Kevin Durant scored 35 points, including a game-winning layup with 24 seconds left, to propel the Phoenix Suns to a 118-116 win over Paul George and the Philadelphia 76ers Monday night.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Here are some of the major takeaways from the Suns beating the 76ers to improve to 6-1:
-Beal (Right Elbow Soreness), who has been questionable since Oct. 25 against the Los Angeles Lakers, started in his second game in a row despite being a game-time decision. Beal tallied 17 points, five rebounds and three assists in 34 minutes.
-Paul George (Knee) made his debut with the 76ers and was rusty to begin with before he started to get a rhythm going, not scoring until the game was inside the first minute of the second quarter. He posted 15 points, five rebounds and four assists. George signed a four-year, $211 million contract in the offseason, departing from Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers.
-Jusuf Nurkić was not afraid of shooting from beyond the arch, but shot 1-for-3 (33.3%) from three in the first quarter. After a couple of misses way off, Nurkić did not attempt another one from deep since and switched up his play for the better, eclipsing a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds not even halfway through the third quarter.
-Off the bench, Kyle Lowry was nearly automatic in the early stages of the game, starting a perfect 4-for-4 from the field and 2-for-2 from three to lead all players with 10 first-quarter points. The 2019 NBA champion showed no sign of slowing down as he produced 13 points and seven assists.
-Before the end of the first quarter, the 76ers went on an 11-1 run which then spurred them to take a 38-32 lead in the second quarter. Former Sun Eric Gordon scored seven points during that stretch.
-Gordon and Kelly Oubre Jr. both returned to the Valley and combined for 21 points. Gordon signed a one-year contract and departed to Philly at the end of the deal as a free agent. Oubre Jr. was traded by the Suns to the Golden State Warriors in 2018 before he played two seasons with the Charlotte Hornets and joined the 76ers last year.
-Royce O’Neale continues to prove why he is Budenholzer’s most consistent bench option so far this season. On both ends of the floor, he has been effective in making the most out of any scoring opportunity and guarding some of the opposition’s best players game in and game out.
-The second quarter was back and forth with both teams scoring 37 a piece, as the Suns went into the locker room with a narrow 65-63 lead. George netted 10 points in the second quarter while Devin Booker, the Western Conference Player of the Week, had eight.
-Tyrese Maxey showed why he has the potential to become an NBA superstar. The 24-year-old was letting the ball fly from anywhere, drew contact and made heavily contested shots, coming away with 32 points, three rebounds and two assists. Maxey had 13 points in the third quarter alone.
-Phoenix had multiple sloppy instances where the team was trying to pass to a teammate and either turned the ball over or threw it into the crowd. The Suns coughed up the ball 14 times.
-Oubre Jr. would foul out with 1:40 left in the fourth quarter, igniting a loud roar from the Suns fans inside Footprint Center.
-The Suns outrebounded the 76ers 43-38, and outscored them 56-36 in the paint. Philadelphia had 10 steals compared to six
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Reporter Alec Cipollini covers the Phoenix Mercury, Suns and ASU Athletics for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @AlecCipollini
