on the game’s opening possession.
Duncan broke the drought, hitting a pair of jumpers over Gasol that gave San Antonio a 4-2 lead with 9:33 remaining and the Spurs led the rest of the way.
The Lakers shot 35 percent from the field in the first half, primarily missing shots from 11 feet and out. Los Angeles had 10 points in the paint, but could not consistently work the ball inside for attempts.
THUNDER 120, ROCKETS 91
OKLAHOMA CITY - Kevin Durant scored 24 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder routed ex-teammate James Harden and the Houston Rockets on Sunday night in Game 1 of their playoff series.
After letting Houston wipe away an 11-point deficit in the first half, the Thunder regained control with a 14-1 surge just before halftime and kept pouring it on.
Just after a fan nailed a half-court shot to win $20,000 in the break after the third quarter, Durant drove for a two-handed slam while getting fouled and Oklahoma City was soon up by 30.
Harden, playing against the team that traded him away just before the season started, had 20 points but the league’s second-highest scoring offense was held 15 points below its regular-season average while shooting 36 percent.
Game 2 is Wednesday night in Oklahoma City.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
PACERS 107, HAWKS 90
INDIANAPOLIS - Paul George scored 23 points, leading Indiana past Atlanta 107-90 for a 1-0 lead in the Eastern Conference series.
George made just 3 of 13 shots but was 17 of 18 from the free-throw line, had 11 rebounds and 12 assists. George Hill added 18 points despite playing with a left groin injury. It’s the first time since 2006 that the Pacers have opened a playoff series with a victory.
The best-of-seven series resumes Wednesday at Indy.
On Sunday, the Central Division champions played more like the team that was contending for the No. 2 seed rather than the one stumbling to five losses in its previous seven games.
Atlanta was led by Jeff Teague with 21 points and Josh Smith with 15.
The Pacers weren’t sure what to expect after four starters - George, Hill, Roy Hibbert and David West - took a six-day break from game action.
HEAT 110, BUCKS 87
MIAMI - LeBron James has never taken fewer shots in a playoff game than he did on Sunday night, which at first glance might seem like a good thing for the Milwaukee Bucks.
It was not.
James scored 27 points on 9 for 11 shooting while Ray Allen scored 20 off the bench and the defending-champion Heat picked up where they left off in the NBA playoffs a year ago, never trailing on the way to beating the Bucks 110-87 in Game 1 of an Eastern Conference first-round series.
Dwyane Wade scored 16, Chris Bosh added 15 and Chris Andersen finished with 10 on 4 for 4 shooting for the Heat, who opened their title defense by holding Milwaukee to 42 percent shooting and out rebounding the Bucks 46-31.
At a glance
SUNDAY’S GAMES
Indiana 107, Atlanta 90
Indiana leads series 1-0
San Antonio 91, LA Lakers 79,
San Antonio leads series 1-0
Miami 110, Milwaukee 87
Miami leads series 1-0
Oklahoma City 120, Houston 91
Oklahoma City leads series 1-0
TODAY’S GAMES All times Central
Chicago at Brooklyn, 7 p.m.
Memphis at LA Clippers, 9:30 p.m.
Sports, Pages 13 on 04/22/2013