Booker scores 31 points, Brooks adds 27 as Suns hold on to beat Knicks 112-107

PHOENIX (AP) — Devin Booker scored 31 points and Dillon Brooks added 27 as the Phoenix Suns beat the New York Knicks 112-107 on Friday night.

Royce O'Neale had 12 points on 4-for-6 shooting on 3-pointers and Mark Williams 10 to help Phoenix win for the fourth time in five games. Brooks shot 8 for 15 from the field, including 5 for 9 from beyond the arc. Booker was just 10 for 23, but made 4 of 6 from 3.

Jalen Brunson scored 27 points to lead the Knicks, who have lost five of seven. Miles McBride had 17 points, Karl-Anthony Towns added 15 points and 12 rebounds, OG Anunoby also scored 15 and Jordan Clarkson 12 and Mikal Bridges 11.

The Knicks trailed by 12 points late in the third quarter before Onunoby's 3 with 7:47 to go in the fourth pulled them to 96-92. Mitchell Robinson had a layup and then an alley-oop dunk to cut the Knicks' deficit to 101-99 with 4:10 left, and Anunoby made two free throws to tie the score a little more than a minute later.

Booker hit a jumper to put the Suns back ahead, and O'Neale made a 3 to push the lead to five with 1:16 remaining. McBride's jumper made it 106-103 about 20 seconds later. Grayson Allen made two free throws with 14 seconds to go before Bridges made a 3 to get the Knicks within two 9 seconds later. Allen was fouled on the ensuing inbounds play and made both free throws.

Anunoby made 1 of 3 free throws with 2 seconds left, and Brooks made two from the line with 0.8 seconds remaining to seal the win.

Collin Gillespie's 3 with 7 1/2 minutes left in the third gave the Suns a 76-70 lead, but the Knicks scored the next seven points to take the lead on Brunson's two free throws 1:09 later.

O'Neale and Booker each hit two 3s during 14-0 run that gave the Suns a 92-80 lead — their largest of the game — with 1:55 remaining in the third.

Brooks scored 20 points and Booker had 17 to help the Suns take a 62-60 lead at halftime. Brunson had 13 to lead the Knicks, and McBride and Clarkson each added 12.

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

New York Knicks guard Mikal Bridges, right, steals the ball from Phoenix Suns guard Collin Gillespie, left, during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (23) dunks against the Phoenix Suns during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) shoots a 3-pointer over Phoenix Suns forward Royce O'Neale during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks (3) argues with referee Courtney Kirkland (61) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Phoenix Suns center Mark Williams (15) blocks a shot by New York Knicks guard Tyler Kolek as Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) looks on during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

David Blough is the new offensive coordinator for the Washington Commanders, rising from his previous job as assistant quarterbacks coach just a few years removed from being a backup QB in the league.

The Commanders announced the 30-year-old Bough's promotion on Saturday.

Blough, who never has called plays in the NFL, takes over the offense under head coach Dan Quinn and replaces former offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, who agreed to part ways with the team earlier in the week after Washington finished the season with a 5-12 record.

Quinn still needs to replace fired defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. and offensive line coach Bobby Johnson, and now also will need to find a quarterbacks coach and assistant quarterbacks coach.

Keeping Blough in the fold as OC, rather than potentially watching him leave for the same position with the Detroit Lions or elsewhere, helps Washington give star quarterback Jayden Daniels some continuity going into his third NFL season.

Daniels, the reigning AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, dealt with a series of injuries to his left knee, right hamstring and left elbow this season before being shut down in December. He played in only seven games as the Commanders took a major step back after going 12-5 in the regular season and making it all the way to the NFC title game a year earlier.

Blough worked under QBs coach Tavita Pritchard during Daniels’ standout rookie year in 2024, then filled in this past year after Pritchard was hired by Stanford as its coach.

As a player, Blough was a quarterback at Purdue in college and then appeared in nine games in the pros — going 0-7 as a starter — with the Lions and Arizona Cardinals from 2019-22.

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FILE - Detroit Lions quarterback David Blough talks to reporters after the team's NFL preseason football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday, Aug. 21, 2021, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Don Wright, File)