Sweet 16: Suns’ hot streak continues with win over Nets
DEVIN Booker scored 30 points as the Phoenix Suns never trailed, survived a late comeback attempt by the Brooklyn Nets and pushed their winning streak to 16 games with a 113-107 victory on Saturday night.
The Suns are on their second-longest winning streak in team history. Phoenix can match the 2006-07 team for the longest winning streak in franchise lore by beating the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday.
Booker shot nine of 18 from the field and hit four 3-pointers. He did most of his scoring in the first and third quarters.
Chris Paul added 22 points, eight assists and five rebounds. Paul shot nine of 19 and notched his 5,000th career rebound in the second.
Mikal Bridges added 13 while Deandre Ayton and JaVale McGee contributed 10 apiece as Phoenix shot 44.6%.
Kevin Durant led all scorers with 39 points, but Brooklyn saw its four-game winning streak stopped.
LaMarcus Aldridge and DeAndre’ Bembry contributed 18 apiece for Brooklyn, which shot 50% but also committed 20 turnovers. James Harden finished with a triple-double of 12 points, 14 assists and 13 rebounds despite shooting four of 15.
Booker scored 16 when the Suns sped out to a 21-8 lead midway through the first quarter and held a 14-point lead after the opening 12 minutes. He added 10 more in the third when the Nets got within seven early in the quarter and helped the Suns take a 90-72 lead into the fourth.
Brooklyn made one last charge, getting within 108-101 on Harden’s layup that gave him the triple-double with 2:31 remaining. Durant’s layup made it 110-103 with 45 seconds left and Harden’s layup made it 111-105 with 32 seconds remaining, but Booker finished by hitting two free throws with 19 ticks left. — Reuters
