NBA: Cameron Payne helps Suns put away Knicks
Cameron Payne scored a team-high 21 and flirted with a three-way brace Sunday afternoon for the Phoenix Suns, who took a near-wire lead in a 116-95 win over the New York Knicks.
Payne, playing in place of injured All-Star point guard Chris Paul, added 9 assists and 7 rebounds as the Suns improved to 3-3 without Paul, who was sidelined because right heel pain.
Deandre Ayton (13 points, 11 rebounds) had a brace and scored to put the Suns ahead with a score of 8:28 remaining in the third half. Devin Booker scored 20 points and Damion Lee had 15 when coming on from the bench while starters Torrey Craig (14 points) and Mikal Bridges (13 points) also achieved double figures.
Jalen Brunson scored 27 points for the Knicks, who lost their second game in a row and fell 2-2 on a five-game tour of the Western Conference. RJ Barrett finished with 12 points and Quentin Grimes added 10.
This is @campaynefourth game of his career with 20+ points, 5+ assists and 5+ rebounds, all coming to the Suns. pic.twitter.com/j70V2w0eZc
– Phoenix Sun (@Suns) November 20, 2022
Julius Randle opened the game with a strike to give the Knicks a solo lead, but Payne and Booker combined for an 8-0 win for the Suns, who had twice taken a 10-point lead and led 28 -22 at the end of the First game.
The Suns took the lead 11 times in the second half before the Knicks ended the game 53-53 with a score of 17-7 that ended with Randle and Brunson taking 3 consecutive points in the final 1:06. Then Bridges hit a balloon and Brunson missed a 3-pointer just before the whistle.
Brunson missed another potential 3-pointer to open the third quarter. A goal from Grimes fixed the final score at 60-60 with 9:19 remaining. The Suns missed three shots in their next possession but New York’s Isaiah Hartenstein missed a hook, then Ayton hit the header and Booker dived after a Randle spin.
The Knicks pulled into the basket two more times before Phoenix went on to run 8-0 to extend the lead to 75-64. The Suns took a 90-75 lead at the end of the third half and cleared all doubts as Lee and Payne combined to score all the points in the 11-0 half, giving the hosts a 105-79 lead with the score remaining at 6:29.
School-grade vehicles
BUT RELATED STORY
Continue reading
Register QUESTIONER PLUS to get access to The Philippine Daily Inquirer and more than 70 other titles, share up to 5 gadgets, listen to news, download as early as 4am and share articles on social media. Call 896 6000.