NEW YORK (AP) ― Carmelo Anthony started fast, struggled through the middle and finished with a flurry.

And the New York Knicks, after knocking the Boston Celtics from the top of the Atlantic Division, took the first step toward knocking them out of the playoffs.

Anthony scored 36 points, leading the Knicks to an 85-78 victory on Saturday in their playoff opener.

“It’s a wonderful feeling to know that we got our first win of the series here on our home court, took care of that business,” Anthony said. “It was real important for us to come out and get this first win.”

The NBA’s scoring leader had 10 quick points and endured a tough shooting night from there before scoring eight points in the fourth quarter, helping New York take a 1-0 lead in a series for the first time since the 2001 first round against Toronto.

“Boston knows Melo and they know he’s not going anywhere, but they’re going to make it as tough as possible for him to score the ball,” Knicks coach Mike Woodson said. “And he got off to a good start and then he had that slow middle, and then when he had to pick it up down the stretch, he made the plays that we needed him to make. And I mean that’s what the great ones do. They figure it out and Melo’s done that all season for our ballclub.”

Anthony shot only 13 of 29 from the field but made consecutive baskets late in the final period, when the Knicks held Boston to three baskets and eight points.

Game 2 is Tuesday night before the Celtics host Game 3 on Friday in what will be their first home game since the Boston Marathon bombings.

Miller’s layup lifts Nuggets

DENVER (AP) ― Andre Miller scored a playoff career-high 28 points and sank a nifty layup with 1.3 seconds left that lifted the Denver Nuggets to a 97-95 win over the Golden State Warriors on Saturday.

Miller drove left past rookie Draymond Green, did an up-and-under between two defenders under the basket and banked the ball off the glass with his right hand.

The Warriors inbounded the ball and Stephen Curry’s desperation 3-pointer wasn’t anywhere close as the horn sounded and the Nuggets celebrated their 24th straight win at the Pepsi Center.

Miller scored 18 in the frenetic fourth quarter.

Game 2 is Tuesday night at the Pepsi Center, where the Nuggets posted an NBA-best 38-3 home record during the season.

Brooklyn 106, Chicago 89

LA Clippers 112, Memphis 91