Devin Booker, the Suns remain hot against the Spurs

Devin Booker, the Suns remain hot against the Spurs

NBA: San Antonio Spurs at Phoenix SunsDecember 3, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) against San Antonio Spurs guard Chris Paul (3) and center Victor Wembanyama (1) in the first half of an NBA Cup game at Footprint Center. Mandatory attribution: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Devin Booker had 29 points, nine rebounds and five assists to lead the Phoenix Suns to a 104-93 victory over the visiting San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Cup game on Tuesday night.

The Suns won for the third time in four games despite being without Kevin Durant in the second half. Durant sprained his left ankle in the second quarter and scored 13 points in 16 1/2 minutes before leaving.

Booker’s first basket of the game gave him over 15,000 career points. He finished the evening with 15,028.

Tyus Jones added 16 points for the Suns, who fell 3-1 in West Group B play. The Oklahoma City Thunder (3-1) won the group with a straight win over the Suns, leaving Phoenix in the running for a wild card spot.

Devin Vassell scored 25 points on 10 of 14 shooting off the bench and Stephon Castle added 16 points for the Spurs, who lost for just the second time in seven games.

Victor Wembanyama was just 6 of 18 from the field and recorded 15 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists for San Antonio. Jeremy Sochan had 14 points and Keldon Johnson 10 for the Spurs.

Bradley Beal and Royce O’Neale each scored 10 points for the Suns, who shot 48.7 percent and made 11 of 32 3-point attempts.

San Antonio went an abysmal 8 of 44 from 3-point range and shot 35 percent overall.

Wembanyama was 1 of 9 from distance. He went scoreless in the first half and missed all seven of his shots, including six 3-pointers, as the Spurs trailed by 13 points. But he was hot early in the third quarter, with nine points in the first 2:21.

Castle later made two free throws as San Antonio got within 59-57 with 7:34 left in the quarter.

But O’Neale and Jones countered with 3-pointers and Jones added two free throws to make the lead 8-0, giving Phoenix a 10-lead with 4:16 left.

The Suns led 75-71 early in the final stanza before Booker scored the final five points of a 7-0 run to start the quarter to extend the lead to 11.

More than four minutes later, Phoenix increased the lead to 17 and crossed the finish line at pace.

Durant scored 13 points, Booker had 12 and Jones added 11 as the Suns led 52-39 at halftime. Vassell had 12 in the half for San Antonio, making just 2 of 20 from 3-point range in the half.

–Field level media

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