PHOENIX — Devin Booker scored 34 points, Deandre Ayton had 21 points and 16 rebounds and the Phoenix Suns won their first playoff game in 11 years, beating the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers 99-90 on Sunday.

It was the first playoff game for several Suns players, including Booker, Ayton and Mikal Bridges, but they didn’t look like postseason rookies against LeBron James and the Lakers. They helped Phoenix offset a tough game for veteran All-Star point guard Chris Paul, who didn’t look healthy after a right shoulder injury in the second quarter.

The Suns led 86-70 early in the fourth, but the Lakers quickly cut it to 86-77 with 9:02 left.

Then things got a little rowdy. L.A.’s Alex Caruso and Phoenix’s Cameron Payne got into an altercation near the sideline after Payne knocked Caruso to the ground. L.A.’s Montrezl Harrell jumped into the fray and both teams had to be separated. Caruso and Harrell were each given a technical foul, and Payne was given two technicals and ejected.

But Booker kept making shots and Ayton was a force on the glass, finishing with eight offense rebounds and shooting 10 of 11 from the field. The Lakers never got within striking distance in the final minutes.

James finished with 18 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds. Anthony Davis shot just 5 of 16 from the field and had 13 points. The Lakers shot 7 of 26 (27%) from 3-point range.

Game 2 is Tuesday night in Phoenix.

76ERS 125, WIZARDS 118: Tobias Harris carried top-seeded Philadelphia’s offense when it sagged early and scored 37 points, Joel Embiid had 30, and the 76ers survived for a Game 1 victory against the sub.-500 Washington Wizards.

Game 2 is Wednesday in Philadelphia.

Harris scored 28 points in the first half, making a case Philly has – with All-Stars Embiid and Ben Simmons – three big stars that could rival the superstar trio of Kevin Durant-James Harden-Kyrie Irving in Brooklyn.

The Sixers needed Harris’ outburst to offset an upset-minded Wizards team that was within five points with 45 seconds left. Bradley Beal scored 33 points and Russell Westbrook had 16 – but neither sensational scorer took over in long enough stretches needed for an upset.

Unable to create consistent offense outside of Harris, the Sixers finally put together a 3-point barrage late in the third quarter that had 11,160 fans – roughly half-capacity – sounding as if it was 20,000-plus packing the house.

Harris hit a tying 3, Seth Curry made one, Danny Green also buried another, and Curry pounded his chest and talked smack after another 3 made it 88-81.

The fans erupted soon after in a “Trust the Process” chant with Embiid at the free-throw line, and the Sixers closed the quarter with a 99-93 lead.

The Sixers hung on for their first playoff win in two years, even as Simmons went 0 for 6 from the free-throw line and scored only six points.

Embiid was whistled for three fouls and the Sixers missed 14 of 17 3-pointers in the first half, leaving it up to Harris to play up to his $180 million contract.

Beal, who torched the Sixers for 60 points in January, and Westbrook combined for just 20 points in the first half, but the Wizards took a 62-61 lead into the break.

Washington advanced by routing the Indiana Pacers to emerge from the play-in round as the East’s No. 8 seed, returning to the playoffs after a two-year absence. The Wizards were a disaster early in the season, dealing with injuries and a COVID-19 outbreak. They started 0-5 and were 17-32 in early April. They made the playoffs at 34-38 and are trying to become the first team with a losing record to win a playoff series since the 1987 Seattle SuperSonics.

Washington’s must-win attitude down the stretch spilled into Game 1. The Game 1 trend this weekend had been heavy favorites with time off – such as Brooklyn against Boston – needed time to find their legs before putting the game away. The Wizards played Thursday, while the Sixers had a full week off.

HAWKS 107, KNICKS 105: Trae Young made a runner in the lane with 0.9 seconds left to give Atlanta a Game 1 victory at New York.

Young finished with 32 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds. He frustrated the Knicks with his ability to draw fouls and went 9 for 9 at the free-throw line.

Many in the loud crowd of more than 15,000 jeered Young throughout the night, but he got the final word when he drove through the Knicks’ defense and floated in his shot from right of the basket.

Bogdan Bogdanovic added 18 points for the Hawks in their first postseason game since 2017.

Alec Burks scored 27 points for the Knicks, who are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2013. Derrick Rose scored 17 points, but Julius Randle shot just 6 for 23 while finishing with 15 points and 12 rebounds.

The Knicks host Game 2 on Wednesday night.