PHOENIX (AP) Deandre Ayton had to take twice in the final minutes phoenix suns He stepped away for another hit.
His eyes did not play. Mikal Bridges hit big midrange baskets on key fourth-quarter possessions without All-Star point guard Devin Booker getting hurt.
Bridges had one of his best games of the season with 29 points, Ayton added 22 points and 13 rebounds as the Suns won for the sixth time in seven games. toronto raptors 114-106 on Monday night.
“I told Booker, ‘You know what’s crazy? These are your plays,” Ayden joked with his teammate. “These are Mikhal’s works now.
The Suns have been on a roll despite losing Booker in recent weeks. The 6-foot-6 Bridges has always been a solid player, known primarily for his defense and 3-point shooting, but he became the primary scoring option with Booker on the shelf with a groin injury.
The fifth-year player has averaged 23 points per game in his last nine games, coinciding with the Suns’ resurgence after a midseason slump. He was 12 of 19 from the field against the Raptors, including 3 of 4 from 3-point range.
“I love it,” Suns guard Chris Paul said. “It’s kind of promising, and I think it’s still growing.”
Neither team led by more than 10 points in a matchup that featured 16 lead changes and five ties.
The Raptors trailed by nine early in the second half, but scored 12 straight points in the first 2 1/2 minutes of the third quarter to take a 65-62 lead. Toronto finished fourth, 84-82.
The game was tight from then until Phoenix pulled away in the final minutes. Bridges had a pair of jumpers before Paul made a 3-pointer to put the Suns up 106-102 with 1:30 to play. Ayton made a layup with 51.4 seconds remaining to extend the lead to 108-102.
Paul finished with 19 points and nine assists.
“They hit some shots that we had to miss,” Raptors guard Fred VanVleet said. “We fight hard, we compete, but give them credit.”
Toronto was led by VanVleet’s 24 points and nine assists. Gary Trent Jr. added 21 points and Pascal Siakam added 19 points.
“We played very hard and well,” Raptors coach Nick Nurse said. “We can cut back on some things and bounce back, but we’re not really doing well when we need to.”
Bridges scored 23 points on 9-of-12 shooting to lead the Suns to a 62-53 halftime lead.
“I definitely felt it,” Bridges said. “The crowd completely drowned me out. The crowd and our bank. I felt it from both of us,” he said.
Advice
Raptors: OG Anunoby (wrist) and F Otto Porter Jr. (foot) are out. … shot just 9 of 33 (27.3%) from 3-point range.
Suns: Guards Devin Booker (hip), Cameron Payne (foot) and Landry Shamet (foot) are out. … Organization of the 53rd consecutive sold-out event. … Ball hit a 3-pointer at the first-quarter buzzer to give the Suns a 32-28 lead. … Dario Saric added 11 points in 14 minutes.
next
Raptors: Travel to face Utah on Wednesday night.
Suns: Host Atlanta on Wednesday night.
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