Suns can’t stop Collins, Young in loss to Hawks

PHOENIX – John Collins matched his career high with 35 points and fell one shy of his career best with 16 rebounds, and the Atlanta Hawks handed the Phoenix Suns their 10th straight loss, 118-112 on Saturday night.

Trae Young scored 17 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter, when the Hawks pulled away.

Devin Booker scored 32, Josh Jackson 25 and Mikal Bridges 20 for Phoenix. Deandre Ayton, back after missing six games with a sprained left ankle, had 13 points and 11 rebounds.

Atlanta won despite committing 25 turnovers, resulting in 33 Phoenix points, compared with 10 turnovers by the Suns for 13 Atlanta points.

There were 11 ties and 10 lead changes in a tight first half with Atlanta leading 58-57 at the break. The Hawks’ biggest lead in the first two quarters was 10, the Suns’ five.

A 12-2 run put the Hawks up 42-32 with 9:08 left in the half. But Phoenix responded with a 13-2 surge that put the Suns up 45-44 on Booker’s three-point play with 5:52 left in the half.

Kevin Huerter sank a pair of 3s to help boost Atlanta’s lead to 55-49 but the Suns outscored the Hawks 8-3 the rest of the half to make it a onepoint game.

Phoenix built its biggest advantage of the night, 84-76, on Booker’s breakaway dunk after an Atlanta turnover with 3:08 left in the third quarter. But the Hawks finished the quarter with a 10-4 spurt to cut the Suns’ lead to 88-86 entering the fourth.

It stayed tight with Phoenix taking its last lead at 103-101 on Jackson’s hook shot with 3:59 left. Atlanta went on a 15-4 run to go up 116-107 on Collins’ dunk with 57 seconds left and that was it for the Suns, who matched their longest losing streak of the season.

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Suns: Host Houston on Monday night.