Devin Booker scored 27 points in his return from a sprained left ankle, and the Phoenix Suns snapped a two-game skid on their Eastern Conference road trip with a 106-99 victory over the New York Knicks on Saturday night.
Booker, who missed Thursday’s loss in Detroit, struggled from the field but made his impact at the line, finishing 12 of 14 on free throws while shooting 7 of 18 overall. Grayson Allen added 16 points and Mark Williams chipped in 14 for Phoenix, which rebounded after dropping the first two games of its six-game trip.
Karl-Anthony Towns and Deuce McBride scored 23 points apiece for New York, which played without injured starters Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart, both sidelined with ankle issues. OG Anunoby added 21 points, but the Knicks committed 17 turnovers and fell to 16-5 at home while losing their third straight and eighth in their last 10 games.
The game was physical and often sloppy, with multiple scrambles for loose balls. Allen appeared to injure his nose during one such collision. After the teams were tied at 87, Phoenix seized control late when Collin Gillespie knocked down a 3-pointer, Booker followed with a three-point play, and Williams hit two free throws to cap an 8-0 run. New York couldn’t recover, shooting just 1-for-10 from beyond the arc in the fourth quarter.
The Knicks’ struggles from deep drew frustration from the home crowd, including boos after Towns airballed a wide-open 3-pointer late in the game.
Earlier in the night, New York honored former players during a halftime homecoming ceremony. Hall of Famer Carmelo Anthony was joined by fellow Knicks legends Patrick Ewing, Walt Frazier, Bill Bradley, Jerry Lucas, Spencer Haywood and Bob McAdoo, all wearing black jackets emblazoned with the phrase “Once a Knick, always a Knick” and the franchise’s founding year of 1946.
Up next:
The Suns visit Brooklyn on Monday, while the Knicks return home to host Dallas.
