Basketball

NEW YORK (AP) — Jimmy Butler looked his coach in the eye and said he was staying in the game, no matter how much his ankle might have hurt.

The Phoenix Suns' star quartet of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton looked mighty average in their Game 1 loss to the Denver Nuggets. Now it's gut check time when the Suns try to even the series in Game 2 on Monday in Denver.

BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Celtics successfully responded to the challenge an inspired Atlanta Hawks team posed over six games during the opening round of the playoffs.

NEW YORK (AP) — Grizzlies sparkplug Dillon Brooks did all kinds of talking on and off the court during Memphis' first-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Lakers.

NEW YORK (AP) — New York Knicks All-Star forward Julius Randle missed Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Miami Heat on Sunday because of a sprained left ankle.

Philadelphia 76ers (54-28, third in the Eastern Conference) vs. Boston Celtics (57-25, second in the Eastern Conference) Boston; Monday, 7:30 p.m. EDT FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK NBA LINE : Celtics -9; over/under is 213.

Phoenix Suns (45-37, fourth in the Western Conference) vs. Denver Nuggets (53-29, first in the Western Conference) Denver; Monday, 10 p.m. EDT FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK NBA LINE : Nuggets -4.5; over/under is 227.

DENVER (AP) — Jamal Murray kept imploring the crowd to get louder and louder with each trip down the floor. As if the Nuggets point guard even needed to. His play was already rocking the arena.

The Memphis Grizzlies must prove the NBA's second-youngest team can learn the league's toughest lesson that the playoffs are nothing like the regular season. It's also time these young Grizzlies grow up.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — LeBron James didn't respond at first after Dillon Brooks called him old and questioned his abilities early in the Lakers' first-round playoff series with Memphis.