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A needed response in Phoenix
Further record: AP / ESPN — Suns 117–104 Magic: game recap, ESPN — Magic at Suns: box score
Phoenix finally had a win to lift the mood. The Suns beat Orlando 117–104 on November 5, ending a four-game skid one night after losing to Portland. Devin Booker finished with 30 points and eight assists, but the result had more to it than a star scoring line.
Three-point shooting and opportunities created by turnovers gave Phoenix two routes to control. The encouraging part was how defensive possessions could become attacking opportunities.
The third quarter changed the game
Further record: AP / ESPN — Suns 117–104 Magic: game recap, Brandon Duenas / Bright Side of the Sun — game analysis
Phoenix led 63–51 at halftime, with Booker already on 23 points. A 33–22 third quarter made it 96–73 entering the fourth. Brooks and Bridges helped carry the scoring load as the margin grew.
Bright Side of the Sun noted that Booker scored only three points in the third but delivered four assists. When watching the highlights, look for that shift: can teammates turn the attention drawn by the primary scorer into productive possessions?
Threes and turnovers outweighed the rebounding gap
Further record: ESPN — Magic at Suns: box score
Phoenix made 17 of 34 threes; Orlando made 13 of 38. That is a 12-point difference from beyond the arc. Orlando also committed 25 turnovers, from which Phoenix scored 36 points. Those points already belong to the final total and can overlap with made threes; the figures should not be added as separate advantages.
Orlando won the rebounding count 48–33. This was not dominance in every area. The Suns overcame that deficit through shooting and opportunities off mistakes. It is an exciting result, but protecting the glass remains work for the next game.
There was more than one standout
Further record: AP / ESPN — Suns 117–104 Magic: game recap
Booker set the tone, while Brooks supplied 24 points and Bridges contributed 18 points and 13 rebounds. Shared scoring responsibility made Booker’s passing part of the story too. His 30 points and eight assists belong in the same conversation.
Orlando had meaningful contributions: Carter Jr. delivered 27 points and 13 rebounds, Wagner had 15 points and 15 assists, and da Silva added 18 off the bench. The turnovers were especially costly because the Magic had productive finishers and playmaking to build around.
Watch the separation—and the finish
Further record: AP / ESPN — Suns 117–104 Magic: game recap, ESPN — Magic at Suns: box score
The final 13-point margin does not describe a game that was close throughout. Phoenix led by 30 with 9:20 remaining. In the highlights above, follow the first-half scoring, the shared third-quarter offense and how the gap narrowed late.
The hope for Phoenix is that the passing and defensive energy travel into the next game. Shooting 50 percent from three every night is not a plan. Maintaining control when those shots stop falling would make this breakthrough more valuable.
Turn a response into a starting point
Further record: AP / ESPN — Suns 117–104 Magic: game recap, NBA — Devin Booker biography
The postgame report listed Houston at Phoenix and Orlando at Golden State as the teams’ next Saturday games. The Suns can build on shared offense while improving their rebounding; the Magic need to preserve possessions so their interior production and passing can count.
Booker’s 2021–22 All-NBA First Team selection already speaks to his scoring pedigree. The promising feature here is the possibility of teammates carrying stretches alongside him. That is something worth watching in the next game.
