Devin Booker recorded 29 points, nine rebounds and five assists to lead the Phoenix Suns to a 104-93 victory over the visiting San Antonio Spurs in NBA Cup play 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 departing.
Booker’s first basket of the game pushed him over 15,000 career points. He finished the night with 15,028.
Tyus Jones added 16 points for the Suns, who went 3-1 in West Group B play. The Oklahoma City Thunder (3-1) won the Group due to a head-to-head victory over the Suns, leaving Phoenix in the mix 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 while recording 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 scored 10 points apiece for the Suns, who shot 48.7 percent and made 11 of 32 3-point attempts.
San Antonio was a woeful 8 of 44 from 3-point range and shot 35 percent overall.
Wembanyama was 1 of 9 from long range. He was scoreless in the first half and missed all seven of his shots, including six 3-pointers, as the Spurs trailed by 13. But he was hot at the outset of the third quarter, with nine points in the first 2:21.
Castle later made two free throws as San Antonio crept 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 end the 8-0 surge as Phoenix led by 10 with 4:16 remaining.
The Suns led 75-71 entering the final stanza before Booker scored the final five points of a quarter-opening 7-0 run to increase the lead to 11.
Phoenix boosted the margin to 17 four-plus minutes later and cruised to the finish.
Durant scored 13 points, Booker had 12 and Jones added 11 as the Suns led 52-39 at the break. Vassell had 12 in the half for San Antonio, which made just 2 of 20 from 3-point range in the half.
