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A first winning streak at last
Further record: AP / ESPN — Booker closes the door as Suns finally stop Rockets, ESPN — Booker closes the door as Suns finally stop Rockets: box score
Phoenix beat Houston 102–99 on November 7, following its win over Orlando with a first pair of consecutive victories this season. It also ended an eight-game losing run against the Rockets, giving the narrow result added weight.
The Suns moved to 3–5 and Houston to 7–3. Different early-season records did not make the closing minutes easy for either side. Phoenix had to reduce a wildly uneven night to a few possessions it could execute well.
A hot opening gave way to a reset
Further record: ESPN — Booker closes the door as Suns finally stop Rockets: box score, AP / ESPN — Booker closes the door as Suns finally stop Rockets
Phoenix made 16 of 21 first-quarter shots for a 35–23 lead and later went up by 19. It then hit just four of 19 in the second quarter. Houston used that opening to erase the deficit and reach halftime tied 47–47.
VanVleet’s second-quarter scoring helped drive the comeback. The Suns had every reason to enjoy their opening accuracy, but the sudden loss of rhythm meant that burst could not settle the game on its own.
At 95 apiece, Booker supplied the answer
Further record: AP / ESPN — Booker closes the door as Suns finally stop Rockets, ESPN — Booker closes the door as Suns finally stop Rockets: box score, Field Level Media / Reuters / GMA — Booker closes the door as Suns finally stop Rockets
Phoenix held only a 76–75 edge after three quarters, and the fourth remained close. At 95–95, Booker delivered seven straight: a two-pointer, a three and another finish that made it 102–95 with 2:30 left.
Durant’s three brought Houston back within one possession, but his late attempt to tie did not fall. The closing stretch showed Booker finding successive answers rather than merely accumulating a final scoring total.
Supporting production kept Phoenix in position
Further record: ESPN — Booker closes the door as Suns finally stop Rockets: box score
Booker finished with 24 points, Green added 16 and six assists, and Bridges supplied 13 points, ten rebounds and seven assists. Bridges’ work linked possessions together as well as adding points.
Durant’s 21 points and ten rebounds were not Houston’s only contribution: Thompson scored 17 and VanVleet 16. The Rockets shot 38.7 percent overall and 10-for-35 from three, leaving them one successful late possession short.
Make the response last
Further record: ESPN — Devin Booker: 2026–27 season statistics, ESPN — Miles Bridges: 2026–27 season statistics, AP / ESPN — Booker closes the door as Suns finally stop Rockets
Through eight games, Booker was averaging 25.3 points and 4.9 assists; Bridges had 16.9 points and 8.1 rebounds over the same sample. Phoenix needs those different responsibilities to produce a more stable game, rather than always waiting for one player to close it.
The postgame schedule had San Antonio visiting Phoenix next and Houston hosting Denver. For the Suns, the useful target is clear: shorten the kind of slump that erased this 19-point lead and give the closer a less precarious job.
