The Phoenix Suns entered at 37-27 and the Charlotte Hornets arrived at 32-33 before the Suns secured a 111-99 result at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix.
First quarter
The Suns scored 28 in the first quarter while the Hornets put up 30 as Charlotte hit 15 lead changes across the game’s flow.
The Hornets created early offense with 40 points in the paint for the night, and that interior pressure showed up right away.
Second quarter
The Suns won the second quarter 32-28 to take control after Charlotte carried an 8-point biggest lead earlier in the game.
Devin Booker finished with 30 points and 10 assists, and Phoenix matched Charlotte with 24 assists as the ball movement steadied the half-court.
Phoenix also leaned on the line with 23 made free throws on 88 percent, while the Hornets went 10 for 15 for 67 percent.
Third quarter
The Suns posted 21 in the third quarter as Charlotte was held to 19, and Phoenix’s defense helped produce 14 points off turnovers.
Royce O’Neale logged 3 steals, and the Suns ended with 5 steals compared with Charlotte’s 1 as possessions tilted toward Valley.
Fourth quarter
The Suns closed the fourth quarter 30-22, and Phoenix’s 16 made 3-pointers on 39 percent separated the late scoring from Charlotte’s 15 on 33 percent.
Collin Gillespie scored 24 points, and his shot-making aligned with Phoenix’s 56 effective field goal percent on 79 attempts.
The Hornets got 33 bench points to Phoenix’s 28, but the Suns still led for 29:36 overall and finished with an 8-3 edge in second-chance points allowed.
The Phoenix Suns vs Charlotte Hornets final score confirmed the Suns’ 125.50881953867 offensive rating against Charlotte’s 104.651162790698.
Postgame notes
Phoenix Suns vs Charlotte Hornets scoreline review starts with the Suns winning the turnover battle 8-13 and finishing plus-12 in plus-minus.
What went wrong for Phoenix Suns was a 27 percent second-chance conversion rate on 11 tries, even with 10 offensive rebounds creating those extra looks.
Phoenix Suns match rating can start with Booker’s 2 turnovers alongside a team assist-to-turnover ratio of 4.0 that kept the offense organized.
The Suns are scheduled to play the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum at 8:00 PM EDT on 03/10/2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Fans can watch that game on FDSWI, AZFamily, or Suns+.
Share this article with Suns fans tracking Valley’s next stop on the road.
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