Devin Booker and Kevin Durant combined for 48 points to lead the Phoenix Suns to a 113-105 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Saturday, handing the Warriors their fourth consecutive NBA loss.
With Bradley Beal out for calf injury management and Jusuf Nurkic sidelined by a quad bruise, the host Suns (11-8) still dominated as Tyus Jones added 19 points and Grayson Allen had 17.
“We’ve got five guys in double figures,” Durant said. “It wasn’t a great shooting game for me and Book but everybody contributed on both ends of the floor.”
Durant, who grabbed 10 rebounds, was happy about Phoenix’s hot start, which produced a 66-49 halftime Suns lead.
“That first half – 66 points, up 17 – that was pretty much the game,” Durant said. “We were hitting each other on pocket passes, hitting each other for threes. It was beautiful to watch.”
The effort came after Suns coach Mike Budenholzer had stressed the team needed to play with greater urgency earlier in games.
“Coach got on us in a film session a couple of days ago about our level of competition,” Durant said. “It has to be better if we’re going to be the team we want to be.”
“I think tonight we just tried to do the small things well – box out, get back on defense, make the correct pass. It was a good start to the game.”
Stephen Curry scored 23 points to lead the Warriors, who fell to 12-7.
Curry was back after missing a game with a sore knee and Andrew Wiggins, who had 18 points, returned to the lineup from a right ankle injury.
At Utah, Dallas star Kyrie Irving scored 30 points to power the Mavericks over the Utah Jazz 106-94.
Quentin Grimes added 24 points for the Mavericks (12-8) while Lauri Markkanen led the Jazz (4-15) with 19 points.
Giannis hits 42 in win
Greek star Giannis Antetokounmpo had his third triple-double of the season with 42 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists to lead host Milwaukee over Washington 124-114.
It was his first career 40-point triple double, coming on a night when he shot 15-of-24 from the floor and 12-of-17 from the free throw line.
Damian Lillard added 25 points and 10 assists as the Bucks improved to 10-9 with their sixth consecutive triumph and eighth win in the past nine starts.
The Wizards, led by Jordan Poole’s 31 points, suffered their 14th loss in a row, their NBA-worst record falling to 2-16 on the season.
Philadelphia’s Tyrese Maxey scored 28 points to lead the 76ers to a 111-96 victory at Detroit.
Paul George made his return for the Sixers (4-4) after a three-game absence due to a bone bruise in his left knee, scoring 11 points and adding eight rebounds and five assists.
The 76ers were without Cameroonian center Joel Embiid, who was resting a left knee injury.
Atlanta’s Jalen Johnson scored 20 points, reserve De’Andre Hunter added 18 and Onyeka Okongwu added 16 points and 11 rebounds off the bench to give the Hawks a 107-104 triumph at Charlotte, the Hornets’ losing streak swelling to five games.
Hunter made two free throws with 9.1 seconds remaining to give the Hawks a 105-102 lead. Charlotte’s Brandon Miller, who had a game-high 32 points, missed a 3-point attempt and Okongwu added two free throws to secure the victory.