(Field Level Media) Bradley Beal scored 25 points and Kevin Durant added 23 as the Phoenix Suns snapped a four-game losing streak with a 109-99 road victory over the Philadelphia 76ers yesterday.
Rookie forward Ryan Dunn chipped in 15 points for Phoenix, which overcame a 3-of-16 shooting night from Devin Booker (10 points, 10 assists).
Tyrese Maxey notched 31 points and 10 assists to pace Philadelphia, which played without Joel Embiid (foot sprain). Kelly Oubre added 26 points and 11 rebounds, while Paul George chipped in 13 points, nine boards and five assists but shot just 5-of-18 from the field.
Maxey’s 3-pointer on the first possession of the fourth quarter drew Philadelphia within 78-76, but the Sixers’ momentum didn’t last long.
Beal answered with a bucket to ignite a 14-1 run. Dunn and Monte Morris knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers in the midst of that burst, and then Dunn added another to make it 92-77 with 7:47 remaining.
Maxey kept the Sixers relatively close, scoring 10 straight Philadelphia points, before Oubre’s three-point play brought Philadelphia within 98-90 with 4:52 remaining. However, Phoenix scored the next six points — five by Durant — and sailed to a much-needed victory.
The Suns changed their starting lineup, inserting Dunn and veteran center Mason Plumlee in place of Beal and Jusuf Nurkic. However, it didn’t help much at first, as Phoenix shot just 5-of-19 in the first quarter and trailed 17-5 early en route to a 23-16 deficit after the opening session.
The visitors finally caught up at 52-52 on Durant’s dunk with about eight minutes left in the third quarter. Booker followed with a 3-pointer as Phoenix took its first lead of the game.
Shortly thereafter, the Suns uncorked a 10-1 run to go ahead by double figures. Beal accounted for seven of those points and then hit another 3-pointer to create a 12-point margin with 2 1/2 minutes to play in the third.
However, the hosts kept fighting and clawed within 78-73 after three quarters, as Oubre knocked down a 3-pointer just before the buzzer.
