NBA: Devin Booker, Suns handle Hawks for 6th win in 9 games

Devin Booker scored 30 points on 10-of-15 shooting to lead the Phoenix Suns to a 128-115 victory over the visiting Atlanta Hawks on Thursday night.

Eric Gordon scored 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting off the bench as Phoenix won for the sixth time in nine games. Kevin Durant added 19 points but made just 5 of 15 shots.

Royce O’Neale scored 14 points, Grayson Allen had 13 and Bradley Beal had 12 points and nine assists for the Suns. Phoenix (41-29) is in seventh place in the Western Conference with the Dallas Mavericks having the same record and holding the tiebreaker edge for the last automatic playoff spot.

Dejounte Murray had 29 points, 10 assists, nine rebounds and four steals for the Hawks (30-39), who possess the final play-in spot in the Eastern Conference.

De’Andre Hunter scored 22 points, Bogdan Bogdanovic added 16 and Clint Capela had 13 points and 10 rebounds for Atlanta.

Jalen Johnson (ankle) sat out for the Hawks, who completed a 1-4 road trip.

The Suns shot 55.4 percent from the field and were a stellar 22 of 41 from 3-point range. Booker made six and Gordon and O’Neale had four apiece.

The Hawks shot 44 percent from the field, including 12 of 35 from 3-point range.

Atlanta led 79-78 after a 3-pointer by Wesley Matthews with 5:23 left in the third quarter before the Suns scored 16 of the next 22 points. Gordon hit a 3-pointer to cap the burst and give Phoenix a 94-85 lead.

The Suns led 96-93 entering the fourth quarter but surged ahead when O’Neale, Beal and Bol Bol hit consecutive treys to make it 112-98 with 7:58 to play.

Booker had 13 points as the Suns led 65-60 at the break. Murray had 18 points in the half for Atlanta.

Murray scored 16 points in the opening quarter as the Hawks started fast. Atlanta led 25-11 just past the midway point before Phoenix cut it to 37-30 at the end of the period.

The Suns scored 15 of 21 points during one stretch of the second quarter to take a 52-43 lead with 4:49 left in the half. The Hawks later cut it to one on a basket by Capela with 1:39 remaining before Phoenix took a five-point lead into the locker room.

–Field Level Media/Reuters