Booker returns, scores 16 as Suns rout the Hornets

Devin Booker had 16 points in his return to Phoenix’s lineup and the NBA-leading Suns set a season-scoring high in a 137-106 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday night.

After missing seven games because of a hamstring injury, Booker played 26 minutes, and sat out the fourth quarter with Phoenix well ahead. The Suns improved to 24-5, moving a half-game ahead of Golden State.

Phoenix had nine players score in double figures. Javale McGee had 19 points in 16 minutes off the bench, and Mikal Bridges also scored 16 points. Deandre Ayton had 15 points and 15 rebounds. Landry Shamet also scored 15 points, Jae Crowder and Chris Paul had 14 each, Cam Johnson 12 and Cameron Payne 11.

Phoenix was 20 of 41 on 3-pointers and shot 56.8% overall.

Miles Bridges had 26 points for Charlotte, and former Sun Kelly Oubre Jr. had 16. LaMelo Ball had nine points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, but was 2 of 12 from the field and 1 of 6 from behind the arc. TRAIL BLAZERS 105, GRIZZLIES 100 >> Damian Lillard scored 32 points, Norman Powell added 28 and Portland beat Memphis to snap the Grizzlies’ five-game winning streak.

Dillon Brooks scored a career-high 37 points for Memphis. The Grizzlies lost for the second time in their last 12 games.

Powell scored 20 in the second half to give the Trail Blazers their second straight victory after they snapped a seven-game losing streak with a home victory over Charlotte on Friday night.

Portland took the lead, 94-91, on a four-point play by Lillard with 4:02 left and reclaimed the advantage, 97-95, on a 3-pointer by Powell three minutes later. The Grizzlies had a chance to tie at 103 with 5.3 seconds to go, but Desmond Bane’s 3-pointer rimmed out.

PISTONS 100, HEAT 90 >> Saddiq Bey scored 26 points and Detroit beat Miami to snap their losing streak at a franchise record-tying 14 games.

Hamidou Diallo had 15 points and seven rebounds for Detroit. The Pistons improved to 5-24, winning for the first time since Nov. 17 against Indiana.

Max Strus led shorthanded Miami with 24 points.

KINGS 121, SPURS 114 Buddy Hield scored 18 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter and made seven 3-pointers to help Sacramento beat San Antonio.

Tyrese Haliburton added 27 points and matched his career high with 11 assists, and Damian Jones scored a career-high 23 points. The Kings won for the second time in six games.

Dejounte Murray had 25 points, nine assists and seven rebounds for San Antonio.

TIMBERWOLVES 111, MAVERICKS 105 >> Karl-Anthony Towns scored 24 points, D’Angelo Russell added 22 and the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Dallas Mavericks.

Dallas, already without star guard Luka Doncic, placed two players in the health and safety protocols the past two days. Minnesota added Josh Okogie to the protocols and Anthony Edwards and Taurean Prince each missed their second game while in the protocols.

The Mavericks then lost forward Kristaps Porzingis in the third quarter with right foot soreness. Porzingis finished with 13 points and three rebounds.

Jaylen Nowell provided a much-needed injection of shooting with a seasonhigh 16 points off the bench for Minnesota, which has won four in a row.

Tim Hardaway Jr. had 28 points for Dallas, and Dorian FinneySmith added 23 and Jalen Brunson finished with 18 points and 11 assists. BULLS 115, LAKERS 110 >> DeMar DeRozan scored 19 of his game-high 38 points in the fourth quarter and Nikola Vucevic registered a double-double of 19 points and 13 rebounds to boost the host Chicago Bulls to a 115-110 win against the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.

Missing several players in COVID-19 protocols, the Bulls prevailed in their first action since a loss at Miami on Dec. 11. The team had two postponements during the past week.

Lonzo Ball added 19 points for the Bulls, while Alex Caruso had 17 points and nine rebounds.

LeBron James kept the Lakers afloat with 31 points and 14 rebounds. Russell Westbrook narrowly missed a triple-double, collecting 20 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, while Carmelo Anthony (21 points) and Isaiah Thomas (13) also finished in double figures.

Los Angeles played its first game without Anthony Davis, who is slated to miss four weeks after suffering a sprained MCL in his left knee during Friday’s loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.