The Phoenix Suns finally returned to full strength on Tuesday night.
The Suns, with stars Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal back on the court after their respective calf injuries, flew ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers. They earned a 127-100 victory at the Footprint Center in Phoenix and handed the Lakers their first loss in the NBA Cup.
The Suns had been struggling lately without Durant and Beal being available. Durant missed the Suns’ last seven games with a calf strain, and Beal missed five straight games with his calf injury. The team went 1-6 with Durant out, and they lost five straight games with both guys out of the lineup.
But on Tuesday night, thanks to a huge 22-6 run to close the third quarter, fueled in large part by Jusuf Nurkic, the Suns had no trouble cruising to a 27-point victory. That third-quarter push put the Suns suddenly up 20 points entering the fourth quarter.
Durant scored 23 points and six rebounds for the Suns, making 9 of 17 shots from the field. Beal finished with 23 points and was 10 of 15 from the field. He chased down LeBron James for a wild block on the backboard in the fourth quarter, leaving James incredibly slow to get back to the other end of the court.
Devin Booker led the Suns with 26 points and 10 assists, and Nurkic added 12 points and 12 rebounds. As a team, they shot 51.5% from the field.
Anthony Davis led the Lakers with 25 points and 15 rebounds in the loss, which dropped them to 10-7 on the season. James finished just short of a triple-double with 18 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds.
The Suns and Lakers are 2-1 in pool play with one game remaining. The Lakers, who won the inaugural version of the event last year, will close out the first round with a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday. The Suns’ next Cup game will be at home against the San Antonio Spurs on December 3rd. While the Suns have a slight advantage in the standings based on point difference, the group is still up for grabs heading into the final game.
Bucks survive without Giannis
Giannis Antetokounmpo was cut late by the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night, and it seemed to take everyone, including head coach Doc Rivers, by surprise.
Antetokounmpo was ruled out of their 106-103 victory against the Miami Heat shortly before tip-off at the Kaseya Center due to a knee issue. He went through shootaround and his pregame routine normally, but then felt discomfort in his knee. He was considered probable before the game while recovering from a calf strain.
Even though the Bucks took a 20-point lead in the third quarter, the Heat rallied to make it a one-possession game in the final minutes. They also held the Bucks without a field goal in the final two minutes of the game. But a late Tyler Herro shot was off target in the final seconds, allowing the Bucks to escape with a three-point victory.
Damian Lillard led the way for Milwaukee after a strong first-half performance. He dropped 25 of his 37 points in the first 24 minutes and finished with 12 assists and eight 3-pointers. Brook Lopez finished with 13 points and Bobby Portis added 11 off the bench.
Jimmy Butler led the Heat with 23 points and five assists. Herro finished with 18 points and Terry Rozier added 17 points. The Heat are now 7-8 on the season and 1-2 in the NBA Cup.
Antetokounmpo has averaged a career-high 32.4 points and 11.9 rebounds and has shot nearly 61% from the field. Tuesday’s victory marks the second game he has missed this season. While the Bucks picked up a win without him on Tuesday, marking the team’s fifth straight win and keeping them undefeated in East Group B, they will need him available if they want to make a legitimate run in the knockout stage. of the NBA Cup.
Rockets secure their spot in the knockout round
The Rockets nearly blew a perfect opportunity to clinch a spot in the knockout round Tuesday night.
But, thanks to a late defensive stance and a wild layup from Alperen Sengun, the Rockets are now officially the second team to exit the group stage.
The Rockets beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 117-111 in overtime on Tuesday at Target Center. Despite blowing a 17-point lead in the second half, Houston held Minnesota scoreless for the final 3:12 of regulation and then jumped ahead in overtime to take the victory. Sengun helped the cause with a ridiculous putback layup midway through the period, helping Houston ice the game.
The Rockets were the only team that had a chance to win on Tuesday. The Golden State Warriors have already clinched a spot in the knockout round and the New Orleans Pelicans were officially eliminated on Friday. The Timberwolves are now 1-2 in pool play.
The Wizards were officially eliminated after falling to the Chicago Bulls 127-108 on Tuesday night. The Wizards fell to 0-3 in the NBA Cup. The Jazz were also eliminated after falling to the San Antonio Spurs 128-115. The Spurs also have a 2-1 record in Group B West with the Lakers and Suns.
The Bucks’ victory over the Heat also eliminated the Toronto Raptors from the knockout stage. The Raptors didn’t play Tuesday, but they were 0-2 in the NBA Cup and are now officially out of reach.