Cavs Fend Off Pistons

Cleveland — Kyrie Irving scored 31 points in his first playoff game since being injured last year in the NBA Finals and Kevin Love added 28, leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 106-101 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Sunday in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series.

LeBron James added 22 points and 11 assists for the top-seeded Cavs. They are favored to win the Eastern Conference again but got all they could handle from the Pistons.

Love, knocked out of the playoffs with a shoulder injury in the first round a year ago, made two critical 3-pointers in the fourth quarter.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 21 points and Marcus Morris 20 — but just one after halftime — for the Pistons, making their first playoff appearance since 2009. Andre Drummond had 13 points and 11 rebounds.

Spurs 106, Grizzlies 74

San Antonio — Kawhi Leonard had 20 points and San Antonio beat Memphis in Game 1 of their Western Conference series, handing the Grizzlies their worst postseason loss.

LaMarcus Aldridge added 17 points, and Tony Parker had 15 points and six assists for San Antonio. The Spurs sat their starters in the fourth quarter to rest them for Game 2 on Tuesday night in San Antonio.

Heat 123, Hornets 91

Miami — Luol Deng scored 31 points on 11-for-13 shooting, Hassan Whiteside added 21 points and 11 rebounds in his postseason debut, and Miami routed Charlotte in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference series.

Dwyane Wade scored 16 points in 26 minutes, Joe Johnson and Amare Stoudemire each had 11 points, and Goran Dragic finished with 10 assists.

Miami scored 41 points in the first quarter to tie one franchise playoff record, set another with the 123 points — topping the 121 in the 2012 NBA Finals clincher against Oklahoma City — and never trailed.

Nic Batum scored 24 points for the Hornets. Kemba Walker added 19.

Game 2 is Wednesday night in Miami.