Devin Booker led a balanced Phoenix assault with 21 points and 11 assists as the Suns defeated the Charlotte Hornets 107-96 on Friday night, their fourth victory in six games.Grayson Allen and Bradley Beal each scored 15 points, while Jusuf Nurkic added 13 points and 21 rebounds for the Suns (39-28), who rebounded from a 127-112 loss to the NBA-best Boston Celtics on Thursday night.
“That’s the name of the game for us,” said Kevin Durant, who scored 13 points and was one of six Suns in double figures. “There are going to be nights where everybody has to contribute scoring the ball and tonight was one of those nights.”
Vasa Micic led Charlotte with 21 points after scoring a career-high 25 points on Wednesday night against the Memphis Grizzlies. Miles Bridges tallied 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Hornets.
The Suns came into the game in seventh place in the crowded Western Conference standings, hoping to avoid having to battle their way into the playoffs through the play-in round.
Only two games separated fifth-place New Orleans from ninth-place Dallas heading into Friday night’s games.
Phoenix led by 25 points heading into the fourth quarter, but the Hornets swiftly cut the margin to 10 when Brandon Miller shoved Durant out of the way with his shoulder, sending the 2014 league MVP staggering backward, and hit a 3-pointer with six minutes left.
Durant, however, countered with a pull-up baseline jumper, and Nurkic collected an offensive rebound and put down a two-handed dunk, extending the advantage to 16 points with two minutes remaining and sending supporters to the doors.
Miller surpassed 1,000 career points in his 60th game, becoming the Hornets’ third-fastest rookie to do it after Alonzo Mourning (53 games) and Larry Johnson (55 games).
Durant said he is impressed with Miller, the No. 2 overall pick, and how he is transitioning to the professional game.
“Usually this is around the time of year that rookies start to understand the game a little bit more,” Durant was quoted as saying. “Their coach is placing him in the ideal situation to learn and improve. That is always the greatest approach: throw them into the fire and let them play games and improve.”
The Suns survived a 13-0 Hornets surge in the first quarter to lead 54-45 at the half, limiting the Hornets to 2-of-22 shooting from outside the arc.
“When you miss three or four in a row like that, sometimes you’ve just got to play with more force, drive the ball harder and try to get something going more to the basket,” Steve Clifford, the coach of the Hornets, said. “Even in the second half, we just shot the ball really poorly.”
Suns coach Frank Vogel praised Durant’s defense again, saying he’ll be upset if he’s not named to the NBA All-Defensive Team.
Durant has yet to receive this distinction since joining the league in 2007.
“He’s one of the best in the league in iso defense and on-ball defense,” Vogel told ESPN. “He’s extremely lengthy and muscular. He doesn’t get enough credit for that aspect of the game. He almost always guards the opposing team’s best perimeter player. He’s guarded 5s, point guards, and has pretty much done everything.”