Josh Okogie made a go-ahead 3-pointer midway through the fourth quarter and blocked Paolo Banchero’s attempt at a tying 3 in the final seconds as the Phoenix Suns held on to beat the Orlando Magic 116-113 Thursday night to snap a three-game losing streak.
Devin Booker led Phoenix with 19 points. Cameron Payne scored 18 points, Deandre Ayton and Chris Paul each had 16, and Okogie finished with 15. The Suns made all 17 of their free throws in the game.
Markelle Fultz scored 25 points, Banchero added 18 and Cole Anthony 17 for Orlando. Franz Wagner had 16 points and 10 rebounds, and Wendell Carter Jr. also scored 16 points.
Orlando trailed by as many as 12 points in the second half before pulling even at 101 on Wagner’s 3-pointer with just under 6 minutes to go.
After a Phoenix timeout, Okogie’s 3-pointer restored the Suns’ lead. The Magic closed within 114-113 on a pair of free throws by Fultz with 8.8 seconds to play.
Terrence Ross made two free throws for the Suns with 6.1 seconds left for the game’s final points.
It was 94-85 Suns after three quarters. Payne had a team-high 18 points on 7-for-8 shooting for Phoenix. Fultz had 21 points through three quarters for the Magic.
Late in the first half, the Suns trailed 56-51 and used a 9-0 run just before the break to go up by four. After Orlando scored, Okogie was fouled by Fultz while shooting a halfcourt shot and made all three free throws to put Phoenix up 63-58 at intermission.
Orlando had a major advantage in fast-break points (26-2).
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