NBA: Suns continue road dominance, knock off 76ers
Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns reacts during the third quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center on February 08, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images/AFP
Devin Booker scored 35 points, Mikal Bridges added 23 and the Phoenix Suns defeated the host Philadelphia 76ers 114-109 on Tuesday.
Chris Paul had 16 points and 12 assists, JaVale McGee contributed 15 points and 12 rebounds, and Jae Crowder swept 14 rebounds for the Suns, who won their third in a row. DeAndre Ayton also scored 10 points.
The Suns have a league-high 22 road wins.
Joel Embiid led the Sixers with 34 points and 12 rebounds. It was Embiid’s 21st straight game with at least 25 points. Tobias Harris added 30 points and Tyrese Maxey had 14.
The Sixers went ahead 48-46 when Maxey dropped in a short floater with 3:55 remaining in the second quarter. Booker responded with a jumper on the Suns’ ensuing possession.
Big-time duel between a couple #NBAAllStar's tonight!
🌟 @DevinBook: 35 PTS, Suns win
🌟 @JoelEmbiid: 34 PTS, 12 REB, 3 STL pic.twitter.com/NW3oAemCG9— NBA (@NBA) February 9, 2022
Maxey drove to the basket and scored at the buzzer as the Sixers held a 59-55 advantage at halftime. Embiid led the way with 19 points at the break.
Booker paced the Suns with 15 on 6-of-12 shooting.
The Sixers opened the third with 10 straight points — four each from Maxey and Embiid and two from Harris — for a 69-55 lead.
Ayton snapped the run with a layup to close the Suns within 12.
When Paul made a short jumper from the wing with 3:58 to go, the Suns trailed by only four, 75-71.
Furkan Korkmaz hit a late shot — his first field goal — and the Sixers pulled ahead 84-83 at the end of the third.
McGee converted a three-point play with 9:52 left in the game and the Suns regained the lead, 90-88.
After an empty Sixers possession, Bridges knocked down a turnaround jumper in the lane for a four-point advantage. Maxey hit a layup, Andre Drummond grabbed an offensive rebound and scored and the Sixers quickly tied the game at 92.
When Embiid knocked down a trey with 4:32 remaining, the Sixers were back up, 99-97. The Suns went back ahead 103-99 after Paul made a 3-pointer with 3:32 to go.
Maxey missed a trey, the Suns garnered the long rebound and Booker wound up with a three-point play for a 108-102 lead with 2:43 remaining.
