FILE – Deandre Ayton #22 and Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns during the second half of the NBA game at Footprint Center on October 19, 2022 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns defeated the Mavericks 107-105. Christian Petersen/Getty Images/AFP
Deandre Ayton recorded 28 points on 11-of-13 shooting and also collected 12 rebounds to lead the Phoenix Suns to a 108-102 victory over the visiting Detroit Pistons on Friday night.
Devin Booker contributed 21 points, seven rebounds and five assists as Phoenix defeated the Pistons for the fourth straight time. Cameron Payne added 16 points and 10 assists, and Mikal Bridges scored 15 points for the Suns.
Bojan Bogdanovic scored 19 points to pace Detroit. Killian Hayes recorded 17 points, nine assists and eight rebounds, Alec Burks scored 17 points and Marvin Bagley III had 13 points and 12 rebounds for the Pistons.
Phoenix played without Chris Paul (heel) for the eighth consecutive game.
The Suns shot 48.3 percent from the field, including 7 of 29 from 3-point range.
Deandre Ayton was LOCKED IN for a season-high 28 PTS in the @Suns win tonight:
☀ @DeandreAyton: 28 PTS (11/13 FGM), 12 REB, 2 BLK pic.twitter.com/IQMCzStudU
— NBA (@NBA) November 26, 2022
Hamidou Diallo added 10 points for Detroit, which made 42.4 percent of its shots and was 9 of 26 from behind the arc.
Bridges hit two 3-pointers during a 9-0 burst as Phoenix took an 81-73 lead with 3:27 remaining in the third quarter.
The Pistons tallied the next six points before Booker drained a 3-pointer with 1:33 left and the Suns took an 84-79 lead into the final stanza.
Damion Lee’s layup capped a 6-0 run to give Phoenix a 92-83 lead with 8:17 left in the game.
A short while later, Detroit rattled off eight straight points and pulled within 94-93 on two free throws by Hayes with 4:53 left.
Payne split two free throws and Ayton converted a three-point play to give the Suns a five-point edge with 4:11 to play.
Bogdanovic’s basket pulled Detroit within 104-100 with 47.5 seconds left. Bridges scored on a layup with 24 seconds to play, but Burks answered with a layup with 20.4 seconds left.
Ayton made two free throws with 17.4 seconds remaining as the Suns closed it out.
Bogdanovic scored 15 points to help Detroit hold a 54-53 halftime edge. Booker had 13 in the half for Phoenix.
The Pistons were up 48-42 after Hayes drained a 3-pointer with 2:39 remaining in the half. The Suns recovered to knot the score at 52 with 10.8 seconds left.
Bogdanovic drove for a layup with 4.3 seconds left but Booker split two free throws with 3.3 seconds left, leaving Detroit ahead by one at the break.