Bradley Beal delivered his best performance as a Phoenix Sun in his team’s 128-109 stomping of the Los Angeles Lakers yesterday. The superstar guard scored a season-high 37 points, while Devin Booker added 31 to the Suns’ tally. Kevin Durant scored only 18 points, but his efforts on the defensive end thoroughly impressed Beal.
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In the post-game press conference, the veteran guard shed light on Durant’s defensive output against the Lakers. “I asked K, I think out of one timeout, I said ‘K, who you want to guard right here?’ He said, ‘Whoever has the ball,'” Beal hilariously told reporters.
“He takes all matchups seriously. And he wants to challenge himself on the defensive end. And that challenged us all to do the same,” he added. The Suns have been weak defensively this season. Therefore, Beal pointed out how KD has taken the initiative to show up on the defensive end to encourage his teammates to lock in as well. The 30-year-old guard also underlined how Durant’s defensive efforts stifled the Lakers stars on the offensive end, especially LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
LeBron finished the game with just ten points, while Davis could muster only 13. The Lakers trailed by 28 at the end of the third quarter and opted to give in and bench their starters. Beal credited Durant for his stellar defense on James. He said:
“For him to go out and [talk about taking the tough assignments] and then showcase it and guard LeBron, that’s not an easy task. You know LeBron is a high-IQ player and can dominate the game and take things away from you. For KD to be locked in and make his downhill attacks tough, that was elite.“
Less than a couple of weeks ago, Beal was critical of the Suns’ defensive efforts against the Charlotte Hornets, describing it as a “little bit trash.” Durant took into account his co-star’s criticism and stepped up his game against a potential playoff opponent.
However, as many NBA analysts have pointed out, the Suns will need a point guard to complete their team. Improving their defense is a step in the right direction but not enough to turn them into a well-rounded team. While Booker, Beal and KD are all guards, Phoenix doesn’t have a facilitator to feed everyone. The three stars in the lineup are more comfortable getting baskets than feeding the basketball.
Devin Booker praises Kevin Durant’s selflessness
Devin Booker also had an outstanding game on the offensive end. He scored 31 points and was the team’s second-highest scorer behind Beal, who finished with 31. Booker’s numbers had slumped over the past three games. He was averaging only 21.33 points. However, Durant had complete faith in his teammate and helped him get out of his skid. Booker revealed:
“KD came to me before the game and was like, ‘I want you aggressive. Don’t worry about getting me involved. I’ll get myself involved.'”
Durant giving Booker the license to focus on shooting worked wonders. He attempted 22 shots, his highest mark in ten games. Booker scored 16 of his 31 points in the first quarter and ensured that the Suns controlled the game right from the start. With Beal and Booker taking the bulk of the shots, Durant was limited to only 11 field goal attempts, his fourth-lowest tally of the season. However, his output on the defensive end more than made up for his lack of shooting.
Durant’s new selfless attitude is helping the Suns live up to their potential. The veteran forward is willing to make sacrifices to help lead Phoenix to the promised land. It’ll be fascinating to see if Durant allows Booker and Beal to drive the Suns’ offense while he hangs back and focuses on ensuring the defense is, as Beal anointed it, elite.
