Suns Edge Out Pistons in Close Battle

Devin Booker and Kevin Durant both went for over 30 points, and Nick Richards shined in his Suns debut.

Jan 18, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren (0) defends against Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) during the first quarter at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images | David Reginek-Imagn Images

PHOENIX -- The Phoenix Suns (21-20) moved to above .500 with a thrilling 125-121 victory over the Detroit Pistons (21-21) Saturday.

This game marked the Suns debut for Nick Richards after he was acquired from the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday. Richards came off the bench and made a huge impact with 21 points on 7-of-8 shooting, 11 rebounds and was a team-high plus-22 in 30 minutes.

Kevin Durant scored 30 of his 36 points in the second half and also had seven rebounds, five assists, three blocks and two steals in 38 minutes. Devin Booker notched his fifth-straight 30-point game with 35 points on 11-of-22 shooting and five rebounds.

Tobias Harris led Detroit with 21 points on 9-of-15 shooting, while Cade Cunningham was right behind him with 20 points on 7-of-26 shooting and 11 assists.

This game featured 22 lead changes and 12 ties with neither team leading by more than seven points.

Quick Recap

It was a back-and-forth first quarter with eight lead changes over the course of the first 12 minutes, and the Suns were up 30-29 heading into the second period. Booker (13 points) and Ryan Dunn (10 points) were both in double figures for Phoenix, while Harris led Detroit with 13 and four rebounds. Richards saw his first action for the Suns checking in at the 7:45 mark of the quarter.

The Suns led 61-60 at halftime behind 23 points on 7-of-11 shooting from Booker, as the Pistons closed the half on a 6-0 run. Durant was held to six points on 1-of-9 shooting in the half, while Cunningham had 12 points on 3-of-14 shooting for the Pistons. Richards finished with 11 points, five rebounds and was a team-high plus-15 in his first half with Phoenix.

Phoenix extended its lead to 98-95 at the end of the third quarter. Durant's first half struggles went away, as he had 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting in the third alone. The Suns were able to get Detroit's bigs in foul trouble with Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart having four fouls apiece through three quarters.

With how the game was going, the fourth quarter was very tight as well. Neither team led by more than four until late in the quarter. With the Suns up 121-117, Booker fouled Tim Hardaway Jr. on a 3-point attempt with 21 seconds left. Hardaway missed the first two of the three free throws, giving Phoenix a big break.

Grayson Allen drained two free throws to seal the game for the Suns on the ensuing possession.

Next Up

The Suns will play the fourth of their five-game road trip against the Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday.