Detroit center Rasheed Wallace, right, fouls Philadelphia’s Andre Iguodala in the first quarter Sunday. Associated Press Photo.

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — The Philadelphia 76ers took advantage of a perfect storm to stun the Detroit Pistons.

Richard Hamilton missed shots he normally makes and Chauncey Billups uncharacteristically struggled at the line for the Pistons in the fourth quarter. Bruising power forward Reggie Evans made a 17-foot fadeaway just before the shot clock expired and the 76ers beat the Pistons 90-86 on Sunday night in Game 1 of their first-round series.

“When Rip Hamilton misses free throws, Chauncey Billups misses free throws and Reggie Evans hits a fadeaway, our chances are good,” 76ers coach Maurice Cheeks said.

The star of the game, Rasheed Wallace, couldn’t come through when the Pistons needed him most. He missed a shot near the basket with 10 seconds left that would’ve made it 88-all.

“I’ll put this one on me,” Wallace said.

Wallace had 24 points, nine rebounds and matched a franchise playoff record with seven blocks, but that wasn’t enough to prevent the biggest upset in an opening game of these NBA playoffs.

“We’re not surprised,” Evans said. “Around the NBA, they’re surprised.

“I’m pretty sure we shocked a lot of people.”

Both teams will get two days off before Detroit hosts Game 2 on Wednesday night.

“It’s a must-win game now,” Pistons coach Flip Saunders said.

Detroit, which has advanced to five straight conference finals, hadn’t lost a Game 1 in the first round since 2003 against Orlando.

In that matchup, the Pistons ended up advancing after trailing 3-1.

“We’re going to be all right,” Billups said. “We have been here before. We don’t want to hang our hat on that, but it is a fact. We know what it takes.”

The Sixers entered the playoffs with less experience than any team, but didn’t look out of place against a team that trails only San Antonio in combined postseason games.

“We tried to use our youth to our advantage,” Andre Iguodala said.

Andre Miller had 20 points, Willie Green scored a career playoff-high 17, Iguodala had career playoff-highs in points (16) and assists (eight).

Evans added a career playoff-high 11 points and 14 rebounds off the bench, backing up Thaddeus Young, who scored 10 for the Sixers in his postseason debut.

The Eastern Conference’s second-seeded team was expected to beat the Sixers by double digits and did lead by 15 midway through the third quarter.

But Philadelphia refused to follow the script.

After the Sixers trailed 62-47, Green made two baskets during a 10-0 run that sparked a comeback.

“That kind of swung the momentum,” Miller said.

Miller gave Philadelphia a lead midway through the fourth quarter for the first time since late in the first.

After Billups missed three of four free throws and a layup in 2-plus minutes late in the game, he made two from the line to pull the Pistons within one with 45 seconds left.

Detroit’s Jason Maxiell drew a charge on the ensuing possession, giving the home team a chance to avoid an upset.

The Pistons set up a play that created an open shot for Tayshaun Prince, but his jumper was short. Wallace was in position for a makable basket, but he couldn’t deliver.

“That’s why I am definitely going to take this one on the chin,” Wallace said.

Billups scored 14, Hamilton had 13 points on 5-of-17 shooting, Maxiell contributed 12 points and a career playoff-high 11 rebounds and Prince added 12.

“There’s no question that we grew up in the second half,” Cheeks said.

Lakers 128, Nuggets 114

At Los Angeles, Pau Gasol established playoff highs with 36 points and eight assists and had 16 rebounds as well to help the Lakers beat the Nuggets.

Gasol, acquired from Memphis on Feb. 1 after spending 6 1/2 seasons with the Grizzlies, was 0-12 in three previous postseasons.

Kobe Bryant scored 18 of his 32 points in the final 8 minutes to keep Los Angeles safely ahead. Lamar Odom had 17 points, 14 rebounds and six assists and Luke Walton added 16 points for the Lakers, who entered having won eight of their last nine regular-season games to earn the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.

Game 2 will be played Wednesday night at Staples Center before the best-of-seven series shifts to Denver for the third and fourth games.

Carmelo Anthony had 30 points and 12 rebounds for the eighth-seeded Nuggets. Allen Iverson also had 30 points before picking up two technical fouls with 2:10 remaining, calling for immediate ejection.

Magic 114, Raptors 100

At Orlando, Fla., Dwight Howard had 25 points and 22 rebounds, and Jameer Nelson scored 24 points to help the Magic beat the Raptors in the opener of their first-round series.

Howard scored six straight points in a 10-0 fourth-quarter run that sealed Orlando’s first playoff win since 2003. He also blocked five shots and made 9-of-11 free throws.

Anthony Parker had 24 points and 8 rebounds for Toronto.

The Raptors, who trailed by 20 points after the first quarter, drew within five with 10:24 left in the fourth on two quick 3-pointers by Jason Kapono and a jumper by Parker. But Toronto went scoreless for the next 3:16 as Orlando pulled away.

Celtics 104, Hawks 81

At Boston, Ray Allen scored 18 points and Kevin Garnett had 16 as the two newcomers who led the Celtics to the NBA’s best record sparked them to a win in their playoff opener against Atlanta.

