The Phoenix Suns ended a week of failed trades and fan uproar over an arena renovation proposal with the return of their best player and consecutive wins for the first time in nearly a year.

Devin Booker scored a game-high 28 points in his first game back from his latest bout with a left hamstring injury and led the Suns a 107-99 win over Minnesota before 14,244 fans at Talking Stick Resort Arena.

“It was fun, man,” Booker said. “Everyone was having fun, playing with high energy. The crowd’s involved, the players were involved. Playing good basketball. Nothing more than that I can ask for. Going out there, playing the right way. Playing together.”

The Suns last won back-to-back games in December 2017. They duplicated that by limiting the Timberwolves (13-16) to 40.6 percent shooting, scoring 50 points in the paint and racking up 30 assists after beating Dallas, 99-89, Thursday night to end a 10-game skid.

“We had the energy and effort,” said Suns forward TJ Warren, who finished with 21 points. “Guys played well. We finished. Executed the game plan. We defended. Got stops when we needed. Good to build off that last win.”

What a week

Phoenix began the week losing back-to-back games to the Los Angeles Clippers in overtime Monday night and at San Antonio by 25 on Tuesday night.

Then they failed to close a deal that would’ve sent Ariza to the Los Angeles Lakers.

On Wednesday, the Phoenix City Council decided to postpone its vote on the $230-million arena renovation proposal, which was reportedly doomed for a no vote.

Fans voiced displeasure over team owner Robert Sarver asking the city to come up with $150 million in part because the Suns are having their worst start in franchise history.

The Suns beat Dallas, but failed again to ship Ariza in a proposed three-team deal over confusion on whether they were getting Dillon or MarShon Brooks from Memphis.

Phoenix thought it was getting Dillon Brooks. Memphis looked to deal MarShon Brooks

The Grizzlies backed out, claiming they never spoke to Phoenix about it.

Washington and Phoenix went ahead and worked out a deal that will send Ariza back to Washington where he played two seasons (2012-14) in exchange for Austin Rivers and Kelly Oubre.

“Trevor was loved in the locker room,” Booker said. “Good veteran to help out a lot of guys, but you understand it’s a business, also.”

Phoenix hasn’t announced the trade, but Ariza’s name plate is no longer on his locker.

“I’m going to miss him for sure,” Jackson said.

Booker's return

As national pundits clowned the Suns for botching the trade, first-year coach Igor Kokoskov announced before Saturday's game Booker was returning from his left hamstring injury.

Booker had missed six games after reinjuring it Dec. 2 against the Lakers. With Booker back, Phoenix emerged from a week of criticism to win its second consecutive game.

“We’ll come out and play good one game, we normally don’t come out and bring it the next game,” Jackson said. “I was surprised that we were consistent in our energy and extra effort.”

Sounding confident and excited, Phoenix will go into a five-game road trip beginning Monday against the New York Knicks (9-21).

“We are going to try to keep continuing to play well, playing together as a team,” Kokoskov said.

Booker got plenty of help in his return.

Along with Warren’s 21 points, Deandre Ayton posted his 17th double-double of 18 points and 12 rebounds while rookie Mikal Bridges added 12.

“Good job, good win,” Kokoskov said. “There are a lot of things we can learn and obviously get better, but we’re going to enjoy this one.”

Phoenix's 1-2 punch

The dynamic between Ayton and Booker is intriguing to watch.

It wasn’t that long ago they exchange of words in the locker room following a 22-point loss Dec. 6 at Portland. Booker was in the middle of his six-game absence.

Ayton chalked it up as two players wanting to win, but Booker hadn’t done any interviews. Injured players don’t have to talk to the media.

In his return, Booker had constructive in-game words for teammates, including Ayton.

“I think the guys in here trust me,” he said. “And if they don’t, we’ll have an uncomfortable conversation. I’m fine with that, too."

Booker flashed a big smile after saying that.

Winning is a powerful thing, but Booker said he’s open to taking criticism as well. Remember, he was one of ones who talked about having accountability a while back.

“I explain that to them when I tell them, ‘If I get on you, you can get on me, too,’” Booker continued. “I’m not going to take anything personal. We both have the same mindset of winning. That should be everybody’s goal in this locker room. Once you have that mindset, you can get on each other. Tell them where they need to be. You messed up. You messed up a defensive rotation. I’m fine with that.”

'Glad to have him back'

Booker even snarled at the rookie 7-footer for not taking it to the rim for a dunk when the lane was wide open late in the game. Ayton patted his chest in acknowledging what Booker said — and was happy to share the court with him once again.

“I told him I was glad to have him back,” Ayton said. “I just whispered in his ear a little bit. This is our team. This is what we were supposed to be doing from the jump, but we have to go through pain and we have to go through the trials and tribulations to be successful.”

This is Phoenix’s 1-2 punch.

The faces of the franchise.

They haven’t always been on the same page in their first season together, but their interaction during Saturday’s could be seen as a sign of growth in their relationship.

“The more they talk things out,” Suns veteran Jamal Crawford said. “They’re not always going to see eye-to-eye. Nobody does in any relationship whether it’s your friendship or your wife. It’s going to be give and take. That’s good they communicate that, but they know neither one is coming from a place to embarrass the other. We’re all trying to do right by each other and try do what’s right for the team.”

'Best I've felt all season'

De’Anthony Melton started the game at the point guard, putting Booker at the two, but he ran the point a considerable amount and dished out seven assists.

“Usually when you sit out for that amount of games, you come out and you try to maybe do too much,” Suns guard Troy Daniels said. “He came out and let the game come to him. It shows his ability to read plays at a slow pace. A lot of guys can’t do that.”

Another sign of growth for the franchise player.

“He was getting other guys involved and shots that he was taking were shots he normally takes,” continued Daniels about Booker, who shot 10-of-16 from the field. "It was within the offense. I commend him on that because I’ve seen, even last year, he would come out and try to just go.”

Oh yeah, his hamstring felt fine, too.

“It felt great,” Booker said. “It’s the best I’ve felt all season. Keep saying that before I came back, I wanted to be 100 percent healthy. Been playing through injuries all year.”

Ayton had his struggles early in first matchup against Karl-Anthony Towns, who scored 21 of his 28 points in the first half. Towns drove around him once for a slam and was putting in work in the paint.

“He’s pretty quick,” Ayton said. “I can see why he’s one of the unicorns in the game. He can play inside-out.”

'He's not going to stop'

Ayton said he watched film at halftime to see how Towns was getting buckets. So he adjusted, worked to cut off the baseline and establish his defensive presence.

“He was huge defensively, covering space, and his presence in the paint was huge in crunch time,” Kokoskov said.

Along with improving defensively, Ayton churned out 10 points and five rebounds in the fourth quarter while consistently challenging Towns on the offensive glass, and drew a foul on him in the fourth.

“It just shows the fight for the game, the passion that he has,” Bridges said. “He’s not going to stop. We love that.”

Jackson talked about consistency. Can Ayton continue to show that “fight.”

We’ll see Monday night at Madison Square Garden in mecca of basketball — NYC.

Final line

Derrick Rose finished with 25 points on 11-of-16 shooting. Overcoming multiple knee surgeries, the 2010-11 NBA MVP had the crowd oohing and aahing like the good old days. Nice to see D-Rose playing like D-Rose again.

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