Recap: Suns stun top-seeded Cavs, Durant erupts for 42 points

Mar 21, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) and Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) slap hands against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the second half at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

PHOENIX — Kevin Durant’s 42 points led the Phoenix Suns to their best win of the season, a 123-112 victory over the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers.

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Durant finished with 42 points, six rebounds and eight assists on 17-of-29 shooting, including a 19-point third quarter. Devin Booker struggled from the field (7-of-17), but was impactful nonetheless, scoring 17 points, dishing out 10 assists and was a plus-13 in 38 minutes on the floor. Phoenix outscored the Cavs in all quarters but the final one.

Production from rookies Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro and guards Collin Gillespie and Cody Martin proved to be impactful yet again as the Suns have won three straight games and maintain control of the 10th seed over the Dallas Mavericks (34-37) who beat Detroit on the same night.

Phoenix (34-37) starts off its “juggernaut stretch” of 10 games against many of the league’s top teams with a huge win over the Cavs and prepares to take on the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday.

Durant, Suns keep foot on gas in 3rd quarter

Kevin Durant erupted for 19 points in the third quarter to help Phoenix keep its foot on the gas over the Cavs ahead of the final quarter, 98-79.

Durant’s total brought his total up to 32 points on the night to go along with six rebounds and eight assists. The Suns outscored Cleveland in 36-28 in the third period despite Devin Booker struggling throughout the game. Booker had just 11 points on 4-of-12 shooting through three quarters but added six assists and was a plus-21 in 26 minutes — the second-highest plus-minus in the game behind Oso Ighodaro (+23).

Not a single Cavs starter reached double figures through three quarters and Cleveland was led by Ty Jerome, who had 16 points and five assists off the bench on 5-of-8 shooting.

Jones, O’Neale erupt for Suns in 2nd quarter

Tyus Jones scored all 10 of his points in the second quarter and Royce O’Neale added two more 3s to his total to lift Phoenix over the Cavs ahead of halftime, 62-51.

O’Neale shot 5-of-6 from deep in the half to lead the Suns with 15 points on the night. Kevin Durant followed with 13 points and seven assists on 6-of-13 shooting. Ryan Dunn had an emphatic dunk late in the second quarter that typified the team’s energy in the quarter, outscoring Cleveland 27-17 in the quarter.

Donovan Mitchell struggled in the first half, totaling just three points on 1-of-8 shooting. Not a single Cavalier scored in double figures, Ty Jerome and De’Andre Hunter led the team in scoring off the bench with eight points a piece. Jerome, a former Sun, added five assists to his stat line.

Suns youth sets tone over Cavs in 1st quarter

Two early 3-pointers from two-way guard Collin Gillespie set the tine for Phoenix to stick around with the top-seeded Cavs after one quarter, 35-34.

Royce O’Neale came off the bench scorching, hitting his first three 3-point attempts to lead the Suns in scoring with nine points after the opening quarter. Kevin Durant was instrumental in the offensive efficiency in the period, scoring eight points and dishing out six assists in 12 minutes. Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro, as they have done a lot recently, gave Phoenix a tremendous energy boost to open the game, what with Bradley Beal and Nick Richards out.

Cleveland had five players score at least six points in the quarter, led by Darius Garland who had seven points, two rebounds and two assists on 3-of-6 shooting.

Injury report

Center Nick Richards was a late scratch as he tweaked his calf in pregame warmups and was downgraded to out with right calf tightness. Grayson Allen (left foot strain) entered the game questionable and was later downgraded to out, missing his sixth consecutive game. Bradley Beal (left hamstring strain), Mason Plumlee (left quad strain) and Vasa Micic (illness) were also out.

Cleveland had no one on its main rotation on the the injury report. The only player on their active roster was Jaylon Tyson, who was out with left knee soreness.

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Reporter Connor Moreno covers the Phoenix Suns for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @cmorenoNBA, and on Bluesky, @cloading.bsky.social