Phoenix guard Devin Booker drives to the basket Saturday afternoon against the Philadelphia 76ers. Booker scored 36 points in a 120-111 win. Matt York/Associated Press
PHOENIX — Devin Booker scored 36 points, Chris Paul added 18 points and 10 assists and the rising Phoenix Suns beat the Philadelphia 76ers 120-111 on Saturday for their fifth straight victory.
The Suns have won eight of their last nine games and improved to 16-9. They got a big game from their bench against Philadelphia, especially from Dario Saric, who scored 15 points in his first game back after missing 10 straight.
Joel Embiid had 35 points on 12-of-23 shooting for the Sixers, who have lost two in a row but still hold the top spot in the Eastern Conference at 18-9. Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris each added 18 points.
The game was tied 53-all at halftime after a tight second quarter, when there were nine lead changes and five ties. Booker took control in the third quarter, scoring 16 points to give Phoenix an 86-81.
Saric and Jae Crowder each hit 3-pointers to open the fourth quarter and extend the lead to 92-81. The closest the Sixers would get was 102-97 after Embiid’s bucket with 5 1/2 minutes remaining. The Suns then went on an 11-2 run.
Booker has scored 30-plus points in each of the last three games overall and each of his last seven games against Philadelphia. That is the longest streak ever by a Suns player against a single opponent.
PACERS 125, HAWKS 113: Doug McDermott scored 26 points, Myles Turner had 19 points and 10 rebounds, and Indiana Pacers won in Atlanta.
The Hawks blew a nine-point lead in the fourth quarter as Indiana used a 27-7 run to take control.
KNICKS 121, ROCKETS 99: Julius Randle and rookie Immanuel Quickley each scored 22 points and New York sent visiting Houston to a season-high fifth straight loss.
NETS 134, WARRIORS 117: Kevin Durant won his long-anticipated first trip back to the Bay Arena against a team he helped capture two titles over three years, scoring 20 points in Brooklyn’s victory.
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