Raptors overcome strong effort from Suns' bench

PHOENIX -- The Phoenix Suns' reserves kept the game interesting, but the Toronto Raptors' starting lineup showcased too much firepower.

DeMar DeRozan scored 18 of his 37 points in the third quarter, and Toronto's starters totaled 99 points in a 115-109 win over the Suns on Wednesday.

The Raptors wrapped up a 3-1 Western Conference road trip.

"We had to fight hard for this win, and it's something we can learn from without it hurting us," said DeRozan, who recorded his sixth 30-point game of the season and 86th as a Raptor, second to Vince Carter (91) in team history. "We've had good third quarters this season, and the starters come out and get things rolling."

The Raptors got 21 points and 13 rebounds from Serge Ibaka, plus 20 points and 11 rebounds from Jonas Valanciunas. Kyle Lowry added 12 on 3-of-12 shooting, but it was enough for Toronto to overcome 55 points from Phoenix's second unit, including a career-high 32 points and seven 3-pointers from Troy Daniels.

"We talked about (Daniels) before the game, and he just shot lights out," Toronto coach Dwane Casey said after his team followed up wins over the Memphis Grizzlies and Sacramento Kings by sweeping the season series from the Suns for only the fourth time in team history. "We couldn't get consecutive stops and kept giving them confidence. But we found a way, executed down the stretch, got the line and made our free throws."

With the starters resting, Toronto let most of a 15-point, third-quarter lead slip away. Alex Len's basket capped a 12-0 Phoenix run to pull the Suns within 92-89 with 9:22 left.

"I felt like if we could just keep it to 10 points at the end of the third they'd have to go to their bench and that's where we can kind of claw back a little and we did," Phoenix interim coach Jay Triano said. "We had a couple of little lapses here and there, and we had a tough time with DeMar, who's an All-Star and tough to guard. They had more guys playing better than we did."

The Suns got as close as 111-109 in the final minute but the Raptors (18-8) made five of six free throws in the final 30 seconds to hold them off.

Daniels made seven of his 10 3-point attempts. He has 60 3-pointers this season, third behind Kyle Korver of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Wayne Ellington of the Miami Heat among NBA reserves.

"My teammates were finding me," Daniels said. "I had a couple go in early, which is very important, and the rest were just falling."

The Suns (9-21) lost their fifth in a row and are 0-4 since losing star Devin Booker to an adductor injury. Greg Monroe added 17 points and 11 rebounds, and TJ Warren had 17 points but needed 15 shots to get them.

The Raptors hit five of seven 3-pointers in the first quarter, and DeRozan and Lowry combined for seven assists on Toronto's 11 baskets. Valanciunas and Ibaka combined for 18 points in the quarter, and a 3-pointer by C.J. Miles with 31 seconds left gave Toronto a 37-31 lead.

"Our big played great," Lowry said. "They got a chance to play against their bigs, and they got the better of them tonight. They scored and rebounded the ball extremely well."

Phoenix's reserves outscored Toronto 29-13 in the first half and got a big lift from Daniels. He had nine of his 14 first-half points from three 3-pointers, the last one capping a 7-0 run to give Phoenix a 46-46 lead with 6:16 left in the half.

The Raptors came right back with an 11-2 run, and Lowry's first two points on two free throws with 17.3 seconds left gave Toronto a 58-53 lead at the half.

NOTES: With four injured players, the Suns received an injury exemption and signed G Isaiah Canaan to a contract. Canaan, who did not play Wednesday, has appeared with three other NBA teams, most recently the Houston Rockets. Canaan can play the point, where depth has been a problem since Phoenix traded Eric Bledsoe to the Milwaukee Bucks on Nov. 7. ... Phoenix C Tyson Chandler missed the game due to personal reasons. ... Toronto has played the fewest home games in the NBA (10) and won't have a road trip longer than three games or a road game west of the Central time zone for the rest of the year. ... Suns interim coach Jay Triano was 87-142 in three seasons as head coach of the Raptors (2008-11).

Booker injured in Suns' loss to Raptors

TORONTO -- A tough night for the Phoenix Suns became that much more difficult Tuesday night when their star guard Devin Booker was carried from the court with 2:40 left in the fourth quarter.

The first diagnosis was a strained left adductor.

It was the final blow of a long, six-game road trip for the Suns, who finished the trip at 2-4 after losing 126-113 to the Toronto Raptors.

"I don't know how serious, or when we'll be able to evaluate," Suns interim coach Jay Triano said.

Booker, who scored a season-best 46 points Monday in the victory over the Philadelphia 76ers, had 19 points, eight rebounds and five rebounds against the Raptors.

"I hope it's nothing serious," Suns reserve forward Jared Dudley said. "Good thing we have a day off tomorrow. I hope it's just a cramp and he'll be OK. I haven't been back there yet (in the trainers' room), but I think he'll be fine."

"He's obviously one of the great young players in this league," center Greg Monroe said. "He's had an outstanding year, so you definitely don't want to see him get injured and you don't want to see anybody get injured at any point."

Kyle Lowry scored 20 points and added 10 assists and six rebounds for the Raptors (15-7) who have won four games in a row.

The Raptors entered the fourth quarter leading by 18 points.

The margin reached 19 before a Suns surge cut the lead to 10 on a 3-pointer by Dudley with 8:44 to play.

Lowry pushed Toronto's lead to 14 when he made a 3-pointer with 5:18 left.

"I thought we fought well, I just don't think we stayed mentally locked in," Triano said.

DeMar DeRozan finished with 20 points, eight assists and seven rebounds for Toronto. Serge Ibaka chipped in with 19 points, OG Anunoby had 16, C.J. Miles added 15, and Jakob Poeltl and Fred VanVleet each had 13.

"We tried to mix it up," Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. "We tried to mix up the blitzes, we tried to mix up the switches, matchups. You don't stop a young man like (Booker). I thought we just made him work for what he got ... He ended up with 19 which is a far cry from what he had (Monday) night. I'll take that, I commend our guys, we did a good job we messed up on some rotation after our blitzes. He didn't score but he did a good job of finding people behind, we did not do a good job of finding the roller. That's something we have to improve on."

Alex Len added 14 points and seven rebounds, and Troy Daniels and Josh Jackson each contributed 13 points for the Suns (9-17). Monroe scored 11 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, and Dudley scored 12.

Suns forward TJ Warren was assessed two technical fouls with 7:58 to play in the third quarter to earn an ejection from the game. He had 11 points and one rebound in 23 minutes.

The Suns picked up four technical fouls in the game overall.

"I thought we just lost our composure," Dudley said. "Frustration can set in, especially some of our young players, they haven't earned the right, you know. Obviously, you aren't going to get the calls. We're a young team that's not a winning team so we're going to have to fight the uphill battles and sometimes that happens. ... Hopefully, it was a learning experience. Last year, we had a lot of technicals."

The Raptors led by as many as 17 points before finishing the first quarter with a 36-23 lead with Lowry scoring 13. The Suns had seven turnovers in the quarter and the Raptors had none.

The Raptors led 55-46 at halftime. The Suns had a 23-19 advantage in the quarter, ending a string of 12 straight games in which the Raptors had outscored the opposition in the second quarter. Toronto made seven turnovers in the quarter and Phoenix had three.

Toronto had 18 turnovers for the game and Phoenix had 17.

Two free throws by DeRozan had the lead at 17 with 4:23 left in the third. The Raptors led 97-79 after the third quarter.

The Raptors had 30 assists.

"I think it makes it a lot easier, which makes it a lot more fun," DeRozan said. "Everybody gets a chance to touch the ball, you don't necessarily have to work so hard and it's fun. ... With that, we still missed a lot of shots but it's something we're still learning, we're still trying to get better at every time we practice, every time we play and look at film to understand what we did wrong and what we could do better."

