(Reuters) Dario Saric scored 27 points, and Ben Simmons made big plays in the fourth quarter to help Philadelphia hold off Phoenix for a 123-110 road win Sunday at Talking Stick Resort Arena.
Simmons scored nine straight points for Philadelphia during a stretch in the fourth quarter, and JJ Redick hit a 3-pointer off an assist from Simmons that gave the 76ers a 119-108 lead with 1:31 to play.
Simmons finished with 21 points, nine rebounds and six assists, and Joel Embiid added 22 points, nine rebounds and five assists for Philadelphia. Saric made 9 of 13 shots, including four of his five 3-point tries.
The 76ers (17-19) built a big first-half lead and withstood a second-half barrage from the Suns’ Devin Booker and T.J. Warren to survive. The win caps a 3-2 road trip for the Sixers, who will return home for first time since Dec. 15 to host the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday.
Booker, in his second game back after missing three weeks with a strained left adductor, scored 32 points for the Suns (14-24). Warren finished with 28 points.
The 76ers separated themselves from the Suns in the second quarter. They led by 18, 53-35, after Jerryd Bayless’ layup with six minutes left in the first half.
Redick hit a pull-up jumper, and Simmons had a dunk in the final two minutes, sending Philadelphia to halftime with a comfortable 63-49 lead.
Booker got hot in the third quarter, scoring 11 points in the first five minutes after halftime and getting the Suns back in the game. He had 16 in the quarter to fuel the Phoenix comeback.
Warren also got going in the third quarter. He completed a three-point play on a dunk and free throw that capped a 20-5 run and trimmed the 76ers’ lead to 81-76.
Embiid converted a three-point play, and T.J. McConnell had a bucket in the final seconds of the period to give Philadelphia a 94-92 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
The Suns will look to bounce back against the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday.
