Leaving Phoenix Suns superstar Kevin Durant bare is a no-no, but Cleveland had to make an exception Monday night.
“For whatever reason, they kept leaving K open,” Suns star guard Bradley Beal said.
Having Devin Booker and Beal on the floor with Durant, the Cavaliers wound up giving Durant space to nail three consecutive 3s in a pivotal third quarter of Monday night’s 117-111 win to begin a four-game road trip.
“I was surprised they helped off, especially after I hit one,” Durant said. “I was surprised they helped off, but I just got to shoot those with confidence, fundamentals and knock them in.”
Durant finished with a game-high 37 points, going 5-of-10 from 3, while Booker and Beal scored 27 and 24, respectively for the Suns (37-27), who are 5-0 when they each score 20-plus points in game.
“They got a great ability to pierce single coverage or drop coverage in pick-and-roll and when they start bringing two to the basketball, they’re all willing passers,” Suns coach Frank Vogel said. “As long as we take care of it, put the other team in rotations with those guys out there, we got a chance to be elite. So it was great to have them all back.”
The Suns are 15-9 with Booker, Durant and Beal have been in the lineup this season.
“Such a small sample size, but it’s good we were able to get out there,” Beal said. “We’ve got to turn it up. It’s good to have Book back, get our energy back going and get a dub.”
Booker returned Monday after missing four games with a right ankle sprain.
“Just playing with pace, trying to, just playing for each other,” Booker said. “The ball keeps hopping and getting to the right spacing. I think all of us are so used to having the ball most of the game in our hands, but more we spread teams out, and use our gravity, and play through 1-on-1 and make another team rotate, I think that’s how we get our best looks.”
Their combined 88 points Monday wasn’t the most they generated as a collective. The Big 3 racked up a season-high 94 points Jan. 26 at Indiana that was heavy on the Booker.
The four-time All-Star was unstoppable in scoring a season-high 62, but Durant managed just 20 and Beal only scored 12 on 5-of-13 shooting – and suffered a broken nose in the third quarter he played through in the fourth.
“Impressive,” Suns forward Royce O’Neale said. “They take turns or keep going to the hot guy. Feel like they manipulate the game to their advantage. Other guys spacing, make the right read whether they get double-teamed or not, hitting the open shots or making the next pass.”
Booker wasn’t completely comfortable saying he and Beal were the reasons Durant got free for three catch-and-shoot 3s off his passes out of a double on pick-and-roll that kept the Cavs at bay in the third.
“After No. 1, he’s not supposed to get another one in my opinion,” Booker said. “For it to be three straight on the same play, we’ll take it. We’ll take it every time.”
That’s OK. Durant gave Booker props for the passes.
“Booker put the ball on point, the play was run with execution and it’s on me to finish it,” Durant said.
Caris LeVert and Darius Garland hit consecutive 3s to answer Durant’s first of three straight to cut Phoenix’s nine-point lead to three, 87-84, but Durant fired back one to double the advantage for the Suns.
Then when Isaac Okoro nailed a 3, Durant answered 11 seconds later with his third consecutive one from deep, giving Phoenix a 93-87 lead with 3:10 left in the third.
The Suns went into the fourth up, 97-91, and won by the same margin.
“The rotations were perfect,” Durant said. “Guys made shots. We shot 54% from the field. We were knocking down shots, getting to our spots. We were efficient. When all of us are efficient like that, we can put up points.”
The creativity of the Big 3 came to life down the stretch of Monday’s win.
Up three, Booker dribbled into the paint and found Beal in the corner. Beal caught the pass and made his way into the lane before finding Durant for an open wing 3 he nailed from the same spot when knocking down three in a row to give him five for the night and put Phoenix up, 113-107, with 3:43 left.
“That’s that spontaneous type of basketball,” Durant said. “You never know when the play is going to start with us three and you never know how it’s going to end. Brad was able to get into the paint, which he can do with ease. Book get into the paint with ease. I’m just spacing out there. So if you leave and help, I’m going to be confident in shooting that shot.”
For Beal, it’s simple. Or it at least sounds simple.
“Being aggressive, being unselfish at the same time, understanding floor spacing,” Beal said. “Whenever we get two feet in the paint, it’s always a good thing. If you see your man and another man, that means somebody is open. We do a good job of making sure we see the weak side and guys were ready to knock them down.”
Booker, Durant and Beal combined for 18 assists, showing they can distribute as well as score in sharing the basketball and keeping the defense in scramble mode trying to cover the Suns.
Grayson Allen made the Cavaliers pay for giving the Big 3 attention by hitting 4-of-5 from 3 in scoring 14 points. Booker led the Suns in assists with seven while Durant had six.
“That’s how we got to play,” Beal said. “It’s not by accident. We should be able to get an open shot every time down the floor with just the dynamic of our team. The attention we draw with what we do. There’s no reason why shouldn’t get an open shot every time, especially when K is getting them. Those are layups. Those are rhythm builders and keep guys in the game, keep guys going. We’re just an unselfish team, too. Sometimes we pass too much. We overpass and that and those turn into turnovers. We’re trying to be a lot better with being aggressive and kind of hunt shots a little bit more.”
The Suns committed 14 turnovers that led to 20 Cleveland points, but they can live with that if the offense is generating open shots with Booker, Durant and Beal initiating the offense.
“That’s what we want every possession down to look like,” Booker said. “Just drive and kick, like I said, make a team rotate, put them in rotation and hopefully, we get a good look.”
