NBA

Charlotte Hornets at Phoenix Suns

· National Basketball Association
8-28, 2-15 Away
Final
113 - 120

19-19, 13-8 Home

Booker scores 30 points, Durant has 27 as Suns rally to beat the Hornets 120-113

LaMelo goes QB mode with full-court dime

The Suns have won three straight and four of five. Charlotte has lost 10 of 11.

The Hornets — who were trying to beat the Suns for the second time in a week — pushed to a 98-93 lead after the third quarter and led for much of the fourth. Durant hit a stepback jumper to give the Suns a 111-110 advantage with just over three minutes left.

Durant found rookie Oso Ighodaro for a dunk to take a 115-113 lead. Royce O'Neale hit a 3-pointer for an 118-113 advantage with 41.5 seconds left.

Charlotte hadn’t played since Tuesday night when it beat the Suns 115-104 at home. The Hornets were supposed to play the Lakers on Thursday and the Clippers on Saturday, but those games were postponed because of the wildfires in the Los Angeles area.

LaMelo Ball led the Hornets with 25 points. Mark Williams added a season-high 24 points and 16 rebounds, including 22 points and 13 rebounds in the first half.

Takeaways Hornets: It's a tough loss for Charlotte, which controlled much of the game. The Hornets had some questionable shot selection down the stretch.

Suns: Phoenix struggled for much of the game, but played well in the final minutes to pull out a win. Grayson Allen scored 13 points in the first half, but didn't play in the second because of left knee soreness.

Key moment Durant's confidence to give the ball to Ighodaro for a dunk during a crucial possession is a good growth moment for the team.

Key stat Ighodaro scored eight points in the fourth quarter, giving the Suns a much-needed presence in the paint.

Up next The Hornets are at Utah on Wednesday night. The Suns are at Atlanta on Tuesday night.

Regular Season Series

Series tied 1-1

Recent Plays

4th 0.0 End of Game 113 - 120
4th 0.0 End of the 4th Quarter 113 - 120
4th 20.2 Bradley Beal defensive rebound 113 - 120
4th 23.1 Bradley Beal blocks LaMelo Ball 's 24-foot three point jumper 113 - 120
4th 28.0 Devin Booker makes free throw 2 of 2 113 - 120

Statistics

https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/nba/500/cha.png&h=100&scale=crop&w=100&location=originCHA https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/nba/500/phx.png&h=100&scale=crop&w=100&location=originPHX
41-92 FG 42-87
45 Field Goal % 48
15-40 3PT 17-41
38 Three Point % 41
16-20 FT 19-22
80 Free Throw % 86
52 Rebounds 39
15 Offensive Rebounds 8
37 Defensive Rebounds 31
30 Assists 31
10 Steals 9
2 Blocks 6
16 Turnovers 12
0 Team Turnovers 0
16 Total Turnovers 12
2 Technical Fouls 0
2 Total Technical Fouls 0
0 Flagrant Fouls 0
26 Points Conceded Off Turnovers 10
19 Fast Break Points 13
44 Points in Paint 38
20 Fouls 17
12 Largest Lead 7
Phoenix Suns Phoenix Suns Injuries
NAME, POS STATUS DATE
Grayson Allen, G Out Dec 23
Jalen Green, G Out Dec 22
Koby Brea, G Out Dec 10
Charlotte Hornets Charlotte Hornets Injuries
NAME, POS STATUS DATE
Mason Plumlee, C Day-To-Day Dec 23
Ryan Kalkbrenner, C Day-To-Day Dec 23
Grant Williams, F Out Dec 13

Game Information

Mortgage Matchup Center

Location: Phoenix, AZ
Attendance: 17,071 · Capacity:

2025-26 Southeast Standings

TEAM W L PCT GB STRK
Orlando 17 13 .567 - W1
Miami 15 15 .500 2 L3
Atlanta 15 16 .484 2.5 L4
Charlotte 10 20 .333 7 W1
Washington 5 23 .179 11 L2

2025-26 Pacific Standings

TEAM W L PCT GB STRK
LA Lakers 19 9 .679 - L2
Phoenix 16 13 .552 3.5 W1
Golden State 15 15 .500 5 W2
LA Clippers 8 21 .276 11.5 W2
Sacramento 7 23 .233 13 L1
Full Standings

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