What do these last two wins really mean for the Phoenix Suns?

The Phoenix Suns won their second straight game on Sunday, defeating Portland 116-109 in front of a sellout crowd of 17,071 at the Footprint Center to open a three-game homestand.

Devin Booker scored a game-high 28 points to lead the Suns (14-11), who won at Utah on Friday.

But what do the two victories really mean?

The Suns (14-11) were again without Bradley Beal, who missed a second straight game because of swelling in his right knee. Phoenix hopes the three days between Sunday’s win and Thursday’s game against Indiana will be helpful for Beal as he recovers from injury.

Phoenix had lost three straight without Kevin Durant, who was sidelined with a sprained left ankle, before winning the final two games, but the victories came by teams with records under .500.

The Jazz have the second-worst record in the West, while the Blazers have the third-worst in the conference.

The Suns have rediscovered winning, but their last two wins have come against two teams with poor records. They will be favorites in their next two games on Thursday against Indiana and Saturday against Detroit to complete a three-game homestand.

The next real test for Phoenix will be Dec. 23 at Denver, a team it will face again two days later at home on Christmas to complete a five-game NBA slate that holiday.