Devin Booker on Wednesday scored a season-high 45 points, while Chris Paul added 19 points and 14 assists, as the Phoenix Suns held on to beat the Chicago Bulls 121-116.
The Suns built a 16-point lead midway through the third quarter, but the Bulls cut that advantage to 94-86 by the start of the fourth.
Chicago hung close throughout the final minutes, pulling within three points multiple times.
Photo: AP
Thaddeus Young’s bucket in the paint brought the Bulls within 115-112, with less than one minute left.
Booker responded with his final basket — blowing past Nikola Vujecic for a layup — and the Suns won their fourth straight.
Chicago’s losing streak is now at five games.
“I was just making shots,” Booker said. “Getting good screens, getting in the paint and taking what the defense gives me. Got a few transition ones early to get in a rhythm.”
Booker had another All-Star performance in a season full of them, making 17 of 24 shots from the field and 9 of 10 free throws. He was especially effective on mid-range jumpers, finishing time and again over Chicago’s defense.
“He’s one of the rare guys in the league who can score on all three levels, with the ball, without the ball and he can post up,” Suns coach Monty Williams said. “He did it every way you can describe or imagine tonight.”
Phoenix’s Dario Saric had 16 points off the bench on six of nine shooting, including three of five on three-pointers.
Chicago was led by Vujecic’s 24 points and 10 rebounds, while Young added 19 points and 10 rebounds, and Denzel Valentine also scored 19 points.
Booker scored 22 points before the break on 10 of 14 shooting to help the Suns lead 67-58 at halftime.
Phoenix made 10 of 18 (55.6 percent) shots from three-point range.
Paul said Booker’s efficiency was fun to watch.
“The fact that he does it in the course of the game,” Paul said. “It’s not like he’s out there hunting.”
Chicago coach Billy Donovan said his team’s defense was better in the second half, but there was not much of a way to stop Booker.
“I thought Booker had a big night because he made all his midrange jumpers,” Donovan said.
Phoenix won despite Chicago having a 50-32 rebounding advantage, including an 18-4 lead in offensive boards, but the Bulls shot just 43 percent from the field and missed on several opportunities close to the basket.
“They’re just so doggone big and they kept crashing the boards,” Williams said. “We finally went big and were able to keep them at bay.”
Also on Wednesday, it was:
‧ Nets 120, Rockets 108
‧ Timberwolves 102, Knicks 101
‧ Bucks 112, Lakers 97
‧ Jazz 111, Grizzlies 107
‧ Heat 92, Pacers 87
‧ Trail Blazers 124, Pistons 101
‧ Mavericks 113, Celtics 108
‧ Spurs 120, Kings 106
‧ Thunder 113, Raptors 103
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