Mills, Delly score NBA Playoff wins

Matthew Dellavedova touched the ball three times and sank a long bomb in one stunning Cavaliers' play that sparked their victory over the Pistons.

Cavaliers' LeBron James (23) drives past Pistons' Reggie Jackson

Cleveland have beaten Detroit 106-101 in game one of their NBA playoffs first round series. (AAP)

Patty Mills' San Antonio Spurs and Matthew Dellavedova's Cleveland Cavaliers have impressively won their opening games of the NBA Playoffs.

Mills had 15 points, including three three-pointers, and four rebounds in the Spurs' 106-74 thrashing of the injury-ravaged Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday in San Antonio.

The five-time NBA champion Spurs, led by veterans Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, showed little emotion after the lopsided victory, noting there was still a long way to go in the best-of-seven series.

"We need to keep it going," Parker, who also had 15 points, said.

"It's just one win."

The Grizzlies, who lost 10 of their last 11 regular season games, were without injured All-Star big man Marc Gasol and guard Mike Conley.

The Grizzlies' 39-year-old veteran Vince Carter top-scored for his team with 16 points.

The Spurs, the Western Conference second seed, will again host the seventh-seeded Memphis in San Antonio on Tuesday.

Dellavedova had seven points and two rebounds in the Cavaliers' come-from-behind 106-101 defeat of the upstart Detroit Pistons in Cleveland.

The Cavaliers' three All-Stars LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love lived up to their "Big Three" tag when they combined for 81 points.

Irving top scored with 31 points, six assists and five rebounds, Love had 28 points and 13 rebounds while James had 22 points, 11 assists and six rebounds.

Dellavedova started and finished one of great plays of the first round of the playoffs.

It came early in the fourth quarter with the Pistons leading 83-79 and on track to cause an upset.

The play involved nine passes in just 15 seconds with Dellavedova touching the ball three times, including capping the play with a long shot with his toe touching the three point line.

It fired up the crowd and the Eastern Conference number one seed Cavaliers stormed to victory over the eight seed Pistons.

The Pistons' Australian forward-centre Aron Baynes had three points, but along with starting centre Andre Drummond, were no match for the hot-handed Love, who challenged them to guard him on the three point line.

"We know this is Goliath, but we like the challenge," Pistons guard Reggie Jackson said.

Game two is in Cleveland on Wednseday.

In the other Eastern Conference playoff game on Sunday third seed Miami Heat destroyed the sixth seed Charlotte Hornets 123-91.


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Source: AAP



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Mills, Delly score NBA Playoff wins | SBS News