NBA: Hot-shooting Suns wear down Raptors
Published March 8, 2024 2:55pm Kevin Durant scored 35 points and Grayson Allen poured in 26 first-half points to help the Phoenix Suns post a 120-113 victory over the visiting Toronto Raptors on Thursday night. Bradley Beal recorded 20 points and eight assists as Phoenix won for the fourth time in its past six games. […]
Tomas Kauer - News Moderator 
Kevin Durant scored 35 points and Grayson Allen poured in 26 first-half points to help the Phoenix Suns post a 120-113 victory over the visiting Toronto Raptors on Thursday night.
Bradley Beal recorded 20 points and eight assists as Phoenix won for the fourth time in its past six games. Bol Bol had 11 points and eight rebounds and Royce O’Neale contributed 10 points, eight rebounds and six assists for the Suns, who were without Devin Booker (ankle) for the third straight game.
Allen set a franchise record with seven treys in the first quarter. He finished the game with eight after going scoreless in the second half.
Gary Trent Jr. hit five 3-pointers and scored 30 points for Toronto, which never led and lost for the fourth time in its past five games.
RJ Barrett added 23 points and Immanuel Quickley had 21 points and a career-high 18 assists for the Raptors. Gradey Dick had 12 points and Chris Boucher had 11 points and nine rebounds for Toronto.
The Suns shot 51.2 percent from the floor and made 15 of 35 from 3-point range. Jusuf Nurkic collected 14 rebounds as Phoenix held a 49-36 edge on the boards.
The Raptors shot 45.7 percent from the floor and hit 16 of 44 from behind the arc.
Toronto rattled off nine straight points in the fourth quarter to move within 96-93 on Barrett’s basket with 7:59 remaining.
The Suns responded with a 14-4 spurt. O’Neale capped it with a trey for a 110-97 lead with 4:41 left.
The Raptors moved within 116-109 on Kelly Olynyk’s putback with 1:43 left but Durant scored four straight points as Phoenix put it away.
Phoenix led 67-53 at halftime behind Allen’s 26 points.
Toronto narrowed the gap and used a 15-6 run, capped by Quickley’s floater, to move within 79-74 with 5:28 left in the third period.
Three-plus minutes later, Barrett’s three-point play pulled the Raptors within 83-80.
Durant answered with three consecutive baskets to make it a nine-point margin before the Suns took an 89-82 advantage into the final stanza.
Allen had 21 points in the opening quarter to help the Suns hold a 39-25 lead.
Beal’s basket early in the second quarter gave Phoenix a 19-point lead.
Trent scored 16 in the first half for Toronto.
–Field Level Media/Reuters
