PHOENIX (AP) — Devin Booker scored 28 points and the Phoenix Suns moved closer to wrapping up the NBA’s best regular-season record, routing the Chicago Bulls, 129-102, on Friday night.
At a franchise-best 57-14 through 71 games, the Suns moved nine games ahead of the second-place Grizzlies with 11 games left. Memphis lost at Atlanta earlier Friday.
Deandre Ayton added 20 points and 12 rebounds for the Suns. Cameron Payne scored 15 points, Torrey Craig and Landry Shamet had 14 each, JaVale McGee 12 and Mikael Bridges 11.
DeMar DeRozan scored 19 points for Chicago, fifth in the Eastern Conference at 41-29. Nikola Vucevic added 16 points. Coby White had 14, Zach LaVine 12 and Tristan Thompson 11.
The Suns are 9-4 without point guard Chris Paul. He's out with a fractured right thumb. Starting forward and Cam Johnson and sixth-man Jae Crowder also missed the game.
Craig started his second game in place of Crowder, and the forward came through with another strong performance. On Wednesday night at Houston, Craig scored 21 points on 8-of-8 shooting, including three 3-pointers, and had 14 rebounds.
The Bulls lost their third in a row to fall to 2-6 in March. All the losses in the streak have been on the road, where Chicago is 16-19. After a home game, the Bulls play five straight on the road.
The Suns (48.5%) and Bulls (48.2%) entered Friday as the top field-goal percentage teams in the NBA. The Suns bettered their season average, making 56% while the Bulls struggled and made just 41%.
Phoenix led by 14 points in the second quarter. It was 61-48 at the half, with Booker scoring 20 points. Suns were 12 of 12 from the free-throw line, with Booker making seven. Vucevic had 10 points to lead the Bulls in the half. DeRozan and White had nine apiece.
NEXT
Bulls: host Toronto Raptors on Monday.
Suns: at Sacramento Kings on Sunday.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press.