NBA Cup: Durant and Beal Return to Lead Suns Past Lakers; Rockets Secure Knockout Round Spot
The Phoenix Suns returned to full strength Tuesday night, with Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal back from calf injuries, delivering a dominant 127-100 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. The victory at Footprint Center in Phoenix marked the Lakers' first-ever loss in the NBA In-Season Tournament.
Durant, sidelined for seven games, scored 23 points and grabbed six rebounds. Beal, after missing five straight games, also added 23 points on 10-of-15 shooting. Devin Booker led with 26 points and 10 assists, while Jusuf Nurkic contributed 12 points and 12 rebounds.
A decisive 22-6 run late in the third quarter, sparked by Nurkic, extended the Suns' lead to 20 points entering the fourth. Phoenix shot 51.5% overall and improved to 2-1 in group play.
Anthony Davis paced the Lakers with 25 points and 15 rebounds, while LeBron James finished just shy of a triple-double with 18 points, 10 assists, and eight rebounds. Both teams now sit at 2-1 in West Group B, with the Lakers set to face the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday and the Suns hosting the San Antonio Spurs on December 3.
Rockets Advance
The Houston Rockets clinched a knockout-round berth after defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves 117-111 in overtime. Despite blowing a 17-point lead, Houston’s late defensive stand and a crucial backward layup from Alperen Sengun sealed the win.
The Rockets join the Golden State Warriors in the next stage, while the Timberwolves drop to 1-2. Other teams, including the Washington Wizards, Utah Jazz, and Toronto Raptors, were officially eliminated from contention.