The Suns take the Lakers back with Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal

Kevin Durant hit his first shot, a 3-pointer.

Bradley Beal scored eight points in the first quarter.

Order has been restored in the valley.

With two of their best players returning, the Phoenix Suns held off the Los Angeles Lakers by a 127-100 margin through five games, securing their largest margin of the season on Tuesday in front of a sellout crowd of 17,071 at the Footprint Center.

The Suns (10-7) went 1-6 without Durant, who missed seven games with a left calf strain he suffered Nov. 8 in Dallas. They had lost their previous five games without Durant and Beal, who injured his left calf in Utah and did not play the final 7:19 of the NBA Cup opener.

The two returned on Tuesday and played their part in the Suns defeating the Lakers for the second time in the regular season, 10-7. Durant and Beal each scored 23 points.

Devin Booker led Phoenix with 26 points and 10 assists, while Jusuf Nurkic also posted a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds. The Suns improved to 2-1 in group play.

Anthony Davis led the Lakers (10-7) with 25 points and 15 rebounds. LeBron James scored 18 points on 7 of 16 shooting, 10 assists and eight rebounds.

Here are three takeaways as the Suns continue their six-game home run against the Brooklyn Nets for the second straight game on Wednesday.

It’s hard to double Booker with Durant and Beal

Durant said before the game he didn’t think teams would be able to blitz or double-team Booker if he and Beal were back on the floor.

There will be teams that try, while others move to the front and play man-to-man.

The Lakers didn’t really flood Booker with additional players, allowing him to do more 1-on-1 action. He made sure they paid off with 11 points in the third quarter, fueling Phoenix’s exit.

The Suns turned a two-point halftime lead into a 20-point lead after three points. Jusuf Nurkic scored 10 points on 4 of 5 shooting and six rebounds in the third quarter.

Davis had the better night, but Nurkic got the better of him in the most important quarter. Phoenix doubled the Lakers 36-18 in the third. His display freed Booker, while one of them left Austin Reaves on the floor for a minute.

The Suns were able to hit catch-and-shoot threes, which spread the defense further and gave Beal room to attack the paint. Phoenix made 17 of 42 on 3 shots, with four different players hitting 3s from deep.

This was one of the more efficient offensive nights for Phoenix this season. The return of Beal and Durant certainly helps.

Who played healthy with Suns?

The Suns played 10 when the game was a contest.

Starting XI: Tyus Jones, Devin Booker, Bradley Beal, Kevin Durant and Jusuf Nurkic.

The next five players are Royce O’Neale, Grayson Allen, Mason Plumlee, Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro.

That shouldn’t be a surprise.

Mike Budenholzer likes Ighodaro’s IQ. The rookie’s ability to find an open teammate when receiving the pass after teams have doubled the ball handler on ball screens is tremendous. Ighodaro found Beal on a bounce pass for a layup in the first half.

Dunn is someone who can rise to the defensive challenge of guarding the opposing team’s best winger. He defended LeBron James, who passed the ball to Cam Reddish.

In response, Dunn blocked Reddish’s shot off the glass.

O’Neale and Allen hit 3s as they combined to go 5 of 12 on Tuesday, while Plumlee is the backup big man.

As well as Josh Okogie and Monte Morris played when the Suns were short on rosters, cracking this 10-man rotation will be difficult.

Morris is the backup point guard, but Booker initiates the offense. Dunn essentially plays the role that Okogie played.

The Lakers are still playing poorly against the Suns

Phoenix is 2-1 against the Lakers, having just knocked them out with a dominant second half on Tuesday, but this remains a bad game for the Suns.

Davis is a nightmare to defend for Phoenix. The Suns might be able to protect him through a committee with Nurkic, Plumlee and Ighodaro, but Davis will still get his.

The biggest difference on Tuesday was keeping him away from the free throw line. Davis was just 5 of 7. Against Phoenix, he usually reaches double-digit attempts.

James didn’t show his typical performance. Durant has played him solidly, but James is still someone who can consistently chip in. He just missed those trips.

When Davis and James attack the paint, 3-point shooting opens up. The Lakers were 8 of 34 on Tuesday. For example, if they shoot 14 of 34, the game is much closer.

Do you have any opinions on the current state of the suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at [email protected] or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.

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The Suns take the Lakers back with Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal

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