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Devin Booker scored 27 points and Kevin Durant added 21 to lead the Phoenix Suns over Golden State 113-105 on Saturday, stretching the Warriors' NBA losing streak to four games.
With Bradley Beal out for calf injury management and Jusuf Nurkic sidelined by a quad bruise, the host Suns (11-8) still dominated as Tyus Jones added 19 points and Grayson Allen had 17. "We've got five guys in double figures," Durant said. "It wasn't a great shooting game for me and Book but everybody contributed on both ends of the floor." Durant, who grabbed 10 rebounds, was happy about Phoenix's hot start, which produced a 66-49 half-time Suns lead: "That first half - 66 points, up 17 - that was pretty much the game," Durant said. "We were hitting each other on pocket passes, hitting each other for threes. It was beautiful to watch."
The effort came after Suns coach Mike Budenholzer had stressed the team needed to play with greater urgency earlier in games. "Coach got on us in a film session a couple of days ago about our level of competition," Durant said. "It has to be better if we're going to be the team we want to be. I think tonight we just tried to do the small things well - box out, get back on defense, make the correct pass.
It was a good start to the game." Stephen Curry scored 23 points to lead the Warriors, who fell to 12-7. Curry was back after missing a game with a sore knee and Andrew Wiggins, who had 18 points, returned to the lineup from a right ankle injury. At Utah, Dallas star Kyrie Irving scored 30 points to power the Mavericks over the Utah Jazz 106-94. Quentin Grimes added 24 points for the Mavericks (12-8) while Lauri Markkanen led the Jazz (4-15) with 19 points.
