PHOENIX — Alec Burks scored 21 points and Jaden Ivey added 19 as the Detroit Pistons were blown out 136-113 by the Houston Rockets.
Bradley Beal took off on the break, received the pass in stride from Devin Booker and threw down a powerful two-handed jam over Orlando’s Jalen Suggs in the third quarter.
Kevin Durant scored 31 points, Beal added a season-high 25 as Phoenix Suns won its third straight game, beating the Orlando Magic 112-107. It was only the fourth time this season that the Suns’ star trio of Durant, Bradley Beal and Devin Booker played together.
“We’re very talented, we’re very good,” Beal said according to AP. “We make it easy for each other.”
Beal was playing in just his eighth game this season because of back and ankle injuries. The 30-year-old – acquired in an offseason trade with Washington – shot 10 of 13 from the field, including his powerful dunk in the third quarter.
“That’s why we’re really excited about what Bradley Beal’s going to look like in a Suns uniform,” coach Frank Vogel said.
“He doesn’t really have his legs under him fully, but he goes 10 for 13, 25 points, several great one-on-one defensive possessions, took a charge, had some really athletic rebounds. He’s a dynamic player on both sides of the ball.”
Orlando trailed for a big chunk of the evening but rallied to cut it to 89-87 heading into the fourth. Paolo Banchero led the Magic with 12 points in the third on 5-of-7 shooting.
Gary Harris hit a long 3-pointer early in the fourth to give Orlando a 96-95 lead – its first since early in the first quarter.
The Suns would recover, using a 17-6 run to build a 10-point lead and regain control. Durant shot 12 of 21 from the field and added five rebounds and five assists. Booker scored 21 points and Jusuf Nurkic had 19 points and 13 rebounds.
The Suns’ backups scored only six points, all by Chimezie Metu.
Elsewhere, Zion Williamson has no interest in forgetting the New Orleans Pelicans’ most embarrassing loss of the season.
Memories of the 133-89 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in the In-Season Tournament semi-final in Las Vegas on Dec. 7 are painful, Williamson said, but the sluggish performance might also have been a “blessing in disguise.”
Williamson and Brandon Ingram each scored 26 points and the Pelicans beat the road-weary Lakers 129-109 to improve to 7-3 since leaving Las Vegas.
“It definitely brought us together more as a team,” Williamson said. “I feel like we´ve been playing great since then. We´ve still got some things to figure out, but so does every other team.”
Los Angeles was coming off a 108-106 loss at Minnesota, while New Orleans was off two days after beating Utah at home.
LeBron James scored 34 points and former Pelican Anthony Davis added 20 points and 10 rebounds, but they didn´t get enough help as the Lakers lost for the seventh time in nine games.
“We have to figure it out and get better, for sure,” James said. “We’re not one team that likes to play from behind. We’ve been in that position a lot this year.
“The flight last night did not help, obviously,” added James. “We didn’t get to the hotel last until 3:45 (a.m.). So, it was a rough day trying to recalibrate and get ready for the game. But I’m happy I was able to go out and just try to make some plays happen for my team.”
The Pelicans had the look of a team seeking redemption for it’s previous dud against the Lakers – and played with vigor in front of a packed and festive New Year´s Eve crowd.
“The way we lost the game, you want to redeem yourself,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said. “We talked about it the last coupe days and watched some film on it – as hard as it was.”
CJ McCollum added 22 points for the Pelicans, who led by 19 points and responded to each comeback bid with the help of 3-point shooting (17 of 34) as a team and crafty 6-foot guard Jose “Grand Theft” Alvarado’s four steals and and two blocks.
