Andrew Bell
Game six was practically over midway through the first quarter. For the second consecutive game, the Phoenix Suns beat up on the Los Angeles Lakers, officially eliminating the defending champs in the first round of the NBA playoffs.
With a 113-100 victory, the Suns advanced past the Lakers in six games.
In a rout in the first half, the Suns were 10-13 from three, shooting 68 percent in the first quarter. Devin Booker had 22 first quarter points. The Lakers had just 14. In the first playoff closeout game of his career, Booker had the stat line of a superstar, going for 47 points and 11 rebounds in 45 minutes of action.
Kobe Bryant eliminated 33 teams in his postseason career
His best line came on 5/13/01 against SAC:
48 PTS, 15/29 FG, 1/1 3PT, 17/19 FT, 16 REB, 3 AST
Devin Booker's line tonight in his first time eliminating a playoff team:
47 PTS, 15/22 FG, 8/10 3 PT, 9/9 FT, 11 REB, 3 AST
— Jordan Hamm (@JordyHamm) June 4, 2021
He was 15-22 from the field and 8-10 from three-point land. The old saying is that big players show up in big games, and Booker was as good as advertised when it mattered most under the bright lights of Staples Center.
Devin Booker (22 PTS, 8-9 FGM) ties the postseason record for threes made in a quarter with 6 treys in the 1st! #NBAPlayoffs on TNT pic.twitter.com/gzKg3zagBp
— NBA (@NBA) June 4, 2021
Chris Paul also dropped in eight points and 12 assists, and continued to make timely plays as the Lakers tried to claw their way back into the game. Sitting at one point with a 29-point lead, the Lakers pushed the deficit to 10 but never got it down to single-digits.
Jae Crowder’s veteran presence was felt as well throughout much of the matchup, as he dropped in 18 points and was 6-9 from downtown. Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson also came through with 10 points of their own.
The Suns playoff series win marks the first time in Lebron James career that he has been knocked out in the first round. With an injured groin, Anthony Davis tried to play in the first quarter of Thursday’s matchup, but he was unable to go after five minutes and was clearly in pain as he exited the contest.
With no Davis in the lineup, the Suns continued to take advantage of LA and the early lead proved to be the difference as James and the Lakers couldn’t recover.
The Suns will now have a date in the Western Conference semis against the Denver Nuggets in round two. Game one is set for Monday, June 7 at 7 p.m. local time in Phoenix.
