Pacers 98, Cavaliers 90

LeBron James figured he had experienced everything in 12 postseasons.

Turns out, there was something new.

Victor Oladipo scored 32 points and Indiana outplayed Cleveland from the start while pulling off a stunning victory Sunday in the series opener, handing James and the Cavaliers' their first loss in the opening round in eight years.

It also was the first playoff-opening loss for James, who came in 12-0 in Game 1s and didn't realize he had been perfect starting the postseason.

"Is it?" James said. "I've never lost a game in the first round before in my career?

But while he knows the narrative before Wednesday's Game 2 will be on the struggles of Cleveland's playoff newcomers, James isn't worried.

"I'm down 0-1 in the first round," he said. "I was down 3-1 in the Finals. So, I'm the last guy to ask about how you're going to feel the next couple days."

The Pacers are feeling confident after beating the Cavs for fourth time this season.

Indiana took control from the outset, opening a 21-point lead in the first quarter and pushing it to 23 in the third. The Cavs got within seven in the fourth, but Oladipo, once a role player who has blossomed into an All-Star in his first season with Indiana, hit a big 3-pointer and Bojan Bogdanovic helped put Cleveland away with a 3 to make it 88-71.

When the final horn sounded, the Pacers didn't celebrate or run around the floor like they had accomplished anything special.

They calmly walked off, business as usual.

"We believe that we can win," Oladipo said. "We came into this game with a mentality that we wanted to attack on both ends of the floor and play the way we've been playing all year, and we did a great job of that. It's only one game, it's only Game 1."

The Pacers completely outplayed the three-time defending conference champions, whose turbulent regular season has carried over into the playoffs.

James scored 24 with 12 assists and 10 rebounds for his 20th career triple-double. But James got little help as Cleveland's four other starters — Kevin Love, Jeff Green, Rodney Hood and George Hill — combined for 25 points.

"They were more aggressive," James said. "They just played inspired basketball and they just took advantage of everything we wanted to try and do. They were more physical than us at the point of attack, and they were most precise with what they wanted to do, and we couldn't score the ball."

Cleveland went just 8 of 34 on 3-pointers and missed eight of 20 free throws.

The Cavs' playoff theme is: "Whatever It Takes."

Well, it's now going to take a first-round comeback.

This is all new to James, who had won 21 consecutive first-round games and lost a postseason for the first time in his 13th playoffs. The 33-year-old is trying to get to his eighth straight Finals, and already the path is tougher than imagined. Cleveland had won 14 straight first-round games, last losing on April 22, 2010, the last season of James' first stint with the Cavs.

Indiana was swept by Cleveland in last year's opening round. Those Pacers, though, didn't have Oladipo or the balance of this Indy squad, which may lack experience but not confidence.

Lance Stephenson, a longtime playoff nemesis for James, helped set the tone in the first quarter with a dunk he punctuated by throwing several punches into the padded basket stanchion

The Pacers took the fight to the Cavs, and Indiana's players are battling critics who say they can't compete with Cleveland.

"We were definitely mad," Stephenson said. "They still don't believe. We're just going to keep proving everyone wrong and play together."

While some fans are getting their first look at Oladipo, the Pacers have seen this before.

"On this team, we all know what Victor can do when he steps on the court," Thaddeus Young said. "You've got to double-team him because he makes good decisions with the basketball. When you don't, you saw what he's capable of."

Hill sustained a bruised back when he was hit from behind on a screen by Indiana's Trevor Booker. Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said Hill's back bothered him after halftime and he was forced to play James at the point. Lue expects Hill to be good for Wednesday.

Cavs forward Kyle Korver played just four minutes because of lingering foot soreness.

Indiana has been eliminated by James four times in the past eight seasons.

Rockets 104, Timberwolves 101

Trailing by 1 in the fourth quarter against Minnesota, Houston needed someone to step up.

No surprise that it was James Harden who came through.

Harden scored 44 points and powered a big fourth-quarter run that allowed the Rockets to outlast the Timberwolves in Game 1 of the first-round playoff series.

"We were struggling to make shots, struggling to really have any kind of rhythm and James put us on his back," coach Mike D'Antoni said. "He's been doing it for a while now."

Minnesota scored four straight points to get within 3 with about 30 seconds left. Chris Paul added two free throws after that for Houston, but a tip-in by Karl-Anthony Towns got Minnesota back within 3. After a bad pass by Paul gave the Timberwolves a chance to tie it with 1.5 seconds left, Jimmy Butler's shot was short.

"Came up short," Butler said. "But I'd shoot it again if I had the opportunity."

The Timberwolves had a one-point lead with about seven minutes left when Houston used a 9-0 run, with the last seven points from Harden, to make it 94-86 with about four minutes to go. Harden, who also had a steal in that span, capped the run with a 3-pointer that prompted Minnesota coach Tom Thibodeau to call a timeout.

Jeff Teague ended Minnesota's scoring drought with two free throws after the timeout and added a 3-point play after a basket by Harden. Harden made another shot to give him 11 straight points for Houston before another basket by Teague.

Harden got Capela in on the scoring after that, finding him for an alley-oop that pushed the lead to 101-93 with less than three minutes left.

