Chris Paul helps Suns hang on to beat 76ers
FILE — Chris Paul #3 of the Phoenix Suns and Mikal Bridges #25 talk during the fourth quarter in a 113-103 LA Clippers win at Staples Center on April 08, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. Harry How/Getty Images/
Chris Paul compiled 28 points and eight assists to lift the Phoenix Suns past the host Philadelphia 76ers 116-113 on Wednesday.
Devin Booker added 19 points and Mikal Bridges had 18 for the Suns. Booker had scored at least 30 in each of his past seven meetings with the Sixers.
Cameron Johnson contributed 15 points and DeAndre Ayton chipped in with 10 for the Suns (42-16), who hold the best road record in the league, 19-7.
CP3's 28 PTS (5 3PM), 8 AST fuels the @Suns road win in Philadelphia! #WeAreTheValley pic.twitter.com/N4WDHRGbHB
— NBA (@NBA) April 22, 2021
The depleted Sixers (39-19) played without Ben Simmons (illness), Seth Curry (hip) and Tobias Harris (knee). It was the third consecutive game that Harris sat out.
Joel Embiid led the Sixers with 38 points and 17 rebounds. Danny Green scored 18 points, Tyrese Maxey added 14, Furkan Korkmaz put up 12 and George Hill had 11. Dwight Howard swept 11 rebounds.
The Sixers have lost consecutive home games for the first time all season.
Booker’s long jumper with 2:03 left gave the Suns a 109-101 advantage, but Korkmaz’s 3-pointer with 2.8 seconds left cut the deficit to two.
"That's winning basketball… That's why Book is who he is. He made the timely shots."
– @CP3 on @DevinBook's clutch bucketsHear from the guys tonight! 👇
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) April 22, 2021
Paul made one of two free throws with 0.8 seconds left for a 116-113 lead. Embiid tossed a 75-foot shot in and out of the rim as time expired.
The Suns lost Jae Crowder to a sprained right ankle in the second, and the team announced soon after that he would not return.
Korkmaz appeared to twist his right ankle early in the third as he limped to the bench with 9:25 left, but he re-entered the game.
Paul dropped in a 3-pointer from the wing with 4:53 left in the second quarter to give the Suns a 45-43 lead.
Embiid responded with a three-point play on the Sixers’ next possession to put the hosts back on top.
Green hit a shot with 0.2 seconds remaining and the game was tied at 54 by halftime.
Hill missed two free throws with 0.7 seconds left and Phoenix led 77-76 at the end of the third.
Johnson hit a tough jumper in the lane to extend the Suns’ advantage to 93-90 with 7:49 to go in the fourth.
Jevon Carter soon knocked down consecutive 3-pointers and Phoenix led 101-94 with 6:32 left.
When Embiid hit a trey from the top of the key with 4:40 remaining, the Sixers closed within 105-99.
