What we learned: Phoenix Suns Big 3 of Booker, Durant, Beal too much for L.A. Lakers

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Lakers faced the Phoenix Suns’ Big 3 for the first time this season.

The Lakers had no answers.

None.

Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal combined for 86 points in leading the Suns to their first victory over the Lakers, 127-109, Thursday night before a crowd of 18,416 at Crypto.com Arena.

Beal generated a season-high 37 points with 26 coming in the second half, Booker scored 31, with 23 coming in the first half and Durant added 18 as the Suns bounced back from their worst loss of the season Monday to the Clippers to dominate the Lakers.

Phoenix (20-18) led by as many as 32 points, their second-biggest advantage of the season.

The Suns not only shot 49.5% from the field, but they did their part in limiting Anthony Davis to a pedestrian night after he had his way with them the first three matchups the Lakers (19-20) won.

Here’s what we learned as the Suns scored 23 fastbreak points, the second-most this season to the 27 they generated in a Dec. 5 loss to the Lakers in the In-Season Tournament quarterfinals in Los Angeles.

Suns on right end of lopsided Thursday games

Should’ve saw this coming. Check out the scores of two of Thursday’s four games before Suns-Lakers.

Bucks 135 Celtics 102 (Biggest lead – 43 points); Thunder 139 Blazers 77 (Biggest lead – 62 points).

Absolutely tragic.

The Suns didn’t have as wide a margin of victory, but they were up as much as 32 points to make it another lopsided game Thursday night.

Of those three games, Milwaukee clearly had the best win.

The Celtics have the best record in the NBA, were only without reserve big Al Horford (illness) and got trucked by the Bucks with Bobby Portis going for 28 points.

Can hear the “Bob-by, Bob-by” chants now.

The Thunder are having a great season, but really Portland? Really?

This is tied for the fifth-worst loss in NBA history with the Kings falling to the Warriors, 153-91, Nov. 2, 1991. Chris Mullin scored 32 points in 26 minutes to lead Golden State to an obliteration win.

No Deandre Ayton for the Blazers, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is that special something for OKC, but thank goodness Chauncey Billups shaves his head because all his hair would’ve fallen out after this game.

Necessary win for Suns

As for the Suns, call this a necessary win.

Can’t go up 17 points in the first quarter with Booker going for 16 points in the first – and lose.

Can’t come off losing to the Grizzlies in which they folded in the fourth quarter, have their worst loss of the season to the Clippers and have two days between games to sit on those losses – and lose.

Can’t have Beal go 8-of-10 from 3 in his best game with the Suns – and lose.

Can't follow Frank Vogel's call to attempt more 3s in launching 39 (making 14) – and lose.

Can’t have LeBron James and Davis combine for just 23 points – and lose to the Lakers.

Can’t have Durant play the type of defense he did against James, in helping limit him to 10 points on 3-of-11 shooting, and Jusuf Nurkic commit just two fouls in defending Davis – and lose.

The Suns had to have this one if for any other reason to finally beat a team that’s had their number in three previous games this season by a total margin of 11 points.

Booker, Beal take more shots than Durant

Durant told Booker before the game to be aggressive and not worry about him getting his. It worked out Thursday night, but can this be a sustainable offensive brand for the Suns?

Booker and Beal going for theirs while Durant gets in where he can fit into the offense.

Before thumbing it up or down, consider this.

In the previous six games Phoenix’s Big 3 have played together, Durant took the most shots from the field in four of those. The Suns went 1-3.

Nets L – Durant 9-of-18 (27 points), Booker 9-of-15 (34 points), Beal 6-of-9 (14 points).

Knicks L – Booker 11-of-26 (28 points), Durant 10-of-21 (29 points), Beal 2-of-2 (6 points).

Hornets W – Booker 10-of-18 (35 points), Durant 8-of-11 (21 points), Beal 3-of-8 (6 points).

Magic W – Durant 12-of-21 (31 points), Booker 7-of-17 (21 points), Beal 10-of-13 (25 points)

Grizzlies L – Durant 11-of-23 (23 points), Booker 9-of-17 (24 points), Beal 5-of-12 (12 points).

