Dec 26, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) shoot in opposition to New Orleans Pelicans middle Derik Queen (22) at Smoothie King Middle. Obligatory Credit score: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Pictures Few gamers are enjoying higher basketball as of late than Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker.
Over his previous 5 video games, Booker is averaging 28.2 factors on 49.5% taking pictures to go together with six assists and 4 rebounds per recreation. That features a 30-point, nine-rebound, five-assist efficiency within the Suns’ 115-108 street win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday.
Booker and the Suns will look to proceed their momentum once they go to the Pelicans once more on Saturday within the second recreation of a back-to-back set.
“It is a must-win for us,” Booker mentioned of the Friday contest. “Approach to begin off the street journey. We wish to begin off on an excellent be aware. We’re again at it (Saturday) in opposition to them. We all know they have been enjoying some good basketball proper now. It was a aggressive recreation, and that is what we will count on (Saturday).”
Booker put up 12 factors within the fourth quarter on Friday and performed a pivotal function within the Suns ending the sport on a 18-8 run.
Mark Williams and Connor Gillespie additionally performed key roles for Phoenix. Williams completed with 24 factors, 10 of them coming within the fourth quarter, and Gillespie chipped in with 16 factors and 9 assists.
Williams added 13 rebounds, leading to his first double-double in 9 video games this month.
The Suns had 16 offensive rebounds in opposition to the Pelicans, constantly arising with additional possessions.
“I assumed we had some huge stops down the stretch,” Suns coach Jordan Ott mentioned. “After which E-book and Collin made some performs on the offensive finish to by some means pull it out.”
Zion Williamson led the way in which for the Pelicans with 20 factors, eight rebounds and 6 assists in 28 minutes off the bench because the Pelicans misplaced their second recreation in a row after reeling off 5 consecutive wins.
Williamson, who has battled a number of accidents through the years, has typically not performed within the second recreation of back-to-backs, however he did do double responsibility earlier this week when the Pelicans performed the Dallas Mavericks and Cleveland Cavaliers.
The 2-time All-Star had began each recreation throughout his six-year NBA profession till this month. Upon returning on Dec. 14 from a proper adductor pressure that saved him out for six video games, Williamson was moved to the bench to restrict his workload.
In six video games again, Williamson is averaging 21 factors, 6.3 rebounds and three.2 assists regardless of by no means enjoying greater than 28 minutes. He led the crew in scoring in every of the previous 4 video games.
With Williamson because the headliner, the Pelicans’ bench scored 60 factors on Friday. Nevertheless, if New Orleans desires to earn a cut up within the doubleheader, it should require higher execution late within the recreation.
“We put ourselves in an excellent place,” Pelicans interim head coach James Borrego mentioned. “We did not make sufficient performs. We did not knock down free throws or make pictures. We might have been higher down the stretch.”
Neither crew discovered the vary from lengthy distance on Friday, as every made 20% of its 3-point makes an attempt. Phoenix wound up 8 of 40, and New Orleans went 5 of 25.
–Area Stage Media