NOTES: Suns C Tyson Chandler (rest) did not play Tuesday after recording seven points and 12 rebounds in a season-high 37 minutes Monday during a victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. Greg Monroe started at center Tuesday and Alex Len was backup. ... Suns interim coach Jay Triano became the first Canadian to be an NBA coach when he led the Raptors from 2008-2011. ... The Raptors will start a four-game trip Friday against the Memphis Grizzlies. ... The Suns will host the Washington Wizards on Thursday.

Booker erupts for 46, Suns blister Sixers

PHILADELPHIA -- Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker missed nine of his first 10 shots Monday night against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Unfazed, he went on to score a season-high 46 points as the Suns beat the Sixers 115-101.

Booker attributed his turnaround to "shooter's mentality -- keeping the same confidence: never get too high, never get too low."

He added that he was missing shots early in the game that he felt he should have made, but was not the least bit discouraged.

"Shooters never stop shooting," Booker said. "I've been living by that motto since I was 3 years old."

Booker, whose career high of 70 points came in Boston in March, finished 17 of 32 from the floor, including 5 of 8 from 3-point range, as Phoenix (9-16) won for just the second time in seven games.

He notched 13 of his points, including three triples, in a clinching 16-3 run late in the game.

"He gets that look," Suns coach Jay Triano said, "and it doesn't matter how closely you guard him, it doesn't matter who guards him -- he just finds a way to create space and be electric."

Certainly the Sixers had no answers.

"You have to guard him is what you have to do, and we didn't," Philadelphia coach Brett Brown said.

TJ Warren added 25 points and Tyler Ulis had 12 points and a season-high 12 assists for the Suns.

J.J. Redick scored 25 points for Philadelphia, which lost for the second time in three games. Joel Embiid collected 22 points, 12 rebounds and four blocked shots, and Ben Simmons had 20 points, eight rebounds and seven assists despite, he said, being "pretty sick" earlier in the day with flu-like symptoms.

"I think we lost that game from the jump ball," Embiid said. "I think we took them lightly, and we paid for it."

Redick did not disagree.

"There's a spirit and a disposition and sort of a competitive fire that you have to play with in this league to win a basketball game against anyone," Redick said. "We're playing against NBA players -- really good NBA players. To win, you have to have that. We were just flat."

Phoenix led by as many as 17 points in the first half and was up 93-79 after a basket by Josh Jackson with 11:26 left in the game. Redick then poured in 13 points in a 15-6 Philadelphia rush, the last of those on a 3-pointer from the right wing with 4:49 remaining, making it 99-94.

Ulis answered with a 3-pointer and Booker nailed two more, the second a contested fadeaway from the top of the circle with the shot clock running down.

Booker's steal and breakaway dunk made it 110-94.

After Robert Covington made a 3-pointer for the Sixers (13-10), Booker made yet another triple, then a jumper to give the Suns a 115-97 advantage.

The Suns crafted a 60-47 halftime lead behind 15 points from Warren and 14 from Booker. Phoenix, which outscored Philadelphia 32-19 in the second quarter, converted 10 offensive rebounds into 10 second-chance points in the half, while the Sixers had five such points on five offensive boards.

Embiid had 14 points, seven rebounds and two blocks at that point, while Simmons contributed 12 points.

The Suns maintained a double-digit lead until Philadelphia ran off six straight points late in the third quarter to cut the gap to 82-75.

Booker scored the last seven Phoenix points of the period, including a three-point play with 6.1 seconds left, to give the Suns an 89-79 cushion entering the fourth quarter.

NOTES: Sixers G T.J. McConnell missed his third consecutive game with a shoulder sprain but said he hopes to return for the Thursday home game against the Los Angeles Lakers. "Range of motion is getting back," he said before the game, "but when I tried to shoot it wasn't quite where I wanted to be. I'm not going to play limited. I'm going to get some more treatment on it and go from there." ... Philadelphia G/F Ben Simmons said his illness left him feeling like he "kind of hit a wall." He first felt sick last Friday, when he managed a season-low five points in a victory over Detroit, and on Sunday, he said, "I could not move." ... The Sixers continue to be without G/F Justin Anderson (shin splints). ... Phoenix C Alex Len returned after missing one game with an ankle sprain. He scored seven points. ... The Suns play at Toronto on Tuesday.

Report: Bucks to acquire G Bledsoe from Suns

The Milwaukee Bucks are close to acquiring disgruntled point guard Eric Bledsoe from the Phoenix Suns in exchange for center Greg Monroe and a first-round draft pick, ESPN reported on Tuesday.

Bledsoe has been kept away from the Suns since being sent home by general manager Ryan McDonough on Oct. 23, one day after the 27-year-old tweeted, "I don't wanna be here." That tweet came hours before Phoenix fired coach Earl Watson and replaced him with interim coach Jay Triano.

Bledsoe was fined $10,000 by the NBA that tweet, McDonough told AZCentral.com on Sunday.

Bledsoe later tried to put that tweet in context, although McDonough wasn't buying the excuse.

"He said he was at a hair salon. ... I didn't believe that to be true," McDonough said last month.

Bledsoe is averaging 15.7 points, 2.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists in three games for the Suns this season -- his fifth with the team. He is entering his eighth NBA season and owns career averages of 13.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists.

Bledsoe would join a Bucks backcourt with 2016 Rookie of the Year Malcolm Brogdon, Matthew Dellavedova and Jason Terry.

Monroe is averaging 6.8 points and 5.0 rebounds in five games this season. The 27-year-old is averaging 14.0 points and 8.7 rebounds in 543 career contests with Detroit and Milwaukee since being selected by the Pistons with the seventh overall pick of the 2010 draft.

Russell has 23 points, 8 assists; Nets beat Suns 98-92

By JOSE M. ROMERO
Associated Press

PHOENIX (AP) — The Brooklyn Nets had lost their scoring touch during a four-game losing streak, so they turned to defensive pressure to end the skid.

D’Angelo Russell scored 13 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter, and Brooklyn held the Phoenix Suns to 34.9 percent shooting in a 98-92 win Monday night.

Russell added eight assists, Joe Harris scored a season-high 18 points and Brooklyn won a game that featured 32 turnovers and 59 fouls.

“It wasn’t the prettiest game ever played in the NBA,” Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson said. “A lot of fouls, but we found a way. Our defense was good. We had contributions from a lot of guys.”

The Suns rallied from a 15-point first-half deficit to lead 75-74 after Jared Dudley’s layup with 9:17 to play. The Nets went back ahead moments later and held on for their first road win of the season, with Russell scoring eight of his team’s next 12 point after it lost the lead.

“Just didn’t want to lose and tried to do whatever it took to win,” Russell said. “Everybody came through as a collective unit and did what they were supposed to do.”

DeMarre Carroll added 14 points and 11 rebounds, and Allen Crabbe scored 15 points.

“That was the first time we held a team under 100 (points) this year,” Crabbe said. “I think we all just came in focused.”

T.J. Warren had 20 points as the Suns dropped their third straight, including Sunday at San Antonio. Devin Booker scored 18 points before fouling out late in the game.

The Suns started well, with Booker scoring 11 points in the first seven minutes, before the Nets used a 16-0 run to go up 28-16.

Phoenix cut the lead to one twice in the second quarter but finished the half making 10 of 40 shots. The Nets, behind 14 first-half points from Harris, led 47-41 at the break.

“Give them credit, they challenged us well,” Suns interim head coach Jay Triano said. “We tried ... to see if we could get a bunch of guys going and it was tough to make shots.”

MR. 3,000

Booker reached 3,000 career points with a 19-foot jumper with 7:46 to play in the first quarter. He needed six points to reach 3,000 entering the game.

Booker, 21, is the fourth-youngest player in NBA history to score 3,000 points, behind LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony.

“It means a lot,” Booker said after the game. “My dream my whole life is to play in the NBA. Once I got here I realized I wanted to leave a mark. ... I’m trying to do it, and trying to get wins along with it.”

TIP-INS

Nets: F Rondae-Hollis Jefferson played 17 minutes in the first half but did not return in the second half due to a right hip contusion. ... F Trevor Booker (sore lower back) did not play and is day to day, coach Kenny Atkinson said. Booker didn’t take part in the pregame shootaround. ... F Quincy Acy played despite a left groin strain, his first action since Oct. 27.

