Booker Returns, Suns Snap Skid with Gritty Win Over Short-Handed Knicks
Devin Booker didn’t need to be perfect-he just needed to be back. After missing Thursday’s game in Detroit with a sprained left ankle, Booker returned to the floor Saturday night and gave the Phoenix Suns exactly what they needed: a steadying presence and a late-game push to help secure a 106-99 win over the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
Booker dropped 27 points in his return, grinding through a 7-for-18 night from the field but making up for it at the line, where he went 12-for-14. It wasn’t the flashiest performance we’ve seen from him, but it was the kind of tough, composed effort that helps win road games-especially when the team is trying to halt a slide. Phoenix had dropped the first two games of its six-game East Coast swing, and getting Booker back in the mix was the spark they needed.
Grayson Allen chipped in 16 points and Mark Williams added 14, including a pair of clutch free throws in the fourth quarter that helped the Suns pull away. And while the box score won’t show it, Allen also took a shot to the face diving for a loose ball-one of several scrappy sequences in a game that was more grit than grace.
For the Knicks, the effort was there, but the firepower wasn’t. Playing without starters Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart-both sidelined with ankle injuries-New York leaned on Karl-Anthony Towns and Deuce McBride, who each scored 23 points.
OG Anunoby added 21, but turnovers and cold shooting doomed the Knicks down the stretch. They coughed up the ball 17 times and went ice-cold from deep in the fourth quarter, hitting just 1 of 10 from beyond the arc.
The turning point came with the game tied at 87. Suns guard Collin Gillespie knocked down a corner three, Booker followed with an and-one finish, and Williams calmly sank two free throws to cap a quick 8-0 run. From there, the Suns never looked back.
Towns, who had been solid most of the night, drew the ire of the Garden crowd after an airball on a wide-open three late in the fourth. It was that kind of night for the Knicks, who have now dropped three straight and eight of their last 10. After a strong start to the season at home, they’re now 16-5 at MSG.
The night wasn’t without its moments for Knicks fans, though. Halftime featured a special “Homecoming Night” celebration honoring former players, with Hall of Famer Carmelo Anthony leading the introductions. Legends like Patrick Ewing, Walt Frazier, Bill Bradley, Jerry Lucas, Spencer Haywood, and Bob McAdoo were all in attendance, sporting black jackets with the phrase “Once a Knick, always a Knick” stitched on the back-alongside a nod to the franchise’s founding year, 1946.
What’s Next:
The Suns continue their road trip with a stop in Brooklyn on Monday, while the Knicks will try to regroup at home against the Dallas Mavericks.