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The Los Angeles Lakers played hard, but the Phoenix Suns just had too much firepower. Brandon Knight got his first career triple double, looking BOSS all night long with shooting with 30 points, passing (career high 15 assists) and 10 rebounds. He tossed in 4 steals against only 2 turnovers.
The Suns beat the Lakers handily, 120-101.
Eric Bledsoe provided 21 points and 3 assists in a supporting role after nearly getting his own triple double a few days ago.
Brandon Knight is getting better and better, this time getting a triple double and dropping vinable shots all game long. Read on and watch some of his best right here in this thread.
Per @EliasSports, @Goodknight11 joins Maravich, Magic and Westbrook as only players with 30/15/10/4 since steals became official in 1973-74
— Cole Mickelson (@CMickelsonPHX) November 17, 2015
Amazing Knight.
First half
Brandon Knight was hot from three to start the game and Eric Bledsoe was aggressive getting into the paint. Knight and Bledsoe had all 13 of the Suns' early points.
The Lakers were buoyed early by Metta World Peace and Roy Hibbert (6-6 between them, 3 of them on long range jumpers). Peace, specifically, was hot for a long stretch with 10 points on 4 shots.
As always in the arena - even dating back to Nash days - the Lakers fans were loud and proud, often out-cheering Suns fans on makes for their team.
The Lakers maintained the lead through the first quarter as the Suns just didn't have the fire they needed to withstand Metta's barrage.
Eventually, the Lakers came back down to earth and stopped playing a whole lot of good basketball. The Suns came back to finish the quarter on an 11-2 run to take a 26-22 lead at the end of one.
The Suns only shot 32% in that first quarter, but were able to take the lead thanks to EIGHT offensive rebounds in the opening quarter alone.
The second quarter got real ugly. All you need to know is that Lou Williams and Nick Young coming off the bench for the Lakers is a hot/cold thing that got momentarily hot.
But at least Brandon Knight did this.
The Lakers took a 44-41 lead on a Nick Young bank shot from the wing before P.J. Tucker went on a personal 7-0 scoring binge to give the Suns a 48-44 lead that might have been a momentum changer. They really needed a wake-up call.
But then Roy Hibbert aka Hakeem Olajuwon made two turnaround fallaway shots from the midrange on Tyson Chandler. Before those shots, Hibbert had been shooting 8% from that range. You read that right. 8%.
Peace and Hibbert were a combined 8-for-9 in that first half.
The Suns took the halftime lead 57-53 partially on the back of Brandon Knight's 14 points, 6 assists and 5 rebounds, and Eric Bledsoe's 13 points and 2 assists.
But really the man of the first half was P.J. Tucker, with 11 points and 7 rebounds by halftime.
Second half
The Suns started the second half with a bang on back-to-back driving layups by Knight and Bledsoe, followed by a three by Leuer.
Both guards had a good time lighting up D'Angelo Russell and Jordan Clarkson whenever they had the chance.
But after the Suns got up by 8 they got a bit sloppy again and let the Lakers back in. Roy Hibbert hit another long two. P.J. Tucker got real physical with Peace and put him on the line one too many times. It took threes by Teletovic and Bledsoe to hold the Lakers off enough to keep a 6-point lead.
Still, the Lakers clawed (and the Suns missed) their way to barely a 5-point lead after three.
Brandon Knight began flirting with his triple double early in the 4th, getting his tenth assist to Warren. But this move really defined his knight.
The Suns found some separation early in the fourth thanks to Knight and friends, including T.J. Warren's silky smooth game.
But this was all Brandon Knight's night. Eric Bledsoe was the one flirting with triple doubles the other night, and now Knight was the one who got it.
And who cheered the loudest on sideline when he got it? Eric Bledsoe.