Few players are playing better basketball as of late than Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker.
Over his past five games, Booker is averaging 28.2 points on 49.5% shooting to go along with six assists and four rebounds per game. That includes a 30-point, nine-rebound, five-assist performance in the Suns’ 115-108 road win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday.
Booker and the Suns will look to continue their momentum when they visit the Pelicans again on Saturday in the second game of a back-to-back set.
“This is a must-win for us,” Booker said of the Friday contest. “Way to start off the road trip. We want to start off on a good note. We’re back at it (Saturday) against them. We know they’ve been playing some good basketball right now. It was a competitive game, and that’s what we can expect (Saturday).”
Booker put up 12 points in the fourth quarter on Friday and played a pivotal role in the Suns ending the game on a 18-8 run.
Mark Williams and Connor Gillespie also played key roles for Phoenix. Williams finished with 24 points, 10 of them coming in the fourth quarter, and Gillespie chipped in with 16 points and nine assists.
Williams added 13 rebounds, resulting in his first double-double in nine games this month.
The Suns had 16 offensive rebounds against the Pelicans, consistently coming up with extra possessions.
“I thought we had some big stops down the stretch,” Suns coach Jordan Ott said. “And then Book and Collin made some plays on the offensive end to somehow pull it out.”
Zion Williamson led the way for the Pelicans with 20 points, eight rebounds and six assists in 28 minutes off the bench as the Pelicans lost their second game in a row after reeling off five consecutive wins.
Williamson, who has battled multiple injuries over the years, has often not played in the second game of back-to-backs, but he did do double duty earlier this week when the Pelicans played the Dallas Mavericks and Cleveland Cavaliers.
The two-time All-Star had started every game during his six-year NBA career until this month. Upon returning on Dec. 14 from a right adductor strain that kept him out for six games, Williamson was moved to the bench to limit his workload.
In six games back, Williamson is averaging 21 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists despite never playing more than 28 minutes. He led the team in scoring in each of the past four games.
With Williamson as the headliner, the Pelicans’ bench scored 60 points on Friday. However, if New Orleans wants to earn a split in the doubleheader, it will require better execution late in the game.
“We put ourselves in a good position,” Pelicans interim head coach James Borrego said. “We didn’t make enough plays. We didn’t knock down free throws or make shots. We could have been better down the stretch.”
Neither team found the range from long distance on Friday, as each made 20% of its 3-point attempts. Phoenix wound up 8 of 40, and New Orleans went 5 of 25.
