Booker, Durant combine for 65 points but Suns lose in final minute to Spurs

Fourth-quarter struggles crept in again for the Phoenix Suns (42-30), which lost 104-102 to San Antonio Spurs (16-56) on a go-ahead 3 by Jeremy Sochan at 29 seconds left to play Monday.

The Spurs win the season series against the Suns, 3-1. Phoenix's loss snaps its three-game win streak, and San Antonio's victory snaps its three-game skid.

Devin Booker scored a game-high 36 points, including 18 in the fourth quarter. Kevin Durant scored 29 on 12-of-17 shooting with eight assists and six assists in the losing effort. Booker and Durant both missed attempts from deep toward the end of regulation. Bradley Beal, who had to leave at 2:51 left the game after injuring his right ring finger, per The Republic's Duane Rankin. Beal finished with nine points, six assists, five rebounds, and two steals for Phoenix.

San Antonio's Sochan and Devin Vassell tied for the team-high 26 points, and combined for seven of their 10 made from the arc. The Spurs had a 16-0 from the end of the third quarter through early in the fourth, and led by as much as nine approaching five minutes left to play.

Phoenix's late turnovers and fouls helped San Antonio's momentum toward the game's close as well.

Phoenix will play the third of its five-game road trip at Denver on Wednesday at 7 p.m.

'Unacceptable' loss, more injuries: Takeaways from Spurs stunning Suns without Victor Wembanyama

Durant, Suns lose control to Spurs late in 3rd quarter

San Antonio ended the third quarter on an 8-0 run, led by two straight 3s by Keldon Johnson (10 points) at the 38 and 11 seconds left, which regained the lead, 75-74.

Phoenix had control for most of the third, even after its starting big Jusuf Nurkic went to the locker room and was replaced by Drew Eubanks at 9:08 because of a right sprained ankle. He will not return to the game, according to the team. Nurkic recorded six points, a team-high nine rebounds, four assists, two blocks, one steal, and one turnover in 19 minutes played.

Phoenix went on 8-0 run after Nurkic’s departure to go up by nine, capped by a great chase-down block by Bradley Beal (nine points, five assists, four rebounds) on Devin Vassell’s fast break layup after Vassell picked off an errant pass by Devin Booker. Beal magnificently managed to keep the ball in play without going out of bounds, and Booker, who also hustled hard back to distract Vassell’s path, quickly ran back in bounds, Beal passed it to Booker, and the ball movement ended on a Beal-assisted 3 by Kevin Durant (game-high 24 points, 10-of-11 shooting) at the 7:38 mark.

Durant also had another highlight at 4:54 when Grayson Allen lobbed an alley-oop pass to him for a smooth one-handed dunk finish to go up nine.

The Spurs surged thereafter to swing the game's momentum in their favor.

Suns rise behind Booker, Durant, O'Neale in 2nd quarter

After the Suns were down seven shortly at nine minutes left in the half, they had a 16-point swing for their biggest lead of nine points, through the next six minutes, and entered the intermission ahead, 50-47.

Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, and Phoenix reserve Royce O'Neale combined for 23 of the Suns' 28 second-quarter points. Booker has scored the game-high 18 points, Durant scored all of his nine in the second, and O'Neale scored seven of his nine in the period as well.

The Spurs' top producers are Devin Vassell and Jeremy Sochan, who are matched at 11 points.

Spurs off to quick start

The Spurs jumped out to a quick start, led by a balanced scoring attack from its starters, but the Suns kept things close in the first quarter, which ended with San Antonio leading 29-22.

The Suns were led by Devin Booker’s 11 points, which helped keep Phoenix close after a sluggish start to the quarter. Bradley Beal and Jusuf Nurkic each had four points for Phoenix.

The Spurs, playing without Rookie of the Year frontrunner Victor Wembanyama, were led by Jeremy Sochan, Zach Collins and  Devin Vassell each with seven points.

San Antonio shot 52 percent from the field in the quarter and Phoenix  45 percent.

Starting lineups

The Suns will start their usual five of Devin Booker and Bradley Beal at guard, Kevin Durant and Grayson Allen at the forward spots, and Jusuf Nurkic in the middle.

With 7-foot-4 star Victor Wembanyama out for tonight's game, the Spurs are opening with Tre Jones and Devin Vassell in the backcourt, forwards Justin Champagnie and Jeremy Sochan, and Zach Collins at center.

Spurs' Wembanyama out

San Antonio's Rookie of the Year candidate and 7-foot-4 star Victor Wembanyama won't be suiting up because of a left ankle sprain he suffered on Saturday.

Otherwise, Phoenix and San Antonio are nearly at full strength. The Suns' Damion Lee (right meniscus surgery) still is out, as he has been all season, and the Spurs' Charles Bassey (torn ACL), also is out.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Suns' Booker, Durant combine for 65 but lose in final minute to Spurs