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NBA living legends Kevin Durant and LeBron James face off as the Phoenix Suns recover from an 18-point first-quarter deficit to snap the LA Lakers’ 3-0 start to the new season
Devin Booker scored 33 points and Kevin Durant added 30 points, eight rebounds and four blocked shots to lead the host Phoenix Suns to a 109-105 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night (Tuesday, October 29, Manila time).
Bradley Beal had 15 points and Royce O’Neale contributed 12 points and nine rebounds for Phoenix, which recovered from an 18-point first-quarter deficit to win for the third time in four games.
Anthony Davis recorded 29 points and 15 rebounds and Austin Reaves scored 23 points as Los Angeles lost for the first time this season after three straight wins.
Rui Hachimura registered 20 points and 10 rebounds and D’Angelo Russell contributed 14 points and eight assists for the Lakers.
Los Angeles star LeBron James had just 11 points on 3-of-14 shooting, though he delivered eight assists.
James also was unsuccessful on a gamble with 6.4 seconds left.
He made a free throw to pull the Lakers within 107-105. On the second attempt, he quickly fired the ball toward the hoop and it hit the bottom of the rim.
Phoenix came away with the ball and Beal made two free throws with less than a second remaining to seal it.
The Suns shot 46 percent from the field, including 11 of 36 (30.6 percent) from 3-point range, while avenging a 123-116 road loss to the Lakers on Friday.
Los Angeles made 41.9 percent of its attempts and hit 14 of 31 (43.8 percent) from behind the arc.
Durant made consecutive baskets to give Phoenix a 105-101 lead with 2:17 remaining.
James hit a 3-pointer with 1:58 left, but O’Neale’s floater with 1:25 to go gave the Suns a 107-104 edge before the final sequence.
Earlier, Russell banked in a straightaway 3-pointer with 39 seconds left in the third quarter and Gabe Vincent drilled a trey with eight seconds to go to give Los Angeles an 83-74 lead.
However, Booker scored with 2.1 seconds left to leave Phoenix down by seven entering the fourth quarter, a play that began a 12-1 burst. O’Neale capped drained a 3-pointer to tie it at 84 with 10:35 remaining in the game, and Booker hit two foul shots for a two-point Phoenix edge with 9:34 to go.
Reaves converted a four-point play to give the Lakers a 98-97 lead with 4:17 left.
Booker scored 18 first-half points and Durant added 12 as Phoenix recovered from a huge hole to lead 50-48 at the break.
Davis scored 16 of his 20 first-half points in the opening quarter.
Los Angeles used a 19-2 first-quarter surge to open up a 26-8 advantage less than seven minutes into the game.
Phoenix later erupted with a half-ending 16-4 run, capped by Booker’s 3-pointer with 39.3 seconds remaining, for its first lead since 4-3. – Rappler.com
