OKLAHOMA — The Golden State Warriors built a big early lead and overcame an injury to point guard Stephen Curry to thump the Houston Rockets 104-78 in the opener of the Western Conference first-round series in Oakland, California, Saturday.
Curry, the league’s leading scorer, had 24 points, including 16 in the first quarter, before twisting his right ankle in the second quarter of the Warriors’ 40th win in 42 home dates this season.
The league’s reigning Most Valuable Player went to the locker room for examination just before halftime and returned to play the first 2:47 of the third quarter before Golden State coach Steve Kerr abruptly called a timeout and took his star out of the game.
By that point, Golden State had built a commanding 65-39 lead.
In a rematch of last year’s Western Conference finals, the Warriors hounded Houston into 2-of-13 shooting from the field to begin the game and frustrated the Rockets to the point that point guard Patrick Beverley scuffled briefly with Curry just 5:29 into the game.
Both players received technical fouls.
Game Two will be played in Oakland on Monday. Curry’s participation appears to be in doubt, based on Kerr’s post-game comments.
Thunder too much for Mavs
Russell Westbrook scored 24 points to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 108-70 victory over the Dallas Mavericks at the Chesapeake Energy Arena.
The Thunder took a 1-0 lead in the first-round series with the Mavericks.
Westbrook shot 7 of 15 from the field to go along with 11 rebounds and five assists. Kevin Durant added 23 points, five assists and five rebounds in only 26 minutes of work and Serge Ibaka posted 17 points and nine boards.
Dirk Nowitzki led Dallas with 18 points on 7-of-15 shooting. No other Maverick scored in double figures.
Game 2 is Monday in Oklahoma City.
Hawks beat Celtics
The Atlanta Hawks were melting down, their 19-point lead over the Boston Celtics long gone. Al Horford wasn’t going down like that, though.
Horford scored 24 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and made multiple hustle plays down the stretch, allowing Atlanta to escape with a 102-101 win in Game 1 of an Eastern Conference playoffs series that is expected to be tight.
After trailing by as many as 19 in the first, Boston’s Avery Bradley and Marcus Smart sparked a second-half rally. It was the second straight improbable comeback for the Celtics, who stormed back from 26 down in a win over the Miami Heat in the final game of the regular season. Boston nearly did it again Saturday.
Isaiah Thomas scored 19 points, and Bradley scored 18 points, before suffering a lower leg injury midway through the fourth quarter. He had to be helped off the floor and taken back to the locker room. Bradley did not return.
Game 2 is Tuesday in Atlanta.
Pacers edge Raptors
Paul George scored 33 points, Monta Ellis had 15 and Indiana beat Toronto in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series.
Jonas Valanciunas fouled out after scoring 12 points and setting a Raptors’ playoff record with 19 rebounds.
All-Star guards Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan both struggled for the second-seeded Raptors. Lowry made 3 of 13 field goal attempts while DeRozan made 5 of 19. The pair went 1 for 10 from 3-point range and 8 for 15 at the free-throw line.
DeRozan finished with 14 points and Lowry had 11. Cory Joseph scored 18.
Toronto dropped to 0-8 in the first game of an opening-round playoff series.
