Durant and Beal return as the Suns’ Big 3 defeat the Lakers

Durant and Beal return as the Suns’ Big 3 defeat the Lakers

PHOENIX – Bradley Beal and Kevin Durant each scored 23 points and the Phoenix Suns celebrated the healthy return of both players with a 127-100 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night.

Devin Booker led the way with 26 points and 10 assists as the Suns ended a five-game losing streak.

Beal had missed the last five games while Durant had missed seven straight games. Both players had to take a break due to a strained left calf.

Beal made 10 of 15 shots, including 3 of 6 from 3-point range.

The Lakers were led by Anthony Davis, who scored 25 points and grabbed 15 rebounds. LeBron James added 18 points, eight rebounds and 10 assists. Los Angeles has lost three in a row.

The Suns outscored the Lakers 36-18 in the third quarter, turning a close game into a 98-78 lead. Booker had 11 points during the run and Jusuf Nurkic had 10.

Takeaways

Lakers: Los Angeles held its own in the first half but went cold after the break. The Lakers shot just 8 of 34 (23.5%) from beyond the 3-point arc. D’Angelo Russell scored 16 points, Austin Reaves 15.

Suns: Phoenix looked more like it used to when Durant and Beal were back on the court. Nurkic recovered from a difficult start to finish with 12 points and 12 rebounds. Grayson Allen scored 10 points off the bench, while Royce O’Neale added nine points with three 3-pointers as the Suns extended their lead in the second half.

Key moment

Booker hit three consecutive shots during the Suns’ 14-2 run midway through the third quarter to help extend the lead to 86-72.

Key statistics

The Suns are 9-1 when Durant is in the lineup and 1-6 when he is out of the lineup.

Next

The Suns host the Nets on Wednesday evening. The Lakers are on the road against the Spurs on Wednesday night.

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