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Devin Booker scored 41 points, including 33 after halftime, as the Phoenix Suns beat the visiting Chicago Bulls 127-121 on Wednesday.

Kevin Durant added 26 points and Ryan Dunn contributed 16 as Phoenix (33-37) moved past the Dallas Mavericks into 10th position in the race for the final play-in spot in the Western Conference.

Nikola Vucevic and Coby White both posted 24 points for Chicago, and Josh Giddey had 22 off the bench in his return from a three-game absence with an ankle injury.

A blowout loomed when Booker banked a step-back 3-pointer to have the Suns out 117-99, before the Bulls turned up the defensive pressure and fought to the finish line.

White’s pull-up three capped an 8-0 burst and trimmed Phoenix’s lead to 121-117 with 27 seconds remaining.

The two sides traded late buckets before Cody Martin’s steal off White led to a Booker lay-up and sealed victory for Phoenix.

The home side outscored Chicago 26-9 on second-chance points and 23-10 off turnovers.

The tone was set early as Chicago coughed up six first-quarter turnovers, enabling Phoenix to use separate 14-2 and 10-0 runs to march to a 31-22 after the opening period.

The Bulls trimmed the margin to 38-35 thanks to a 9-0 burst in the second frame, highlighted by Matas Buzelis’ athletic alley-oop slam from a Trey Jones lob and Zach Collins’ rejection of Martin’s attempted dunk.

But the Suns hit back through Durant and Richards and held sway 63-51 on Colin Gillespie’s coast-to-coast lay-up on the half-time buzzer.

Phoenix was feasting on Chicago turnovers, holding a 17-0 advantage in points off turnovers at the half.

Booker and Dunn had the Suns firing after intermission and the margin ballooned to 87-66 on Nick Richards’ driving dunk.

White did his best to haul the Bulls back, but Phoenix’s 12-5 edge on the boards for the period, including 5-0 on the offensive glass, meant the Suns still led 99-84 with a quarter to play.

Booker piled on Phoenix’s first nine points of the fourth frame and finished with 20 for the quarter.

End.

–Field Level Media