Phoenix Suns (40-32) beat Toronto Raptors (39-31) 120-98 at home on Sunday, March 22. The final margin was 22 points.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Suns struck first, taking the opening quarter 34-20 and a 14-point lead after one. The Suns kept the pressure on with a 32-28 second quarter, carrying a 18-point lead into halftime.
The Suns won the third 31-21 to create some separation, taking a 28-point lead into the fourth. The Raptors took the fourth 29-23; the Suns held on for a 120-98 regulation win.
Why it was lopsided
The Suns grabbed 37.8% of their own misses, while the Raptors recovered 19.4%. The Suns got more from their shots, finishing at 61.8% effective field-goal shooting compared with 55.3% for the Raptors. The second chances kept adding up.
The Raptors did win one battle, the free-throw line: FT rate of 20 against 11.2. The Suns made up for it elsewhere.
At roughly 96 possessions per team, the Suns produced 124.9 points per 100 possessions to 102 for the Raptors.
Who stood out
Devin Booker was the game's biggest individual force for PHX: 25 pts, 3 reb, 6 ast on 9-15 shooting. His Game Score of 20.8 led everyone. His team was +32 with him on the floor.
Scottie Barnes led the Raptors with 17 pts, 5 reb, 6 ast on 8-9 shooting, good for a 18.2 Game Score.
What it means
The pre-game Win Meter had it close to a coin flip, at about 60% for the Suns.
Across the last 3 meetings in our records, Toronto Raptors lead 2-1.
The Suns are now 40-32, and the Raptors are 39-31. The Suns last five before this game: L-L-L-L-L.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.