Suns Strokes: Durant, Westbrook key Thunder win over Suns

Sure, you could read the box score and know who won, but we all know that won’t tell you everything that happened in a basketball game. So, we will give you Suns Strokes, providing you with the analysis, quotes and notes from the Suns’ 102-90 loss to the Thunder on January 14.

The Good:

After he had more turnovers (3) than points (1) in his first seven minutes on the floor, Michael Beasley responded with a 13-point, 11-rebound, one-turnover effort in the second half for his second double-double of the season.

He has scored in double figures in consecutive games for the first time since Dec. 26-28. Including his 20 points at Chicago Saturday, Beasley now has 34 points in a two-game span, his most since Nov. 25-27 (36).

The Bad:

Kevin Durant (27 points) and Russell Westbrook (20 points) combined to score 47 of the Thunder’s 51 second-half points and outscored the Suns in the second half, 47-45.

For the game, Durant (41 points) and Westbrook (36 points) combined to score 77 of the Thunder’s 102 points (75.5 percent); the pair scored more points tonight than the Memphis Grizzlies (77) and Atlanta Hawks (58), both of whom lost.

The Dunk:

With the game well in hand in the final moments, Durant capped off his 41-point night with a remarkable dunk over Marcin Gortat.

He Said It:

“Well first of all, I was looking for my car keys under the basket,” Marcin Gortat said about getting dunked on by Kevin Durant in the fourth quarter. “The funny thing is that when (Kendrick) Perkins was standing under the basket he looked at me and I looked at him and he said, ‘I know how it feels.’Listen it happens.”

Noted:

• Jared Dudley (right wrist strain) and Jermaine O’Neal (back spasms) did not play

• Spotted in the crowd: Floyd Mayweather courtside, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar sitting with Jerry Colangelo

Up Next:

The Suns (13-27) play their second straight game at US Airways Center, hosting the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday, January 17, at 7:00 p.m.