Devin Booker sank the tie-breaking 3-pointer with 1.7 seconds left Sunday night for the visiting Phoenix Suns, who squandered a 15-point lead before edging the New York Knicks 116-113.
Booker took a handoff from Jordan Goodwin near the top of the key and dribbled to the right corner, where he hit a 25-foot fadeaway with Julius Randle in his face and RJ Barrett coming over to close out.
After a timeout, New York’s Jalen Brunson took an in-bound pass, took one dribble to shake Eric Gordon and hoisted a turnaround 32-footer that bounced twice off the rim.
Booker scored 21 points in the second half and finished with a double-double (28 points, 11 assists) for the Suns, who have won seven straight, including the last two games without Kevin Durant. The 13-time All-Star warmed up beforehand but sat out his second straight game with a sore right foot.
Gordon scored 25 points while Goodwin (14) and Nassir Little (11) got into double figures off the bench.
Brunson had 35 points, eight assists and six rebounds for the Knicks, who have lost two of their past three games. Randle scored 28 points and reserve Immanuel Quickley added 18.
The Suns led by as many as 14 in the first quarter and by 15 in the second before ending the first half with a 64-56 lead. The teams traded runs in the third, when Phoenix’s 13-3 surge was answered by New York’s 20-5 run that ended with Randle hitting a layup to give the hosts their first lead at 86-84 with 2:30 left.
There were three more lead changes and two ties before Goodwin’s 3-pointer with less than three seconds left in the period gave the Suns a 95-92 lead. The Knicks tied the game twice in the fourth, the last time on Brunson’s pull-up jumper with 21.2 seconds left.
Booker answered with his game-winner.
–Field Level Media