The Phoenix Suns, spearheaded by Kevin Durant, returned to winning ways after upsetting the home team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, 117-111 on Monday for the inaugural matchup of their season series.
After getting their two-game winning streak snapped in the 117-107 loss to the Boston Celtics, the Suns were poised to make a statement against the third-best team in the East with All-Star Devin Booker back in the lineup to pair up with Durant again.
NBA fans on X, formerly Twitter, shared their reactions to the gutsy hard-fought win, handing the Cavs their 13th home loss of the season. One fan tweeted:
“As a nuggets fan only team I fear is the suns”
Here are some of the top reactions to the Suns-Cavs thriller:
Kevin Durant led the scoring with a game-high 37 points, adding eight rebounds and six assists in 39 minutes of play.
Devin Booker, in his return, contributed 27 points, along with six rebounds and seven assists. Meanwhile, Bradley Beal added 24 points, five rebounds and four assists to the effort.
Closer look at how Phoenix Suns and Kevin Durant overcame Cleveland Cavaliers
Phoenix secured victories in three of their last four contests. Aiming to capitalize against a Cavaliers team missing six players, notably Donovan Mitchell, it was Cleveland that dictated the pace in the first half.
The Cavaliers led by as much as 19 points during the initial two quarters, ultimately taking a 70-63 lead into halftime.
Despite facing a significant deficit, the Suns mounted a comeback, regaining the lead midway through the third quarter and successfully fending off a determined Cavaliers team. Darius Garland spearheaded Cleveland’s efforts, scoring 30 points on 10-for-17 shooting.
Drew Eubanks stepped in to close the game at center for Jusuf Nurkic, who was unexpectedly seen on the bench during the game’s final moments.
An immediate explanation for Nurkic’s absence from the court was not provided. Booker found most of his success inside the 3-point line. Despite struggling from beyond the arc, shooting just 1-for-7, Booker excelled on 2-point field goals, making 10-of-15 attempts.
Porter sank two free throws with 1:30 left on the clock, pulling the Cavaliers to within two points, 113-111.
Following a missed shot by Durant, Allen had an opportunity to tie the game but fumbled the ball. In the game’s closing moments, Phoenix’s Grayson Allen and Booker each made a pair of free throws to clinch the victory.
With this win, Phoenix’s (38-27) record over the last four games improved to 3-1, while Cleveland’s (41-24) record dropped to 1-3 over the same span, marking their second consecutive loss.
