The Phoenix Suns’ big three of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal combined for 88 points, topped by Durant’s 37, as they defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 117-111 on Monday.
Phoenix, which began a four-game road trip, overcame a slow start in which it went down by as many as 19 points in the second quarter.
Beal scored 24 points on 10-of-19 shooting from the floor, contributing to Phoenix’s overall 54.8 percent performance. Booker scored 27 points in his first game back after missing four games due to a right ankle sprain.
Booker did the majority of his work from inside the three-point arc. Booker went 10-for-15 on 2-point field-goal attempts despite shooting only 1-for-7 from deep range that night.
Behind Durant, who collected eight rebounds and distributed six assists in addition to his game-high scoring total, the Suns chipped away at the deficit before seizing a lead they never gave up midway through the third quarter.
The Phoenix lead never extended to more than nine points, as Darius Garland and Caris LeVert both helped Cleveland stay within striking distance. Garland scored 30 points and made nearly half of the Cavaliers’ 15 3-pointers (7-for-10).
LeVert had 17 points and 11 assists while starting in place of Donovan Mitchell, who missed his eighth consecutive game due to a knee ailment.
Cleveland was also without Evan Mobley. Jarrett Allen took up the majority of inside responsibilities with Mobley out due to an ankle sprain, scoring 15 points and grabbing a game-high 10 rebounds.
Craig Porter Jr. and Isaac Okoro added 13 points each to the Cavaliers’ total. Porter’s driving baseline slam brought Cleveland within three points with 4:04 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Porter also converted two free throws with 1:30 remaining to bring the Cavaliers within 113-111. Allen had the ball inside with a chance to tie following Durant’s miss, but he lost control of it. Phoenix’s Grayson Allen and Booker each scored two free throws in the final seconds to secure the victory.
Phoenix improved to 3-1 in its last four games, while Cleveland dropped to 1-3, suffering its second loss in as many nights.
