In a thrilling matchup on Thursday night in Washington, the Phoenix Suns emerged victorious over the Washington Wizards with a final score of 130-123. Devin Booker led the charge for the Suns, scoring an impressive 37 points, while Kevin Durant chipped in with 23 points. This win marked a critical moment for Phoenix as they found a way to fend off a late-game charge from the Wizards, who managed to narrow a significant 24-point deficit down to just three points in the final moments of the fourth quarter.
Booker’s performance was particularly noteworthy, as it marked his third consecutive game scoring over 30 points. The Suns also saw contributions from rookie Ryan Dunn, who recorded a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds, and Grayson Allen, who added 21 points. This win improved Phoenix’s record to 1-1 on their ongoing five-game road trip. Tyus Jones played a crucial role as well, assisting on multiple plays while scoring nine points and providing 10 assists, as the Suns secured their fifth victory in the last seven games.
On the other side, the Wizards faced another tough outing, suffering their eighth consecutive loss. However, they managed to halt a streak of three consecutive games with double-digit defeats. Rookie Keyshawn George stood out for Washington, achieving a career-high 24 points, shooting an efficient 8 of 10 from the field and 6 of 8 from beyond the arc. Jordan Poole contributed 18 points while teammate Alex Sarr added 16 points and grabbed nine rebounds.
Key takeaways from the game highlighted the Suns’ struggle to maintain leads; despite their latest victory bringing them back to a .500 record at 20-20, Phoenix has often found it difficult to close out games convincingly. Notably, only one of their 20 wins this season has come by a margin greater than 10 points.
The shooting statistics were telling, with Phoenix managing to hit 47.1% of their three-point attempts (16 of 34), significantly better than the Wizards, who shot 31.7% (13 of 41). A crucial moment came late in the game, with the Wizards on a 12-0 run and closing the gap to 120-117. Booker responded decisively, hitting a baseline three-pointer off an assist from Jones, restoring a lead for Phoenix that they would not relinquish.
The Suns will continue their road trip on Saturday as they face off against the Detroit Pistons, while the Wizards will look to bounce back against the Golden State Warriors.
