Kevin Durant scored 25 points and Bradley Beal added 24 on Wednesday as the Phoenix Suns beat the Clippers 116-113 in overtime, spoiling Los Angeles’ Intuit Dome debut in the NBA opener for both teams.
James Harden had 29 points and 12 rebounds for the Clippers. He had a chance to send it to double overtime, but missed the second of two free throws with 4.8 seconds remaining.
Jusuf Nurkic gave the Suns a three-point advantage with a pair of free throws. The Clippers had one last chance to send it to another extra session, but Grayson Allen forced a turnover near midcourt after the inbounds pass.
Photo: AP
Ivica Zubac had 21 points for the Clippers, but fouled out with 2 minutes, 15 seconds remaining in overtime.
Mike Budenholzer picked up the victory in his first game as Phoenix’s coach and improved to 12-9 in his career against the Clippers.
Norman Powell made the first basket at Intuit Dome with his jumper 17 seconds into the game.
LA had a 62-42 advantage in points in the paint and outrebounded the Suns by nine (51-42), but Zubac’s foul trouble in overtime played a huge role.
The Clippers had a 99-90 lead before the Suns scored 11 straight points to go back on top. Devin Booker had four points during Phoenix’s rally, but fouled out with 1:27 remaining.
Harden scored four straight points to give LA a 103-101 advantage, but Durant tied it with 21.2 seconds remaining.
At the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Damian Lillard scored 30 points to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a 124-109 road win over the Philadelphia 76ers.
Giannis Antetokounmpo contributed 25 points on eight-of-11 shooting to go along with 14 rebounds and seven assists for Milwaukee.
Bobby Portis chipped in 16 points on seven-of-10 shooting off the bench, while Taurean Prince also had 16 points, fueled by four-of-five success on three-point attempts.
Tyrese Maxey shot 10 of 31 en route to 25 points for Philadelphia, who played without Joel Embiid and Paul George, both of whom were nursing knee injuries.
Kelly Oubre Jr pitched in 21 points, while Andre Drummond had 10 points and 13 rebounds.
The Sixers led by one point after the first quarter and the score remained close for most of the second quarter before the Bucks began to create some scoreboard separation.
Milwaukee were up 58-47 at halftime before erupting for 42 points in the third quarter, including 15 from Lillard.
At the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, Brandon Ingram scored 33 points and C.J. McCollum added 23 as the New Orleans Pelicans defeated the Chicago Bulls 123-111.
Dejounte Murray scored 14 points, had 10 assists and pulled in eight rebounds.
Jordan Hawkins scored 13 points and rookie Yves Missi chipped in 12 to help the Pelicans overcome the absence of Zion Williamson due to illness.
Zach LaVine scored 27, while Nikola Vucevic tallied 21 points and 11 rebounds for the Bulls. Lonzo Ball, who played in a regular-season game for the first time since Jan. 14, 2022, after recovering from knee issues, scored five points in 14 minutes.
Elsewhere on Wednesday, it was:
‧ Hawks 120, Nets 116
‧ Heat 97, Magic 116
‧ Jazz 124, Grizzlies 126
‧ Pistons 109, Pacers 115
‧ Raptors 106, Cavaliers 136
‧ Rockets 105, Hornets 110
‧ Trail Blazers 104, Warriors 139
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