DENVER (AP) Damian Lillard scored 34 points and led Portland's 3-point barrage that sparked the Trail Blazers' 123-109 win over the undermanned Denver Nuggets in the opener of their first-round playoff series Saturday night. The Blazers hit 19 of 40 shots from…

Zach Parise took the Xcel Energy Center ice for a playoff game Saturday night, returning from inaction to join his hometown team in the twilight of his career. It would have been heartwarming if not for facts. Fact: Parise was a minus-2…