Anthony Edwards sank two free throws with 2.4 seconds remaining and the Minnesota Timberwolves spoiled Sacramento’s opener by beating the Kings 117-115 on Thursday night.
Edwards was fouled by Domantas Sabonis on a drive with the game tied and calmly hit the free throws to give him 32 points.
Keegan Murray's 3-point attempt rimmed out at the buzzer for the Kings.
Julius Randle led the Timberwolves with 33 points in his second game after being acquired in a trade from New York this month.
Demar DeRozan scored 26 points to lead the Kings in his debut for Sacramento after being acquired this summer in a sign-and-trade from Chicago. Sabonis added 24 points and Murray had 23.
Edwards and Naz Reid hit back-to-back 3-pointers that started an 11-0 run for Minnesota that turned a five-point deficit into a 105-99 lead midway through the fourth quarter.
After going 13 for 41 from 3 in the opener, Minnesota shot 20 for 50 from long range against Sacramento. The 91 attempted 3s are the most ever for the Timberwolves in the first two games of a season.
Holmgren’s all-around performance powers Thunder
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 28 points, Chet Holmgren added 25 as part of a stellar all-around game and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Denver Nuggets 102-87 in the season opener for both teams.
Holmgren proved to be a handful at both ends of the floor. He tied a career high with 14 rebounds and had five assists and blocked four shots. Reserve Aaron Wiggins added 15 points.
It was an important divisional game right out of the gate. The Thunder and Nuggets both finished 57-25 last season, with the Thunder earning the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference by virtue of a tiebreaker.
Reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokić had 16 points, 13 assists and 12 rebounds for his 131st triple-double.
Jokic's point guard partner, Jamal Murray, had 12 points on 4-of-14 shooting. Christian Braun added 16 points, while Aaron Gordon, fresh off signing a new contract extension, added 12 points. Denver missed 32 of 39 3-pointers.
New addition Russell Westbrook was held to six points on 2-of-10 shooting.
Doncic, Thompson pace Mavericks
Luka Dončić had 28 points and 10 rebounds, Klay Thompson added 22 points in his Dallas debut and the Mavericks beat the San Antonio Spurs 120-109 in the opener for both teams Thursday night.
Kyrie Irving had 15 points for the defending Western Conference champions, who got eight assists from Doncic and seven rebounds from Thompson.
Thompson set a franchise record in a debut with six 3-pointers.
He scored 14 points after halftime and was 4 of 5 from long range, as Dallas went 13 of 21 from deep after making just 6 of 23 in the first half. The five-time All-Star and four-time champ with the Warriors also had seven rebounds and three steals.
Victor Wembanyama shot just 5 of 18 from the field for 17 points to open the young French phenom's second year with the Spurs. Jeremy Sochan and Julian Champagnie scored 18 apiece.
Chris Paul had three points on 1-of-6 shooting to go with eight assists and seven rebounds in his Spurs debut.
Steph Curry praised the commitment of the Golden State Warriors after their squad depth was put to the test in their win against the Portland Trail Blazers.
The Warriors made a winning start to the NBA season, with a 139-104 victory on Wednesday, where coach Steve Kerr used 12 different players on the floor.
Despite Portland leading by nine points in the opening quarter, the Warriors rallied, taking the lead at the break before holding out for the win.
Overall, seven of the Warriors' players scored double figures, with Curry getting 17 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds before sitting out the fourth quarter.
Curry, who is playing his 16th year in the NBA, is looking forward to using the squad's depth this season.
"It's the identity of this team right now," Curry said. "We're going to rely on our depth.
"You have to have a commitment - no agendas, no egos, or healthy egos, where you know you're supposed to be out there, but if it's not your night, don't bring the team down with your energy.
"Haven't seen any red flags of that."
Buddy Hield led the team with 22 points on 8-of-12 shooting, including five 3-pointers, off the bench. It is the most points scored by a Warriors player in 15 or fewer minutes since 1984.