Suns: Veteran F Jared Dudley played a season-high 21 minutes and scored his first six points of the season. ... Former NBA All-Star and Suns forward Clifford Robinson attended the game. ... The Suns have lost three straight at home to the Nets.

UP NEXT

Nets: At Denver on Tuesday night, the third game of five on a Western road trip.

Suns: Host Miami Wednesday night.

___

More AP basketball: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball

Warren scores 27, Suns top Jazz 97-88 to go 2-0 under Triano

By BOB BAUM
Associated Press

PHOENIX (AP) — After three games this season, the Phoenix Suns were allowing almost 129 points per game. Now they’re playing tough defense, believe it or not.

The Suns have undergone a strange, unexpected transformation since interim coach Jay Triano took over when Earl Watson was fired two games ago.

“They’re just having fun,” Utah’s Rudy Gobert said, “playing hard and playing free and good things can happen when you do that.”

T.J. Warren scored 20 of his 27 points in the second half and the Suns improved to 2-0 under Triano with a 97-88 victory over the Jazz on Wednesday night.

“We’re just playing together, on both ends,” Devin Booker said. “I said it right after they made the coaching change, this should be eye-opening for us. And I love the way we responded.”

The Jazz, who lost the previous night to the Clippers in Los Angeles, never led. Phoenix was up by as many as 17 in the first half and 18 in the second.

Booker added 17 for the Suns, including a crucial 3-pointer with 1:29 to play after Utah had cut the lead to eight. Alex Len and Tyler Ulis scored 13 apiece. Len also grabbed 13 rebounds.

“They were very aggressive,” Utah coach Quin Snyder said. “They were the more aggressive team. You saw it on the offensive glass, you saw it getting loose balls. They attacked.”

Rodney Hood scored 22 for the Jazz, and Gobert had 16. Derrick Favors and Ricky Rubio added 14 apiece.

“We lacked energy,” Hood said. “We’ve just got to understand when we turn the ball over, especially against a team that is playing loose right now, playing with a lot of confidence, it just makes it harder for us.”

It’s been quite a turnaround for Phoenix, which opened the season with the most one-sided loss in its history, 124-76 to Portland, and was clobbered by 42 points against the Clippers two games later.

That led to the firing of Watson and the promotion of Triano, the former Toronto head coach and coach of the Canadian national team. Phoenix beat Sacramento in Triano’s debut Monday night.

“I think we’re playing for each other right now,” Marquese Chriss said. “We’re moving the ball, just playing real unselfishly and we’re just pushing the tempo.”

The biggest difference has been when the Suns don’t have the ball, with Booker — in the past known for his big-time offense but certainly not his defense — a major contributor.

“In the years I’ve been here, I haven’t seen Devin this focused at the defensive end of the floor,” Triano said. “He’s chasing over screens, he’s in a stance, his work ethic at the defensive end has been great. I was worried while he transitions into becoming a very good defensive player, his offensive game is going to go, but he was money down the stretch when we needed him.”

Just as they did in their previous game, the Suns jumped out to a big lead.

It was 10-2 after Booker’s basket with nine minutes left in the first quarter and, after Josh Jackson threw a slick behind-the-back pass to Len for a dunk, Phoenix was up 32-15 with 9:42 to play in the half.

Phoenix had a fast start to the second half, too. The Suns scored the first six points of the third quarter and outscored the Jazz 21-10 over the first 8½ minutes of the period to take their biggest lead, 69-51, on Ulis’ 14-footer with 3:30 remaining.

Phoenix was up 83-65 on Warren’s basket with 9:02 to play. But the Jazz rallied with a 16-6 run to cut it to 89-81 with 3:31 remaining. After a two-minute scoring drought by both teams, Booker sank his 3 and the Suns never were seriously threatened again.

TIP-INS

Jazz: Utah committed 24 turnovers to the Suns’ 16. ... Hood played despite a mild left leg strain. ... Utah fell to 0-3 on the road. ... The Jazz swept the season series the last two years.

Suns: Chriss rolled his left ankle and had be assisted off the court with 3:29 to play but said afterward it was nothing serious. ... The Phoenix bench outscored the Jazz reserves 38-9. ... Triano joins Jerry Colangelo, Scott Skiles, Alvin Gentry, Lindsey Hunter and Jeff Hornacek as Suns coaches to win their first two games.

UP NEXT

Jazz: Utah returns home to face the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night.

Suns: Phoenix opens a six-game road trip at Portland on Saturday night.

Booker, Suns top Kings 117-115 for 1st win

By JOSE M. ROMERO
Associated Press

PHOENIX (AP) — On his way out of Phoenix’s locker room Monday night, Devin Booker popped his head into the coaches’ office to congratulate interim coach Jay Triano.

The Suns had a perfect response to a rough time for the franchise.

Booker scored 22 points, including two free throws with 9.8 seconds to play, and Phoenix beat the Sacramento Kings 117-115 for its first win of the season in its first game under Triano.

Booker called Monday a must-win game. Phoenix fired coach Earl Watson on Sunday and guard Eric Bledsoe was sent home Monday morning after he sent out a tweet over the weekend that left the impression he no longer wanted to play for the Suns.

“Everything that happened in the last 24 hours should have been eye-opening to us,” Booker said. “I’m proud of the team how we responded. Came out and fought.”

Phoenix shot 54.5 percent from the field and held on after Sacramento rallied in the final period. Marquese Chriss scored 19 points, and Mike James finished with 18 in his first career start.

“I’m happy for our players,” Triano said.

The Kings have dropped three of four to begin the season. Garrett Temple matched a career high with 23 points, and rookie De’Aaron Fox had 19.

The Suns led by double digits for much of the fourth quarter, but Temple hit back-to-back 3-pointers to make it 112-110 with 1:20 to play. Then Fox tied it with a layup.

James looped a high-arching left-handed layup over two defenders with 14.8 seconds to go, putting the Suns back in front. Temple drew a foul at the other end but made one of two free throws, and the Suns’ Troy Daniels made a foul shot with 5.1 seconds left.

“I work on that a lot actually, like every day,” James said of his shot.

The Kings had one last chance, but Temple missed a 3 at the buzzer.

“I felt it was in. I felt I rushed it a little more than I should have,” Temple said. “I had a little more time left. You make some, you miss some.”

With Triano directing the team from the sideline, the Suns raced out to a 22-point lead, making 14 of 20 first-quarter shots.

“They came out firing, we knew they would,” Kings coach Dave Joerger said.

Chriss scored 10 points in the first 12 minutes. But the Kings got as close as five in the second quarter and trailed 59-51 at halftime, with former Suns draft pick Bogdan Bogdanovic scoring all 12 of his points in the second in his NBA debut.

MOVING ON

Triano changed up what had been the Suns’ starting five for the first three games under Watson. Booker, T.J. Warren and Tyson Chandler remained in while Chriss and James made their first starts of the season.

“I just want to be on the floor, period,” Chriss said. “Being able to get in my flow early helped me.”

Triano said he hadn’t slept much and was running on adrenaline.

“We’re going to learn on the fly and I’m going to stop the game,” he said. “If I use all timeouts to teach, I’m going to use all timeouts to teach.”

TIP-INS

Kings: Joerger said he has known Triano for some time via basketball circles. “He’s an incredible basketball mind,” Joerger said. ... G-F Vince Carter became the sixth NBA player to play against the Suns in his 20th season or later. ... Sacramento got 78 points from its reserves.

Suns: Triano got a quick embrace from Carter just before tipoff. The two were together in Toronto 14 seasons ago. ... F Jared Dudley saw his first action of the season, playing five minutes.

UP NEXT

Kings: Host New Orleans on Thursday.

Suns: Host Utah on Wednesday night.

Winless Suns fire Earl Watson after 3 games this season

By BOB BAUM
AP Sports Writer

PHOENIX (AP) -- The Phoenix Suns have fired coach Earl Watson just three games in to the NBA season.

