Phoenix Suns snapped a five-game losing streak by defeating Toronto Raptors 120-98 at home on Sunday night. Phoenix won their 40th game of the season, which is already a four-win improvement over last year with 10 games to play.
Devin Booker scored 25 points and Jalen Green added 20 as the Suns never trailed and took an 18-point lead into halftime. They extended the advantage to 92-62 late in the third when Booker got fouled while making a driving layup, adding the free throw to convert the three-point play.
Booker shot 9 of 15 from the field, including 3 of 6 from 3-point range. Collin Gillespie added 16 points. The Suns’ second unit played well with Ryan Dunn scoring 12 and rookie Rasheer Fleming adding 11.
Toronto lost their second straight. The Raptors are still No. 5 in the Eastern Conference playoff race, but fell to 39-31, which is just a half-game ahead of the Atlanta Hawks and Philadelphia 76ers. The top six teams automatically make the playoffs in each conference.
Timberwolves down Celtics
Bones Hyland scored 23 points and Jaden McDaniels had 19 as Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Celtics 102-92 to snap an 18-game losing streak in Boston.
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Ayo Dosunmu added 17 points, eight rebounds and six assists for Minnesota, and Rudy Gobert had 14 rebounds and nine points. The Timberwolves’ last win in Boston came in 2005.
Jaylen Brown led Boston with 29 points, Jayson Tatum overcame a slow start to score 16 points and add 11 rebounds. Derrick White had 15 points. The loss snapped the Celtics’ four-game winning streak and left them just a half-game ahead of the New York Knicks in second place in the Eastern Conference.
Forward Naz Reid returned after a two-game absence with a sprained right ankle and was ineffective until scoring in eight of his 11 points during Minnesota’s game-breaking 16-0 run midway into the final quarter.
New York Knicks thrash Washington Wizards
In New York, Karl-Anthony Towns scored 26 points and 16 rebounds, while Jalen Brunson scored 23 points as New York Knicks thrashed Washington Wizards 145-113 for their sixth straight victory.
Josh Hart made all three 3-point shots and added 16 points as New York handed Washington their 16th straight loss. Mikal Bridges had 14 points and six assists, while Mitchell Robinson came off the bench to make all five shots and finish with 10 points and 10 rebounds in 17 minutes.
The Knicks rang up 77 points in the second half against one of the NBA’s worst teams and shot 58.5% from the floor and 53% from 3-point range. They also made 18 of 19 free throws (94.7%).
Tyler Kolek played about 5-1/2 minutes in the blowout and went 4 for 4, including 3 for 3 behind the arc, and scored 11 points after pouring in 42 while playing for the Knicks’ NBA G League team earlier in the day.
Kings hold off Nets 126-122
Sacramento Kings held off the Brooklyn Nets 126-122 at home as Malik Monk scored 10 of his 32 points in the final five minutes and Devin Carter made a pair of clutch free throws with 6.6 seconds remaining.
Monk made seven 3-pointers and went 9 for 9 from the line to help the Kings (19-53) end a two-game skid. Carter had 16 points and five rebounds, but it was his two free throws in the final seconds that were crucial.
The Nets (17-54) had one final possession, but Nolan Traore stepped out of bounds and turned the ball over. The play was reviewed and upheld. Kings rookie Maxime Raynaud had his 16th double-double with 22 points and 10 rebounds. Precious Achiuwa added 14 points and 15 rebounds and DeMar DeRozan finished with 10 points and eight assists.
Ben Saraf scored 22 points for the Nets, who have lost seven straight games. Ziaire Williams had 18 points and Traore finished with 17.
Jokic helps Nuggets down Trail Blazers
In Denver, Nikola Jokic recorded his 35th triple-double of the season and both he and Jamal Murray scored 22 points as Denver Nuggets celebrated the return of Peyton Watson by cooling off the Portland Trail Blazers 128-112.
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Jokic had 22 points, 14 rebounds and 14 assists. Cam Johnson added 19 points as the Nuggets stopped Portland’s three-game winning streak, all on the road. Deni Avdija led the Trail Blazers with 23 points and Donovan Clingan added 18 for Portland, which never led in the last of a five-game trip.
Watson scored 14 points in just under 20 minutes. He was one of seven Nuggets to score in double figures. The 6-foot-8 guard was averaging almost 15 points when he got hurt six weeks ago, and coach David Adelman said before tip-off that the minutes of his “high-level wing defender” and precision passer will be restricted as he works his way back into the rotation.
