Associated Press
The NBA playoff roundup …
LOS ANGELES ó Chris Paul had 33 points, 14 assists and seven rebounds, and the New Orleans Hornets pulled away down the stretch, stunning the two-time defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers with a 109-100 victory in their playoff opener Sunday.
Carl Landry scored 17 points and Jarrett Jack added 15 for the seventh-seeded Hornets, who overcame Los Angelesí major size advantage with a phenomenal game from Paul. The star playmaker scored 17 points in the fourth quarter, leading a late 8-0 run.
Kobe Bryant scored 34 points for the Lakers, who opened the postseason with the same halfhearted effort that comprised much of their regular season after three straight exhausting trips to the NBA finals.
Game 2 is Wednesday at Staples Center.
Los Angelesí 7-foot starters, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum, were widely expected to be an awful matchup for smallish New Orleans, but Paul led an impressive offensive game plan that minimized the big menís impact while emphasizing tough-to-defend pick-and-roll plays.
Celtics 87, Knicks 85
BOSTON ó Ray Allen hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 12 seconds left, Paul Pierce shut down Carmelo Anthony and the Boston Celtics rallied to beat the New York Knicks 87-85 in their playoff opener on Sunday night.
New York led 85-84 before Anthony was called for an offensive foul for pushing Pierce with 21 seconds remaining. Allen, who led the Celtics with 24 points, sank the decisive basket from beyond the left arc.
The Knicks then rushed downcourt and Anthony missed a long 3-point attempt with 2 seconds left. The superstar forward went 1 for 11 from the field in the second half.
Amare Stoudemire had 28 points and 11 rebounds for New York, and Anthony finished with 15.
Game 2 of the best-of-seven series is set for Tuesday.
Mavs-Blazers series
DALLAS ó Soon after Jason Kidd rejoined the Dallas Mavericks in 2008, he made a savvy move. He asked Dirk Nowitzki for advice about shooting 3-pointers.
Some tips he used, some he didnít. Among the discards was spreading out the first two fingers on his shooting hand.
Earlier this month, during some forced days off and in the midst of an awful shooting slump, Kidd finally decided to give it a try. The Portland Trail Blazers wish he hadnít. Kidd made six 3-pointers and scored 24 points to help lead the Mavericks to victory in Game 1.