The Suns announced the firing Sunday night after hours of meetings at the team's headquarters.

Assistant coach Jay Triano, a former head coach of the Toronto Raptors, was named interim coach. Triano was an assistant at Portland before coming to Phoenix last year.

Watson was promoted from assistant to interim coach of the Suns after Jeff Hornacek was fired Feb. 1, 2016. The interim tag was removed on April 19 of that year. With an extremely young team, the Suns struggled under Watson. He compiled a 33-85 record. Watson's only full season was 2016-17, when the team went 24-58.

The 38-year-old Watson played collegiately at UCLA and in the NBA for 10 seasons. He often spoke of his long talks with John Wooden, emphasized togetherness and a family atmosphere to nurture the young squad but wins were hard to come by.

And owner Robert Sarver apparently didn't like what he saw. Phoenix is 0-3 and two of the losses were especially ugly. The Suns were blown out 124-76 by the Portland in their season opener Wednesday night, the most one-sided loss in franchise history and the most one-sided season opener for any NBA team.

Phoenix was routed by the Clippers in Los Angeles 130-88 on Saturday night.

"I Dont wanna be here," point guard Eric Bledsoe tweeted Sunday, just as the news of Watson's firing surfaced. The tweet by Bledsoe, a former Clipper, was followed by one from the Clippers' DeAndre Jordan saying "Come back home bro."

Bledsoe has been rumored in possible trades for months.

Watson's dismissal is the first NBA coaching change in well over a year. Hornacek's hiring by the New York Knicks, which was finalized in June 2016, had been the most recent change - and the irony there is that Watson got the job in Phoenix with 33 games left in the 2015-16 season, after the Suns fired Hornacek.

Watson was the league's second-youngest active coach behind the Lakers' Luke Walton, and the Suns were tied with the Chicago Bulls as having the youngest opening-night roster in the NBA this season.

"I'd like to see the fight be a little bit more," Watson said after the blowout loss to the Clippers. "Or a lot more, until you know they're just fatigued."

The Suns came into this season with only four losses by 40 or more points in franchise history. They've had two in the first three games of this season. Phoenix has not made the playoffs in seven years, the longest drought in the franchise's 49-year history.

Watson was the 17th Suns coach in the franchise's history.

This was the first NBA season where every coach who started one year had the same job to begin the next.

Less than a week into 2017-18, that's no longer the case.

---

AP Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds in Miami contributed to this report.

Suns lose G Knight to torn ACL

Phoenix Suns guard Brandon Knight sustained a torn ACL in his left knee that will require surgery, and he is expected to miss the entire 2017-18 season, the team announced Tuesday.

The injury occurred last week while Knight was playing in South Florida. Following an examination by head team physician Dr. Tom Carter, it was determined that surgery was necessary,

A timetable for his return will be determined at a later date.

Knight has played for three teams in his six-year NBA career. In 2016-17, while playing for the Suns, Knight averaged a career-low 11.0 points and 2.4 assists in 54 games, including five as a starter.

His career scoring average is 15.2 points.

Knight signed a five-year, $70 million contract with the Suns in 2015. He is scheduled to make over $13 million next season.

Knight's injury may provide a larger role for Tyler Ulis and perhaps second-round pick Davon Reed.

Recap: Grizzlies ride Selden, Baldwin past Suns

Juan Carlos Blanco, RotoWire

Wayne Selden and Wade Baldwin IV combined for 54 points, including 11 of the team’s final 13, to lead the No. 4-seeded Memphis Grizzlies to a 102-98 victory over the No. 13-seeded Phoenix Suns in Las Vegas Summer League second-round playoff action on Thursday evening at Cox Pavilion.

The Grizzlies (4-0) erased a slim first-quarter deficit by exploding for 37 points in the second period. While the Suns (2-3) did outscore Memphis by a 52-49 margin in the second half, the Grizzlies managed to score 13 points over the final 3:28 to secure the victory. As implied by the final score, both teams had the hot hand from the field, with the Suns slightly winning that battle by a 53.5 percent-47.4 percent margin. Two keys to victory were Memphis’ near-perfect performance from the free-throw line (95.7 percent) and its sizable 39-29 rebounding advantage. Those performances helped overcome five double-digit scoring efforts by the Suns, as well as a total of 17 turnovers.

It was Selden, a second-year shooting guard who started to come on late last season for the Grizzlies, who led the way with a game-high 33 points (10-17 FG, 3-8 3PT, 10-11 FT) along with four rebounds, two assists and a steal. Baldwin followed with 21 points on 8-for-11 shooting, a total he complemented with seven rebounds, two assists and a steal. Deyonta Davis, the Celtics’ first pick in the second round a year ago who was eventually traded to Memphis, followed with a bench-leading 16 points over 19 minutes. He added four boards and an assist. Rade Zagorac, another 2016 second-round selection, totaled eight points and six boards. Jarell Martin, Memphis’ 2015 first-round pick, matched Zagorac’s scoring total and added four rebounds and an assist.

Mike James spearheaded the Suns with 32 points (11-16 FG, 3-6 3Pt, 7-7 FT), five assists, five rebounds and three steals. Last year’s first-round pick, Dragan Bender, tallied 20 points, seven boards and five assists. Shaquille Harrison added 16 points, two rebounds, an assist, two steals and a block. Josh Jackson, this year’s fourth overall pick, supplied 13 points, eight rebounds, an assist and two steals. Second-round pick Davon Reed matched Jackson’s point total and complemented it with a rebound, n assist, a steal and a block.

The Grizzlies now move on to a Friday quarterfinal matchup against the No. 12-seeded Miami Heat.

Hield, Lawson lead Kings past Suns, 129-104

Associated Press

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) It took nine seasons and 551 games. Now Ty Lawson finally has the triple-double that eluded him for years.

Buddy Hield scored a career-high 30 points and Lawson had his first career triple-double, getting 22 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds to lead the Sacramento Kings to a 129-104 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night.

A veteran guard who has resurrected his career with a solid first season with the Kings, Lawson said he's come close to getting a triple-double multiple times. Yet each time it was the rebound total that was holding him back.

Inserted back into the game in the fourth quarter, Lawson grabbed his 10th rebound to ignite a fast-break dunk by Skal Labissiere. Lawson was hugged by teammates moments later after the Suns called a timeout following 11 unanswered points by the Kings.

"The ball was bouncing my way early and I was trying to be aggressive overall, getting into the paint," Lawson said. "If it (triple-double) happened it happened. Coach put me back in. He wanted me to have it."

The Kings never trailed, scoring the game's first nine points, leading by 19 at halftime and keeping a double-digit lead the entire second half. It helped that Phoenix never got going offensively, shooting just under 30 percent in the opening half and 37.6 percent overall.

The Suns closed the season with 14 losses in 16 games and finished with the second-worst record in the NBA. They had a second consecutive 50-plus loss season, missing the playoffs for the seventh straight time.

"We still have a lot of talent, we can grow together and gain experience," said Marquese Chriss, who had 22 points. "We've had a tough season, long road trips, and many back-to-backs. It's just another game. We just have to keep growing, moving forward, and try your best."

Ben McLemore, Willie Cauley-Stein and Georgios Papagiannis all had 13 points for the Kings. The Kings snapped a two-game losing streak, beating the Suns for the third time in four games this season.

Following the trade of DeMarcus Cousins at the All-Star break, the Kings took a new direction and have focused on the development of younger players, including three rookies. Sacramento has 11 straight losing seasons with zero playoff appearances.

"We just wanted to go out with a huge impression, something to look forward to next season," said Hield, who had 15 points in the fourth quarter. "The energy tonight felt real good, like opening night again.

"I just can't wait to work this summer and get better, get to know the guys better, the coaching staff, so we can all connect."

Tyler Ulis had 27 points and six assists for Phoenix, which gave leading scorer Devon Booker the night off on its final game of the season.

TIP-INS

Suns: Chriss grew up in Sacramento and was drafted by the Kings last June but his rights were traded that day to the Suns. ... Phoenix missed 22 of 30 3-point attempts.

