Kevin Durant scored 25 points, Bradley Beal added 24 and the Phoenix Suns beat the Clippers 116-113 in overtime Wednesday night, spoiling Los Angeles' Intuit Dome debut in the opener for both teams. (More Basketball News)
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.
The victory made a winner out of new Suns coach Mike Budenholzer.
Ivica Zubac had 21 points for the Clippers but fouled out with 2:15 remaining in overtime.
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 Los Angeles a 103-101 advantage before Durant tied it with a 15-footer with 21.2 seconds remaining.
Lillard, Antetokounmpo power Bucks
Damian Lillard scored 30 points, Giannis Antetokounmpo added 25 and the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Philadelphia 76ers 124-109 in the season opener for both teams.
Lillard scored 15 points in the third quarter and finished with six 3-pointers, nine rebounds and five assists.
Antetokounmpo shot 8 for 11 from the floor and had a game-high 14 rebounds as Milwaukee got double-figure scoring from six players.
Taurean Prince and Bobby Portis scored 16 points apiece for the Bucks, who shot 53.8 percent (43 of 80) from the field and connected on 16 of 37 from long range.
Tyrese Maxey scored 25 points and Andre Drummond had 13 points and 11 rebounds for Philadelphia, which was without injured stars Joel Embiid and Paul George, who are sidelined due to knee injuries.
Milwaukee used a 25-12 run in a six-minute span of the second quarter to pull away. Prince hit consecutive 3s to extend the lead to 51-39 with 2:49 left in the first half.
Ball lifts Hornets in return
LaMelo Ball had 34 points and 11 assists in his return from an ankle injury and Grant Williams sank a go-ahead 3-pointer with 40 seconds left to help the Charlotte Hornets rally for a 110-105 win over the Houston Rockets.
Jalen Green scored five quick points to tie it for the Rockets before Williams put the Hornets on top with his step-back 3 to make it 106-103.
Ball, who was playing in his first regular-season game since Jan. 26, added two free throws to secure the victory. He made four 3-pointers and all 10 of his free throws.
Green led Houston with 28 points and Alperen Sengun added 25 points and 18 rebounds in his return after missing the last 19 games of last season with a severely sprained ankle.
The Hornets used a 10-0 run that spanned from late in the third quarter to early in the fourth to close the gap and put themselves in position for the win after trailing by as many as 16 points in the third quarter.
Charlotte’s Brandon Miller had six points in 11 minutes before sitting out the second half with soreness in his left hip.
