Booker's 35 help Suns top Thunder, remain perfect in restart

Devin Booker scored 35 points, and Phoenix Suns rolled past short-handed Oklahoma City Thunder 128-101 on Monday to improve to 6-0 in restart and improve ir playoff chances.

Suns have surged in Western Conference standings. y entered day just 1 1/2 games behind eighth-place Memphis and a game behind ninth-place Portland in race to qualify for a spot in play-in series.

Phoenix center Deandre Ayton sat out first quarter because he missed his coronavirus test on Sunday. He tested negative on Monday and was cleared. With Ayton out, Oklahoma City led 37-23 at end of first quarter. Ayton entered game at start of second quarter, and Phoenix dominated rest of way. He finished with 10 points and six rebounds in just over 17 minutes.

Oklahoma City was without four of its top five scorers. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (right calf bruise), Danilo Gallinari (left ankle), Dennis Schroder (birth of child) and Steven Adams (bruised left leg) sat out. Reserve center Nerlens el (right ankle; sprain) also did t play.

Rookie Darius Bazley had 22 points and 10 rebounds for Thunder.

Suns rallied from 15 points down in second quarter to take a 65-64 lead at halftime. Phoenix opened second half on an 11-2 run and forced Thunder to call a timeout. Booker drained a shot from near halfcourt as shot clock wound down to give Suns an 88-75 lead.

TIP-INS

Thunder: Mike Muscala scored 11 points in just his second start of season. ... Abdel Nader scored 15 points in his seventh start of season. ... Bazley joined Russell Westbrook and James Harden as only Thunder rookies to score at least 20 points in back-to-back games.

Suns: Mikal Bridges and Cameron Johnson each scored 18 points. ... Cameron Payne, a former Thunder player, scored 14 points. ... Shot 57 percent in second quarter.

UP NEXT

Thunder: Play Miami Heat on Wednesday.

Suns: Play Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday.

Im credits: AP