That was the perfect Beal and Booker game

Both stepped up like stars in KD’s absence.

Combining for 55 points on an efficient 19/35 from the field and 9/16 from three, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal stepped up like stars in the Phoenix Suns’ 120-112 victory over the Utah Jazz last night.

While Utah has the worst record in the Western Conference and is tied for the fourth-worst record in the NBA, with Kevin Durant out, the Valley’s second and best players did their job and led the team to victory.

In Mike Budenholzer’s new system and being the tertiary option when the team is fully healthy, Beal scored and had just two 20+ point outings in his first ten games of the year. He exited the game in the first half of the fourth quarter and didn’t return due to left calf tightness, but before he left, he led the Valley’s offense in the first two quarters with 13 points and three triples and his strong defense led to Suns offense.

Starting the year off in a bit of a funk largely due to illness, Booker had his third 30+ point outing of the season. While Beal led the first-half scoring, Booker controlled the second, scoring 19 points.

The Valley is now 1-0 in Emirates Cup play, they have their next game in the tournament on Friday when they’ll play the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Not every game is the full roster going to be available. Anyone who has watched professional sports ever knows that; but it’s about what happens when your best player isn’t there and how the team responds that can show the identity of the squad. Yeah, some win in Utah in November likely doesn’t mean much in the full picture, but when Booker and Beal step up when Durant isn’t playing, it provides evidence that he doesn’t need to have a herculean performance for them to win major games.

While the Suns have had an impressive start to the year and are currently in first in the West, they’ve struggled to put teams away. (On a side note, this could put them in a bad situation to advance in the Emirates Cup with point differential playing such a large part in the standings).

Games against the Miami Heat and the Philadelphia 76ers playing without Joel Embiid added additional minutes to a veteran team that needs to stay fresh to avoid injury and to be ready for a long playoff run.

If Booker and Beal can carry the load while Durant is out, they can make his life easier and their play more productive when he returns.