Blowout: Bucks cruise in opener

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 24 points and 17 rebounds in just 24 minutes, and the top-seeded Bucks showed they were serious about making a playoff run with a 121-86 rout of the Pistons in Game 1 of their first-round series Sunday night in Milwaukee.

The MVP candidate ran and dunked all over the Pistons, who only really caught him when center Andre Drummond shoved him to the ground with both hands late in the third quarter after Antetokounmpo grabbed an offensive rebound with the Pistons trailing by 41.

Drummond was given a flagrant 2 foul and ejected.

Antetokounmpo struggled at the foul line, making only 5 of 12 attempts, but was 9 for 17 from the field and 1 of 5 from 3-point range.

Seven Bucks players scored in double figures.

The Pistons played without forward Blake Griffin, who’s day to day with a left knee injury.

Trail Blazers 104, Thunder 99: Damian Lillard scored 30 points and the Trail Blazers held on at home for a victory in the series opener.

Enes Kanter added 20 points and a career playoff-high 18 rebounds and CJ McCollum had 24 points for the Blazers.

The Thunders’ Russell Westbrook had 24 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds for his ninth career postseason triple-double. Paul George, who was a gametime decision because of a sore shoulder, added 26 points and 10 rebounds.

The Blazers led by as many as 19 in the first half, but the Thunder made it close in the fourth quarter.

Celtics 84, Pacers 74:

Kyrie Irving and Marcus Morris each had 20 points, and the host Celtics rallied in the second half to win the series opener.

Jayson Tatum finished with 15 points. Al Horford added 10 points and 11 rebounds, and Gordon Hayward had 10 points. It was the first playoff game since 2017 for Irving and Hayward after each missed last year’s postseason with injuries.

The Pacers led by 11 in the first half but had just eight points in the third quarter . The Celtics capitalized and led by as many as 22 in the fourth.