Clippers L – Durant 10-of-17 (30 points), Beal 7-of-15 (15 points), Booker 8-of-14 (20 points).

Now, one of those came against the Knicks when Beal suffered the ankle sprain in the first quarter. Put an asterisk on that one, but in their seventh game together Thursday, Booker and Beal hoisted 22 and 21, respectively, with both scoring 30-plus while Durant only attempted 12 in scoring 18.

This isn’t about the points because Durant can score 30 on 12 to 15 shot attempts because he can get to the line. He’s the most efficient player of the Big 3. Less can mean more for him. He’s more comfortable taking 12 to 15 shots than going over 20.

Booker and Beal aren’t as efficient. They could use more shots and have no problems launching.

There will be games in which Durant attempts more shots just based on how the game is flowing.

Some games Booker will facilitate more, but he showed Thursday why having him in attack mode is better for the Suns than trying to distribute the ball.

And Beal was as comfortable as he’s been in just doing what he does – go 1-on-1 and do work.

How scary is this thought? Durant, the 10^th all-time leading scorer in NBA is the third option for the Suns who can play within the offense, score on cue and if he’s needed to close in the fourth, close.

Still expecting more from Davis

Yes, Davis has been balling out this season. He’s averaging 25.3 points on 56.2% shooting, 12 rebounds and 2.5 blocks. Stayed healthy for the most part in only missing two games.

In his previous 10 games before facing the Suns, Davis averaged 29.9 points on 59.7% shooting (113-of-189), 11.1 rebounds and 2.6 blocks.

Davis was coming off a season-high 41-point night in which he went 11-of-11 from the line in a 20-point fourth quarter to lead the Lakers past the Raptors, 132-131, Tuesday.

With the Suns up next, a team against which he has averaged 25 points, 12.7 rebounds with 5.7 assists coming on the offensive glass and 8.7 free throw attempts (24-of-26 FTs), thought Davis would eat hearty Thursday.

Jusuf Nurkic has been BBQ chicken and all the fixings for Davis this season.

Then Thursday’s game starts – and it was clear he wasn’t into it.

Vogel made some adjustments. Nurkic defended him without fouling and the Lakers were horrid from 3, but this is what frustrates us mere mortals about Davis. He’s better than 13 points and five rebounds.

He should get to the line more than once. In some fairness, the Suns packed the paint to help contain Davis and the Lakers couldn’t make them pay despite getting open looks from 3.

Los Angeles was 5-of-17 from deep at the half in trailing by 14 points. Through three quarters, try 8-of-26 in falling behind by 31 points.

So that 5-of-8 in the fourth lifted the Lakers to 38.2% (13-of-34), which is above their season average of 35.6%, when the game was a game, they were building townhomes in Northridge.

Still, Davis is better than that.

Everyone can have a bad game, but Davis shouldn’t have had one against a team that’s had no answers for him and after having a special night in his previous game.

Up next – Sunday at struggling Portland

The Blazers (10-27) conclude what has been a seven-game road trip Friday at Minnesota (26-11), which is tied with Oklahoma City for the best record in the West, before returning home to host Phoenix Sunday at 7 p.m.

The Suns are 2-1 versus the Blazers with Portland’s 109-104 win coming at home as Deandre Ayton posted a double-double of 15 points and 16 rebounds. The Blazers have gone 3-8 since.

Ayton has missed nine straight games as he’s been out with right knee tendinitis. He’s only played in 24 games this season in averaging a career-low 13.1 points to go along with 10.8 rebounds.

The Suns moved Ayton to the Blazers as part of a three-team deal right before training camp in which Damian Lillard went to Milwaukee and Nurkic landed in Phoenix. Nurkic is averaging 12.4 points and 10.3 rebounds in his first season with the Suns.

The more important number at this point between the two is games played. Nurkic has only missed two of Phoenix’s 38 games due to a death in the family. His availability alone gives the Suns the current edge over the Blazers in the big man swap.

Have opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-787-1240. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Big 3 of Booker, Durant and Beal too much in leading Suns past Lakers