Kings: Georgios Papagiannis got in a shoving match late in the first quarter with Dragan Bender, and Chriss also intervened. All three players received technicals. The technical on Papagiannis was the first for the Kings since Cousins departed the team. ... The Kings are 8-16 since the Cousins trade.

GAY UNDECIDED ABOUT NEXT SEASON

Veteran Kings forward Rudy Gay tore his Achilles tendon and only played 30 games this season. He said the rehab is ahead of schedule and he's anxious to get back in the gym. However, Gay is an unrestricted free agent and isn't sure if he will be returning to the Kings next season.

"It's one thing at a time. I think I've been doing well just worrying about my injury," he said. "I'm going to stick with that and let the people I pay to handle it."

UP NEXT

Suns: No more games remaining.

Kings: Conclude the season on the road Wednesday night against the Clippers.

Westbrook secures triple-double average, falls short of 42nd

By BOB BAUM
AP Sports Writer

PHOENIX (AP) – Russell Westbrook became the second player in NBA history to average a triple-double for a season, but failed for the second game in a row to break Oscar Robertson's single-season record for most triple-doubles.

Westbrook fell two assists shy of what would have been his 42nd triple-double in the Oklahoma City Thunder's one-sided 120-99 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Friday night.

On a rough night all around, Westbrook had 23 points (on 6-of-25 shooting, 2 of 12 on 3-pointers), 12 rebounds and eight assists, along with eight turnovers before coach Billy Donovan pulled him with 2:34 to play.

Devin Booker scored 21 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter for the Suns, who snapped a 13-game losing streak.

Westbrook did get the six assists he needed to assure that he'd join Robertson as the only players to average a triple-double for a season. Robertson averaged 30.8 points, 12.5 rebounds and 11.4 assists for the Cincinnati Royals in the 1961-62 season.

Enes Kanter added 17 points for the Thunder, who shot just 37 percent. T.J. Warren scored 23 for Phoenix.

Westbrook had probably his worst shooting half of the season and his teammates didn't show much interest in the contest as the Suns opened a 28-point lead.

He missed his first 11 shots before sinking a 17-footer with 50.4 seconds left in the half. He followed that quickly with a three-point play on an acrobatic drive to the basket.

But his halftime stats were ugly: 2-for-13 shooting, 0 for 4 on 3s, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 6 turnovers.

Phoenix, meanwhile, shot 61 percent in the first half, led by Warren's 15 points on 7-of-10 shooting, to Oklahoma City's 39 percent and led 71-48 at the half.

Westbrook earned assists on Oklahoma City's first three baskets in the opening minute of the second half but he got only two more the rest of the night.

TIP-INS

Thunder: Oklahoma City is three games behind the Los Angeles Clippers for the No. 5 spot in the West. ... The season series finished tied 2-2.

Suns: The 13 straight losses had tied a franchise record set last season. ... Suns won for the first time since they shut down a healthy Eric Bledsoe for the season. ... Phoenix's 71 points was its highest-scoring first half of the season.

THREE MORE CHANCES

Westbrook has three more chances for that 42nd triple-double, two of them against Denver.

Oklahoma City plays at Denver on Sunday and at Minnesota on Tuesday. The Thunder wrap up their regular season at home against the Nuggets next Wednesday.

He had seven straight triple-doubles before failing to get there the last two times.

UP NEXT

Thunder: Oklahoma City plays at Denver on Sunday.

Suns: Phoenix is home against Dallas on Sunday.

Curry scores 42, Warriors clinch West, NBA's top record

By BOB BAUM
AP Sports Writer

PHOENIX (AP) The NBA regular season belongs to the Golden State Warriors again.

The high-speed Bay Area dynamo needed 42 points from Stephen Curry to hold off the pesky Phoenix Suns 120-111 Thursday night, a victory that ensured Golden State will have the best record in the NBA for the third straight season.

"Yeah, it's impressive," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. "We have had a great run."

The Warriors won their season-best 13th straight game, all of them without the injured Kevin Durant.

Getting the top playoff seed was "a goal that we set going into the season," Curry said, "to make sure the regular season mattered for us, to clinch that, and we did."

With Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala resting and Durant one game away from returning from injury, the Warriors prevailed in front of a noisy crowd.

"I think our guys enjoy the position we are in. They know it is a special era that is not going to last forever," Kerr said. "We have a special group of talented players at the same time, so we are trying to enjoy every moment."

Curry scored 23 in the first quarter when the Warriors blew open a 41-18 lead, but the Suns rallied with a 34-17 second quarter and made a game of it from there.

"I think we got mesmerized as a team," Kerr said. "We were so enamored with what Steph was doing that we kind of stopped playing to start the second quarter."

Devin Booker scored 21, Tyler Ulis 20 and Jared Dudley matched his season high with 19 for the Suns, who tied a franchise record with their 13th straight loss.

Alan Williams scored 16 and grabbed a career-best 17 rebounds for Phoenix.

"We just wanted to keep the game close, give ourselves the chance," Dudley said. "Obviously, they are a championship team and for us, we want to just keep putting our young guys in situations where they can just learn from it."

Golden State became the first team have the NBA's best record for three consecutive seasons since the Boston Celtics did it in 1983-84, '84-'85 and '85-'86. The Warriors, Boston - multiple times - and Philadelphia are the only franchises in NBA history to achieve that feat.

The Warriors also are the first team to win at least 65 games in three straight seasons.

Klay Thompson scored 22 for the Warriors, including a critical late 3-pointer.

With the Spurs' loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, the Warriors are 65-14, 4 1/2 games ahead of San Antonio. Golden State has three games to play, San Antonio four.

The Warriors raced to that 23-point lead after one quarter, but Phoenix outscored Golden State 34-17 in the second quarter to cut it to 58-52 at the break.

Golden State led by 13 entering the fourth quarter.

But the Suns, with the worst record in the West and second-worst in the NBA, didn't fold.

A 10-0 Phoenix run sliced Golden State's advantage to 104-101 on Ulis' 20-footer with 5:01 to play. Curry responded with his eighth and final 3-pointer, but the Suns twice cut it to four again - the last at 109-105 after Ulis made a pair of free throws 2:29 from the finish.

Thompson's 3, only his second in nine tries, made it 112-107 and Phoenix never got closer than five again.

ALMOST BACK

Kevin Durant is targeting a Saturday night at home against the New Orleans Pelicans for his return from a sprained MCL and bruised thigh.

Durant has missed 19 games since being injured against Washington on Feb. 28. He will return with three games left in the regular season.

TIP-INS

Warriors: Golden State has beaten Phoenix 10 straight times. ... Golden State shot 62 percent (16 of 26) in the first quarter, and 24 percent (5-for-21) in the second.

Suns: Phoenix has not won since deciding to shut down a healthy Eric Bledsoe for the season on March 15. ... Rookie Marquese Chriss drew his 10th technical foul. ... Williams won the team's "Dan Majerle Hustle Award." ... With the Lakers' win, the Suns are 1 1/2 games worse than Los Angeles for the worst record in the West and second-worst in the NBA.

UP NEXT

Warriors: Golden State returns home to face New Orleans on Saturday night, with Durant expected to make his return.

Suns: Phoenix is home Friday night against Oklahoma City, with Russell Westbrook seeking to break the NBA record he shares with Oscar Robertson with a 42nd triple-double this season.

Blazers at .500 with 6th straight win, 130-117 over Suns

By ANNE M. PETERSON
AP Sports Writer

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) Damian Lillard joked that no team goes into the season hoping to play at .500.

Yet the Trail Blazers were happy to pull to 38-38 on the season Saturday night with a 130-117 victory over the Phoenix Suns. Lillard had 31 points as Portland continued its late-season push for the playoffs with a sixth straight victory.

"We feel like we're the team right now that we should have been all along, the way we're playing. And all that matters is getting that playoff spot," Lillard said. "I guess it's good to be .500, but nobody comes into the season saying, `Let's play .500 basketball.' We wish we were in a better position."

