Nine players in double figures, 56.8 percent shooting, 22 points up after one quarter.
In the long arc of a basketball season, a team reveals its true character not in the moments it needs its stars, but in the moments it doesn't. On Sunday night in Phoenix, Devin Booker returned from injury to find that the Suns had learned to thrive without him — and with him back, they simply became more complete. A 137-106 dismantling of Charlotte moved Phoenix to 24-5 and to the top of the NBA, a quiet declaration that this team may be built for something lasting.
- Booker's seven-game absence had raised questions about Phoenix's ceiling, but his return answered them almost immediately — the Suns led by 22 after one quarter and never looked back.
- Charlotte was overwhelmed from the opening tip, shooting 21 percent in the first period as LaMelo Ball went scoreless on six attempts and the Hornets made just one of eleven threes.
- Nine Suns scored in double figures, with JaVale McGee dropping 19 off the bench in 16 minutes — a depth chart that reads less like a roster and more like a warning.
- Phoenix's 39-point third quarter set a season high, stretching the lead to 36 and turning the final frame into a victory lap that allowed Booker to rest entirely.
- The win unfolded against a league quietly fracturing — two referees sidelined by health protocols, three games postponed, and a Hornets forward placed in isolation the same day.
The Phoenix Suns dismantled the Charlotte Hornets 137-106 on Sunday night in a performance that felt more like a demonstration than a contest. Devin Booker returned from a seven-game hamstring absence, played 26 minutes, scored 16 points, and sat out the fourth quarter entirely — a luxury that only truly dominant teams can afford.
Phoenix led 37-15 after the first quarter, a margin that suggested Charlotte had never quite arrived. The Hornets shot 21 percent in that opening period, and LaMelo Ball — their most electric talent — went scoreless on six attempts in the first twelve minutes. By the third quarter, the Suns had pushed the lead to 36 points, capping the frame with 39 points, a new season high.
What distinguished the victory was its collective nature. Nine Suns reached double figures: McGee with 19 off the bench, Bridges and Booker with 16 each, Ayton with a 15-and-15 double-double, Shamet with 15, Paul and Crowder each with 14, and Johnson and Payne rounding out the group. Phoenix shot 56.8 percent overall and made 20 of 41 threes. Miles Bridges led Charlotte with 26 points, and Kelly Oubre Jr. added 16, but the Hornets were never truly in it.
The win lifted Phoenix to 24-5, a half-game ahead of Golden State for the league's best record, and extended their home winning streak to 14 straight. The game was also a small portrait of the moment the NBA finds itself in — two referees were held out under health and safety protocols, three games were postponed league-wide, and a Hornets forward entered isolation that same day. Coach Monty Williams noted postgame that every news refresh brings another absence. The Suns, for now, are the rare team playing with full force amid the uncertainty.
The Phoenix Suns looked like the team everyone suspected they could be on Sunday night, dismantling the Charlotte Hornets 137-106 in a performance that felt less like a basketball game and more like a clinic. Devin Booker's return from a seven-game absence due to a hamstring injury provided the narrative hook, but the real story was how little the Suns seemed to need him. He played 26 minutes, scored 16 points, and then sat down in the fourth quarter while his team cruised to victory—a luxury afforded only to teams that are simply better than their opponent.
The margin told the tale. Phoenix led 37-15 after the first quarter alone, a 22-point advantage that suggested Charlotte had wandered into the wrong arena. By the third quarter, the Suns had stretched their lead to 36 points. The Hornets, meanwhile, shot 21 percent in that opening period and made just one of eleven three-point attempts. LaMelo Ball, the young centerpiece of Charlotte's roster, was scoreless on six attempts in the first twelve minutes—a microcosm of how thoroughly Phoenix controlled the game from the opening tip.
What made the victory particularly striking was its distributed nature. Nine Phoenix players scored in double figures, a depth that speaks to how thoroughly the Suns have constructed their roster. JaVale McGee came off the bench to score 19 points in just 16 minutes. Mikal Bridges added 16. DeAndre Ayton finished with 15 points and 15 rebounds. Landry Shamet scored 15. Jae Crowder and Chris Paul each had 14. Cam Johnson contributed 12, and Cameron Payne added 11. The Suns shot 56.8 percent overall and made 20 of 41 three-pointers—the kind of efficiency that makes opposing coaches shake their heads in the postgame handshake line.
The third quarter was particularly devastating for Charlotte. Phoenix scored 39 points in that frame alone, a season high that surpassed their previous best of 37. The Hornets had no answer for the pace, the spacing, or the sheer volume of quality looks the Suns generated. Miles Bridges led Charlotte with 26 points, and Kelly Oubre Jr., a former Sun, added 16, but it was never enough to make the game competitive. Ball finished with nine points, ten rebounds, and seven assists, but his shooting struggles—two of twelve from the field, one of six from three—reflected the broader difficulty Charlotte faced in keeping up.
The victory moved Phoenix to 24-5, a half-game ahead of Golden State for the league's best record. The Suns have now won 14 straight at home after dropping their first two games of the season at Footprint Center, a remarkable turnaround that suggests Monty Williams has built something sustainable. Booker's return, while modest in statistical terms, signals that the team's core is healthy heading into the stretch run.
The game itself was played under unusual circumstances. Two of the three scheduled referees—Zach Zerba and Eric Dalen—were held out due to health and safety protocol, forcing the NBA to bring in Bill Kennedy, who lives in the Phoenix area, to work alongside Brent Barnaky. It was a small reminder that even as the Suns were putting on a clinic, the league continues to navigate the complications of the pandemic. Hornets forward Cody Martin was placed in protocol on Sunday, and three games were postponed league-wide. Monty Williams acknowledged the ongoing disruption in his postgame remarks, noting that every time you refresh the news, another player has entered isolation. It's the backdrop against which this dominant performance unfolded—excellence amid uncertainty, a team firing on all cylinders even as the league around them deals with absences and adjustments.
Citas Notables
Monty Williams acknowledged the ongoing disruption from health and safety protocols, noting that every time you refresh the news, another player has entered isolation.— Monty Williams, Suns coach
James Borrego praised Williams as a great leader and great man, saying he learned a lot from him during their time together in San Antonio and New Orleans.— James Borrego, Hornets coach
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Nine players in double figures—is that sustainable, or was this just Charlotte being overmatched?
It's both. Charlotte was genuinely bad tonight, but the Suns' depth is real. When you can get 19 points from McGee in 16 minutes off the bench, that's not luck. That's construction.
Booker played 26 minutes and sat the fourth quarter. Does that feel like load management, or was he just not needed?
Probably both again. He's coming back from a hamstring injury, so there's caution built in. But honestly, the game was over by halftime. Why risk anything?
The Hornets shot 21 percent in the first quarter. Is that a reflection of Phoenix's defense, or just Charlotte having a bad night?
Phoenix's defense was suffocating, but Charlotte also just couldn't get into rhythm. When you're down 22 after twelve minutes, you're playing scared. The Suns didn't give them air to breathe.
LaMelo Ball went two of twelve. That's not typical for him, is it?
No. He's a talented player, but he was completely shut down. The Suns' length and switching made it impossible for him to operate. By the time he got going, the game was decided.
What does this win mean for Phoenix's title chances?
It means they're real. They're 24-5, they have depth, and now their best player is healthy. If they can stay healthy, they're going to be very difficult to beat in a seven-game series.