Kevin Durant scored 25 points and the Phoenix Suns led by as many as 35 points while routing the visiting Detroit Pistons 116-100 on Wednesday night.
The Suns cruised despite playing without Bradley Beal (hamstring) and losing Devin Booker just 5:24 into the game when he was flagged for two technical fouls and an ejection.
Simone Fontecchio scored 18 points for Detroit, which has lost three straight games and six of its past eight.
The contest marked the return of Pistons coach Monty Williams to Phoenix. Williams spent four seasons as coach of the Suns and guided them to the 2021 NBA Finals but was dismissed after last season’s second-round playoff exit.
The Phoenix backcourt shortages opened up playing time for seldom-used Saben Lee, who scored a season-high 16 points and matched his career best of four steals.
Eric Gordon scored 13 points and Jusuf Nurkic added 10 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists for the Suns, who put the game away with a 26-2 surge spanning the first and second quarters.
Ausar Thompson had 14 points, Shake Milton added 13 points and nine rebounds and Cade Cunningham recorded 13 points and eight assists for the Pistons. Evan Fournier added 10 points for Detroit, which shot 38.4 percent from the field and 10 of 37 from 3-point range.
Phoenix shot 45.5 percent, including 10 of 31 from behind the arc.
Durant had 12 points in the first half as the Suns led 70-41.
The contest was tied at 23 after a basket by Thompson for Detroit with 3:23 left in the opening quarter.
Phoenix finished the first quarter with a 14-2 spurt and opened the second with 12 points in a row. Two free throws by Grayson Allen capped the outburst and gave the Suns a 49-25 lead with 9:15 left in the frame.
The Suns finished the first half with a 16-4 burst to hold the 29-point halftime advantage.
Durant and Royce O’Neale opened the third quarter with back-to-back treys to make it 76-41.
Detroit scored the final basket of the quarter to trail 99-69 and then tallied the first nine points of the final stanza to trim its deficit to 21.
–Field Level Media
