Len’s double-double, Booker’s 22 in first half lift Suns to win over Lakers
Nov 17, 2017, 11:24 PM | Updated: Nov 18, 2017, 12:01 am
Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker, left, shoots as Los Angeles Lakers center Brook Lopez defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Nov. 17, 2017, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
(AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
A monster first half from Devin Booker propelled the Phoenix Suns to a 122-113 win over the Los Angeles Lakers Friday night.
Booker scored 22 of his 33 points in the first half, hitting six 3-pointers in the opening 24 minutes.
Devin Booker sprays six 3-pointers on Lakers in first half pic.twitter.com/Bxy8cGknvu
— Matt Petersen (@TheMattPetersen) November 18, 2017
While Booker would press further in the second half to try to carry his team to a win in the second game of a back-to-back (he took 27 shots in the game), he received enough scoring support around him to get it done without replicating his success in the second half.
Alex Len had 17 points, 18 rebounds and two blocks off the bench, playing one of his best games in a Suns uniform.
Most importantly, though, the Suns had positive contributions at point guard.
Tyler Ulis scored 15 points and added seven assists while Mike James had a team-high eight assists to go along with nine points off the bench. The Suns tied a season high for assists in a game with 28, a number they reached in the game Thursday against the Houston Rockets.
Phoenix was able to get the win on a night in which the Lakers got 30 points out of rookie forward Kyle Kuzma, who continues to impress. Kuzma’s 30 is the most points scored by an NBA rookie in a game this season, passing Lonzo Ball’s 29 against the Suns earlier in the season.
SCUFFLE
For the second straight game between the two teams, there was an incident between opposing players. In Phoenix on Monday, it was Booker having words with the Lakers bench.
Friday, it was Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Ulis getting into it after a timeout was called, causing several players to rush over to the scrum.
Lakers-Suns getting chippy 👀 pic.twitter.com/eghvNqWfzO
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 18, 2017
Caldwell-Pope, Ulis and Jackson were all given technical fouls.
