Los Angeles - The Milwaukee Bucks had to travel halfway around the world to post their first preseason victory.

Australian Andrew Bogut scored 13 of his 18 points in the second half and grabbed 12 rebounds, rallying the Bucks past the Golden State Warriors, 98-94 on Wednesday at the NBA China Games in Guangzhou.

"It's definitely good," Bogut said. "You don't want to go 0-8 in the preseason"

The victory marked the first under new head coach Scott Skiles after four consecutive losses.

"You don't want to go through the exhibition season constantly losing," Skiles said. "We were able to get in the win column."

Point guard Luke Ridnour collected 16 points and 12 assists for the Bucks, who played without their top scorer Michael Redd (sore left knee).

Newcomer Richard Jefferson and rookie Luc Richard Mbah a Moute of Cameroon, chipped in with 12 points apiece, while Joe Alexander - picked eighth overall in the draft - finished with 11.

Trailing most of the game in front of the sold-out crowd of 13,225 at the Guangzhou Gymnasium, Bogut's dunk with 5:24 left gave the Bucks the lead for good, 88-87.

Alexander, who spent his early years in China, knocked down two jumpers around a three-pointer by Jefferson making it 95-92 with 1:38 left.

After Bogut drew an offensive foul on Warriors guard CJ Watson with 21 seconds left, Ridnour, Mbah a Moute and Jefferson each made one of two free throws to seal the victory.

Kelenna Azubuike topped the Warriors (2-2) with 24 points, and off-season acquisition Corey Maggette had 16.

The teams will meet again at the Olympic venue in Beijing on Saturday.

Elsewhere:

Phoenix Suns 102, Atlanta Hawks 100

Grant Hill hit an 18-foot jumper with 5.6 seconds left to lift the visiting Suns past the Hawks in a preseason game.

The Hawks knotted the score at 100 on two free throws by Acie Law, before Hill (13 points) delivered his game-winner dagger.

Raja Bell had 18 points and Frenchman Boris Diaw added 15 for Phoenix (2-2) which lost all-star guard Steve Nash to a right ankle sprain late in the first half.

Flip Murray led the Hawks (3-2) with 23 points.

Indiana Pacers 100, Dallas Mavericks 93

Danny Granger scored 18 points, rookies Brandon Rush and Roy Hibbert scored 15 points apiece, as the Pacers beat their former coach and new Mavericks bench boss Rick Carlisle in a preseason contest.

Antoine Wright scored 14 points for the Mavericks (3-1), who received just two points on one-of-five shooting from German juggernaut Dirk Nowitzki in 12 minutes.

Houston Rockets 101, Memphis Grizzlies 97

Sharpshooting Von Wafer poured in 17 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter, including a pair of crucial three-pointers in the final minute, sparking the Rockets past the host Grizzlies in preseason play.

Wafer hit the go-ahead three-pointer with one minute left to give the Rockets a 98-97 advantage. Grizzlies Kyle Lowry looked to regain the lead, but missed a three-pointer at the other end.

Wafer, then nailed his seventh and final triple of the game with nine ticks remaining to seal the victory.

DJ Strawberry added 20 points for the Rockets (3-2) who made 18- of-29 three-pointers without sidelined all-stars Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady.

Rudy Gay and Darrell Arthurs topped the Grizzlies (2-3) with 14 points apiece.

Denver Nuggets 120, Utah Jazz 119 (OT)

JR Smith and Linas Kleiza scored 19 points apiece and made key free throws in the final seconds of overtime, helping the Nuggets (3- 0) slip past the Jazz in a preseason game.

Smith's two foul shots gave the Nuggets a 118-14 advantage with 20 seconds left, but a layup by rookie Kosta Koufas' drew the Jazz within two.

Kleiza sank his free throws with 3.5 the ticks to go for a four- point cushion before Koufas nailed a meaningless three-pointer just before the final buzzer.

All-Star guard Deron Williams led Utah (2-2) with 22 points and eight assists.

LA Clippers 116, Sacramento Kings 112

Rookie Eric Gordon exploded for 21 of his 33 points in the final quarter, including the go-ahead free throws down the stretch, leading the Clippers (3-0) over the Kings.

Gordon's foul shots with 1:42 left put the Clippers ahead for good, 114-112.

Kings Bobby Jackson missed a potential game-tying running jumper with nine seconds remaining before first-year guard Mike Taylor (21 points) iced the game with two free throws.

Kevin Martin netted 29 points for the Kings (1-3) who lost despite shooting a sizzling 61 per cent (41-of-67) from the floor.