Kevin Durant scored 30 of his 36 points in the second half, Devin Booker supplied 35 points and the Phoenix Suns defeated the host Detroit Pistons 125-121 on Saturday.
Booker notched his fifth consecutive 30-point outing as the Suns won for the fifth time in six games.
Nick Richards, acquired in a trade with Charlotte earlier in the week, had 21 points and grabbed 11 rebounds off the bench for Phoenix. Ryan Dunn added 12 points and eight rebounds.
Tobias Harris led the Pistons with 21 points while Cade Cunningham had 20 points and 11 assists.
Jalen Duren notched a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds for Detroit. Malik Beasley had 14 points, Tim Hardaway Jr. added 12 and Marcus Sasser chipped in 11.
The Suns came back to tie it at 89 in the third quarter behind Durant, who had 21 points in the period. He fired in a 3-pointer and added a three-point play in the final minute to give Phoenix a 98-95 advantage entering the fourth.
The Pistons took a 109-106 lead with 7:59 left when Beasley made a steal and fastbreak layup. Richards’ putback gave Phoenix a 110-109 lead, and his dunk with 4:18 remaining made it 114-111.
Durant drained a 3-pointer for a 117-113 advantage, and Booker later scored in the lane for a 119-115 lead with 2:28 to go.
Following an offensive rebound by Grayson Allen, Durant made a midrange shot for a 121-117 lead with 1:05 left. Hardaway missed two of three free throws with 21.7 remaining to help the Suns hang on.
Booker scored 23 first-half points as the Suns went to the locker room clinging to a 61-60 lead.
Booker had 13 points in the opening quarter as Phoenix led 30-29 after one. Richards gave the Suns a boost in the second quarter, scoring 10 points on 4-of-4 shooting.
Durant, who was 1-for-9 from the field in the first half, had two early baskets in the third quarter. Neither team led by more than four points until Allen was called for a flagrant foul. Sasser’s subsequent free throw and a Duren dunk gave Detroit an 82-75 lead.
–Field Level Media
Pascal Siakam recorded 21 points and eight rebounds and Myles Turner chipped in 18 points and 11 boards as the Indiana Pacers notched a 115-102 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers…
The Oklahoma City Thunder hope they don’t have to play without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander much more this season. However, there are lessons that can be learned from Oklahoma City playing without…
Riley Kugel scored a game-high 21 points and No. 15 Mississippi State held off No. 21 Ole Miss 84-81 in overtime on Saturday in Starkville, Miss. Keshawn Murphy added 18…
Thunder hope to have Shai Gilgeous-Alexander vs. Nets
No. 15 Mississippi State holds off No. 21 Ole Miss in OT
Cal knocks off NC State thanks to Jovan Blacksher Jr.
Lakers and Clippers set to square off for the first of four times this season
Field Level Media - Professional sports content solutions | FLM
