Phoenix Suns hold off Miami Heat's 4th-quarter run to bounce back in road win

The Phoenix Suns (27-20) staved off a fourth-quarter comeback by the Miami Heat (24-23) for a road win, 118-105, on Monday.

The win snapped the Suns' two-game skid, handed the defending Eastern Conference champion its seventh consecutive loss, and swept the season series against the Heat.

Phoenix's Big 3 of Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, and Bradley Beal scored 22, 20, and 19 points, respectively. The team's sixth man Eric Gordon scored a team-high 23 points in the win, and the team's bench contributed a season-best 48 points, outscoring the Miami reserves by 18.

After the Suns led by 26 after the third quarter, their fourth-quarter troubles holding leads seemingly began to creep in as they were outscored, 31-18. Miami went on a 19-7 run through the 5:30-minute mark. Jimmy Butler (game-high 26 points) hit a 3 and cut the lead to 10 with 1:33 left. Phoenix held the ball to milk the clock in the final minute, and Miami conceded the loss in its final possession.

The Suns will play the fifth game of their seven-game road trip at the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday.

Booker, Suns overpower Heat in 3rd

The Suns shined too bright for the Heat to handle in the third quarter, as Phoenix closed with a 100-74 lead.

Phoenix has inflated the margin quarter over quarter, and reached the largest, 28 points, on Bradley Beal’s contested layup in the period’s closing seconds.

After Devin Booker's 3-of-9 start in the first half for eight points, he shot a stellar 5-of-8 in third and matched Eric Gordon's team-high 20 points.

Kevin Durant has 14 points and Bradley Beal has 16, both are tied for game-high seven assists.

Everything seemed to go in for the Suns' balanced attack during the period, including Josh Okogie's off-balance 3 banked in to beat the shot clock. The Suns shot nearly 70% overall, including 6-of-11 from deep.

Grayson Allen injured, not returning

Grayson Allen has been ruled out for the remainder of the game, per the Suns. He suffered a right ankle injury late in the second quarter.

Allen finished with three points (0-of-2 FG, 3-of-4 FT), two rebounds, one assist, and one turnover in 14 minutes.

Suns dominate 2nd quarter behind Big 3, Gordon

Phoenix increased its lead to 62-49 entering halftime.

After the Suns ended the first quarter on a 7-0 run, they extended it to 13-0 for a 14-point margin on a mid-range jumpshot by Kevin Durant right after 10 minutes left in the half. They had their largest lead of 17 on a layup by Eric Gordon (11 points) shortly after the four-minute mark.

Durant scored six of his 10 points in the second and added four assists. He's been solid on the other end at two blocks, one steal, and all three of his rebounds have been defensive boards. The two others of the Suns' Big 3 in Devin Booker has eight points with the team-high six rebounds;, and Bradley Beal has nine points in addition to his four assists.

Along with the Suns' sixth man Gordon, their bench has been highly productive outscoring Miami's reserves 30-8.

Jimmy Butler's 13 points (4-of-7 FG) is the game-high for Miami. Two of the team's other starters, Tyler Herro and Terry Rozier, have 11 and 12 points.

Eubanks, Suns surge in 1st-quarter paint scoring

Phoenix leads 33-25 over Miami at the end of the opening period.

Miami jumped out to a seven-point lead approaching the eight-minute mark, led by the team's newly acquired guard Terry Rozier (10 points).

Then after Jusuf Nurkic picked up two quick fouls, Drew Eubanks was the catalyst replacing him and scoring 11 points (5-of-5 shooting) as Phoenix went on a 18-4 run through the next six minutes.

That put the Suns up by seven as well until a 3 by Miami's All-Star Jimmy Butler (six points) ended that run.

Eubanks' 11 accounted for the Suns' 16 points scored in the paint to the Heat's 8.

Monday's starting lineups: Nurkic back for Phoenix

Suns' big man Jusuf Nurkic was announced as starting for the Suns against the Heat, after missing Sunday's game with a thumb injury sustained in Friday's game against Indiana. He'll join guards Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, and forwards Kevin Durant and Grayson Allen in the starting lineup.

Miami will start Terry Rozier and Tyler Herro at the guard spots, Jimmy Butler and Caleb Martin at forwards, and Bam Adebayo at center.

Durant reaches 28K career points

Kevin Durant achieved another career milestone with his 15 points against Orlando. The future Hall of Famer eclipsed the 28,000-point mark, and is currently at 28,003 and 10th on the NBA's all-time scoring list.

Durant needs 286 more to surpass Carmelo Anthony and 593 to move ahead of Shaquille O'Neal, who are ninth and eighth on the list.

Nurkic game-time decision, Beal gets new mask

The Republic's Duane Rankin reported that Suns coach Frank Vogel said during his pregame media availability that he's "hopeful" their starting center Jusuf Nurkic (thumb) will play against the Heat.

Nurkic injured his left non-shooting hand's thumb twice in the Suns' loss at Indiana on Friday.

Bradley Beal (nose) has a new customized mask to wear against the Heat. After he suffered a concussion and nasal fracture against Indiana, He wore an old fashioned mask that he frequently struggled with at Orlando, and briefly took it off during the third quarter.

Suns' Beal in, Nurkic questionable

Phoenix's injury report lists Bradley Beal (nasal fracture) as available. This will be his second straight appearance after he caught an elbow to his nose from Myles Turner against Indiana. He played with a mask for most of the Orlando game after originally being listed as questionable.

Jusuf Nurkic (thumb) is the other Suns starter on the report. He didn't play at Orlando.

Additional Suns who will be out include reserves Bol Bol (foot) for the ninth straight game and Damion Lee (right meniscus surgery).

Miami's RJ Hampton, Orlando Robinson, and Cole Swider are on G League assignments, and Dru Smith (right knee surgery), is out, as he has been since November. The roster otherwise is available.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Suns hold off Heat's 4th-quarter run to bounce back in road win