Phoenix Suns Pull Away In Win Against New York Knicks To Snap Losing Streak
After entering the game on a two-game losing streak, the Phoenix Suns were able to get back in the win column as they narrowly beat the short-handed New York Knicks 106-99 at the Garden on Saturday night.
Suns Scorch Knicks From Three-Point Range In Win
One of the biggest issues in the Suns’ recent skid has been their inefficiency from beyond the arc, which changed in a big way tonight as their hot shooting led them to victory. The Suns made 15 three-pointers in the game at a moderately efficient clip of 35%. That shooting helped to shore up an otherwise lackluster night on offense, as the Suns shot just 41% from the floor in the win.
Another thing that helped give the Suns’ offense the boost it needed was the stellar play of their star, Devin Booker. The four-time All-Star dropped a team-high 27 points while also adding 4 assists and 4 rebounds to help fill out an overall solid stat sheet for the game. Booker was a game-time decision tonight due to an ankle sprain he suffered in the Suns’ loss against the Miami Heat on Tuesday.
The Suns also saw some great production out of other key players tonight, such as Grayson Allen. The veteran sharpshooter made it rain in New York, as Allen finished with 4 three-pointers, which culminated in him finishing with a solid 16 points in the game. Allen is averaging a career-high 16 points per game this season, a huge uptick in production compared to his 11 points per game output in 2024-2025.
Knicks Slump Continues In Jalen Brunson’s Absence
All has not been well in the “Big Apple” as of late for the Knicks, as tonight’s loss now pushes New York’s current losing streak to three games. Much of the Knicks’ latest struggle is due to being without their offensive engine in All-Star Jalen Brunson, who has missed the last two games since going down with a right ankle sprain on Wednesday.
The absence of Brunson has caused the Knicks’ offense to lack the juice it usually has, which has resulted in an overall downturn on that side of the ball. New York shot just 40% from the field for the game, while also shooting a poor 31% from three in the loss. The only positive from a team stat standpoint for New York is their continued dominance on the boards, as they outrebounded the Suns 47-37 in the loss, but rebounds can only take you so far.
While the offense was a shell of itself in terms of efficiency, there were still some good individual performances on display for the Knicks. All-Star Center Karl-Anthony Towns dropped another double-double of 23 points and 11 rebounds in another solid effort for New York. Backup Point Guard Miles McBride also put together a nice stat line as a starter tonight, as he finished with 23 points and 5 assists, which will certainly earn him some more playing time.
Updated NBA Standings and Brunson Injury News
There’s some good news for the Knicks, even in the loss, as they remain relatively comfortable in third place in the Eastern Conference. The Knicks also had a good update on Brunson’s injury, as the team has listed Brunson as day-to-day and expects to see their team leader return sometime next week.
For the Suns, tonight’s game didn’t move the needle much on their playoff position, as they still sit in the seventh-place spot. However, this win does give them a two-game lead over the Golden State Warriors, while also keeping them within striking distance of the Los Angeles Lakers for the sixth spot as the 2025-26 NBA season is over halfway done.