"Honestly I was just trying to be aggressive and make the right play," Harden said. "I think if you have that aggressive mindset, good things will happen."

The top-seeded Rockets had their hands full with the No. 8 Timberwolves on a night where Houston made just 10 of 37 3-pointers. Harden shot 7 for 12 on 3-pointers, but Trevor Ariza, P.J. Tucker, Eric Gordon and Paul combined to make just 3 of their 22 tries.

"We've had games like this throughout the season and the biggest thing that I've learned, that I think our teams knows is that we don't stop shooting," Paul said. "We still take the shots that we get and coming into Game 2 guess what? We're going to shoot them again because we have that confidence."

Houston kept All-Star big man Towns in check, limiting him to just eight points after he'd averaged 21.3 in leading the Wolves to their first playoff appearance since 2004. Andrew Wiggins scored 18 points to lead Minnesota.

Thibodeau said the Rockets did a good job of switching on Towns and using double-teams to slow him down, but admitted he has to do more.

"He's got to be more active," Thibodeau said.

Said Towns: "I've got to be better all-around."

The Wolves scored the first nine points of the second half to take a 56-54 lead. Tucker made a 3 for the Rockets after that, but Minnesota used a 6-1 spurt, with 3s from Wiggins and Teague, to go back on top 62-58.

The Rockets had managed just six points in the quarter when Gerald Green made a basket with to cut the lead to 1 with about five minutes left in the third. Derrick Rose added a bucket seconds later, but Houston scored six straight points after that to put Houston up 68-65. Harden got things going when he made a 3-pointer while being fouled by Rose and also made the free throw.

Minnesota led by a basket after a jump shot by Towns with about two minutes left in the quarter. Harden took over after that, scoring the last six points of the quarter to leave Houston up 76-72 entering the fourth.

Harden hit a 3-pointer before making a driving layup he was fouled on by Gorgui Dieng. Harden flexed each bicep twice while peering down at the muscles after the shot before making the free throw.

The Rockets swept the regular-season series 4-0, winning by an average of 15.8 points a game and it looked like this one might be another blowout early as the Rockets raced out to a 17-6 lead behind 10 early points from Clint Capela. But the Timberwolves got going after that and had tied it up by late in the first quarter.

The Rockets led 54-47 at halftime.

Butler, who led the team by averaging 22.2 points in the regular season, finished with 13 points. Towns had 12 rebounds and two assists.

Capela had 20 points and 10 rebounds at halftime, but was limited in the second half and added just four more points and two rebounds.

Paul on tying a season-high with six turnovers: "I think the worst thing was the turnovers. I feel like I was with the Bad News Bears."

Thunder 116, Jazz 108

On Saturday, Thunder forward Paul George told reporters about an alter-ego he calls "Playoff P."

On Sunday, George gave the media, his teammates and Utah a formal introduction.

George scored 36 points to help Oklahoma City defeat Utah in Game 1 of their Western Conference playoff series.

"That's his new name?" seemingly perplexed teammate Carmelo Anthony asked with a smile.

George lived up to it. He set an Oklahoma City playoff record with eight 3-pointers, blowing past the previous mark of five. He made eight of 11 shots from long range, and 13 of 20 shots overall.

It was his first playoff game with the Thunder since being acquired in a trade with the Indiana in the offseason. He had averaged more than 27 points per game in the playoffs for the Pacers the past two years.

"I'm going to bring it to that level every night," George said. "Obviously, I was hot tonight, but that's the level I'm going to bring every night."

Russell Westbrook had 29 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists and Anthony added 15 points for the Thunder, who will host Game 2 on Wednesday.

Westbrook, who seemingly was Oklahoma City's only scoring option for much of last season, appreciated the help.

"When he's aggressive, man, it changes the game for us," Westbrook said. "You saw that tonight. He had it going. Our job is to make sure we find him, make it easy for him. As long as he stays aggressive, we'll be a better team."

Many of George's makes were contested. His success made it difficult for the Jazz to cover other players.

"He made a couple and we changed up what we were doing, and he went to something else," Jazz coach Quin Snyder said. "He went to pick-and-roll and he made a couple more, and then we tried to take him, and he passed the ball."

Utah doesn't expect George to keep making those tough shots.

"If those shots start to affect you, then the whole game plan goes away," said rookie Donovan Mitchell, who led the Jazz with 27 points and 10 rebounds. "So we just kept sticking with it, and hopefully, he doesn't go 8 for 11 the rest of the series. But we played great defense, and we are proud of that."

Mitchell left the game in the second half with left foot soreness. He returned but played sporadically.

"I feel fine," he said. "Think I just stubbed my toe. Nothing major."

Rudy Gobert scored 14 points, and Joe Ingles and Jae Crowder each added 13 for the Jazz.

The Thunder recovered from a 16-4 deficit to tie it at 25 at the end of the first quarter. Oklahoma City led 54-48 at halftime behind 20 points from George and 14 from Westbrook.

George hit his seventh 3-pointer to push Oklahoma City's lead to 79-66. He hit a deep 2-pointer to close the quarter and give the Thunder an 81-72 lead.

Alex Abrines hit two 3-pointers early in the fourth quarter to give Oklahoma City a 92-80 lead and force Utah to call timeout. The Thunder held off a surge in the final minute.