Dillon Brooks scores career-high 40 on his own T-shirt night, leading Suns past Pistons 114-96

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PHOENIX (AP) — Dillon Brooks scored a career-high 40 points, Grayson Allen added 24 and the Phoenix Suns beat the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons 114-96 on Thursday night.

The Suns kept a comfortable lead through much of the fourth, winning for the fifth time in seven games. They are 10 games above .500 for the first time this season at 29-19.

Brooks sliced through the lane for a layup for a 105-89 lead with 5:43 left, scoring the last of his 40 points. He finished 13 of 22 from the field and had eight rebounds on a night the team gave the first 5,000 fans who entered the arena a shirt that read “Dillon The Villain" — a nod to his combustible personality.

The Pistons lost for just the third time in 12 games. Cade Cunningham led Detroit with 26 points, and Jalen Duran had 23 points and 13 rebounds.

Brooks had 38 points through three quarters, which was already a career high. The 6-foot-7 forward’s previous best was a 37-point performance for the Memphis Grizzlies in 2021.

The 30-year-old Canadian is in the midst of a career year, averaging more than 20 points per game to become a dark horse candidate to make his first All-Star game. He came to the Suns during the offseason as part of the trade that sent Kevin Durant to Houston.

Detroit trailed 72-56 at halftime but cut it to 77-74 midway through the third. Phoenix recovered to take a 93-81 advantage into the fourth.

The Suns made their first four 3-pointers and rode the hot shooting to a 72-56 halftime advantage. Brooks scored 24 points before the break, making 8 of 11 shots on an array of turnaround jumpers and threes.

Suns star guard Devin Booker missed his third straight game with a sprained ankle.

Pistons: At Golden State on Friday night.

Suns: Host Cleveland on Friday night.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba