Jae Crowder’s four-point play with 23.4 seconds remaining helped the Phoenix Suns repel visiting Atlanta’s second-half comeback bid and secure a 117-110 win over the Hawks on Tuesday.
Crowder scored 19 points and made five 3-pointers to prevent the Suns from blowing a 16-point advantage. The game was tied 105-105 with three minutes remaining before the Suns outscored the Hawks 12-5 the rest of the way, with Crowder’s 3-pointer and free throw the clinching points.
The Suns have won three straight and six of their past seven games. The Hawks have lost two straight and four of their past five.
Devin Booker led Phoenix with 21 points, and Dario Saric came off the bench to score 20 points, ending an eight-game stretch in which he was limited to single digits. Deandre Ayton had 13 points, including the go-ahead bucket with 2:06 left, and 14 rebounds.
Atlanta was led by Bogdan Bogdanovic with 22 points and Trae Young with 19 points and 13 assists. Clint Capela had 16 points and 16 rebounds.
The Hawks played the second half without forward John Collins, who had nine points and four rebounds before spraining his left ankle and leaving with 1:08 left in the first half. Collins stepped on Capela’s foot as he was grabbing a rebound.
The Suns raced out to a 21-11 lead, but the Hawks came back to tie the game at 27-27 on a 3-pointer from Kevin Huerter late in the first quarter. That’s when Phoenix took control and went on an 18-2 run, taking a 45-29 lead on a 3-pointer from Saric with 8:30 left in the half. The Suns led 64-52 at halftime.
Despite the absence of Collins and with Young on the bench with four fouls, the Hawks pecked away at the deficit. They trailed 89-85 after three quarters but tied the game at 103-103 on a pair of free throws by Young with 3:31 left.
Phoenix continues its three-game homestand on Wednesday against Chicago. Atlanta plays the seventh game of its eight-game road trip on Thursday at San Antonio.
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–Field Level Media