CJ McCollum added 29 points for Portland, which holds the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. The Blazers (38-38) led by as many as 25 points and got back to .500 for the first time since they were 12-12 on Dec. 9.

Devin Booker had 31 for the Suns, who lost their 11th straight for the fifth-longest losing streak in franchise history. Phoenix was just ahead of the Lakers at the bottom of the Western Conference.

"We're here to get better by not making the same mistakes," Booker said. "We're getting a chance to play, but we need to treat it like it's do-or-die time. It's not often that rookies get this many minutes so as a young group we need to come together and play like we're trying to do something here."

The Blazers played their first game without Jusuf Nurkic since announcing that he had a fractured right leg and will miss the rest of the regular season.

The 7-foot center was credited with boosting Portland's late-season surge. In 20 games since coming to the Blazers in a trade with Denver, Nurkic was averaging 15.2 points, 10.4 rebounds and 1.9 blocks.

Nurkic, who has a non-displaced right leg fibular fracture, will be re-evaluated in two weeks. It was unclear when the injury occurred.

"The goal is still to make the playoffs and everybody will have to do more," coach Terry Stotts said.

Grateful that the injury wasn't more serious, Nurkic said he will follow what the team doctors say so that he can return quicker.

"It's part of the life, part of the job. I'm not going to be negative," he said before the game.

Meyers Leonard started in Nurkic's place.

The Suns pulled within four at 99-95 on Alan Williams' layup early in the fourth quarter. But after a pair of free throws, Al-Farouq Aminu dunked to extend Portland's lead to 103-95.

The Blazers jumped out to an early 20-6 lead after McCollum's 3-pointer. Aminu pushed the lead to 32-15 with another 3.

The Suns had no spark and Portland extended its lead to 48-25 on Maurice Harkless' reverse layup and Evan Turner's 3-pointer in the second quarter.

Phoenix closed the gap to 61-53 on a follow dunk from Marquese Chriss and T.J. Warren's fast-break dunk late in the half, and the Blazers went into the break with a 63-53 lead. McCollum led all scorers with 14 points.

Booker's layup got the Suns within 63-55, but McCollum and Lillard made consecutive 3-pointers to pull away again.

Lillard hit a 3-pointer from about 30 feet out to give Portland an 84-69 lead, then raised his arms as the crowd erupted in cheers.

"Our guys are young, they're still fighting," Phoenix coach Earl Watson said. "They're still trying to create an identity."

TIP INS

Suns: Phoenix was without Leandro Barbosa for the fourth straight game because of right hamstring spasms. ... The Suns won only the first of the four-game season series with the Blazers.

Trail Blazers: The Blazers recalled guard Tim Quarterman from the Long Island Nets of the NBA Development League. ... Stotts wore a University of Oregon pullover in his pregame chat with the media. The Blazers' game started at about halftime of the Ducks' Final Four game against North Carolina.

LILLARD'S NEW MILESTONES: Lillard keeps adding to his legacy as a Trail Blazer. With his 31 points Saturday night, he reached 1,902 for the season, a new career high. He also had his 26th game of the season with 30 or more points, tying the franchise record reached by Kiki Vandeweghe and Clyde Drexler.

UP NEXT

Suns: host the Rockets on Sunday night.

Trail Blazers: visit the Timberwolves on Monday. The game was originally scheduled for March 6 but was postponed because of condensation on the floor at Target Center.

Griffin, Paul help Clippers hand Suns 10th straight loss

By BOB BAUM
AP Sports Writer

PHOENIX (AP) The Los Angeles Clippers, worn down from a tough game the previous night, still had enough energy to send the Phoenix Suns to their 10th straight loss.

But it was no blowout.

Blake Griffin scored 31 points, Chris Paul added 29 points and 10 assists and the Clippers held on to beat the Suns 124-118.

"Back to back, all these games, me and Blake talked about it," Paul said. "How to push through and find a way to win, and this goes in the win column. I'm not going to watch the film and dissect too much of it. We got the win."

Devin Booker returned to the Suns' lineup and scored 33 points while playing in front of his former college coach, Kentucky's John Calipari, and matched his season high with nine assists, but fouled out with 4:45 to play.

The Clippers (46-31), coming off a 133-124 home win over Washington on Wednesday night, pulled within a game of Utah (46-29) for the No. 4 playoff spot in the Western Conference.

"We didn't necessarily play great. We won the game," Los Angeles coach Doc Rivers said. "We'll take that."

Booker, three games removed from his 70-point outburst in Boston, missed Tuesday's game in Atlanta with a sore right ankle.

Rookie Tyler Ulis, who also played for Calipari, had 16 points and matched his career best with 12 assists. Marquese Chriss scored 20 for the Suns, and Jamal Crawford had 19 for the Clippers.

The Suns, just back from a six-game road trip, trailed 113-106 when Booker fouled out but managed a 6-1 spurt to cut Los Angeles' lead to 114-112 on Chriss' inside basket on an underhanded pass from Ulis with 3:43 left.

But Paul sank a pair of free throws and found Griffin underneath for a dunk and Los Angeles was back up 118-112.

"That was a big shot," Paul said. "That's got to be our bread and butter. Me and Blake talk about it all the time. We've got to have something that me and him can go to to close out games."

The Suns' T.J. Warren missed four straight free throws before Griffin and Paul sank consecutive jumpers to seal it at 124-116 with 48 seconds to play.

Los Angeles made 24 of 34 free throws to the Suns' 13 of 24.

Despite the losses, Phoenix coach Earl Watson likes what he's seen from his exceedingly young lineup.

"I think our players are growing in all areas," he said. "They're getting an opportunity, and we all know opportunity in this level is the most important thing for growth and development and just improving.

"And they're so young and still believe that anything is possible."

Phoenix trailed by as many as 12 in the third quarter before rallying to tie it at 102 on Booker's driving layup with 7:51 left. Griffin converted a three-point play and Paul scored the next four to stretch the lead to 109-102 with 6:45 left.

Griffin scored 12 of his 20 first-half points and the Clippers pulled away late in the second quarter to lead 67-59 at the break.

His 3-pointer capped a 14-2 run that put the Clippers up 63-55 with 1:21 left in the half.

LONG RANGE

Los Angeles made nine of 13 3-point attempts in the first half and finished the game at 12 of 22. Eight players made at least one 3 for the Clippers, led by J.J. Redick's 3 for 6.

Booker shot 4 of 7 on 3s for the Suns, but the rest of the team was just 3 of 16.

TIP INS

Clippers: Four of Los Angeles' five remaining games are at home. ... Los Angeles swept the four-game season series. ... Three of the Clippers' five remaining foes have a losing record.

Suns: Booker had his 12th 30-point game of the season. He passed Dwight Howard for the fifth-most points by an NBA player before age 21. Only LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony and Kobe Bryant had more. ... Phoenix is 0-9 since deciding to sit Eric Bledsoe for the rest of the season.

UP NEXT

Clippers: Home against the Lakers on Saturday afternoon

Suns: at Portland on Saturday night.

Slumping Suns return home to face Clippers

Stats, LLC

For the first time since his record-breaking scoring performance, Devin Booker will get an opportunity to be greeted by his home fans Thursday night when the Phoenix Suns host the Los Angeles Clippers.

Booker became the youngest NBA player to score 60 points, and the youngest in Suns history to reach 40, when he poured in 70 points last Friday at Boston.

The 20-year-old became just the sixth player in NBA history to score 70. He joined Wilt Chamberlain, Kobe Bryant, David Thompson, David Robinson and Elgin Baylor in that distinction.

Unfortunately for the Suns, the explosion came in a loss -- one of six straight the club endured on its just completed Eastern swing.

Overall, the Suns (22-53) take a nine-game losing streak into Thursday's game.

"Honestly, it's just time for us to get home," Suns coach Earl Watson said Tuesday after a loss at Atlanta. "With our roster situation, we need to be at home, have our fans give us that extra energy, and it can help carry us and give us better endings in games."

