SANTA CRUZ — Elijah Pemberton and Zeke Moore each scored 20 points to help the Santa Cruz Warriors top the Ontario Clippers 129-128 in the teams’ NBA G League opener on Friday night at Kaiser Permanente Arena.
Warriors forward Trevion Williams delighted the home crowd of 2,476 with a double-double, recording 12 points and 18 rebounds.
It was a see-saw affair for much of the night. The teams were tied 11 times and exchanged the lead 12 times.
The teams square off again Saturday night at KP Arena.
Santa Cruz scored his last six points from the free throw line.
Ontario’s Malik Fitts buried a 3-pointer at the final buzzer to give him 25 points. Teammate Xavier Moon scored a game-high 29 points. Nate Darling added 18 points.
Santa Cruz shot 49.5% from the field (46 of 93) and 43.8% from beyond the arc. Moore, who played 20 minutes after coming off the bench, made four of the Warriors’ 14 3-pointers.
The Warriors had eight players reach double-digits in scoring. Jerome Robinson scored 18 points, and Dusty Hannahs, Pat Spencer and JaQuori McLaughlin scored 14. Lester Quinones had 12 points and nine rebounds.
The Warriors dominated on the glass, outrebounding the Clippers 53-34. Santa Cruz had 26 second-chance points.
THE SCORE
Santa Cruz 129, Ontario 128
Up next: Ontario at Santa Cruz
When: Saturday, 7 p.m
TV: NBC Sports Bay Area+
Online: NBAGLeague.com
G League standings
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