KD, Beal return as Suns’ big 3 leads rout of 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 win 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 sat out the past five games while Durant had sat out seven in a row. Both players were sidelined by 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, 8 rebounds and 10 assists. Los Angeles has lost three straight.
The Suns outscored the Lakers 36-18 in the third quarter, turning a tight game into a 98-78 advantage. Booker had 11 points during the run while Jusuf Nurkic had 10.
The Lakers have been roughed up in the third quarter over the past two games; they were outscored 37-15 in the frame against the Denver Nuggets.
Takeaways
Lakers: Los Angeles held its own throughout the first half but went cold after the break. The Lakers made only 8 of 34 (23.5%) shots from beyond the arc. D’Angelo Russell scored 16 points and Austin Reaves had 15.
Suns: Phoenix looked more like its former self with Durant and Beal back on the court. Nurkic recovered from a rough start to finish with 12 points and 12 rebounds. Grayson Allen added 10 points off the bench and Royce O’Neale had nine on three 3-pointers, which came as the Suns built their second-half lead.
Booker made three consecutive shots during the Suns’ 14-2 run midway through the third quarter, helping push the lead to 86-72.
The Suns are 9-1 when Durant is in the lineup and 1-6 when he’s not.
The Suns host the Nets on Wednesday night. The Lakers are on the road against the Spurs on Wednesday night.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
