The Phoenix Suns travelled to the 216 to play the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday night, the first of four games in the Eastern Conference. They had a strong second half and won 117-111 to get things going.
Devin Booker, an All-Star, made his way back into the Suns starting lineup for the game. He had missed the previous four due to an ankle ailment. With seven assists, six rebounds, and 27 points, he didn’t miss a beat. With a 37-point explosion, Kevin Durant made 14 of his 26 field goals and five three-pointers, putting up another outstanding performance. 24 more points were scored by Bradley Beal on 10 of 19 shots.
Numerous players, like as Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, Max Strus, and Dean Wade, were out for the Cavaliers. Darius Garland finished with 30 points after scoring 21 in the first quarter.
The Cavs opened the game with an 8-of-11 shooting performance, making it difficult for the Suns to stop them defensively. Four mistakes by Phoenix didn’t assist their cause, as the Cavs scored seven points as a result. Starting three of four from beyond the arc was Darius Garland.
Thanks to his accurate shooting, Grayson Allen was able to keep the Suns competitive offensively by making his first two three-pointers. GA had gone 0 for 4 in the Suns’ defeat to the Celtics.
Phoenix fell behind early on by 11 points as Garland kept up his hot play, scoring 21 in the first quarter.
Although Kevin Durant answered with nine of his own, Phoenix gave up 41 points to Cleveland in the first quarter. The Cavs had a 67% field goal percentage. The Cavs only committed one turnover, while the Suns had five.
Suns 32, Cavs 41.
Cleveland wanted to take advantage of every opportunity to get out in transition. They were able to assault the paint on their terms as a result, and their lead grew rapidly when you consider that they started 8 of 14 shots and were all hit from deep.
With Booker and Durant sitting on the bench, Brad Beal opened the second and concentrated on scoring. Eight of the Suns’ first ten points came from him. When Durant rejoined the game, Phoenix was still behind by 13 points because the Cavaliers were hitting everything they tried.
Midway through the second quarter, Phoenix pulled together a 12-2 run to make the score appear reasonable, depending on Devin Booker’s scoring to help them rally. Booker missed the previous four games, but he showed no signs of rust. In the first half, he scored 15 points on 6 of 10 shots.
As the half’s seconds ticked down, Bradley Beal sank his second three-pointer of the game to bring the Suns within five points, capping a 17-3 scoring surge. At the half, Beal led the squad with 16 points. In the second Garland had only four points.
Suns 63, Cavs 70.
After an outstanding Devin Booker possession, the Suns’ deficit was reduced to three points. Following a missed free throw by Jusuf Nurkic, Booker grabbed the offensive board. Booker was there for the board, but Grayson Allen missed the shot when he passed it out to him. He passed it to KD for three, but he missed as well. However, Booker seized the board once more. He chose to shoot himself this time, banking the shot in.
Kevin Durant’s fourth team foul with 8:21 remaining in the third quarter guaranteed that, should the Cavaliers decide to press forward, the rest of the quarter would be spent in free throw territory.
A midrange jumper by Phoenix gave the Suns their first lead at 77-76. Grayson then helped the Suns start the third quarter on a 17-6 run with a three-pointer.
The Cavaliers’ wild start proved unsustainable, so in the third, they experienced the anticipated downturn. They shot just 1-of-13 for a short while in the third, giving the Suns a 9-point advantage.
Durant took off, scoring an All-Star-caliber 19 points in the third quarter.
Cleveland would respond, closing the gap to three points on a few different occasions. Late in the period, Darius Garland—an injury that Devin Booker is all too familiar with—left the game after treading on Booker’s foot.
In the third, the Suns defeated the Cavs 34–21.
Cavs 91, Suns 97.
Penetration was Cleveland’s adjustment to start the third. In the third, they had just four points in the paint. Booker and Durant began the quarter on the bench, which made it difficult for Phoenix to score as they gave up a 7-0 Cavalry run.
After two poor mistakes by Royce O’Neale, Darius Garland came back to tie the game for the Cavs. After an 11-2 Cleveland surge, Booker and Durant’s rest was also brief.
As the five-minute mark approached, the Suns, who had a 16-19 record in pivotal games this season, would find themselves in that situation. Drew Eubanks gave up two offensive rebounds to Cleveland to start the game, which allowed the Suns to lead by three points, 110–107.
KD made his fifth three-pointer in response.
Vogel called a timeout but decided to keep Eubanks on the floor, which seemed dubious given that his rebounding had been dubious. Even though the Cavaliers were unable to convert, he let up two more offensive rebounds.
The Cavs, behind 113-111 with 26.2 seconds left, contested an out-of-bounds call that they believed Isaac Okoro had made after stepping on the sideline. After Tony Brothers declared that the challenge was lost, Cleveland was going to have to play the game of free throws. They were never going to win that game.
Suns triumph, 117–111.
