Suns rise, snap Knicks win streak

NEW YORK – Devin Booker scored 33 points as the Phoenix Suns snapped the New York Knicks’ nine-game winning streak with a come-from-behind 118-110 victory at Madison Square Garden on Monday.

The Suns roared back to life after trailing by 15 points in the first half, outscoring the in-form Knicks by 31-23 in the decisive fourth quarter to complete victory by an eight-point margin.

Mikal Bridges added 21 points for Phoenix while veteran Chris Paul chipped in with 20 points – including a vital late burst of scoring – to help shepherd the Suns ever closer to a playoff berth.

The Suns improved to 43-18 with the win and remained in second place in the Western Conference, just behind leaders Utah, who suffered a surprise loss against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday.

“We knew it was going to be a dogfight from beginning to end,” Booker said afterwards. “Obviously the streak they’ve had is unbelievable. But we wanted to come in here and show them what we’ve got.”

The Knicks had pulled to within four points with just under two minutes remaining, but eight quick points from Paul – including a dagger three-pointer – sealed the Suns win.

“He’s been here before,” Booker said of Paul’s late scoring spree.