Clinical Phoenix manhandles Washington for third straight NBA win

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

The Phoenix Suns hacked out a convincing home dub over the visiting Washington Wizards, 112–93, to score their third consecutive win in the ongoing NBA regular season on Jan. 12, 2026.

Just like their nail-biting victory over the New York Knicks, Phoenix banked on a balanced offensive effort that helped the Suns pull away at the half with a comfortable 15-point advantage, 65–50.

Veteran stretch forward Royce O’Neale set the tone for the rolling Suns after heating up early from three-point territory.

After knocking down his first open triple, Devin Booker amped up his forward’s shooting confidence as he fed him the ball off several curl actions to free him up for more open looks.

However, Washington found answers to O’Neale’s early explosion, as star center Alex Sarr worked his way inside the shaded lane to counter every Phoenix run.

Unfortunately, the Wizards slowed down at the start of the second quarter after Mark Williams took the challenge of defending Sarr one on one.

In several isolation plays, Sarr failed to score on Williams, as the young center’s length and upper-body strength made it hard for the French frontcourt star to generate the looks he had during the first frame.

When Sarr slowed down, the entire Washington offense also went through a cold stretch, allowing the Suns to build the largest lead of the game to as much as 31 points late in the third frame.

Although Washington won the fourth-quarter battle, time was no longer on its side and could only watch Phoenix’s second unit milk the clock in the final five minutes of regulation.

Twelve players from the Suns entered the scoring column, led by O’Neale’s 19-point production, his best scoring display of the 2025–26 NBA season so far.

O’Neale converted five of his nine total attempts from downtown, along with an all-around masterclass of seven rebounds, four assists, and two steals.

Backstopping the 3-and-D forward was Booker, who churned in 17 markers, eight dimes, and three boards in just 25 minutes of playing time.

On the other hand, the Suns spoiled Sarr’s dominant first-half outing, as he tallied 19 points, 15 rebounds, and three blocks.

However, due to the blowout situation heading into the fourth quarter, the Washington coaching staff decided to bench their star player, ending his road stint with just 27 minutes of action.

Phoenix will gun for its fourth consecutive dub on Jan. 14, 2026, as it travels to Miami to challenge the Heat, while the Wizards seek to bounce back and break their slump on Jan. 15 against the Los Angeles Clippers.