Kevin Durant commended his teammates for their performance in the absence of Bradley Beal, who was sidelined due to injury management on Sunday. With the LA Lakers focusing their defensive efforts on Durant and Devin Booker, it created opportunities for role players like Grayson Allen to shine.
Speaking to Duane Rankin of AZ Central in a postgame interview, KD highlighted the contributions of Allen, Royce O’Neal, and Jusuf Nurkic in capitalizing on the Lakers’ defensive strategy. He noted how Anthony Davis seemed preoccupied with containing Durant and Booker, leaving other players open.
“We have to capitalize when teams try to shut down me and Book,” Durant emphasized. “That’s what the Lakers attempted, and although they had some success early on, we were missing some key players. But our guys stepped up today and punished them for it.
Grayson found openings, Royce found openings, and AD was so focused on tracking Nurk that it left opportunities for others.”
KD continued, “I heard AD shouting to his teammates for help because he was trying to keep tabs on me and Book. Teams will try to exploit that, especially without Brad, so our guys need to be aggressive, look to score, and make the right plays.”
In the game, Durant tallied 22 points, five rebounds, and seven assists, while Booker contributed 21 points and nine assists. Allen led the scoring with 24 points, supported by Nurkic’s dominant performance with 18 points, 22 rebounds, and seven assists.
O’Neal also made significant contributions with 20 points and 10 rebounds, while Bol Bol added 11 points off the bench.
On the Lakers’ side, Anthony Davis recorded a double-double with 22 points and 12 rebounds, while LeBron James posted 28 points and 12 assists. The Lakers are scheduled to face the LA Clippers next, while the Suns will take on the Houston Rockets in their upcoming matchups.