Garnett stopped a 14-3 Hawks run with a jumper, starting a six-point Boston surge that made it 35-27 in the second quarter. And Allen scored 10 straight Celtics points midway through the third that extended a 13-point lead to 67-48 with 5:39 left in the period.

The top-seeded Celtics’ lead ranged from 12 to 27 points the rest of the way.

The second game of the best-of-seven series will be in Boston on Wednesday night.

Eighth-seeded Atlanta, which ended the NBA’s longest playoff drought with its first appearance in nine years, was led by rookie Al Horford with 20 points and 10 rebounds and Joe Johnson added 19 points.

Saturday’s Games

Spurs 117, Suns 115

SAN ANTONIO — Tim Duncan saved the Spurs with a rare 3-pointer at the end of the first overtime, and Manu Ginobili hit a layup with 1.8 seconds left in double OT to send San Antonio past the Phoenix Suns, 117-115 on Saturday in Game 1 of their first-round series.

Duncan finished with 40 points and 15 rebounds.

The Suns had controlled play for the first three quarters, leading by as many as 16 points despite early foul trouble for Shaquille O’Neal. The Suns had a six-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.

The Spurs were down 93-90 with 1:10 to go after Leandro Barbosa’s fast-break layup.

With 15 seconds left, Michael Finley tied it at 93 for the Spurs with a 3-pointer.

With his team down 104-101, Duncan found himself all alone at the 3-point line. After only a slight hesitation, he fired and made his first 3 of the season with 3 seconds to play to make it 104-104.

Before Ginobili’s game-winning drive to the basket, Steve Nash made a 3-pointer from the corner to tie it at 115.

Tony Parker added 26 points for the Spurs, and Ginobili had 24.

Amare Stoudemire, who fouled out with 12 seconds left in the first overtime, led the Suns with 33 points. Nash had 25 points and 13 assists, Shaquille O’Neal scored 11 points.

The teams will meet again in San Antonio on Tuesday night before the Western Conference series shifts to Arizona.

Hornets 104, Mavericks 92

NEW ORLEANS — Chris Paul had 35 points and 10 assists in his first playoff game Saturday night, lifting New Orleans ti a come-from-behind victory over Dallas.

David West, in his first playoff game since he was a rookie reserve, scored 23 points, and Tyson Chandler had 10 points and 15 rebounds to help New Orleans storm back from a 12-point halftime deficit and win going away.

Dirk Nowitzki had his way with New Orleans early and finished with 31 points, but scored only four during Dallas’ fourth-quarter collapse. Josh Howard added 17 points for the Mavericks, a team that hasn’t missed the playoffs in eight seasons and was in the finals two years ago.

Jason Kidd finished with 11 points and nine assists.

But the Mavericks had only nine field goals in the second half and no answer Paul, whose third year in the NBA has included a maiden All-Star game nod and serious consideration for league MVP.

Jazz 93, Rockets 82

HOUSTON — Andrei Kirilenko scored 21 points, Carlos Boozer had 20 points and 16 rebounds and Utah beat Houston in Game 1.

Deron Williams had 20 points and 10 assists as Utah, 17-24 on the road during the regular season, won its second straight playoff game in Houston. The last victory came in Game 7 last season, and that was when Houston got help from Yao Ming.

Yao is not around for this one. He’s out for the series with a foot injury. Utah had a 34-29 rebounding edge through three quarters and Boozer hit 10 of 20 shots.

Shane Battier scored 22 and Tracy McGrady had 20 points for Houston, which shot 37 percent (29 of 79).

The Rockets are also playing without starting point guard Rafer Alston, who strained his right hamstring late in the season. His backup, Bobby Jackson, scored seven points on 3-for-15 shooting.

Game 2 is today.

Cavaliers 93, Wizards 86

CLEVELAND — Determined to make the Wizards swallow their words, LeBron James scored 32 points and Cleveland won Game 1 of the third consecutive first-round playoff series the Eastern Conference rivals have played.

Called “overrated” by Washington’s DeShawn Stevenson in the final weeks of the season, James scored 20 points in the second half to lead the defending Eastern Conference champions, who took a 1-0 lead in a best-of-seven series that appears to have a long way to go.

James sat out the early part of the fourth quarter to rest a troublesome back. But once he returned to the floor, the superstar forward came through.

With the score tied 84-84, James knifed his way down the lane and hit a layup between Antawn Jamison and Brendan Haywood with 1:37 remaining. Following a miss by Gilbert Arenas, James powered past Stevenson and dropped a floater with 55 seconds left in the game — and one tick to spare on the 24-second shot clock.

Zydrunas Ilgauskas added 22 points and 11 rebounds and Delonte West finished with 16 points for the Cavaliers.

Arenas scored 24 points in 27 minutes before fouling out with 13 seconds to go. Jamison added 23 and Stevenson had three on 1-of-9 shooting for Washington, which has lost to Cleveland in the opening round the past two seasons.

Game 2 is tonight.