(Basketball news) Kwahi Leonard and Paul George both came back strongly to start off their NBA season with a statement victory over their arch rivals Los Angeles Lakers 103-97. For the Clippers, Kawhi Leonard had 14 points and seven rebounds in his first game in 16 months as he came off the bench for the first time since 2013 and played 21 minutes in his first game since he tore a ligament in his right knee in a playoff game in June 2021, while Paul George scored 15 points and John Wall added 15 in his debut for the Clippers. For the Lakers, Anthony Davis scored 25 points despite a mid-game fall, while LeBron James had 20 points and 10 rebounds as Lonnie Walker scored 26 points in his Lakers home debut. The Lakers were again horrendous from the three point line as they went 9 for 45 on 3-pointers overall.

''My goal was to try to be great in my minutes,'' Leonard said. ''Have fun, obviously stay healthy and win the basketball game. We did that tonight. Just the first game, though. We've got a lot to go.''

''I was turned up for sure,'' Wall said of his return. ''It felt great, I ain't gonna lie. … We've got a new team, and it's just going to take some time for us offensively with me (and Leonard) on a minutes restriction, but with due time, we'll get there.''

''We're getting great looks, all our guys,'' Davis said. ''Continue to have confidence in yourself. Don't let missed shots take away your confidence. Keep shooting. Be confident in your shot, and they're going to fall.''

The Milwaukee Bucks started off their season with a 90-88 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. For the Bucks, Wesley Matthews hit the game winning 3-pointer with 23.8 seconds left, and Antetokounmpo had 21 points and 13 rebounds as Brook Lopez finished with 17 points. For the 76ers, James Harden scored 31 points but he missed a jumper that could have won the game as Tyrese Maxey added 15 points while Joel Embiid was shut down by Lopez and Antetokounmpo as he finished with 15 points and 12 rebounds and subsequently didn’t score in the second half.

''If the ball gets in Wes' hands, you're pretty freaking confident the ball is going in,'' Brook Lopez said.

''It was a great decision and Wes was able to knock down the shot,'' Antetokounmpo said.

''It's tough. He's such a load,'' Lopez said. ''You've got to try and keep him off his spot as much as possible. But pretty much every place on the floor is his spot.''

''It does affect you for a long time, especially if he gets hit,'' coach Doc Rivers said. ''Those are still raw moves. As a big, I'm assuming he gets hit every game. You're not injured, it's just painful.''

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