TORONTO -- For Paul George, missing the playoffs after he was sidelined by injury most of last season was a painful experience.
Now healthy, he couldn't be happier about being back in the postseason.
George scored 33 points, Monta Ellis had 15 and the Indiana Pacers beat the Toronto Raptors 100-90 in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series Saturday.
George missed all but six games last season after breaking his right leg while playing in a scrimmage with Team USA before the 2014 World Cup. Without their star for much of the season, Indiana slumped to a 38-44 finish and missed the playoffs for the first time in five years (see full recap).
Hawks hold on for win after another Celtics rally
ATLANTA -- Jeff Teague stymied another big Boston comeback, taking matters into his own hands in the closing minutes to lead the Atlanta Hawks to a 102-101 victory over the Celtics in Game 1 of the opening-round playoff series Saturday night.
Teague scored 23 points and doled out 12 assists, making sure Atlanta maintained the home-court edge after the gritty Celtics rallied from a 19-point deficit.
With the game tied at 88, Teague worked the pick-and-roll to set up a layup for Al Horford. The Celtics missed and the Hawks again got the ball to Teague, who found Paul Millsap alone under the basket for a dunk that pushed Atlanta to a 92-88 lead with 2:56 remaining (see full recap).
Philadelphia 76ers
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Stephen Curry leads Warriors past Rockets in playoff opener
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Stephen Curry dazzled from long range and drove to the hoop with flair and fire until a tweaked ankle finally slowed him down.
Once he sat for good after three firm requests to coach Steve Kerr about returning, his supporting cast handled the rest.
"Like a kid in timeout over there on the bench," Curry said of his mood.
He still did plenty, scoring 24 points as the Golden State Warriors beat the Houston Rockets 104-78 on Saturday in their playoff opener.
The reigning MVP's status for the next game is uncertain (see full recap).
