Hot-shooting Suns knock off Hornets
PHOENIX -- Phoenix guard Devin Booker had 15 points and a season-high nine assists and forward Marquese Chriss added 17 points in the Suns' 120-103 victory over the Charlotte Hornets at Talking Stick Resort Arena on Thursday.
Forward T.J. Warren had 16 points and eight rebounds and Eric Bledsoe had 14 points and seven assists for the Suns (19-42), who shot a season-high 59.7 percent from the field.
The Suns made 55.7 percent of their shots in a 137-101 victory over the Lakers on Feb. 15, their previous season best.
Kemba Walker had 26 points and eight assists and forward Marvin Williams had 19 points for the Hornets (26-35), who failed in an attempt to win a second straight game for the first time since Jan. 18-21, when they won three in a row.
Walker has 41 20-point games this season, tying his record for 20-point games in a season set last year.
Suns reserve Leandro Barbosa had 16 points and reserve Alan Williams had 16 points and 12 rebounds, his third career double-double. Williams has scored in double figures a career-high four straight games.
Reserves had 53 points for the Suns, who broke a three-game losing streak
The Suns are 12-9 against the Eastern Conference.
The Suns took an 85-73 midway through the third quarter, when Chriss made a dunk to cap a 16-3 run. The Hornets got within one point on their first two possessions of the fourth quarter but never led.
Walker had 18 points, three rebounds and three assists at halftime, which ended with the Suns holding a 61-58 lead. Booker had 11 points and seven assists in the first half.
NOTES: Hornets C Frank Kaminsky, who had 16 points, suffered what appeared to be a left shoulder injury on a collision with 7:38 remaining. He did not return. ... Suns G Devin Booker made one 3-pointer and has 211, third in NBA history behind Wizards G Bradley Beal (229) and Cleveland F LeBron James (212) among players reaching that total before age 21. Booker is likely to break the record, since he does not turn 21 until Oct. 30. ... Suns C Tyson Chandler missed his fourth straight game as the Suns look at Alex Len, who will be a free agent this offseason. ... Charlotte will finish a season-long seven-game road trip at Denver on Saturday. The Hornets have not played a home game since Feb. 13, a span also broken up by the All-Star Game.