The oculus at the new Intuit Dome is seen during tip off during an NBA basketball game between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Phoenix Suns, Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP/Ryan Sun)
- Durant and Beal combine for 49 points, leading Suns to narrow victory over Clippers in season opener.
- Harden's 29 points and 12 rebounds not enough as Clippers fall short in overtime thriller at new Intuit Dome.
- Suns' perfect free throw shooting in overtime seals the win, overcoming Clippers' paint dominance and rebounding edge.
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INGLEWOOD — 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.
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Harden’s Near-Miss in Overtime
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.
Ivica Zubac had 21 points for the Clippers, but fouled out with 2:15 remaining in overtime.
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Coaching Debut and Home Court Highlights
Suns: 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.
Clippers: Norman Powell will go down as the player who made the first basket at Intuit Dome with his jumper 17 second 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.
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Late Game Drama and Clutch Performances
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 a 15-footer with 21.2 seconds remaining.
The Suns were 1 of 4 from the field in overtime, but made all 10 of their foul shots. Nurkic and Beal were 4 of 4 and Durant made a pair.
Looking Ahead
The Suns remain in Southern California to face the Lakers on Friday night, while the Clippers are at Denver on Saturday.
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