The Phoenix Suns ended a rough stretch on Friday night with a much-needed 117-98 home win over the San Antonio Spurs at Footprint Center. While superstar Kevin Durant missed his sixth consecutive game, it was rookie forward Ryan Dunn who stepped into the spotlight and delivered the best performance of his young NBA career.
The win marked only Phoenix’s second in their last ten games, which has now left them teetering just outside the playoff picture. At 36-45, the Suns sit 11th in the Western Conference standings with only one game remaining in the regular season. Meanwhile, the loss dropped the short-handed Spurs to 33-48, locked into 13th place as they continue to battle without star Victor Wembanyama, who has been ruled out for the season.
Rookie Ryan Dunn Shines As Phoenix Suns Cruise Past Spurs
Dunn exploded for a career-high 26 points and added 11 rebounds in 34 minutes of action. The rookie also hit four three-pointers and went 10-of-21 from the field, all while committing zero turnovers. The performance earned him a unique milestone. Dunn became the first Suns rookie to post at least 25 points, 10 rebounds, snd four threes in a single game.
Ryan Dunn tonight:
— PHNX Suns (@PHNX_Suns) April 12, 2025
26 PTS
11 REB
10-21 FG
+34
Future is bright for the rook 🫡 pic.twitter.com/kGQMzfRWcU
Veteran support helped pave the way as well. Bradley Beal chipped in with 21 points and six assists in 28 minutes, while Devin Booker added 18 points and five assists. Grayson Allen contributed 15 points, six rebounds, and six assists. Collin Gillespie gave a spark off the bench with 13 points and seven assists.
For the Spurs, Julian Champagnie led the charge with 23 points, while Sandro Mamukelashvili added 19 points and nine rebounds. Rookie guard Stephon Castle impressed with 16 points and a game-high 10 assists. Malaki Branham had 15 points in the loss.
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The Suns will play their last regular season game against the Sacramento Kings on Sunday, while the Spurs will take on the Toronto Raptors on Sunday.
