Suns 98, Bobcats 91
Channing Frye scored a season-high 20 points, including five 3-pointers, as visiting Phoenix defeated Charlotte to snap a four-game losing streak.
P.J. Tucker had 17 points and Goran Dragic recorded 14 points and eight assists for the Suns, who improved to 2-4 on the road to start a three-game trip. Gerald Green added 14 points and Miles Plumlee grabbed 11 rebounds for Phoenix, which saw a 21-point fourth-quarter lead trimmed to five with 14 seconds left.
Gerald Henderson led the way with 17 points and Kemba Walker contributed 16 for Charlotte, which finished 3-of-14 from 3-point range. Ramon Sessions registered 15 points and Al Jefferson produced nine points in 25 minutes in his first game back from an ankle injury for the Bobcats.
Charlotte led by as many as seven early before Marcus Morris came off the bench to score seven points and Frye’s late 3-pointer gave Phoenix a 27-24 lead after one quarter. Frye drained two more 3-pointers in the second quarter as the Suns continued to pull away and settled for a 55-44 lead at intermission.
Phoenix pushed the lead as high as 67-53 in the third quarter after a Tucker 3-pointer with 4:48 left, but the Bobcats inched within 11 going into the final period. Markieff Morris drained a 3-pointer to ignite a 10-0 run to start the fourth for the Suns and they led 95-79 with 2:12 remaining before Charlotte’s desperation run.
GAME NOTEBOOK: The Suns were without leading scorer G Eric Bledsoe for the third consecutive game due to a bruised shin. … Charlotte F Josh McRoberts scored all of his 10 points in the fourth quarter and dished out five assists. … The Suns have won the last four in the series after dropping the previous four contests.