PHOENIX — The Phoenix Suns played spoiler to the San Antonio Spurs’ 5-0 start with a dominant 130-118 victory at Mortgage Matchup Center Sunday night.
This was Phoenix’s second-straight win in blowout fashion after beating the Utah Jazz 118-96 Friday night, as the Suns improved to 3-4 on the year with the victory.
The Suns, who led by as many as 31, were able to cruise to the win even without Jalen Green (right hamstring strain) and Dillon Brooks (core muscle strain) once again by lighting it up from 3-point range and shutting down Victor Wembanyama, who finished with nine points (4-14 FG) and six turnovers.
Devin Booker had another monster performance for Phoenix with 28 points (10-15 FG, 2-2 3PT) and 13 assists, and Ryan Dunn had his best offensive game of the year with 17 points on 6-of-8 shooting and 3-of-4 3-point shooting.
Grayson Allen (17 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists), Collin Gillespie (15 points, 4 assists), Jordan Goodwin (11 points, 3 rebounds), Royce O’Neale (11 points, 6 rebounds) and Nick Richards (10 points, 3 rebounds) also scored in double figures for the Suns.
The Suns shot 46-for-79 (58.2%) from the field as a team and 19-for-33 (57.6%) from 3-point range. By comparison, the Spurs were 45-for-98 (45.9%) from the floor and 10-for-41 (24.4%) from 3.
Stephon Castle had a team-high 26 points for San Antonio along with seven rebounds and five assists.
Booker, Allen, Dunn, O’Neale and Mark Williams started for the Suns for the third consecutive game, and the Spurs, who were notably without De’Aaron Fox (hamstring), Jeremy Sochan (wrist), Luke Kornet (ankle) and Kelly Olynyk (heel), started Castle, Devin Vassell, Harrison Barnes, Julian Champagnie and Wembanyama.
Phoenix did a good job on Wembanyama early on, holding him to 0 points in the first quarter. The Suns were hot from deep to start the game, making six of their first eight 3-point attempts, and led by as many as 11 points in the quarter. At the end of the first, Phoenix was up 31-24 behind Booker’s seven points and six assists and over 60% shooting as a team.
The Suns did not slow down in the second quarter and led 44-31 with 6:42 to go after going on a 7-0 run. This carried over into a 70-52 Phoenix halftime lead as the Suns shot an incredible 11-for-15 (73.3%) from 3 compared to 5-of-16 (31.3%) 3-point shooting for San Antonio.
Booker led all scorers with 14 points to go along with nine assists in the first half. Dunn (12 points) and Richards (10 points) were also in double figures for the Suns. Wembanyama scored his only points of the half on a dunk with 1:05 to go. Dylan Harper, who was injured in the second quarter and did not return, had a team-high 12 points for San Antonio.
The Spurs could not find any answers for the Suns coming out of halftime, and Phoenix extended its lead to 102-78 heading into the fourth quarter. Booker was up to a 24-point, 12-assist double-double through three quarters, and the Suns had six players with 10 or more points. San Antonio did itself no favors offensively in the third with six turnovers in the period leading to nine Suns points.
San Antonio didn’t go away in the fourth despite the huge deficit and cut the lead to 14 (111-97) with 6:22 left after a 12-0 run. Phoenix responded well to this run, and Booker hit a dagger with 4:32 left to put the Suns up 118-97, which brought in the benches for both sides.
The Suns hit the road for one game for their next matchup Tuesday against the Golden State Warriors (4-3).
