Devin Booker scored 27 points to guide the visiting Phoenix Suns to a 116-110 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night.
Playing for the first time since early November, Jalen Green (hamstring) came off the Suns bench and played 20 minutes, scoring 12 points on 4-of-11 shooting. He was part of a strong effort by the Phoenix reserves, who placed four players in double figures, including Jordan Goodwin and Grayson Allen with 16 points apiece.
Collin Gillespie was the only Phoenix starter to join Booker in double figures. The Philadelphia native chipped in with 12 points for the Suns, who improved to 3-2 on their six-game road trip.
VJ Edgecombe had 25 points and Kelly Oubre Jr. notched 21 for Philadelphia, which played without Joel Embiid (ankle) and Paul George (knee). Tyrese Maxey shot just 7 of 25 en route to 20 points for the Sixers, who have lost four of their last six games.
After holding a four-point lead at intermission, Phoenix erupted for 40 points in the third quarter. The team made eight 3-pointers in the stanza, including two apiece by Booker and Allen.
The Sixers actually led 68-61 about 3 1/2 minutes into the third quarter before the Suns caught fire. Phoenix went on a 22-6 run that featured back-to-back 3-pointers by Royce O’Neale and Booker early in the surge and then another by Gillespie shortly thereafter that gave the visitors the lead for good.
Even when the Sixers whittled their deficit to 85-82 with just over two minutes left in the third quarter, the Suns quickly built the lead back to 97-84 by the end of the period.
Phoenix held a comfortable advantage, 109-92, with just over six minutes left in the fourth quarter. However, 3-pointers by Maxey and Quentin Grimes forced a Suns timeout, and then Phoenix used another timeout about two minutes later when Philadelphia got within 112-105.
Booker’s tough fadeaway halted the Sixers’ momentum as the visitors hung on for the win.
Oubre scored 11 points and Edgecombe added 10 as Philadelphia led 30-27 after one quarter. Neither team led by more than five points in the second quarter, which ended with Dillon Brooks’ jumper giving the Suns a 57-53 lead at the break.
