Phoenix Suns build big lead, hold on late to defeat Philadelphia 76ers 115-101

The young duo of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons have been garnering headlines all season for their play, but it was the Phoenix Suns’ duo of Devin Booker and T.J. Warren who couldn’t be stopped tonight, leading the Suns to a 115-101 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.

Booker scored 42 of his season-high 46 points over the final three quarters, including 19 of Phoenix’s final 22 points, and Warren added 25 points to help the Suns earn the second win of their six-game road trip. Tyler Ulis had 12 assists, and Tyson Chandler did yeoman work down low all night, grabbing 12 rebounds and frustrating Embiid defensively.

The Suns built their advantage in the 2nd quarter, opening the quarter with a 20-7 run to take a 48-35 lead. They would lead by as many as 17 points, but the Sixers didn’t go away. J.J. Redick scored 21 of his 25 points in the 2nd half and buried a 3-pointer that cut Phoenix’s lead to 99-94 with 4:49 left in the game. However, the Suns answered the challenge with an 11-0 run over the next 2:48 to salt away the game.

Phoenix had 25 assists to only 11 turnovers, blocked nine shots, and held their own on the boards against the NBA’s top rebounding team, losing the overall battle 47-46 but besting Philly on the offensive glass 15-13.

The 76ers were led by Redick’s 25 points. They also got 22 points and 12 boards from Embiid, and a good all-around performance from Simmons (20 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, and six steals). However, Philadelphia made only 7 of 30 from behind the arc and shot 42.9 percent from the field overall.

Phoenix wraps up its road trip tomorrow against the Toronto Raptors looking to finish 3-3.