KEVIN Durant scored 39 points and took over during a decisive stretch of the second overtime session to lift the Phoenix Suns to a thrilling 140-137 win over the Utah Jazz on Sunday night (Monday in Manila) in Salt Lake City.
Devin Booker added 26 points, including a pair of free throws in the final second of the second OT, and dished out eight assists as the Suns won for the second time in Utah in three nights.
Lauri Markkanen had a monster game for the Jazz, scoring 38 points with 17 rebounds. He forced overtime with a bucket late in regulation. For a moment, it appeared that Markkanen would get a chance to force triple overtime.
Phoenix held a three-point lead in the final second– after Booker’s free throws with nine-tenths of a second left– when Durant was called for fouling Markkanen in the act of shooting a corner 3. After a lengthy review, the officials reversed the ruling because they deemed that Durant hit the ball before smacking Markkanen’s wrist.
In other games, it was the Kings 129, Mavs 113; Sixers 121, Nets 99; Raptors 142, Pistons 113; Magic 128, Pacers 116; Cavs 121, Nuggets 109; Celtics 102, Grizzlies 100; Thunder 134, Blazers 91; and Lakers 105, Rockets 104.
Kings 129, Mavs 113
Domantas Sabonis put up a double-double, De’Aaron Fox won his scoring duel over Kyrie Irving and Sacramento won its sixth straight game, outlasting host Dallas.
Sabonis had game highs of 32 points and 13 rebounds, while Fox chipped in with 30 points and seven assists as the Kings won for the third straight time on a six-game trip.
Luka Doncic had team highs of 25 points and 10 rebounds and added seven assists for the Mavericks, who lost their second game in as many days. Irving finished with 23 points as the Mavericks shot 46.6 percent overall and were outscored 51-36 on 3-pointers.
Sixers 121, Nets 99
Joel Embiid poured in 32 points and came one assist shy of a triple double as Philadelphia dispatched Brooklyn in New York.
Embiid added 12 rebounds to go along with his nine assists en route to his ninth double-double of the young season. He made 11 of 24 shots from the field and sank 9 of 10 free-throw attempts. Tyrese Maxey drained six 3-pointers and finished with 25 points and 10 assists for Philadelphia, which also got 21 points from De’Anthony Melton.
Lonnie Walker IV came off the bench to supply a team-high 26 points on 9-of-17 shooting for the Nets, who have dropped three of their past five games. Mikal Bridges chipped in 18 points. — Field Level Media
