The Slovenian point guard came on court at the end of the 1st quarter and made his first six shots in his 44th NBA playoff game. He ended the night shooting 9/14. The 32-year-old native of the Savinja region made the comeback of Memphis's starting point guard, Mike Conley, all the more easier. Conley, who missed the last four games due to injury, did not have to strain himself too much. Memphis was permanently in the lead from start to finish, so Conley only played 24 minutes. "I was wide open and you have to take advantage of situations like that. I made the shots and took advantage of two more screens set by Kosta Koufos. I was really aggressive," said Beno, who was also praised by Portland's coach Terry Stotts. "He was the X-factor. He did a little bit of everything. He has been in the NBA for a long time now and he is an efficient player."

Udrih is the first player in the NBA after Nick Van Exel (2003), to come off the bench in a playoff match and score at least 20 points, make 7 rebounds and 7 assists.

The Zach Randolph-Marc Gasol center combination also contributed a lot. Randolph had 16 points and 11 rebounds, while Gasol had 15 points and 11 rebounds. Mike Conley ended the game with 16 points and sat out the whole last quarter. Portland's most efficient scorer was LeMarcus Aldridge with 32 points from 34 shots. Damien Lillard, the Blazer's point guard, scored only 11 points shooting 5/21.

In the most interesting game in the first playoff round the LA Clippers beat the defending champions the San Antonio Spurs with 107:92. Chris Paul scored 32 points while Blake Griffin had 26 points and 12 rebounds. The Clippers built a decisive lead in the third quarter, when they went up by 18 points.

The Cleveland Cavaliers opened their series against the Boston Celtics with a victory of 113:100. The first seed in the East, the Atlanta Hawks, beat the Brooklyn Nets with 99:92.

R. K.; translated by K. J.