NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Devin Booker scored 30 points, including 12 in the fourth quarter, to lead the Phoenix Suns to a 115-108 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night in the opener of a two-game series.
The Suns trailed 100-97 after Zion Williamson hit a free throw with 4:58 left, but the Suns closed out New Orleans by outscoring the Pelicans 18-8 the rest of the way. Booker started the surge with two free throws, and Mark Williams then made four consecutive free throws and a dunk off an alley-oop feed from Booker. Williams finished with 24 points, including 10 in the final period, and 13 rebounds.
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Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker, center, tries to make a move against New Orleans Pelicans forward Karlo Matkovic (17) and guard Jeremiah Fears (0) in the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Dec. 26, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Peter Forest)
New Orleans Pelicans guard Jordan Poole (3) shoots a 3-point basket in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Phoenix Suns, Friday, Dec. 26, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Peter Forest)
Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks (3) shoots a 3-point basket in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the New Orleans Pelicans, Friday, Dec. 26, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Peter Forest)
New Orleans Pelicans guard Jordan Poole, center left, goes up to shoots a layup against Phoenix Suns forward Oso Ighodaro (11) in the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Dec. 26, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Peter Forest)
Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) shoots a jumper over New Orleans Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III, center left, in the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Dec. 26, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Peter Forest)
Williamson led the Pelicans with 20 points, eight rebounds and six assists, while Jordan Poole and Trey Murphy III had 19 points apiece. But the Pelicans hurt themselves with an abysmal night from the foul line, going 25 of 42.
The teams play again Saturday in New Orleans.
Williamson's layup with 1:51 left cut the Suns’ lead to 107-106, but Phoenix iced the game with a 15-foot jumper by Collin Gillespie that started a five-point run in a 35-second span.
Despite shaky outside shooting – just 5 of 24 from long range – the Suns built a 53-48 halftime lead on the power of their rebounding. Phoenix outrebounded New Orleans 31-23 in the first half, including a 12-6 advantage on the offensive boards that led to a 17-6 edge in second-chance points.
Rasheer Fleming came off the bench in the second quarter with three layups in an 11-2 spurt to give the Suns a 44-37 lead. Poole kept the Pelicans close with 11 first-half points that included a pair of 25-footers and a four-point play.
The Pelicans missed seven free throws in the third quarter but still managed to close the deficit to 81-80 entering the final period.
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Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker, center, tries to make a move against New Orleans Pelicans forward Karlo Matkovic (17) and guard Jeremiah Fears (0) in the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Dec. 26, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Peter Forest)
New Orleans Pelicans guard Jordan Poole (3) shoots a 3-point basket in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Phoenix Suns, Friday, Dec. 26, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Peter Forest)
Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks (3) shoots a 3-point basket in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the New Orleans Pelicans, Friday, Dec. 26, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Peter Forest)
New Orleans Pelicans guard Jordan Poole, center left, goes up to shoots a layup against Phoenix Suns forward Oso Ighodaro (11) in the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Dec. 26, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Peter Forest)
Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) shoots a jumper over New Orleans Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III, center left, in the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Dec. 26, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Peter Forest)
BANGKOK (AP) — Cambodia reported that Thailand hit a site in the country's northwest with an airstrike on Saturday, even as the two countries held talks to try to put an end to renewed combat that erupted in early December just months after a ceasefire ended a previous round of border fighting.
Cambodia’s Defense Ministry said that Thailand deployed F-16 fighter jets to drop four bombs on Saturday morning on a target in Serei Saophoan in the northwestern province of Banteay Meanchey.
On Friday, Cambodia said that a similar airstrike dropped 40 bombs on a target in Chok Chey village in the same province. There were no reports of casualties from that raid, but the ministry said that houses and infrastructure in the Chok Chey target area were destroyed.
Thailand’s military confirmed the Friday attack, saying that a joint army-air force operation was conducted to protect Thailand’s Sa Kaeo province, which borders Banteay Meanchey and where the two nations have overlapping territorial claims.
Air Marshal Jackkrit Thammavichai, a spokesperson for Thailand’s air force, said at a press briefing on Friday that the operation took place after days of monitoring by the Thai military determined that civilians had been evacuated from the target area.
Long-standing competing claims of territory along the border are the root of tensions that broke into open combat in late July. Mediation by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, backed up by pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump, led the two sides to agree to a shaky ceasefire after five days of fighting.
Each side describes its current military actions as being taken in self-defense, and blames the other for breaching the ceasefire.
“If Cambodia is not sincere about a ceasefire, peace will not be possible, and Thailand will have no choice but to proceed with full-scale military operations to defend its sovereignty,” said the air force's Jackkrit.
Meanwhile on Friday, military officials from both nations held a third day of working-level talks of their already established General Border Committee at a checkpoint between Cambodia’s Pailin province and Thailand’s Chanthaburi province.
The committee meeting is expected to conclude later Saturday, when Thai and Cambodian defense ministers are anticipated to join and formalize an agreement.
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Friday that Thailand expected Cambodia to agree to a 72-hour ceasefire, and if it was successfully implemented, Thailand would consider repatriating Cambodian prisoners of war, a major demand.
Thailand has lost 26 soldiers and one civilian as a direct result of the combat since Dec. 7, according to officials. Thailand has also reported 44 civilian deaths from collateral effects of the situation. Cambodia hasn't issued an official figure on military casualties, but says that 30 civilians have been killed and 90 injured.
Hundreds of thousands of people have been evacuated from affected areas on both sides of the border.
Trump spoke by phone with the Thai and Cambodian prime ministers on Dec. 12 and claimed on social media that they had agreed to revive their ceasefire. Anutin denied such an agreement and fighting continued.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio affirmed in a call this week to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet that Washington is prepared “to facilitate discussions to ensure peace and stability” between Cambodia and Thailand, the U.S. State Department said.
Amid the fighting, Thai media this week have highlighted the rescue of five malnourished wild animals — a male lion, a lioness, a sun bear and two Asiatic black bears — from a casino allegedly serving as a Cambodian military stronghold that was captured on Sunday by Thai marines.
The animals were sedated and transported to wildlife breeding centers in Thailand, the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation told The Associated Press on Friday. Arriving at their new homes by Christmas, the lioness was named “Merry” and the lion “Christmas” to celebrate their rescue.
AP writer Sopheng Cheang contributed to this report from Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
This handout photo provided by Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation of Thailand shows a lioness found in Trat Province in eastern Thailand, Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2025. (Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation of Thailand via AP)
This handout photo provided by Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation of Thailand shows a rescued lion in a wildlife breeding center in Ratchaburi, Thailand, Thursday, Dec. 25, 2025. (Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation of Thailand via AP)
This handout photo provided by Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation of Thailand shows a sedated bear found in Trat Province in eastern Thailand, Tuesday, Dec. 24, 2025.(Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation of Thailand via AP)
This handout photo provided by Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation of Thailand shows a rescued lioness in a wildlife breeding center in Ratchaburi, Thailand, Friday, Dec. 26, 2025. (Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation of Thailand via AP)
ASEAN Foreign Ministers' meeting convenes Monday, Dec. 22, 2025 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to resume ceasefire talks after deadly border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia. (Thai MFA via AP)
