Devin Booker scored 27 points and the Phoenix Suns never trailed, beating the depleted San Antonio Spurs 115-94 on Tuesday night to clinch a playoff spot.
The Suns (44-35) won its sixth in a row, the longest current winning streak in the NBA. With one more victory in the final three games, Phoenix would assure itself of at least the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference and home-court advantage in the first round.
Chris Paul scored 22 points, while Deandre Ayton had 19 points and 11 rebounds. Kevin Durant scored 18 points and reserve Torrey Craig added 15.
The Suns was 7-0 when Durant has been in its lineup.
Malaki Branham led the Spurs with 21 points. Tre Jones scored 20, while Keita Bates-Diop and Sandro Mamukelashvili each had 13.
The Spurs (20-59) only dressed 10 players. It was without its top two scorers, Keldon Johnson (right foot sprain) and Devin Vassell (left knee). Also out for San Antonio was Zach Collins (finger), Jeremy Sochan (right knee soreness) and Romeo Langford (left adductor).
And during Tuesday’s game, Doug McDermott played six minutes and limped off with an apparent knee injury. Dominick Barlow was hurt in a fourth-quarter collision, and starter Devonte’ Graham was helped to the locker room late in the game after hurting his leg.
San Antonio entered the night ranked last in scoring defence, having allowed 122.8 points per game. Phoenix came out roaring, shooting 63% in the first quarter in building a 42-25 lead. That’s the most the Suns has scored in the first quarter this season, passing the 40 points against Chicago on March 3.
Booker had 14 points in the first quarter.
The Suns led by as many as 31 points in the second quarter and was up 69-51 at the half. Paul made 7 of 8 shots in the half to lead the Suns with 18 points. Phoenix shot 56% and San Antonio 38 percent, with the Suns outrebounding the Spurs 30-20.
The Spurs got within nine in the third quarter, but by the end of the period Phoenix was back ahead 97-76. Booker scored 13 in the quarter to lead Phoenix.
MUTUAL ADMIRATION
Suns coach Monty Williams played for Gregg Popovich with the Spurs and coached under him as well.
“I just enjoy seeing him and I’m grateful for the history I have with him,” Williams said before the game. “I’m grateful that I get to tell people outside of basketball that I know Gregg Popovich as a man, as a mentor, as a friend.”
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Popovich may not have enjoyed Tuesday’s result, but he too admires what Williams and the Suns has done.
No matter who’s playing, Popovich said of Williams, “He’s gonna coach. He’s going to do the same things, have the same standards, the same accountability. Kick ‘em in the butt when necessary, put an arm around them and love ’em when necessary. He’s a good man.”
DURANT, TOO
Popovich coached the Olympic gold-medal team in 2021 and saw Durant from the same bench.
“He was great. I love him,” Popovich said. “How do you stop him? You can’t. There’s no way you can stop him. Now you can double-team him, and he’s smart enough to give it up. No matter what happens, they’ll figure out what they need to do.”
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