Philadelphia 76ers vs Phoenix Suns Box Score on Dec 31, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Dec 31, 2017

PHOENIX -- Dario Saric scored 27 points and Ben Simmons had nine of his 21 points in the third quarter as the Philadelphia 76ers won back-to-back games for the first time since late November with a 123-110 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Sunday.

Joel Embiid and JJ Redick added 22 points each for the Sixers (17-19). Simmons added nine rebounds and six assists, while Embiid had nine boards and five assists.

Devin Booker had 32 points and TJ Warren scored 28 for the Suns, who failed for the fifth time this season to win three straight games. The Suns (14-24) had been 8-0 when Warren scored 25 points or more, and it looked as if they might prevail again when they wiped out an 18-point deficit in the third quarter to get the lead before the Sixers responded.

Phoenix trailed just 105-104 with 5:32 left when Simmons had seven points during a 14-4 Philadelphia run, capped by a Redick 3-pointer that made it 119-108 Sixers with 1:31 to go.

Philadelphia made 16 of 26 shots in the first quarter and led 16-4 less than five minutes into the game. However, Warren scored nine of his 11 first-quarter points during a 16-6 Phoenix run and pulled the Suns within 22-20 with an 11-foot jumper with 4:35 left.

Redick led the Sixers with 10 points in the opening period. He banked in a 34-foot 3-pointer at the buzzer to give his team a 38-32 lead after one.

Philadelphia dominated early in the second as well, opening with a 15-3 run and taking its biggest lead at 53-35 on a Jerryd Bayless layup with 6:27 left. Saric had 10 of his 16 first-half points in the quarter.

The Suns made only two 3-pointers in the first half, and Booker missed five of his six shots. Josh Jackson had the final four points, including two free throws with 6.7 seconds left to cut the deficit to 63-49 at intermission.

Booker and the Suns came roaring back in the third. He had 16 points in the quarter and two 3-pointers during a run of 11 straight points that pulled Phoenix from 18 down to within 76-69 with 7:21 left. Phoenix kept rolling, and Booker gave the Suns the lead at 85-84 on a three-point play with 2:51 left.

Philadelphia regained the lead at 92-89 after three quarters, and the game was tight before the Sixers pulled away late.

NOTES: Suns G Devin Booker had 46 points in the first Sixers-Suns meeting this season on Dec. 4. Booker scored 70 points last year against Boston. He and Amar'e Stoudemire, Tom Chambers and Paul Westphal are the only Suns with multiple games of 46 points or more. ... Sixers C Joel Embiid (back tightness) was back in the lineup after missing Philadelphia's Saturday win in Denver. ... Phoenix interim coach Jay Triano on the improved play of F Marquese Chriss: "More consistent minutes, more focused on the floor and running the floor on both ends. I think he's in better shape than he's been." ... Sixers rookie G Ben Simmons came into the game averaging 16.5 points, 8.6 rebounds and 7.6 assists. If he maintains those numbers, he would join Magic Johnson (1979-80) and Oscar Robertson (1960-61) as the only rookies to average at least seven points, rebounds and assists.