Oubre, Ayton lead Suns over Hornets

Kelly Oubre Jr. recorded 25 points and 15 rebounds to lead the Phoenix Suns to a 100-92 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday night. Deandre Ayton contributed 18 points and nine rebounds off the bench for the Suns, who are 5-3 since a season-worst eight-game slide. Devin Booker added 12 points and nine assists, Ricky Rubio added 10 points and nine assists and Mikal Bridges had 10 points.

Dwayne Bacon scored 24 points off the bench, and Devonte' Graham added 22 for the Hornets, who have lost four straight games and 10 of their past 12. Reserve Cody Zeller recorded 15 points, eight rebounds and five assists, and Miles Bridges scored 14 points. Charlotte connected on 41.9 percent of its shots and was 8 of 35 from behind the arc.

The Suns possessed a 51-37 rebounding advantage and shot 50 percent from the field, including 7 of 21 from 3-point range. Booker was en route to a season-low point total -- it stands at 11 against the Denver Nuggets on Dec. 23 -- before making 5 of 6 free throws in the final 27.1 seconds to help Phoenix seal it.

The Hornets scored the first basket of the final quarter before Phoenix scored 10 of the next 12 points to take an 81-75 lead on Booker's 3-pointer with 8:07 remaining. The Suns led by eight after Aron Baynes' basket with 6:46 left before going scoreless for more than four minutes, as Charlotte moved within 85-84 on Bacon's short floater with 2:52 remaining.

Ayton ended the Phoenix drought with a dunk 12 seconds later, and Booker added a 3-pointer with 2:17 left to give the Suns an 89-84 lead. A short time later, Bacon turned the ball over, and Oubre picked it up and slammed home a dunk to give Phoenix a 93-87 advantage with 45.2 seconds left.

Mikal Bridges added a dunk with 34.3 seconds remaining to make it an eight-point margin before Booker closed it out. Ayton had 12 first-half points as the Suns held a 46-45 lead at the break.

After intermission, the Suns went on a 9-3 run to open up a 55-48 lead on Oubre's 3-pointer with 8:49 left. Oubre hit another shot to make it 63-56 with 4:39 left before the Hornets finished strong and Bacon's layup with 13.6 seconds left tied it at 71 entering the fourth quarter. 

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)