The Suns only needed one of their Big 3 to bury the Knicks.
Devin Booker — playing without the assistance of injured teammates Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal — nailed a game-winning 3-pointer with 1.7 seconds remaining, turning away the latest gem from Jalen Brunson in the Knicks’ 116-113 loss Sunday at MSG.
Brunson tied the game on the previous possession on a pull-up with 21.9 seconds left, giving the point guard 35 points.
The Suns then inbounded after a timeout and allowed Booker to hold the ball as the clock ticked.
Eventually, he passed it off, took it back on a handoff to get an advantageous switch and elevated over Julius Randle for a smooth splash.
Brunson’s final 30-foot heave at the buzzer bounced off the rim and the Knicks (9-7) lost for the second time in three games, failing to recreate the magic of the comeback two nights earlier against the Heat.
Booker finished with 28 points.
Before the thrilling finish, the Knicks had the game in their hands.
All they had to do was execute offensively, and instead followed with a series of missed field goals, turnovers and missed foul shots.
Brunson, fresh off his clutch heroics in the Heat victory, again carried the home team while shooting 15-for-25.
Randle, meanwhile, rode the struggle bus before a powerful third quarter, when the Knicks took their first lead of the game on his layup. Randle, misfiring on his jumper, turned aggressive after halftime by pushing the ball into the paint and using his strength to finish. He scored 17 of his 28 points in the third quarter.
The Knicks seemingly caught a break — a big break — when Durant was ruled out because of a sore foot. The future Hall of Famer practiced Saturday and warmed up before the game, signing autographs for fans, including Spike Lee.
But Durant, a peerless midrange scorer, went from “questionable” to “out” before tipoff, missing his second straight game with an injury to the same foot that underwent surgery in 2019 to repair a torn Achilles. Barring a head-to-head in the NBA Finals (or another midseason trade), it’ll be the second straight season the 35-year-old doesn’t play at MSG.
The Suns (11-6) were already missing Beal, the high-priced guard who has been sidelined all but three games with a strained back. They started Josh Okogie and Keita Bates-Diop, hardly the same level as Durant and Beal.
It was certainly a relief not to deal with Durant, who, at nearly 7-feet tall, was a mismatch to any Knicks defender.
“That’s the challenge. His release is high,” Tom Thibodeau said before Durant was ruled out. “He’s a 7-footer, and that’s why the people around him also have to try to make an impact. So it’s not just the guy that’s guarding him but the people that are around him. Because of that size and vision, he can make plays over people.”
Despite Durant’s absence, the Suns led for the entire first half behind veteran Eric Gordon, who had 17 points at the break. He finished with 25 points and was 6-for-9 from 3-point range.
Undoubtedly more concerning to Thibodeau was his team’s performance on the glass. The Knicks, typically a stalwart rebounding team led by Mitchell Robinson, allowed Phoenix to grab 14 offensive boards in the first half.
That helped push the Suns’ lead to 15 in the second quarter. Randle and Brunson then led the comeback but fell short as Booker finished it dramatically.
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