LeVert’s 26 lift Nets past Suns
PHOENIX >> Caris LeVert scored 26 points, D’Angelo Russell added 15 and the Brooklyn Nets beat the struggling Phoenix Suns 104-82 on Tuesday night.
The Nets won their third game in the past four, while the Suns have lost eight of nine.
Devin Booker led Phoenix with
20 points but made just 6 of 21 shots. Deandre Ayton had 15 points and a season-high 13 rebounds.
Brooklyn held the Suns to a season low in points and field goal shooting at 34.6 percent.
The Suns went on a 9-0 run to turn a 14-point deficit in the third quarter to 63-58 difference on Trevor Ariza’s corner 3 with
5:31 to play. The Nets regained a
14-point lead, 74-60, with Dinwiddie’s 3 at the 2:18 mark.
Phoenix never threatened in the fourth, the Suns’ cold shooting helping the Nets remain in control. Ed Davis’ dunk made it
92-74 with 4:15 to play.
The Nets’ strategy seemed to be to let the 7-foot-1 Ayton shoot mid-range shots rather than allow him to work inside the paint. It worked for much of the game, as the Suns’ high-profile rookie made just 6 of 17 shots.
Both teams struggled to hit shots in the first quarter, with field goal percentages of less than
40 both ways.
The Nets, up two after one quarter, led by 14 during the second quarter. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson’s short turnaround bank shot made it 47-34 with 2:53 to go before halftime.
Phoenix got back-to-back 3s from Mikal Bridges of Villanova and Ariza to cut the lead to 5042, and the Suns trailed by 10 at the half.
Suns backup center Richaun Holmes had season highs of 13 points and 10 rebounds. HORNETS 113, HAWKS 102 >> Kemba Walker had 29 points and seven assists, extending his strong start to the season as Charlotte beat Atlanta.
Marvin Williams added 20 points for the Hornets (6-5), who won for the third time on a fourgame homestand. Walker has scored 25 or more seven times in
11 games.
Jeremy Lamb and Malik Monk each had 13 points for Charlotte. Nic Batum scored 10.
Playing against his former team, Jeremy Lin had 19 points off the bench to lead the Hawks
(3-7), who led by seven late in the first half.
The young Hawks started
2018 first-round draft picks Trae Young, Kevin Huerter and Omari Spellman for the first time this season and pushed Charlotte before losing for the eighth time in the last nine meetings.
Young finished with 18 points and 10 assists. Kent Bazemore added 16 points.
Lakers sign Chandler after buyout
LOS ANGELES >> Veteran center Tyson Chandler signed with the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday, two days after reaching a buyout agreement with the Phoenix Suns.
Chandler will provide needed frontcourt depth for the Lakers, who have relied on JaVale McGee and undersized forwards to guard big men during their 4-6 start to the season. Rookie center Moe Wagner still hasn’t made his debut while returning slowly from a knee injury, and Lakers basketball boss Magic Johnson didn’t want to wait any longer to bolster his team’s areas of need.
While the 36-year-old Chandler might not be the dominant defensive player he was in his prime, he could play regular minutes for coach Luke Walton.