Philadelphia ? Michael Redd thought for sure his tying three-pointer would clang off the back of the rim.

Instead, the ball went through, capped a scrappy comeback and propelled Milwaukee to a fantastic start to the season.

Redd hit the game-tying three-pointer in regulation and scored 30 points to lead the Bucks to a 117-108 overtime victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night in the season opener.

“That’s a shot that all NBA players love to have, that last-second shot,” Redd said.

And the Bucks loved that he took it. Redd’s three-pointer with 1.6 seconds left tied the game at 102, brought the Bucks back from seven points down with three minutes left and helped make Terry Stotts a winner in his Milwaukee coaching debut.

“For a young team, a team that’s coming together, to get the first one on the road is a good sign,” Stotts said.

T.J. Ford scored 16 points, 14 assists, and nine rebounds in his first game after cervical-spine surgery cost him all of last season. Andrew Bogut, the NBA’s No. 1 draft pick who was college player of the year at Utah last season, started for the Bucks and added 13 points and nine rebounds.

Allen Iverson scored 35 points and had nine assists, and Chris Webber added 32 points and grabbed 14 rebounds for the Sixers.

The loss spoiled the return of Maurice Cheeks in his Philadelphia coaching debut. One of the most popular players in franchise history, Cheeks has a retired No. 10 jersey and a 1983 championship banner hanging in the rafters.

Now, he has his first loss as coach.

“All the emotion is gone now,” Cheeks said. “This was not the way I wanted get the season started.”

Philadelphia's Allen Iverson, left, battles Milwaukee's Jamaal Magloire. The Bucks defeated the 76ers, 117-108 in overtime, Tuesday night in Philadelphia.

The Bucks totally took over in overtime, scoring all but six points. Redd hit a pair of jumpers and Bogut was a force inside, converting a three-point play for a 113-104 lead.

Stotts placed modest expectations on Bogut.

“He doesn’t have to be our offensive force,” Stotts said. “We don’t need him to feel like he has to score every time he touches the ball.”

After not playing a preseason game together because of nagging injuries, Iverson and Webber were more dynamic duo than the pair that struggled for most of the last 21â2 months of last season.

Iverson looked for Webber early and showed – for a game, at least – that maybe the two All-Stars can thrive together this year.

“I thought he played great,” Iverson said. “He played well in training camp. I’m excited about it. We played well with each other tonight.”

Webber heard boo birds last year because he struggled with his shot, his role and sore knees. Whenever “C-Web!” was announced after all 14 baskets, the crowed erupted.

After Toni Kukoc sank a three-pointer early in the fourth that cut the Sixers’ lead to three, Iverson answered with a three-pointer, Webber scooped up a loose ball under the basket and dunked and Iverson scored on a fast-break layup for an 86-77 lead.

The feisty Bucks pulled to 97-95 on Ford’s runner late in the game, but – who else? – Iverson and Webber appeared to clinch the victory from the free-throw line. They each sank a pair in the final minutes for a 101-95 lead.

But Redd sank a couple of free throws, and Ford scored on a driving layup that pulled the Bucks within three. Then Redd stunned the crowd with the three-pointer. Webber’s turnaround off Iverson’s inbounds pass fell short.

Hornets 93, Kings 67

Oklahoma City – They’re still officially the team from New Orleans, but judging by the roaring capacity crowd and the startling success of their Oklahoma City debut, the Hornets should be happy to wear those “OKC” patches for a while.

J.R. Smith scored 19 points and had two electrifying dunks as New Orleans beat Sacramento. It was the first of 35 Hornets home games in Oklahoma City.

The celebration began with a street party outside the Ford Center, then got even more lively inside the sold-out arena as the Hornets, 18-64 last season, beat a Kings team expected to contend.

P.J. Brown scored eight points during a 16-2 run midway through the second quarter that gave the Hornets a 38-27 lead. Smith’s two-handed fast-break dunk was the highlight of the run for New Orleans, which wore white jerseys with a hexagonal “OKC” patch on the right shoulder.

Brown finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds, Speedy Claxton added 17, and Chris Paul, the team’s No. 1 pick in this year’s draft, added 13.

Spurs 102, Nuggets 91

San Antonio – Tony Parker scored 14 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter, and newcomer Michael Finley added 11 points in the period for the Spurs, who defeated Denver in the opening game for both teams.

Before the game, San Antonio unveiled its third championship banner in the rafters of the SBC Center, and NBA commissioner David Stern was on hand for the team’s returning players to receive their diamond-studded title rings.

San Antonio trailed most of the second half until Finley hit a 19-footer to put the Spurs up 79-78 with about nine minutes remaining.

Finley, who finished with 16 points, then hit another jumper followed by a three-pointer.

The Spurs went 13-for-16 from the field in the fourth quarter.

Tim Duncan had 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Spurs, and Manu Ginobili added 10 points.

Carmelo Anthony led Denver with 23 points, while Kenyon Martin added 19.