Booker stars again as Suns pile on points against Warriors, short-handed Pels down Doncic's Mavs

Devin Booker continued his prolific start to the season as the Phoenix Suns flexed their offensive muscle with a 134-105 win over Western Conference rivals Golden State Warriors on Tuesday.

Booker, who turns 26 on Sunday, became the first player in franchise history to have three 30-point games in the first four of a season, finishing with 34 on 10-of-19 shooting from the field with seven assists and three steals.

Deandre Ayton added 16 points with 14 rebounds, including 11 in the first half, while Chris Paul had 16 points with seven rebounds and nine assists.

The Suns, who improved to 3-1, shot at 41 per cent from the field, making 12-of-29 three-pointers, with Paul draining four-of-five from beyond the arc. Phoenix outscored the Warriors 62-39 in the second half.

The reigning champions, who moved to 2-2, continued their worrying defensive start to the season, having conceded 109 or more points in all four of their games this season, averaging 124 points against per game.

Stephen Curry managed 21 points to end his 30-point run to start the season, shooting seven-of-17 from the field and four triples.

Jordan Poole was productive off the bench with 17 points, including 14 in the first half. Klay Thompson was ordinary again with two points, shooting none-of-five from three-point range.

CP3 beats the first half buzzer from deep!Warriors-Suns is heating up in Phoenix Don't miss the second half on TNT. #KiaTipOff22 pic.twitter.com/MayNgpLdVS
— NBA (@NBA) October 26, 2022

Pels triumph over Doncic's Mavs despite key outs

The New Orleans Pelicans overcame the absence of Zion Williamson (hip) and Brandon Ingram (concussion) along with a Luka Doncic masterclass to win 113-111 over the Dallas Mavericks.

Doncic scored 37 points on 16-of-30 shooting, with 11 rebounds and seven assists for the Mavs, but the undermanned Pels triumphed, led by Trey Murphy with a team-high 22 points with 100 per cent shooting.

C.J. McCollum struggled to find his range, shooting six-of-20 for 14 points but eight Pels players reached double-figure scoring as they improved to 3-1 to start the season.

Doncic became the first Mav to ever open a season with three straight 30-point games. The Slovenian is also only the second player in NBA history with 100-plus points, 25-plus rebounds and 20-plus assists through the first three games of a season.

Final Stats: @treymurphy 22 pts, 8/8 fg@marshall_naji8 15 pts, 6/9 fg@AlvaradoJose15 13 pts, 6/8 fg, 2 st@JValanciunas 13 pts, 7 rebs@Larrydn22 11 pts, 5/6 fg@DysonDaniels 11 pts, 4/5 fg, 3 st@CJMcCollum 14 pts, 11 ast@Devonte4Graham 14 pts, 4 3pt#Pelicans | @FanDuel pic.twitter.com/Lld0iuBxXA
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) October 26, 2022

SGA's OKC down short-handed Clippers

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander produced a dominant all-round display with 33 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder cruised past the short-handed Los Angeles Clippers 108-94.

The Clippers were without former NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard due to knee soreness along with seven-time All-Star Paul George with illness, with the defeat seeing them slip to 1-3.

Gilgeous-Alexander went at 50 per cent from the field, making two-of-two from beyond the arc, with five rebounds, eight assists, three blocks and three steals in a masterful display, while Tre Mann scored 16 of his 25 points in the first half.

"We get stops, we're able to run and we're the best versions of ourselves" @NickAGallo caught up with SGA after the Thunder's first win of the season. pic.twitter.com/AXB6qioC8N
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) October 26, 2022