Unlike the crowd that drowned out the Los Angeles Lakers' pregame introductions, the Denver Nuggets were a little late to the NBA playoff party.
After a sputtering start, the defending champions powered past the Lakers 114-103 on the back of Nikola Jokic's 32 points and 12 rebounds.
After watching LeBron James score 19 first-half points, the Nuggets limited the league's career scoring leader to just eight points in the second half.
"We know that we were better than what we were playing early," Nuggets coach Michael Malone said.
Two other Nuggets matched Jokic's double-double - Jamal Murray with 22 points, 10 assists and Anthony Gordon with 12 points, 11 rebounds.
James finished with 27 points and Anthony Davis had 32.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who scored all 12 of his points after half-time, made three three-pointers in a 13-0 run the Nuggets used to seize control in the third quarter at 89-74.
In other first-round games, the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Phoenix Suns 120-95, the New York Knicks beat the Philadelphia 76ers 111-104 and the Cleveland Cavaliers downed the Orlando Magic 97-83.
Nikola Jokic, left, drives to the basket against Anthony Davis. AP
