Phoenix Suns scorch LA Lakers, Boston Celtics stay perfect
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Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (right) handles the ball against Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura during the second half at Footprint Centre.
PHOTO: REUTERS
LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Lakers arrived in Phoenix on Oct 28 buoyed by an impressive 3-0 start to the National Basketball Association (NBA) campaign under new head coach J.J. Redick.
However, they were brought back down to earth by the Suns.
Kevin Durant and Devin Booker combined for 63 points, as the home side sent LeBron James and the Lakers tumbling to their first defeat of the season.
Booker bagged 33 points and Durant 30 for a thrilling 109-105 win at Phoenix’s Footprint Centre, avenging the Lakers’ 123-116 win over the Suns in Los Angeles on Oct 25.
Los Angeles had looked poised to keep their winning run going after making a blistering start, sprinting into an early 26-8 lead in the first quarter thanks to 16 points from the in-form Anthony Davis.
Phoenix responded to edge ahead 50-48 before the Lakers hit back with a 35-point third quarter to regain the lead, only for the Suns to turn the tables in the fourth, outscoring Los Angeles 33-22 to seal victory.
Davis led the Lakers scorers with 29 points, adding 15 rebounds and three assists, while Austin Reaves finished with 23 points. James, however, had a rare off night, finishing with just 11 points from three-of-14 shooting.
Suns coach Mike Budenholzer saluted his team’s grit in hauling themselves back from their early 18-point deficit.
“The toughness, the edge that the guys are developing and growing, the competitiveness,” he said.
“When you can take a punch like that in the first quarter, lean on your defence to get back into it – having that edge on defence tonight really stood out.”
While the Lakers faltered, the reigning NBA champions Boston Celtics produced a dominant second-half performance to preserve their unbeaten start to the season with a 119-108 defeat of the Milwaukee Bucks at the TD Garden.
The Bucks edged into a 56-53 half-time lead, thanks to 16 points from Damian Lillard and 13 from Giannis Antetokounmpo.
But Boston came roaring back after the interval, combining for seven three-pointers to outscore the Bucks 37-26 and open up an eight-point advantage heading into the final quarter.
Jaylen Brown then led the Celtics home to safety, with nine points in the fourth quarter to put the game to bed as Boston improved to 4-0.
Brown led the Celtics scorers with 30 points, while Payton Pritchard caught the eye with 28 points off the bench that included eight three-pointers.
Jrue Holiday added 21 points, while Jayson Tatum chipped in with 15 points.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla singled out Pritchard for praise after the win.
“He kept us in it in the first half – he’s just finding different ways to impact games,” he said.
“Tonight it was shooting and his defence, sometimes it’s his passing – the kid’s a competitor. I just love watching him play.”
The Cleveland Cavaliers ensured they also remain unbeaten on 4-0 at the top of the Eastern Conference, after a gritty 110-104 victory over the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
The Knicks led by as many as 13 points in the third quarter, but Cleveland trimmed that advantage to just four points heading into the fourth period.
Darius Garland then took over in the final frame, pouring in 15 points as the Cavs completed their comeback, outscoring the Knicks 36-26 to clinch the win.
Garland finished with 34 points, while Donovan Mitchell added 25.
In Toronto, Nikola Jokic poured in 40 points as the Denver Nuggets snatched a thrilling 127-125 overtime victory against the Raptors.
Jamal Murray forced overtime with just 0.3 of a second remaining in regulation, his reverse lay-up tying it at 114-114.
Jokic took over in overtime with seven points to guide Denver to victory. AFP
