Phoenix Suns duo Kevin Durant and Devin Booker combined to send the Los Angeles Lakers tumbling to their first NBA loss of the season.
Booker scored 33 points and Durant 30, giving the Suns a thrilling 109-105 win at Phoenix’s Footprint Center.
Lakers star LeBron James had a quiet game, recording just 11 points, while teammate Anthony Davis topped the scoring with 29, while Austin Reaves added 23.
Coming into the game with an impressive 3-0 start to the season under new head coach JJ Redick, the Lakers were off to an excellent start to the game.
Davis scored 16 points in the first quarter to give the Lakers a 26-8 lead.
Phoenix struck back to take a 50-48 lead before the Lakers responded with a 35-point third quarter to regain the lead.
However, the Suns dominated the fourth, defeating the Lakers 33-22, sealing a hard-fought victory.
Suns coach Mike Budenholzer praised the “toughness” of his side’s defense after taking “such a hit in the first quarter” as a crucial factor in the victory.
Elsewhere, Paolo Banchero became the first Orlando Magic player with a 50-point game in two decades when he defeated the Indiana Pacers 119-115.
Banchero tied the franchise record for points in a half, scoring 37 in the first two quarters against the Indiana Pacers.
He added 13 rebounds and had nine assists, while Jalen Suggs provided offensive support with 25 points.
Banchero finished with a career-high 50 points, which tied for the club’s fifth-highest score and best return since Tracy McGrady’s record 62 points in March 2004.
“It was just being in the zone. I felt like I was in an open gym, at home, just working on my game,” Banchero said.
“Every shot felt like it was going in and it’s a good feeling when you have a day like that.”
