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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Basketball devider Suns outshine Doncic-less Lakers

Suns outshine Doncic-less Lakers

Published Dec 24, 2025 03:15 pm

At A Glance

  • PHOENIX (AP) — Dillon Brooks scored 25 points, Devin Booker added 21 and the Phoenix Suns pulled away in the second half to beat the Los Angeles Lakers 132-108 on Tuesday night, Dec. 23.
Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks scores on Los Angeles Lakers center Deandre Ayton (5) during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks scores on Los Angeles Lakers center Deandre Ayton (5) during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2025, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
PHOENIX (AP) — Dillon Brooks scored 25 points, Devin Booker added 21 and the Phoenix Suns pulled away in the second half to beat the Los Angeles Lakers 132-108 on Tuesday night, Dec. 23.
The Lakers were playing without five-time All-Star Luka Doncic, who was out with a lower leg contusion. They did welcome the return of Austin Reaves, who missed the past three games with a left calf strain.
Reaves finished with 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting off the bench, while LeBron James led the Lakers with 23. Los Angeles has lost two straight.
The Suns — who have won two out of three against the Lakers this season — led by 10 at halftime and quickly pushed that advantage to 99-72 midway through the third. They took a 112-86 lead into the fourth after scoring 45 points in the third on 16-of-22 (72.7%) shooting.
Brooks scored 12 in the decisive third and finished 10 of 15 from the field, including 3 of 6 from 3-point range. The 29-year-old came into the game averaging 21.7 points, which is easily a career high.
All five Suns starters scored in double figures. Mark Williams had 18 points and nine rebounds, while Collin Gillespie scored 16. Booker added 11 assists.
In San Antonio, Keldon Johnson had 25 points, Stephon Castle added 24 points and the San Antonio Spurs stormed past Oklahoma City 130-110 winning their seventh straight and beating the Thunder for the second time in 10 days.
Victor Wembanyama’s streak of consecutive games with at least one block ended at 101 games, but the Spurs were just happy to have him on the court after he was downgraded to questionable on Monday. Wembanyama finished with 12 points.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 33 points for Oklahoma City. Jalen Williams added 17.
San Antonio has won 14 of 17 to move into second in the West. Oklahoma City has lost three of five games since opening the season 24-1. The defending champions' fourth loss this season was by far their worst, as the previous three were by 2, 2 and 5 points.
The Thunder’s second loss of the season was 111-109 against the Spurs in the NBA Cup semifinal on Dec. 13 in Las Vegas.
The rematch was another tense battle between the top two seeds in the Western Conference.
There were 15 lead changes and 13 ties before San Antonio pulled away late in the third quarter.
Wembanyama and Spurs rookie Dylan Harper led the second-half surge.
Harper was limited to four points but had season-highs with five steals and 10 assists.
Wembanyama came off the bench for the sixth straight game after missing 12 consecutive games with a strained left calf.
He drained a 26-foot 3-pointer over Alex Caruso three minutes into the final quarter to give the Spurs a 98-86 lead. San Antonio extended the lead to 101-88 two minutes later when Wembanyama assisted on Castle’s 3-pointer.
The Spurs and Thunder play again on Thursday in Oklahoma City to close a home-and-home set.
In Minneapolis, Anthony Edwards scored 38 points to help the Minnesota Timberwolves beat former teammate Karl-Anthony Towns for the first time and hold off the New York Knicks 115-104.
Julius Randle had 17 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter and Rudy Gobert contributed 11 points, 16 rebounds and his reliably fierce rim protection for the Wolves (20-10), who have won 10 of 12.
Towns scored a season-high 40 points before fouling out in the final minute for the Knicks (20-9) in the absence of fellow All-Star Jalen Brunson, who rested his previously injured ankle. Tyler Kolek started for Brunson and had 20 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists.
Brunson, who had 47 points in a win over Miami on Sunday, joined O.G. Anunoby (ankle), Miles McBride (ankle) and Landry Shamet (shoulder) on the shelf to leave the backcourt thin — and make Towns the go-to scorer in his homecoming game against his original team.
Towns had 32 points and 20 rebounds in his first game back at Target Center a year ago, when the Knicks won 133-107. He didn’t play in the rematch in New York the next month, a 116-99 win for the Wolves. Earlier this season, Towns had 15 points toward a 137-114 victory over Minnesota at Madison Square Garden.
These matchups are emotional for Randle and Donte DiVincenzo, too, whom the Wolves acquired in the stunning trade before last season that sent their cornerstone East. Randle came alive down the stretch, flexing to the crowd after a couple of tough shots to help the Wolves recover from a 16-point lead they squandered earlier and build their advantage back to 17 late in the fourth quarter.
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