Curry believes the 31-year-old could be key to filling the gap left behind by Klay Thompson's departure after he joined the Dallas Mavericks in the offseason, especially if the Warriors want to make the playoffs this time around.
"Without Klay, you need shooting, but we needed shooting anyway," Curry added.
"Me and [Hield] have been one and two [in 3-point shooting], and Klay's right there shooting threes for the last eight years, so we know what [Hield's] skill set is, we know what he's capable of doing.
"He's been a very seamless transition so far."
The Warriors face the Utah Jazz in their next game on Friday.
James Harden was frustrated the Los Angeles Clippers could not win on a historic night in their new arena, as they opened the NBA season with an overtime defeat.
Harden had 29 points and 12 rebounds for the Clippers but missed a free throw with six seconds left of overtime, which would have tied the game against the Phoenix Suns.
Instead, they suffered a 116-113 defeat in the Intuit Dome, despite leading 99-90 late in the fourth quarter.
Up until that final throw, Harden had kept Los Angeles in the game and almost won it for them before Kevin Durant tied the score with 21 seconds remaining of normal time.
The star was left frustrated that they could not get a win over the line.
"I'm so disappointed that we didn't get the win," Harden said. "You know what I mean? That's like one of the most frustrating things that I can think about as far as tonight.
"Like just history in Inglewood. The Intuit Dome. The fans came out, they showed up, and we got the short end of the stick.
"But I think they gave us a great, great energy tonight and I think the more they continue that the better our results will be. So, we appreciate the fans. We got to do our part, and they definitely did theirs tonight.
"Individually, for me, I got to play way better. I think it was just having that week off, getting adjusted to the pace of the game.
"All of the above. Shooting the ball well, something that I can control, taking better shots. … And then just turning the ball over. Not just getting a quality shot possession by possession. … My play has to be a lot better."
Durant scored 25 points and Bradley Beal added 24 to help the Suns make a winning start to the NBA under Mike Buldenhozer.
"You know [the fans are] excited [in overtime]," Durant said.
"They were this close to getting a stop, and then I raised up and shot that and made it. Then it was silent in there. That's one of the best feelings, especially late in a game."
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.
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.
Boston Celtics' Jaylen Brown says it was "like a lid on the basket" as the team failed to break the record for the most 3-pointers in a single game despite having numerous attempts to do so.
The defending champions got off to a perfect start in their NBA opener, beating the new-look New York Knicks 132-109 on Tuesday.
Al Horford had tied the record in the fourth quarter, making Boston's 29th 3-pointer of the game (level with Milwaukee Bucks), but with nine minutes left to play, Boston failed to make their next 13 consecutive attempts.
Otherwise, it was the Celtics' day, as Jayson Tatum started their celebrations with 37 points and 10 assists, while Derrick White scored 24.
Brown added 23 himself but was left in disbelief that they had been unable to break the record after the start they had.
"It was almost like we got jinxed or something," Brown said. "It was like when we were just playing, having fun, playing our style of basketball, everything was going in.
"And then once the crowd got into it, and we started hunting them [3-pointers], we couldn't even hit the broadside of the barn. Everything was off. We got a bunch of great looks, and it was like a lid on the basket.
"So that just shows, like, we're not a team that's hunting 3s. We play the game, and we do what we're supposed to do, but I think towards the end it was tough because we wasn't playing the way we had normally played. But we still had a bunch of great looks."
The Knicks were tipped to be the Celtics' toughest opponents in the Eastern Conference this year but struggled to cause their opponents any real issues.
Jalen Brunson scored 22 points for New York, and new addition Karl-Anthony Towns had just 12 points and seven rebounds.
Despite the disappointing opener, coach Tom Thibodeau is already looking to how they can improve for their next game.
"It's Game 1," Thibodeau said. "We didn't have that much time yet. But it's early, and you got to learn from it.
"So, our thing is to get better from this and watch film, and I think it was a great test for a team like this, who are already up there.
