Booker scores 20 in 1st quarter, finishes with 33 as Suns rout Kings 129-102

PHOENIX (AP) — Devin Booker scored 33 points, 20 in the first quarter, and the Phoenix Suns pulled away in the second half for a 129-102 victory over the struggling Sacramento Kings on Friday night.

Dillon Brooks scored 18 points and Mark Williams had 15 points and nine rebounds for the Suns, who have won five of their last six. They bounced back from Wednesday’s loss at Cleveland. Booker, Brooks and Williams all sat the entire fourth quarter.

Collin Gillespie and Oso Ighodaro each had 15 points for Phoenix. Reserve Jamaree Bouyea scored 12 for the Suns, who led by 28 points late in the game.

Booker finished 13 of 21 from the field — just 1 for 6 from 3-point range — and 6 of 7 from the free throw line in 28 minutes. He was 8 of 12 in the first quarter in scoring 20 of the Suns’ 32 points. It was Booker's highest-scoring quarter since April 2024, when he also scored 20.

The Suns led 62-56 at the half but opened it up in the third quarter, leading by as many as 18 before ending the period with a 97-83 lead.

Keegan Murray led the Kings with 23 points and 10 rebounds. Sacramento lost its fourth in a row, and sixth straight on the road to fall to 8-27.

Russell Westbrook had 17 points and six assists for the Kings, and Keon Ellis finished with 14 points.

Kings: Host Milwaukee on Sunday.

Suns: Host Oklahoma City on Sunday.

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Sacramento Kings guard Demar Derozan (10) fouls Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks (3) during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks (3) goes up to shoot over Sacramento Kings guard Dennis Schroder, right, during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks shoots over Sacramento Kings guard Nique Clifford (5) during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) drives past Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray, left, during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

CHICAGO (AP) — Matas Buzelis scored 17 of his 21 points in the second half, Kevin Huerter added 20 points, and the Chicago Bulls rallied to beat the Orlando Magic 121-114 on Friday night for their second straight win.

Buzelis hit a pair of free throws with 22.8 seconds left to make 119-114, then pulled in his ninth rebound to send in Isaac Okoro for a game-sealing dunk with 4 seconds remaining. Buzelis also finished with a season-high seven assists.

Nikola Vucevic added 17 points and 10 rebounds and Ayo Dosumnu had 17 points as Chicago outscored Orlando 30-19 in the fourth quarter to climb back to .500. (17-17).

Paolo Banchero scored 31 points and Anthony Black added 18 for the Magic in a game with 19 lead changes.

Jalen Suggs had 11 points for Orlando in his second game back after missing seven with a hip injury, but left this one after landing hard and straining his right knee late in the third quarter. Desmond Bane added 14 and Wendell Carter Jr. had 13 points and 10 rebounds.

Six Chicago players reached double figures as the Bulls played a second game without its top two scorers in Josh Giddey and Coby White, who were injured in a loss to Minnesota on Monday night.

The Magic have been without leading scorer Franz Wagner (22.7 point per game) since he suffered a high ankle sprain on Dec. 7.

Orlando led 95-91 heading into the fourth quarter, but Bulls took a 105-102 lead on Buzelis’ 3-pointer 4:44 into the quarter.

The Bulls pulled into 59-all tie at halftime on Huerter’s cutting layup after falling behind by 10 early and trailing by as much as 13 in the first quarter after the Magic went on a 14-0 run.

Banchero hit his first four shots and five of six to score 11 of his 13 first-half points in just over the opening 7:16.

Magic: Host Indiana on Sunday

Bulls: Host Charlotte on Saturday.

AP NBA: https://www.apnews.com/nba

Chicago Bulls forward Julian Phillips (15) dunks the ball over Orlando Magic forward Jamal Cain (8) during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/David Banks)

Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero, left, shoots over Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/David Banks)

Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero, right, defends Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic, left, during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/David Banks)

Chicago Bulls forward Matas Buzelis, right, shoots a 3-point basket over Orlando Magic guard Anthony Black during the second half of an NBA basketball game Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/David Banks)

Chicago Bulls forward Matas Buzelis, right, gestures after making a 3-point basket over Orlando Magic guard Anthony Black, left, during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/David Banks)