Devin Booker pours in 33 as Suns extend Kings’ slump
Devin Booker scored 33 points, Dillon Brooks added 18 points and the host Phoenix Suns pulled away in the second half to beat the slumping Sacramento Kings 129-102 on Friday.
Collin Gillespie, Mark Williams and Oso Ighodaro chipped in 15 points apiece for the Suns, who have won five of their past six overall and are 3-0 against the Kings this season.
Keegan Murray put up 23 points, Russell Westbrook added 17 and Keon Ellis had 14 off the bench for the Kings, who have lost four in a row and 14 of 17.
Booker tossed in 27 points in the first half to help the Suns to a six-point halftime lead. The Suns subsequently outscored the Kings 67-46 in the second half to cruise in their first game back from a 3-1 road trip. Booker, Brooks and Williams did not play in the fourth quarter.
Gillespie made 3 of 9 3-point attempts, and he has at least three treys in each of the last six games.
Jamaree Bouyea produced four of the Suns' 16 steals, and Phoenix scored 23 points off Sacramento's 21 turnovers. The Suns were averaging a league-best 10.7 steals per game.
Booker scored 20 points and added two assists in the first quarter, when the Suns closed on a 15-6 run to take a 32-29 lead. Murray had 11 points in the quarter.
Booker scored the final five points of the second quarter to give Phoenix a 62-56 halftime lead. He shot 10 of 16 from the floor at half.
The Suns built a 75-61 when Williams completed a three-point play and Brooks hit a short jumper early in the third quarter, and Brooks' breakaway layup made it 88-70 with three minutes left in the quarter. Brooks had 10 points in the period.
The Suns led by as many as 18 in the third quarter and 28 in the fourth.
Brooks picked up his 12th technical foul of the season while arguing a non-call with 8:52 remaining in the first quarter. A player receives an automatic one-game suspension after 16 technical fouls.
Kings center Maxime Raynaud sustained an apparent left leg injury and was helped off the floor with 4:19 remaining in the game.