Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker goes to the basket against Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Devin Booker scored 37 points and Washington, D.C., native Kevin Durant added 23, fueling the visiting Phoenix Suns to a 130-123 wire-to-wire victory over the reeling Wizards in the NBA on Thursday.
Booker scored at least 30 points for the fourth straight game after sinking four 3-pointers and 13 of 15 free throws.
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Grayson Allen scored 21 points off the bench and rookie Ryan Dunn collected career highs in points (18) and rebounds (11) for the Suns, who posted their fourth win in five games.
Phoenix shot a robust 51.8 percent from the floor and 47.1 percent from 3-point range.
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Washington Wizards forward Kyshawn George, right, and Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant, left, battle for the ball during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Thursday, Jan. 16, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Bradley Beal, who played his first 11 seasons with Washington, sat out due to a left ankle sprain, and Jusuf Nurkic missed his fifth straight game due to the flu. Recent trade acquisition Nick Richards was held out with the intention that he will make his debut for the Suns on Saturday against the host Detroit Pistons.
Washington rookie Kyshawn George sank six 3-pointers to highlight his season-high 24-point performance. Jordan Poole scored 18 points and rookie Alexandre Sarr added 16 for the Wizards, who erupted for 40 points in the fourth quarter before losing their eighth straight game.
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Washington was down by 24 points late in the third quarter but pulled within 120-117 on George’s 3-pointer with 1:06 to play in the fourth. Phoenix, however, ended the Wizards’ 12-0 run as Booker converted from beyond the arc on his team’s next possession. He then joined Tyus Jones in sinking two free throws to seal the win.
The Suns started out fast, scoring the game’s first 11 points en route to claiming a 16-2 lead. Booker began the game by making a layup and a 3-pointer before converting a three-point play to cap that sequence.
Phoenix pushed its advantage to 20 points at 64-44 after Durant sank a short jumper with 2:59 remaining in the second quarter. Washington made a modest run to trim its deficit to 14 points at halftime.
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The Suns started the third with a flourish, scoring 11 of the quarter’s first 14 points to extend its lead to 80-58. Booker capped that surge with a 3-pointer and an easy layup. –Field Level Media
