NBA playoffs game of the day: Cavs' 'Big Three' rises to occasion

CLEVELAND – More than an hour after his first playoff game with LeBron James and Kevin Love, Kyrie Irving made a statement more profound than anything he did on the floor.

"We," Irving said, "are the Big Three. We have really great players on this team, but we set the tone."

Irving scored 30 points in his playoff debut, James added 20 in his first postseason game with Cleveland in five years and Love shook off a slow start to record a double-double, leading the host Cavaliers to a 113-100 victory in Game 1 over the Boston Celtics on Sunday.

Irving made five three-pointers and Love, another postseason rookie, added 19 points — 13 in the second half — and 12 rebounds.

James was proud of how his teammates handled their first venture onto the playoff stage.

"They were phenomenal," he said. "Those two guys, they succeeded for the first time being in the postseason."

It was Cleveland's first home playoff game since May 11, 2010, when the Celtics won Game 5 and James left the floor to some boos from Cavaliers fans. He departed for Miami two months later, but he's home now, all is forgiven and Cleveland is aiming to end the city's championship drought since the 1964 NFL title.

"We're still confident," Thomas said. "Guys are ready for Game 2, knowing that good or bad you've got to have a short memory. There are possibly seven games in this series and it could go either way."

The Cavs built a 20-point lead in the third quarter, let the Celtics get as close as six and then finished the quarter with a 9-0 run — capped by a three-pointer by James Jones — to take a 15-point lead into the fourth. Boston climbed within 10 in the final 12 minutes, but Love made a crucial three-pointer with 3:32 left to slow Boston.

In the days leading up to the opener, James said he was confident Irving and Love would be ready for the playoffs, but added "you never know," perhaps the superstar's way of motivating his teammates. Irving and Love looked like playoff veterans as Cleveland's "Big Three" combined for 69 points.

Love started slowly, going 2-for-11 in the first half. But he was assertive in the third quarter, and James liked what he saw in a player whose game has been scrutinized all season.