Since the Suns last saw the Clippers, Phoenix shut down Eric Bledsoe and Tyson Chandler for the season, creating the so-called "roster situation."

The Suns might need more than just Watson's hoped-for better ending against the Clippers, who have won the first three meetings this season by an average of 13 points. Los Angeles has beaten Phoenix in 12 of the past 14 head-to-heads.

The game is also more important to the Clippers (45-31), who find themselves in a tight three-team battle for the fourth, fifth and sixth playoff spots in the West.

Utah (46-29) currently resides in fourth, the only spot among the three that will have home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Utah leads Los Angeles by 1 1/2 games and Oklahoma City (43-31) by 2 1/2.

They didn't set any records, but the Clippers put up a bunch of impressive numbers Wednesday in a 133-124 home win over Washington.

J.J. Redick led the way with a season-best 31 points, while Chris Paul (27 points, 13 assists), Blake Griffin (26 points, 10 rebounds) and DeAndre Jordan (23 points, 18 rebounds) all recorded double-doubles.

Paul, who had in-season thumb surgery, has missed two of the first three meetings with the Suns this year. Griffin, who was sidelined due to knee surgery, had to sit out one.

All the key players are healthy now, with the possible exception of key reserve Austin Rivers, who had to leave the Wednesday win in the second quarter with a hamstring injury. He is unlikely to play against the Suns.

Despite having high-powered potential, the Clippers have alternated wins and losses in their past five games, with three wins interspersed by losses to lightweights Dallas and Sacramento.

"I'm not worried about us when we play in the playoffs being ready and playing hard," Clippers coach Doc Rivers said before Wednesday's game. "But I still am concerned about consistency. Can you fix it? I don't know. We'll see."

The Clippers will be playing the second night of a back-to-back for the 13th time Thursday night. They went just 3-9 in their first dozen second-night affairs.

Schroder, Hawks beat Suns 95-91 to snap 7-game losing streak

By PAUL NEWBERRY
Associated Press

ATLANTA (AP) The Atlanta Hawks had another tough night from long range.

Dennis Schroder just kept shooting anyway.

The Hawks point guard hit consecutive 3-pointers in the fourth quarter to spark a 17-1 run that carried Atlanta to a 95-91 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night, snapping a seven-game losing streak and giving his team's playoff hopes a much-needed boost.

"I saw an opportunity to shoot it," Schroder said. "I just had to shoot it with confidence."

Atlanta was able to overcome a 6-of-27 showing beyond the arc. Schroder finished with 27 points, nine assists and six rebounds, offsetting a sloppy night in which he committed eight turnovers.

"We weren't great for 48 minutes, but he played hard and competed hard for 48 minutes," said coach Mike Budenholzer, whose ailing team had to go again without All-Star forward Paul Millsap and two other key players .

The Suns, who were missing Devin Booker, lost their ninth in a row in a matchup of teams with the two longest active losing streaks in the NBA.

"Everyone knows we're undermanned and it's going to be tough every night," Suns forward Jared Dudley said. "Schroder hit two good 3s. I thought those two 3s were the difference in the game. If he missed one of them, they might not win this game."

The Hawks raced to an 18-point lead in the first quarter and held Phoenix to just 12 points on 5-of-26 shooting. But Atlanta sleepwalked through the next two periods and went nearly 4 1/2 minutes in the fourth without scoring.

The Suns took advantage of the Hawks' shooting woes, finally taking their first lead of the night on Alan Williams' lay-in with 10:37 remaining and stretching the margin to 78-71.

After missing his first five 3s, Schroder answered with those back-to-back shots beyond the arc.

The Hawks pulled away from there.

"You've got to keep shooting," Schroder said. "The coaches say it all the time. When you're open, let it fly."

Booker, just two games removed from his 70-point performance against Boston , sat out the game after aggravating his injured right ankle.

T.J. Warren led the Suns with 24 points.

Millsap missed his sixth straight game for Atlanta with an ailing left knee, which is likely to keep him out at least through the weekend. Also sidelined were fellow starter Kent Bazemore (bruised right knee) and top bench player Thabo Sefolosha (strained right groin).

Bazemore is expected to play on Wednesday at Philadelphia, while Sefolosha also appears close to returning.

PLAYOFF RACE

The Hawks improved to 38-36 and hold the tiebreaker edge for the No. 5 spot in the Eastern Conference over the Milwaukee Bucks, who kept pace with a 118-108 victory at Charlotte.

Indiana (37-37) dropped a game back with a 115-114 loss to Minnesota, with Miami (36-38) another game back and holding the final playoff spot after a 97-96 victory over Detroit.

TIP-INS

Suns: Had their lowest-scoring first quarter of the season, but it wasn't their worst period. Phoenix managed only 10 points in the fourth of a Nov. 25 game against Minnesota. ... This is the longest losing streak for the Suns since a 13-game skid from Jan. 26-Feb. 25, 2016. ... Phoenix also struggled from 3-point range, hitting just 7 of 31.

Hawks: Avoided their longest losing streak since an eight-game slide in February 2014 during Budenholzer's first season as coach. ... Despite Schroder's heroics down the stretch, Atlanta has made just 11 of 54 beyond the arc over their last two games. ... Fill-in starters Ersan Ilyasova (18 points, 12 rebounds) and Taurean Prince (15 points, six rebounds) made solid contributions. ... Dwight Howard chipped in with 15 points and 11 rebounds.

UP NEXT

Suns: Return home to face the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night after wrapping up a fruitless six-game road trip.

Hawks: Begin a three-game road swing Wednesday night against the 76ers.

Walker scores 31, Hornets beat struggling Suns 120-106

By STEVE REED
Associated Press

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) The Charlotte Hornets appear to playing their best basketball of the season heading down the homestretch.

The big question will be whether it's a case of too little, too late.

Kemba Walker had 31 points and nine assists, and the Hornets beat the Suns 120-106 on Sunday for their fourth victory in the last five games. The only loss during that stretch came on a close defeat Saturday night to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

"This time of year, especially in the situation we're in, the whole idea is to win the game," Hornets coach Steve Clifford said. "And we won the game. We need some help and people will lose and we'll come back Tuesday (against Milwaukee) and try again."

Devin Booker, who became the sixth player in NBA history to score 70 points in a loss Saturday night to the Boston Celtics, got off to a slow start but finished with 23 points. TJ Warren had 21 points and 10 rebounds for the Suns, who have lost eight straight.

"We knew we had to match those guys," Walker said. "They've been playing hard all year. They had some scorers. Everybody knows how hot Devin can get. We all saw the 70-point game he had. We just wanted to be locked into him and play some good team defense."

Booker said he was anticipating extra attention from the Hornets - and he got it.

"I expect it to be hard from here on out and we're all going to learn from this as a young group," Booker said. "At the end of the day, I think it's going to be good for us."

Suns coach Earl Watson wasn't expecting a repeat performance from Booker but was pleased with his 7-for-17 performance.

"We knew Devin is going to play well pretty much almost every game," Watson said. "It wasn't waiting to see how he responded to last game. ... He's going to come out and just play the right way."

Marvin Williams added 21 points and Nic Batum chipped in with 18 points and 10 assists for the Hornets.

Charlotte (33-40) entered the day three games behind Miami for the eighth playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with 10 games remaining and played inspired basketball on a rare weekend matinee home game.

The Hornets bolted to a 30-7 lead in the first quarter after making 10 of their first 13 shots and led by 22 at halftime.

Williams sparked the early run, connecting on three 3-pointers.

The Suns cut the lead to 105-101 with 4 1/2 minutes left on a reverse layup by Warren and some big jumpers by Booker. But Batum knocked down a long 3-pointer from the wing and Walker scored on cutting layup to ignite an 11-0 run to put away the game.

TIP-INS

Suns: Warren had his third double-double of the season. ... Outscored the Hornets 50-30 in the paint.

Hornets: Walker became the fourth player in team history to have 50 20-point games in a season. ... Cody Zeller had four steals.

