Devin Booker scored a team-high 35 points and the Phoenix Suns, with Bradley Beal back in the fold, beat the Charlotte 133-119 on Friday night to hand the Hornets their 10th consecutive loss.
Kevin Durant, coming off a triple-double against the Rockets on Wednesday night, had 21 points and 11 dimes, and Booker had seven assists. Booker was 10 of 18 from the field, going 5 of 7 from distance. The Suns shot a red hot 60% (18 of 30) from distance.
“It’s a game-changer, being at full strength,” Booker said. “The offense was moving, the ball was hopping around and we were getting the best available shot.”
Beal, who missed the previous five games because of a sprained right ankle, contributed four assists in the opening quarter, when the Suns went ahead for good. He finished with seven assists, six points and three rebounds in 30 minutes of action.
“It’s just good to be back on the floor,” Beal said. “We got the win and finish the game, that’s all I cared about tonight.”
Jusuf Nurkic had double-double with 24 points and dominated the glass with 16 rebounds for the Suns and Eric Gordon scored 21 points, all on 7-of-12 3-point shooting. Grayson Allen scored 16 points.
“That’s what we want, that’s the beauty of it,” Beal said about the well-rounded scoring. There’s a lot of threats out there, guys who are very versatile. We can shoot the ball really well.”
The Suns won back-to-back games for the first time since a seven-game winning streak ended November 29. Since that time, Phoenix had gone 3-9.
“I loved his floor game tonight,” Suns coach Frank Vogel said about Beal. “A lot of times (in returning from injury) guys will have a tendency to force, but he let the game come to him. We have a team that is selfless. We have a chance to be special.”
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Hornets, again playing shorthanded without LaMelo Ball (right ankle sprain) and Gordon Hayward (left calf strain), were led by Terry Rozier, who showed how scary he could be with 42 points on 14-of-21 shooting, including 8 of 11 from 3-point range, and a team-high eight rebounds. Rozier was one short of his career high. Rookie Brandon Miller scored 20 points. The Hornets last tasted victory was on December 8 at home against Toronto.
Cody Martin and P.J. Washington each had 13 points for the Hornets, who were coming off a blowout loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday. Miles Bridges had 11 points and seven rebounds.
“With that effort, that approach, really not a good second half (Thursday)) night, getting in here late, guys playing big minutes last night. I was proud of them,” Charlotte coach Steve Clifford said. “We just couldn’t stop them.”
In Phoenix’s 31st game of the season, it was just the second time that the Suns’ “Big 3” of Booker, Durant and Beal played a full game. They played together in a December 13 home loss to Brooklyn. Beal was injured in the Suns’ next game against the New York Knicks.
Josh Okogie (sprained right ankle) was the only member of Phoenix’s regular rotation to sit out Friday.
The teams combined for 41 3-pointers and were 31 of 32 from the free-throw line.
Rozier’s career high is 43 against the New Orleans Pelicans in 2021.
Charlotte: On the road at the ‘Mile High City’, Denver to face Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets on Monday night.
Phoenix: Hosts Paulo Banchero and the Orlando Magic on Sunday.
