Kevin Durant led the charge with 35 points, while Grayson Allen contributed 26 as the Phoenix Suns secured a 120-113 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Thursday night.
Bradley Beal chipped in 20 points and eight assists for the Suns, who maintained control throughout the game. Durant went 11 of 19 from the field, while Allen showcased his prowess in the first half, setting a franchise record with seven 3-pointers in the opening quarter.
“I got hot on the first few, and then guys started looking for me,” Allen remarked.
Gary Trent Jr. paced the Raptors with 30 points, supported by Immanuel Quickley’s 21 points and career-high 18 assists, along with RJ Barrett’s 23 points. Despite their efforts, the Raptors suffered their fourth loss in five games.
Playing without injured All-Star guard Devin Booker, the Suns held a 14-point advantage at halftime. Although the Raptors narrowed the gap to 89-82 entering the fourth quarter and trimmed it to 96-93 with 7:59 remaining, Phoenix’s Bol answered with a crucial basket, preventing Toronto from getting any closer.
“I like where we are right now,” Durant commented. “I think we can keep growing. That’s the best thing about it — we’ve still got room to grow as a team. We’re getting more and more comfortable as the day goes on.”
Bol contributed 11 points and eight rebounds in just 16 minutes of play. The Suns have now won 10 of their last 12 home games. Allen’s impressive performance in the first quarter, where he made seven 3-pointers, propelled the Suns to a commanding 39-25 lead.
“It feels good, I’m getting good looks,” Allen expressed. “I’m getting a mix of in-rhythm looks and quick ones.”
Allen, acquired before the season in the trade involving Deandre Ayton, is having a standout season, averaging 13 points per game while shooting 47% on 3-pointers, leading the league in this category.
“He knows his role in our system, and he’s a great shooter,” praised Suns coach Frank Vogel. “Everybody knew he was a good player when he was coming in, but he’s a great player. He’s playing phenomenally for us.”
Heading into halftime with a 67-53 lead, the Suns, currently the No. 6 team in the Western Conference, are striving to secure their position and avoid the play-in tournament, with the top six seeds in each conference advancing directly to the opening round.
Missing All-Star Scottie Barnes, who recently underwent hand surgery, the Raptors acknowledged Allen’s performance, even though they couldn’t contain him effectively.
“We were late on our rotations,” noted Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic. “We had a clear plan on how we wanted to close out on Grayson Allen, but we just didn’t follow through. It’s going to be good for us to look at the film and learn from it.”
