LOS ANGELES – Phoenix star Kevin Durant scored 39 points and thwarted Utah’s Lauri Markkanen at the final buzzer on Nov 19, as the Suns relied on “good offensive momentum” to beat the Jazz 140-137 in a National Basketball Association double-overtime thriller.
Durant added eight rebounds and 10 assists while Devin Booker scored 26 points for the Suns. Markkanen led Utah with 38 points and grabbed 17 rebounds.
Durant scored eight points in the second overtime, which the Suns led 138-135 with 43.2 seconds left.
Markkanen’s lay-up sliced the deficit to one but Booker drained two free throws to put Phoenix up 140-137 with nine-tenths of a second left.
Said Durant: “I thought we had good momentum on the offensive side of the ball all game. We stayed with that throughout the fourth quarter and the two overtimes.”
Markkanen had a last chance, with officials initially ruling he was fouled by Durant on a failed three-point attempt. But that call was overturned on review and the Suns had the win.
Said Durant: “It was ridiculous to even call that. I knew I blocked the shot and I knew I didn’t touch him at all. But that’s just how the game is.”
However, Markkanen added: “I thought (it was a foul). I was getting ready to shoot three free throws.”
Utah had trailed much of the night before Markkanen forced the first overtime with a lay-up with 20.3sec left in regulation.
Phoenix jumped to a 123-118 lead in the first extra session, but Utah clawed back and Collin Sexton forced a second overtime with a put-back lay-up.
Durant notched his 12th straight game with 25 or more points, the longest such streak in Suns history.
“I’m just trying to stay prepared on off days and before games, just trying to follow the game plan to execute as much as I can and play with a calm and free spirit,” Durant said.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Lakers, fuelled by a season-high 37 points from superstar LeBron James, held off the Houston Rockets 105-104.
Austin Reaves, fed by James, drilled a three-pointer to put the Lakers up 103-100 with 24.2sec to play. But Alperen Sengun’s lay-up tied it up at 104-104 with 4sec left.
James, fouled under the rim, made one of two free throws to clinch it.
Said Lakers coach Darvin Ham: “That’s the LeBron we’ve all come to know and love over these 21 years.”
James added six rebounds and eight assists and Anthony Davis scored 27 points with 10 rebounds. Reaves finished with 17 points off the bench – a key contribution on a night when Lakers starters Cam Reddish, Taurean Prince and D’Angelo Russell struggled offensively.
The Boston Celtics also had a narrow escape, stretching their winning streak to six games with a 102-100 victory over the Grizzlies in Memphis.
A back-and-forth battle featuring 18 lead changes saw the Celtics survive when Kristaps Porzingis drove for a go-ahead dunk with 1min 1sec remaining, then blocked Ziaire Williams’ last-gasp attempt at the buzzer. AFP
