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Booker’s 30 Points Lead Suns Past Magic 117-104 to End Four-Game Skid

Devin Booker scored 23 of his 30 points in the first half and the Phoenix Suns snapped a four-game losing streak with a 117-104 win over the Orlando Magic.

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Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker shoots over Orlando Magic guard Anthony Black during the Suns' 117-104 win Thursday in Phoenix. (AP)

Devin Booker scored 23 of his 30 points in the first half, including a 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer, and the Phoenix Suns snapped a four-game losing streak with a 117-104 win over the Orlando Magic on Thursday night.

Booker finished 11 of 22 from the field with eight assists and three steals. The Suns led 63-51 at halftime and broke the game open in the third quarter, when back-to-back 3-pointers by Booker and Dillon Brooks stretched the lead to 78-60. Phoenix was up 96-73 after three quarters and led by as many as 30 points on Collin Gillespie’s 3-pointer with 9:20 remaining.

Brooks scored 24 points with four 3-pointers, Miles Bridges added 18 points and a season-high 13 rebounds and Luke Kennard scored 12 points off the bench for the Suns (2-5), who were playing the second night of a back-to-back after a home loss to Portland. Phoenix shot 17 of 34 from 3-point range, recorded 30 assists and scored 36 points off 25 Orlando turnovers.

Wendell Carter Jr. led the Magic (2-6) with 27 points on 10-of-12 shooting and 13 rebounds. Tristan da Silva scored 18 points and Franz Wagner had 15 points and 15 assists for Orlando, which lost its third straight game to open a four-game road trip without Paolo Banchero, Jalen Suggs and Jonathan Isaac.

Orlando continues its trip at Golden State on Saturday, when Phoenix hosts Houston.

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NBA Cup Roundup: Doncic Scores 53 as Lakers Rally Past Blazers, LeBron Held to 8 in Cleveland Return

Luka Doncic scored a season-high 53 points as the Lakers rallied past Portland on a nine-game NBA Cup night that also saw LeBron James held to eight points in his Cleveland return and Victor Wembanyama power the Spurs to a seventh straight win.

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Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic tries to get by Portland Trail Blazers forward Toumani Camara during the first half Friday in Los Angeles. (Mark J. Terrill/AP)

Luka Doncic scored a season-high 53 points, banked in a 62-foot heave at the halftime buzzer and hit the clinching jumper with 28 seconds left as the Los Angeles Lakers rallied from 16 points down to beat the Portland Trail Blazers 124-118 on Friday night, headlining a nine-game Emirates NBA Cup group-play slate.

Doncic finished 17 of 33 from the field with five rebounds and five assists for his 11th career 50-point game, tying him for 10th place on the NBA’s all-time list. It was his fourth straight game with at least 40 points, joining Kobe Bryant, Elgin Baylor and George Mikan as the only Lakers to do so, and his sixth 40-point game in nine games this season. Portland led 60-53 at halftime, but Doncic outscored the Trail Blazers by himself in the third quarter, 20-15, as Los Angeles (8-2) won its fourth straight and avenged its Oct. 27 home loss to Portland. Austin Reaves added 25 points and Walker Kessler had 16 points and 12 rebounds. Deni Avdija had 22 points, nine rebounds and 11 assists and Damian Lillard scored 22 for Portland (6-2), which lost for only the second time this season.

Cavaliers 119, 76ers 95: LeBron James was held to eight points on 3-of-12 shooting in his return to Cleveland, snapping his streak of 396 consecutive double-figure scoring games in the city dating to 2004, and the Cavaliers routed Philadelphia in the first game of the Prime Video doubleheader. Donovan Mitchell scored 23 points with eight assists, Evan Mobley added 22 and James Harden had 17 for Cleveland (5-4), which outscored the 76ers 50-30 in the paint despite playing without Jarrett Allen. Jaylen Brown led Philadelphia (8-2) with 20 points, Tyrese Maxey scored 17 and Joel Embiid was held to six points on 0-of-9 shooting as the 76ers lost for just the second time in 10 games.

Spurs 124, Kings 109: Victor Wembanyama had 30 points and 14 rebounds in just 26 minutes, two nights after his career-high 52-point game against Dallas, and San Antonio won its seventh straight game. The Spurs led 75-56 at halftime and by as many as 24 in the fourth quarter. Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper and Devin Vassell scored 19 points apiece for San Antonio (7-2). Rookie Darius Acuff Jr. led Sacramento (1-8) with 22 points and eight assists, and Domantas Sabonis had 17 points and 12 rebounds.

Celtics 119, Hornets 80: Jayson Tatum scored 34 points in 29 minutes, going 11 of 11 at the free-throw line, and Boston led by as many as 46 in a rout at Charlotte. The Celtics (7-2) hit 24 3-pointers and recorded 33 assists while winning their seventh game in eight tries. Charlotte (3-7) shot 29 percent from the field and lost its sixth straight, with Naz Reid’s 14 points standing as the team high.

Hawks 139, Wizards 132: Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 28 points and Atlanta posted a season-high point total in Trae Young’s first game in Atlanta as a visitor. Young, traded to Washington in January, had 23 points and 10 assists but committed eight turnovers against his former team. Kyshawn George scored 33 points for the Wizards (4-5), who cut the lead to three in the final seconds before Atlanta (6-4) closed it out at the line. Luguentz Dort added 25 points and Onyeka Okongwu had 22 points and 10 rebounds for the Hawks, and Dyson Daniels finished one rebound shy of a triple-double with 13 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds.

Thunder 128, Grizzlies 97: Ajay Mitchell scored a career-high 35 points on 14-of-20 shooting and short-handed Oklahoma City rolled in Memphis despite missing Jalen Williams, Cason Wallace and Chet Holmgren. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 28 points for the Thunder (7-2), who shot 55 percent and won their third straight. Ty Jerome led Memphis (6-3) with 21 points as the Grizzlies dropped their third in a row after a 6-0 start.

Raptors 121, Bucks 107: Alijah Martin scored a career-high 27 points off the bench, hitting six 3-pointers after making six in his entire career before Friday, and Toronto erased a 15-point deficit to win in Milwaukee without Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley and Kawhi Leonard. RJ Barrett also scored 27 and Jakob Poeltl had 19 points and 11 rebounds for the Raptors (5-4), who outscored the Bucks 70-47 in the second half. Tyler Herro led Milwaukee (1-8) with 23 points and 10 assists, and rookie Brayden Burries set career highs with 21 points and 11 rebounds as the Bucks lost their fifth straight.

Timberwolves 115, Pelicans 109: Minnesota outscored New Orleans 38-30 in the fourth quarter to rally for its third straight win. Ayo Dosunmu scored 26 points, Jaden McDaniels added 23 and LaMelo Ball had 22 points and eight assists for the Timberwolves (7-3). Jeremiah Fears led the Pelicans (4-5) with 24 points, while Zion Williamson was held to a season-low 13 as New Orleans saw its four-game win streak end.

Mavericks 112, Jazz 100: P.J. Washington scored 26 points with six 3-pointers and rookie Cooper Flagg had 21 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists as Dallas broke open a tied game with a 32-19 third quarter. Lauri Markkanen scored 24 points, all on 3-pointers, for Utah (1-8), which lost its seventh straight. Rookie Darryn Peterson added 21 points for the Jazz.

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