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Kevin Durant (36) and Devin Booker (27) combined for 63 points as the Phoenix Suns sent LeBron James (39) and the Los Angeles Lakers tumbling to their first defeat of the season in NBA action on Monday. Booker bagged 33 points and Durant 30 to give the Suns a thrilling 109-105 win at Phoenix's Footprint Center, avenging the Lakers' 123-116 win over the Suns in Los Angeles on Friday.
The Lakers arrived in Phoenix buoyed by an impressive 3-0 start to the campaign under new head coach J.J. Redick. They looked poised to keep that run going after making a blistering start, sprinting into an early 26-8 lead in the first quarter thanks to 16 points from the in-form Anthony Davis.
Phoenix responded to edge ahead 50-48 before the Lakers hit back with a 35-point third quarter to regain the lead, only for the Suns to turn the tables in the fourth, outscoring Los Angeles 33-22 to seal victory. Davis led the Lakers scorers with 29 points, adding 15 rebounds and three assists, while Austin Reaves finished with 23 points.
James, however, had a rare off-night, finishing with just 11 points from 3-of-14 shooting. Suns coach Mike Budenholzer saluted his team's grit in hauling themselves back from their early 18-point deficit. "The toughness, the edge that the guys are developing and growing, the competitiveness," Budenholzer said. "When you can take a punch like that in the first quarter, lean on your defense to get back into it - having that edge on defense tonight really stood out."
