The Cleveland Cavaliers won’t end their season-long losing skid in Phoenix.

The Suns posted perhaps their most impressive win of the season in knocking off the East leader, 123-112, Friday night before a sellout crowd of 17,071 at PHX Arena.

Phoenix has won three consecutive games for the first time since late January while Cleveland (56-14) have lost four games in a row.

Kevin Durant paced the Suns with 42 points. Phoenix remains in 10th in the West for the final play-in spot in the conference as Dallas (34-37) topped Detroit, 123-117, at home.

Dallas has the same record as Phoenix, but the Suns hold the tiebreaker over the Mavs

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Phoenix (34-37) was without Nick Richards (right calf tightness), who was a late scratch, Bradley Beal (hamstring), Grayson Allen (foot), Mason Plumlee (quad) and Vasa Micic (illness).

The Suns are now 3-0 in their five-game homestand, which continues Monday against Milwaukee in Suns coach Mike Budenholzer’s first game against the Bucks since they fired him after the 2022-23 season.

Durant leads Suns to big lead going into fourth

The Phoenix Suns extended their lead by as much as 21 points in the third quarter, taking a 98-79 lead over the Cleveland Cavaliers going into the fourth quarter.

Kevin Durant scored 19 of his 32 points in the third as the Suns are looking to win three consecutive games for the first time since late January.

Phoenix remains red-hot from the field, shooting 16-of-34 from 3. Tyus Jones and Durant hit back-to-back 3s to answer a Cleveland run and take a 90-71 advantage with 2:06 left in the third quarter.

The Cavaliers are 12-of-38 from 3, but their leading scorer, Donovan Mitchell, is having an off shooting night at 2-of-13 (0-for-5 from 3).

Suns extend lead over Cavs at half

The Phoenix Suns led by as many as 13 points in the second quarter in taking a 62-51 halftime advantage over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night at PHX Arena.

Royce O’Neale is one 3-pointer shy of tying his career high for most makes from deep as he’s 5-of-6 from 3 in scoring 15 points. Kevin Durant is near a double-double at the half with 13 points and seven assists.

The Suns (33-37) are looking for a signature win as they have a losing record and are clinging to the 10th seed and final play-in spot in the Western Conference. They are riding a two-game winning streak and looking to win three in a row for the first time since late January.

The Cavs (56-13) have the best record in the Eastern Conference, but they have lost a season-high three games in a row.

Suns take lead over Cavs, both teams hot early

The Phoenix Suns took an early eight-point lead as they end the first quarter with a 35-34 advantage over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday night at PHX Arena.

Both teams were red-hot. The Suns shot 52 percent from the field, going 7-of-15 from 3 while the Cavs shot 59.1%, making 6-of-10 of their attempts from distance.

The difference? Phoenix scored eight points off three Cleveland turnovers while the Cavs only scored two points off two turnovers by the Suns.

Royce O’Neale has nine points off the bench, going 3-of-4 from 3, to lead the Suns, who lost 118-92 at Cleveland in January. Kevin Durant has eight points and six assists.

Suns starting rookie big in place of Nick Richards against Cavs

The Phoenix Suns are starting rookie Oso Ighodaro at center as Nick Richards is a late scratch with right calf tightness.

Richards apparently suffered this during his pregame workout at the arena as he limped off the court. This will likely lead to 7-footer Bol Bol seeing minutes as well.

Collin Gillespie, Devin Booker, rookie Ryan Dunn, Kevin Durant and Ighodaro, who is making his third career start.

The Suns are already down backup big Mason Plumlee (quad) along with guards Bradley Beal, Grayson Allen and Vasa Micic, who is a late scratch due to an illness.

Richards and Micic weren’t on the initial injury report.

The Suns face one of the biggest NBA frontlines Friday night in Cleveland, who start Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen along with Max Strus, Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland.

Cleveland is ninth in the league in rebounding.

The Cavs have lost their last three games to mark their longest losing skid of the season while the Suns have won two in a row for the first time since late January.

Injury updates: Nick Richards late scratch, three others out

Nick Richards was a late scratch from Friday’s game with right calf tightness.

He wasn’t on the initial injury report Thursday nor Friday’s report after the shootaround. Richards apparently injured himself during his pregame workout at the arena as he limped off the court.

The Suns will likely start rookie Oso Ighodaro and have Bol Bol see minutes. Bol hasn’t played more than 10 minutes in a game since March 12 at Houston when he logged 17 minutes.

Bradley Beal (left hamstring strain) and Mason Plumlee (left quad strain) are both ruled out as is Grayson Allen (left foot strain), who was previously listed as questionable.

Beal is scheduled to be re-evaluated Monday. Allen will miss his sixth straight game with the foot injury while Plumlee will sit a second straight game with the quad strain..

Cleveland lists two-way G League players Emoni Bates, Nae’Qwan Tomlin and Luke Travers out.

Preview: Can Phoenix Suns keep momentum going against East leader Cleveland Cavaliers?