Durant, Warriors run roughshod over Spurs

Kevin Durant helped the defending NBA champions get defensive in a hurry, finishing with 24 points, eight rebounds and seven assists as the Warriors returned to their old dominant selves at playoff time to beat the cold-shooting Spurs 113-92 on Saturday in Oakland, Calif.

Durant, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson took charge in Game 1 of the Western Conference firstround series to elevate the Warriors’ intensity while playing without injured two-time MVP Stephen Curry, sidelined since March 23 with a sprained left knee.

Thompson found his shot and scored 27 points, making 11 of 13 shots, while 7-foot JaVale McGee started in Steve Kerr’s center-bycommittee approach and contributed 15 points, four rebounds and two blocked shots in 16 minutes.

The Warriors recorded 32 assists on 44 field goals and held a decisive 51-30 rebounding advantage.

They also came with the kind of swarming defense they hadn’t shown much lately as rotations were mixed because of injuries and illness. Missing their four All-Stars at times, the Warriors lost seven of 10 over one stretch last month.

Rudy Gay led the Spurs with 15 points off the bench as leading scorer LaMarcus Aldridge was limited to 14 points on 5-for-12 shooting. The Spurs shot 40 percent for the game.

Game 2 in the best-ofseven series is Monday night at Oracle Arena.

Serge Ibaka had 23 points and 12 rebounds, Delon Wright scored 11 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter and the Raptors snapped a 10-game losing streak in playoff openers by beating the Wizards in Toronto in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference firstround series.

DeMar DeRozan added 17 points, C.J. Miles and OG Anunoby each had 12, and Kyle Lowry finished with 11 points and nine assists for the Raptors, whose only previous opening-game victory came in 2001.

John Wall had 23 points and 15 assists for the Wizards, while Markieff Morris added 22 points and 11 rebounds.