"It's a good test, and we'll learn from that and try to build on what we got to do with our habits and everything."
The Celtics are next in action against the Washington Wizards on Thursday, while the Knicks will take on the Indiana Pacers a day later.
LeBron James said that it was "always family over everything" after making NBA history alongside son Bronny during the Los Angeles Lakers' season opener.
LeBron and Bronny checked into the game together with four minutes left in the second quarter, becoming the first father-son duo to share the court in an NBA game.
The pair spent over two and a half minutes on the court together and in those minutes, Bronny was credited with one offensive rebound on a put-back attempt and finished 0-for-2 from the field.
Bronny also missed an open three-pointer, but left the court to a standing ovation. However, he did not feature again in the Lakers' 110-103 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
LeBron, the NBA's all-time leading scorer, notched 16 points along with five rebounds and four assists, but was left emotional when asked to describe the historic moment.
"It's always been family over everything," LeBron said.
"For me, I lost a lot of time because of this league, committing to this league, being on the road on times, missing a lot of [Bronny's] things, Bryce's things, Zhuri's things.
"So, to be able to have this moment where I'm working still, and I can work alongside my son – it's one of the greatest gifts I've ever got from the man above.
"I'm going to take full advantage of it."
The Lakers have declined to speculate on how long Bronny will stay on their NBA roster, but Bronny expressed his gratitude at being able to share the court with his father.
"I'm just extremely grateful for everything. I was given an amazing opportunity to come in this league and get better every day and learn every day," Bronny said.
"Going up to the scorer's table with my dad and checking in for the first time, that's a crazy moment I will never forget."
LeBron James and Bronny James became the first father and son to play in the NBA together on Tuesday night during the Los Angeles Lakers' 110-103 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The 39-year-old superstar and his 20-year-old son played almost 2 1/2 minutes together late in the first half of Bronny's NBA debut. They are also the first father and son to play in the NBA at the same time, let alone on the same team.
Anthony Davis had 36 points and 16 rebounds in a dominant performance for the Lakers, while LeBron scored 16 points and Rui Hachimura added 18.
JJ Redick won his head coaching debut for the Lakers, who hired the 15-year NBA veteran for his first coaching job at any level.
Anthony Edwards scored 27 points for the Timberwolves, who are coming off their best season in 20 years.
Julius Randle had 16 points and nine rebounds, and Donte DiVincenzo had 10 points in their Timberwolves debuts after the trade sending Karl-Anthony Towns to New York three weeks ago.
Davis was phenomenal down the stretch, either scoring or assisting on 13 of Los Angeles’ next 15 points after he returned to the game with 7:09 left. LeBron's 3-pointer put it away.
LeBron officially joined Vince Carter as the only players in NBA history to play in 22 seasons. James is sixth in career games played with 1,493 - not counting his NBA-record 287 playoff games.
Celtics tie 3s record in rout of Knicks
Jayson Tatum continued Boston’s Banner 18 celebration by scoring 37 points and making eight of the Celtics' NBA record-tying 29 3-pointers as Boston rolled to a 132-109 drubbing of the New York Knicks on opening night.
Derrick White scored 24 points, Jaylen Brown added 23 and Tatum had 10 assists for the defending champions, who raised their NBA-leading 18th championship banner to the rafters before the game. Boston led by as many as 35 points before missing its last 13 3-point attempts while trying to break the record.
Jalen Brunson scored 22 points for New York, and new addition Karl-Anthony Towns had just 12 points and seven rebounds.
The new-look Knicks were supposed to be the biggest threat to the Celtics in the Eastern Conference, but even after adding Towns and Mikal Bridges over the summer, they were no match for the team that finished 14 games in front last season.
The Celtics hit their 29th 3-pointer early in the fourth quarter, then fired up two long airballs and 13 misses in a row from beyond the arc as they went for the record set in 2020 by Milwaukee. The crowd chanted “One more 3!” in the final minutes, but on Boston's last possession Payton Pritchard dribbled out the shot clock without making another attempt.
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