MKG STEPS UP

Hornets defensive specialist Michael Kidd-Gilchrist shut down Booker for the first 10 minutes of the game, not allowing him to score or get into a rhythm.

"He did a great job," Clifford said. "He was smart."

SCOREBOARD WATCHING

The Hornets keep saying they are trying not to pay attention to what other teams around them - particularly Miami, Detroit and Chicago - are doing as they try to catch all three.

"We don't have much room for error, but we're still here," Williams said. "We're still in it. We've just got to take care of our own business and hopefully we can get a little bit of help from some of those other teams. We have an opportunity to play some of those teams."

UP NEXT

Suns: Travel to Atlanta on Tuesday to face the Hawks.

Hornets: Host the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday.

Booker scores 70 in Boston, but Celtics outlast Suns 130-120

By KYLE HIGHTOWER
AP Sports Writer

BOSTON (AP) – Devin Booker is only 20 and already has a place alongside Wilt Chamberlain, Kobe Bryant and just a few others in NBA history.

Booker scored 70 points , becoming the sixth different player to reach that total, but the Boston Celtics outlasted the Phoenix Suns 130-120 on Friday night.

David Thompson, David Robinson and Elgin Baylor are the NBA's only other 70-point scorers. Baylor also held the previous record against the Celtics with 64 points in Minneapolis for the Lakers on Nov. 8, 1959.

"This doesn't happen very often especially against a really good defensive team like the Boston Celtics," Booker said. "It's a zone. It's kind of hard to explain. I've been in those zones before, but never to this extent."

Isaiah Thomas scored 34 points for Boston, which won its third straight and avenged its buzzer-beater loss in Phoenix earlier this month.

The rematch was dominated early by the Celtics, as they hit eight 3-pointers during a 37-point second quarter to grow their lead as high as 26 points.

Booker then scored 51 after halftime , including 28 in the final period as his teammates fed him almost every time down the floor.

Coach Earl Watson even used a pair of timeouts in the closing minutes to get him extra touches. As Booker's point total climbed, he even began to get cheers from some Boston fans. The entire display - in particular Phoenix's attempts to prolong the game - tweaked some Celtics players.

"It was weird what they were doing," Thomas said. "I've never seen anything like that. It is what it is. ... But I mean it was obvious what they were trying to do. They were trying to get him the most points possible. Hats off to him. He played a hell of a game."

Whatever the perception of others, Watson made no apologies.

"I'm not coming into any arena just happy to be there, trying to be liked. I don't care about being liked. I really don't care to be honest with you," he said. "We're trying to build something with this young group. If people don't like us while we build it, so what? Do something about it."

Chamberlain had six 70-point games and his 62 points on Jan. 14, 1962, had been the most in Boston.

Phoenix has already been eliminated from playoff contention, and had only eight available players because of injuries. Younger than some lineups in the NCAA Tournament, the Suns have lost seven straight and nine of their last 10, and they were out of this one early before Booker's explosive performance made it interesting.

His previous career best was 39, which he reached three times before Friday. He had 19 points at halftime, then scored 23 in the third quarter to get the Suns back within range.

TIP-INS

Suns: The Suns' previous scoring record was held by Tom Chambers. He had 60 points March 24, 1990. ... Booker was 10 for 10 from the free throw line in the third quarter. ... T.J. Warren sat out with left foot contusion. ... Were outscored 37-27 in the second quarter.

Celtics: Avery Bradley stayed overnight at the hospital Friday to get fluids and rest for what coach Brad Stevens said was a stomach bug that's been going around the locker room. Rookie Jaylen Brown made his 18th start of the season in Bradley's place. ...Thomas extended his club record to 47 straight games with a 3-pointer. ... It was Thomas' 121 straight game in double figures, the most by a Celtics player since Antoine Walker had 126 from 2000 to 2002.

ROAD RESPECT

Booker said he'll always remember the cheers he got from Boston's fans down the stretch.

"That meant a lot, especially here in Boston. I know how rowdy they can be on opponents sometimes. I respect that. That's how it should be," he said. "It's a night I'm going to remember the rest of my life."

ROOM TO IMPROVE

Celtics coach Brad Stevens said that one thing Booker's scoring run in the third and fourth quarter showed was that his team has a lot of room to improve before the playoffs.

"We don't play with enough sustained level of play and that' pretty consistent for us," he said. "I'm surprised at where we are record-wise, because we've got to play at a higher level for 48 minutes. We just don't do it."

UP NEXT

Suns: Continue their six-game road trip at Charlotte Sunday.

Celtics: Host the Miami Heat on Sunday.

Nets beat Suns 126-98 for 1st two-game win streak of season

By MICHAEL SCOTTO
Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) The Brooklyn Nets finally have a winning streak.

Brook Lopez scored 19 points, K.J. McDaniels had a season-high 16 and the Nets beat the Phoenix Suns 126-98 on Thursday night to give them consecutive victories for the first time this season.

"I think for us, on the outside looking in it's like, `Man, that's pretty sad,'" guard Jeremy Lin said. "I guess it is. But on the inside, we'll take every step in the right direction, we'll continue to take and appreciate it and be grateful for it. I think what's happening right now is we are raising our standards slowly."

Trevor Booker added 14 points for the league-worst Nets (15-56), who beat Detroit on Tuesday. They are 6-9 since the All-Star break - not bad considering that started with an eight-game road trip.

The Nets scored a season-high 81 bench points in the first game in their NBA history where they had six reserves in double figures, according to information provided to the team by the Elias Sports Bureau.

"I thought our bench was just so big tonight," Lopez said. "They came in and played superb and got us back in the game. I think they were the difference maker tonight."

Devin Booker scored 28 points and Marquese Chriss had 23 points and 11 rebounds for the Suns. Alex Len had 11 points and 11 rebounds.

Brooklyn took a commanding 84-65 lead into the fourth quarter as Lopez scored 12 points in the third quarter. Brooklyn held Phoenix to 15 points, the fewest points the Nets have allowed in the third quarter this season.

Phoenix opened the game with a 17-4 run and led 32-22 after the first quarter.

Nets coach Kenny Atkinson felt things changed after a timeout in the period.

"We got completely out of rhythm, completely out of sorts, and then we took the timeout and I kind of had to - wake-up call, let's put it that way, a stern wake-up call," Atkinson said. "Pens were flying and clipboards were flying and sometimes you've got to do that."

Brooklyn turned the tide in the second quarter and took a 52-50 lead into the halftime.

Lin, back from a sprained right ankle, led Brooklyn with 11 points in the half while Booker led Phoenix with 20 points.

TIP-INS

Suns: Coach Earl Watson compared Chriss to Russell Westbrook. "His personality reminds me a lot of Russell Westbrook. I put that together the first five minutes we had a conversation during the pre-draft workout. If you watch him play, he would be misunderstood and you'd think he's not a nice person. He's out there to compete. He doesn't care who likes him and we're happy his technicals have calmed down." ... T.J. Warren (left foot contusion), Ronnie Price (lower left leg contusion), Dragan Bender (right ankle surgery), Eric Bledsoe (rest), Tyson Chandler (rest) and Brandon Knight (rest) were all out.

Nets: Several players that are on non-guaranteed contracts beyond this season have impressed Atkinson. "I think we have guys that are fighting to prove they belong here and that's healthy. Quincy Acy comes right off the top of my head, Archie (Goodwin) the other night. I think Spencer Dinwiddie. These guys are fighting for playing time, fighting to go into the offseason on a positive note, fighting to continue to be a Net." ... Joe Harris (sprained left shoulder) and Sean Kilpatrick (strained left hamstring) were out.

BENCH BUNCH

Besides McDaniels and Booker, the other reserves in double figures for the Nets were Goodwin (12), Acy (12), Isaiah Whitehead (11) and Justin Hamilton (10).

UP NEXT

Suns: Visit Boston on Friday, which will be the fourth game of a six-game road trip.

Nets: Visit Washington on Friday, which marks the first game facing Bojan Bogdanovic since trading him to the Wizards.