Durant scores 42 points, Suns hand Cavaliers 4th straight loss 123-112

PHOENIX (AP) — Kevin Durant scored 42 points and the Phoenix Suns defeated the suddenly struggling Cleveland Cavaliers 123-112 on Friday night.

It was the Suns’ third straight win and kept them in a tie with Dallas for the final play-in spot in the West at 34-37.

Devin Booker scored 17 points and Tyus Jones scored 16. Royce O'Neale had 15 points on five 3-pointers for Phoenix.

Cleveland, which saw its 16-game winning streak snapped by Orlando on Sunday, has now lost a season-high four in a row to fall two games behind Oklahoma City for the NBA’s best record. Their 56-14 mark still leads the East comfortably.

Darius Garland scored 18 points for Cleveland. Evan Mobley had 16 points and 12 rebounds and former Sun Ty Jerome also scored 16 for the Cavs. All-Star Donovan Mitchell scored just seven points.

The Suns were without Bradley Beal (hamstring) and their top two centers, Nick Richards (calf) and Mason Plumlee (quad). Third-stringer Oso Ighodaro played a game-high 44 minutes and had a team-high 13 rebounds.

Cavaliers: Cleveland looked out of sync most of the night and continued to struggle on their five-game West Coast swing after losses at the Clippers and Kings.

Suns: A critical win in a mostly disappointing season for Phoenix as they try to qualify for the play-in round in the West. The Suns have 11 games remaining and all but one are against teams currently in playoff position.

O’Neale hit consecutive 3-pointers early in the second quarter to put the Suns ahead 47-38 and they maintained the lead from then on. They led 62-51 at the half.

Mitchell missed his first seven shots from the field and was 2 of 18 for the game, missing all eight tries from 3-point range.

Cavaliers at Utah on Sunday; Suns host Milwaukee on Monday.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

Phoenix Suns guard Collin Gillespie (12) drives on Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, March 21, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) drives around Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, March 21, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker loses the ball in front of Cleveland Cavaliers guard Sam Merrill (5) and guard Ty Jerome (2) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, March 21, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) drives on Cleveland Cavaliers forward De'Andre Hunter during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, March 21, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

Phoenix Suns forward Ryan Dunn (0) dunks over Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, March 21, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) drives by Cleveland Cavaliers forward De'Andre Hunter during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, March 21, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

SEOUL, South Korea--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 4, 2026--

South Korea’s Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) has opened applications for the K-Startup Grand Challenge (KSGC), the country’s premier government-backed acceleration program for international startups targeting Korea and Asia. Since 2016, KSGC has attracted 21,537 applicants from more than 100 countries, among the world's most recognized inbound programs.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260604794426/en/

A Full-Cycle Acceleration Journey

Unlike conventional programs that focus on a single moment of market entry, KSGC 2026 guides startups from market entry to scale up in Korea - offered in a hybrid format - online or in person - with Demo Day held in Korea. The program runs July 2026 to April 2027 across three phases:

Korea: Your Gateway to Asia

KSGC connects startups with Proof-of-Concept (PoC) projects and partnership opportunities across 20+ leading Korean conglomerates. Participants also receive investor & funding access, a Demo Day stage at COMEUP 2026, Korea’s flagship startup festival.

Who Should Apply

Open to non-Korean-founded startups under seven years old (ten for deep-tech) in sectors including AI, biotech, fintech, smart manufacturing, mobility, and energy.

What the program includes:

How to Apply

Applications close June 17, 2026, 15:00 KST

Apply at https://ksgc.global or contact apply@ksgc.global

About KSGC

The K-Startup Grand Challenge is funded by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS), managed by the Korea Institute of Startup and Entrepreneurship Development (KISED), and operated by the Gyeonggi Center for Creative Economy & Innovation (GCCEI). Since 2016, it has helped global startups enter and scale across Korea and Asia.

South Korea’s Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS) has opened applications for K-Startup Grand Challenge 2026, a government-backed global startup acceleration program providing end-to-end support for international startups (Image: KSGC)