DEVIN Booker and Chris Paul led the Phoenix Suns to a 117-113 overtime win over the visiting Utah Jazz on Wednesday night (Thursday in Manila) in a game between the NBA’s best two teams that lived up to its billing.
Booker scored 35 points and Chris Paul contributed 29 points and nine assists as the Suns, who have the NBA’s second-best record, held on for their seventh victory in a row.
Booker got the Suns off to a quick start in OT with a layup, and Paul finished it off with free throws late in the extra session. Utah never led in overtime.
Deandre Ayton also had a strong showing with 18 points and 12 rebounds for Phoenix, which picked up its second win in two meetings with the Jazz this season.
Donovan Mitchell registered 41 points and eight rebounds for the NBA-leading Jazz, and he forced overtime with a clutch 3-pointer late in regulation. Bojan Bogdanovic scored 20 points and Rudy Gobert tallied 16 points and 18 rebounds for the Jazz, who have lost two in a row on the road after a nine-game winning streak.
In other games, it was the Nets 139, Pelicans 111; Rockets 102, Mavs 93; Celtics 101, Knicks 99; Nuggets 106, Spurs 96; Grizzlies 131, Hawks 113; Wizards 131, Magic 116; Pacers 141, Wolves 137; and Hornets 113, Thunder 102.
Nets 139, Pelicans 111
Kevin Durant played for the first time in nearly two months and was one of seven Brooklyn players to score in double figures in a rout of visiting New Orleans.
Durant, who last played on Feb. 13 and missed 23 consecutive games because of a hamstring injury, didn’t enter the game until the second quarter was nearly halfway over.
He scored 17 points, making 5 of 5 field-goal attempts, 2 of 2 from 3-point range and 5 of 5 free throws in 19 minutes.
Kyrie Irving led Brooklyn with 24 points, and LaMarcus Aldridge had 22. Eric Bledsoe led New Orleans with 26 points despite being ejected late in the third quarter. Zion Williamson scored 16 points on 4-of-12 shooting to end his streak of 25 consecutive games with 20-plus points on 50 percent shooting or better.
Rockets 102, Mavericks 93
Kelly Olynyk scored 10 points and pulled down a career-high 18 rebounds to help host Houston snap its five-game losing streak by beating Dallas.
Olynyk grabbed two critical boards down the stretch after his three-point play gave the Rockets an 89-84 lead with 3:38 to play. John Wall finished with 31 points, seven assists and four steals for Houston, and Christian Wood added 22 points— including the team’s opening 12 points of the third quarter— and 10 rebounds.
Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis scored 23 points apiece for the Mavericks, who saw their season-best, five-game winning streak come to an end. Doncic missed 17 of 26 field-goal attempts and committed five turnovers. Tim Hardaway Jr. added 18 points. — Field Level Media
