AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – The Detroit Pistons had LeBron James seeing triple – as in 3-pointers and three defenders.

The Pistons made 10 shots from beyond the arc in the first half – one shy of an NBA playoff record – to open up a 21-point lead at halftime before cruising to a 113-86 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers yesterday in Game 1 of their second-round series.

James scored all of his 22 points in the first half, but had to work for each one. Triple-teamed at times, James was forced to take tough shots or defer to teammates who didn’t respond by making shots of their own.

The 21-year-old star didn’t play in the fourth quarter after he was held scoreless in the third and the Pistons led 94-64.

Tayshaun Prince made James work on defense, too, scoring 16 of his 24 points in the first half.

The two-time defending Eastern Conference champions turned the game into a rout with a franchise playoff-record 43 points in the second quarter against a team in the second round for the first time since 1993.

Detroit also set its postseason record with 15 3-pointers, on 22 attempts.

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SPURS 87, MAVERICKS 85 In San Antonio, Tim Duncan scored 20 of his 31 points in the first half to boost his worn-out teammates and Bruce Bowen topped his stifling defense on Nowitzki by hitting the game-winning 3-pointer with 2:15 left, carrying the Spurs past the Dallas Mavericks 87-85 in the opening game of their second-round series.

A tight game turned even tighter down the stretch, with neither team able to do much right. They traded misses, turnovers, and fouls. Dallas tied it at 84 on a free throw by Josh Howard, but didn’t score again over the last 3:28.

– Associated Press