Suns Dominate Lakers in Kevin Durant's Return

The Phoenix Suns are finally healthy, and it showed against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Nov 26, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) talks to Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) during the third quarter at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

PHOENIX -- The Phoenix Suns sure missed the likes of Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal.

After both stars missed stretches of time with calf injuries, the duo returned and made their impact felt immediately in Phoenix's 127-100 win over the Los Angeles Lakers, their largest margin of victory this season.

The Suns stop a five-game losing streak and emerge to 10-7 on the year. Los Angeles is now on a three-game skid and have lost their first NBA Cup game.

All three of Phoenix's star trio of Durant, Beal and Booker finished with over 23+ points - Booker paced the team with 26.

Jusuf Nurkic pitched in a 12-12 double double while Grayson Allen, Royce O'Neale and Oso Ighodaro all made impacts off the bench.

Anthony Davis led the Lakers with 25 points and 15 rebounds while LeBron James finished with 18 points, eight rebounds and ten assists.

Quick Recap

Kevin Durant wasted no time getting to work after two weeks off, draining his first shot attempt of the night from three-point land and setting the tone for the rest of the quarter. Phoenix and Los Angeles swapped buckets throughout the entire first quarter before the Suns carried a 31-25 lead into the second quarter, propelled by eight points each from Beal and Grayson Allen.

Phoenix's lead went up by as much as nine in the second quarter after the Suns continued their strong shooting, though the Lakers eventually went on their own run to tie the score with just a few minutes remaining in the half. The Suns led 62-60 thanks to 14 points each from the returning Beal and Durant.

Ten straight points from Jusuf Nurkic to open the second half helped the Suns push their lead to 11, forcing JJ Redick to call a timeout. Just a few minutes later in the quarter, a Royce O'Neale three put Phoenix ahead 17, forcing another timeout by Redick. Tyus Jones sunk a buzzer beater layup through contact to see the Suns carry a 98-78 lead into the fourth.

The Suns comfortably held their lead for the final 12 minutes, and with NBA Cup play using point differential as a tie-breaker, Phoenix opted to keep their starters in the game down the stretch of the quarter, waiting until a timeout with just over three minutes remaining to see their bench close action out.

What's Next

The Suns play the second night of a back-to-back against the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday.