Gasol finds playoff joy in Lakers win

LOS ANGELES: Pau Gasol scored 36 points and grabbed 16 rebounds to help the Los Angeles Lakers overpower the Denver Nuggets 128-114 in Game 1 of their Western Conference quarterfinal series on Sunday.

Gasol also had eight assists in the first playoff victory of his NBA career after the Spaniard had lost 12 consecutive post-season games with the Memphis Grizzlies before joining the Lakers in February.

"I have been successful sometimes and sometimes I haven't been successful but right now I'm in a good position and I'm enjoying it," Gasol told reporters.

Team mate Kobe Bryant said after watching Gasol play for Spain in international competition he knew the center could succeed with the Lakers.

"It's more pressure, with him playing for his country," Bryant said.

"He always played big, in big games winning world championships and things of that nature, so I knew he could perform at a high level."

Together, he and Gasol provided a difficult challenge for opponents when both are playing effectively, Bryant said.

"It's very tough for teams to figure out how they want to play us," the Lakers guard said.

In other playoff openers on Sunday, the Boston Celtics crushed the Atlanta Hawks 104-81, the Philadelphia 76ers rallied from a 15-point deficit to surprise the Detroit Pistons 90-86 and the Orlando Magic beat the Toronto Raptors 114-100.

In Los Angeles, Bryant provided a major spark in the fourth quarter, scoring 18 of his points in the period to ensure the conference top seed opened the best-of-seven series with a comfortable victory.

Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson each scored 30 points for the Nuggets with Anthony adding 12 rebounds.

Iverson, however, was ejected from the game with 2:10 remaining after picking up his second technical foul for arguing with officials.

"We just broke down," Iverson said when asked about Denver's play in the third quarter where they were outscored 39-22.

"They got some run-outs, easy baskets and they went on their run ... We couldn't get back. "

The Nuggets's troubles started even before they arrived at Staples Center for the game.

One of their buses, with eight players and staff aboard, began smoking and lost power on a Los Angeles freeway, prompting the driver to order everyone off the bus as a safety precaution.

"Everybody kind of gathers their things, pretty light-hearted," Nuggets spokesman Eric Sebastian said.

"But at the same time there's a little bit of concern. (Forward Eduardo) Najera's running down the highway, saying, 'I'm getting as far away from this bus as I can!'"

The players waited on the highway until a second bus arrived and transported them to the arena.

Game 2 is in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

In Orlando, Florida, Howard had 25 points and 22 rebounds and Jameer Nelson added 24 points to help Orlando beat Toronto in the opener of their first-round series.

Howard scored six straight points in a 10-0 fourth-quarter run that sealed Orlando's first playoff win since 2003. He also blocked five shots and made 9-of-11 free throws.

Anthony Parker had 24 points and 8 rebounds for Toronto, Chris Bosh scored 21 and Rasho Nesterovic had 16 points and 8 rebounds.

In Auburn Hills, Michigan, Andre Miller scored 20 points and Willie Green had a career playoff-high 17, helping Philadelphia stun Detroit in Game 1 of their first-round series.

After the Sixers trailed 62-47, Green made two baskets to start a 10-0 run that sparked a comeback.

Miller gave Philadelphia a lead midway through the fourth quarter for the first time since late in the first.

In Boston, Ray Allen scored 18 points and Kevin Garnett had 16 as the two newcomers who led Boston to the NBA's best record sparked it to a win in its playoff opener against Atlanta.

Garnett stopped a 14-3 Hawks run with a jumper, starting a six-point Boston surge that made it 35-27 in the second quarter. And Allen scored 10 straight Celtics points midway through the third that extended a 13-point lead to 67-48 with 5:39 left in the period.

Agencies

(China Daily 04/22/2008 page24)