Booker, Paul shine as Suns halt Knicks win streak
Devin Booker scored 33 points as the Phoenix Suns snapped the New York Knicks' nine-game winning streak with a come-from-behind 118-110 victory at Madison Square Garden......»»
Tatum comes through as Celtics hold off 76ers to level series
Jayson Tatum scored 16 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter as the Boston Celtics held off the Philadelphia 76ers 95-86 on Thursday to force a decisive game seven in their NBA playoff series. The star Boston forward was enduring a dismal shooting night, making just one of 13 attempts from the floor through the first three quarters before erupting with four three-pointers in the final period as the Celtics thwarted Philadelphia's rally bid and leveled their Eastern Conference semifinal three games apiece. They'll host game seven on Sunday, trying to deny the Sixers a first trip to the conference finals since 2001. James Harden epitomized the 76ers' offensive struggles. He scored 13 points on four-of-13 shooting while newly minted NBA Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid scored 26 points with 10 rebounds. Tatum, who averaged 30.1 points per game in the regular season, said he never lost confidence even as he struggled. "It's a long game," Tatum told broadcaster ESPN. "Thankfully I've got some great teammates that held it down." Marcus Smart led the Celtics with 22 points. Jaylen Brown added 17 and Malcolm Brogdon scored 16 off the bench. Even amid Tatum's troubles, the Celtics raced to a 15-3 lead, Smart and Brogdon carrying the early load before the Sixers began to find their feet. Philadelphia cut the deficit to three points before the Celtics pulled away again, pushing their advantage to 16 points twice in the second period. But the Sixers clawed back, taking advantage of 17 Celtics turnovers and finally taking the lead on two free throws from Harden that put them up 64-62 with less than five minutes remaining in the third quarter. Philadelphia led 73-71 going into the final frame and was up by two when Tatum made his first three-pointer of the game to put Boston ahead. Tatum then drilled a step-back three-pointer over Tyrese Maxey. Another pair from beyond the arc pushed the Celtics' lead to 11 points with 37.6 seconds remaining. "All that mattered was we won this game," said Tatum, who also had seven rebounds, six assists, a steal, and two blocked shots. "It's game seven, it doesn't get any better than that." Later Thursday, the banged-up Phoenix Suns tried to fend off elimination when they hosted Western Conference top seeds Denver in game six of their series. Phoenix was again without veteran point guard Chris Paul, who missed games three four, and five after suffering a groin injury in game two. Center Deandre Ayton was ruled out with a rib injury that has reportedly affected his breathing while All-Star guard Devin Booker went into the contest nursing an ankle injury. The Nuggets, who routed the Suns on Tuesday to take a 3-2 lead in the series behind a 29-point triple-double from Nikola Jokic, listed ailing Jamal Murray as questionable. The post Tatum comes through as Celtics hold off 76ers to level series appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Nuggets, Suns advance to NBA semis
Top-seeded DenNuggets squeezed home 112-109 against the Minnesota Timberwolves to complete a 4-1 series win while the fourth seeds Phoenix Suns wrapped up their series with the Los Angeles Clippers by the same margin with a 136-130 victory in Arizona. The Nuggets, who will face Phoenix in the conference semi-finals, were made to work hard for their win by a Timberwolves team who jumped out to an early 15-point lead in the first quarter before gradually being reeled in. Jamal Murray led the Nuggets scorers with 35 points while reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic bagged his second triple-double of the series with 28 points, 17 rebounds and 12 assists. Minnesota's Anthony Edwards missed a three-point attempt on the buzzer that would have forced overtime as the Timberwolves' season came to an end. Edwards finished with 29 points while Karl-Anthony Towns added 26. In Phoenix, Devin Booker erupted for 47 points while Kevin Durant poured in 31 points to spark the Suns to victory over the short-handed Clippers. The Clippers, missing the injured Paul George and Kawhi Leonard, fought bravely to lead by 10 early in the second half. But when Booker took over with 25 of 50 Phoenix points in a lopsided third quarter, the Clippers were left chasing the game. Los Angeles somehow managed to close to within two points with just under two minutes remaining before Durant settled Phoenix with a layup and two free throws to make the game safe. "Those guys don't stop fighting," Booker said of the Clippers afterwards. "That's been the story of the whole series. Even though they were down men, we knew they were going to bring it." The post Nuggets, Suns advance to NBA semis appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Sixers sweep Nets to advance, Suns on brink as Heat burn Bucks
The Philadelphia 76ers shrugged off the absence of Joel Embiid to complete a 4-0 sweep of the Brooklyn Nets in the NBA playoffs on Saturday as the Phoenix Suns edged closer to a second-round berth by beating the Los Angeles Clippers. The Sixers advanced to an Eastern Conference semi-final showdown against either Boston or Atlanta with a dominant second-half display to seal a 96-88 victory in Brooklyn. Elsewhere in the East, the Miami Heat thrashed the short-handed Milwaukee Bucks 121-99 to edge ahead of the top seeds 2-1 in their best-of-seven series. In Brooklyn, the Sixers trailed by 11 points early in the third quarter but transformed the contest with an 18-4 run to take the lead before closing out victory with a fourth-quarter rally. The Sixers' win was all the more impressive given the absence of star center Embiid, who suffered a right knee sprain in Thursday's 102-97 victory in game three. Embiid led the NBA with 33.1 points a game and is a finalist for the NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) award. Paul Reed stepped in to fill the void and finished with 10 points and 15 rebounds. Tobias Harris led the scoring for Philadelphia with 25 points and 12 rebounds, while De'Anthony Melton came off the bench to produce 15 points and lead the fourth-quarter surge. Harris said the Sixers were determined to use Embiid's absence as a motivator. "He's the MVP. And when we heard he wasn't playing, I think it was an opportunity for everybody else to really step up and understand that we've got to get a win without the big fellow," Harris told the TNT television network. "The whole group came together today. It's a great win for us and a great way to sweep the series." Asked what his message to the injured Embiid would be, Harris replied: "Hurry up and get your ass back out here." The 4-0 series victory was Philadelphia's first playoff sweep since 1991. Spencer Dinwiddie led Brooklyn's scoring with 20 points while Nic Claxton had 19 points with 12 rebounds. "Getting swept is trash," a dejected Claxton said. "It's not a good feeling." Suns on the brink In Los Angeles, Kevin Durant finished with 31 points, 11 rebounds and six assists to help Phoenix beat the Clippers 112-100 for a 3-1 series lead. Devin Booker plundered 30 points and veteran Chris Paul added 19 in a late burst of scoring as Phoenix bagged their second straight win in Los Angeles. "I'm in a good place and I'm enjoying playing ball," Durant said. "I've been out a few months this season, and I'm just happy I'm out here where the ball is." It means the Suns need just one more win to book their place in the Western Conference semi-finals, with game five set for Phoenix on Tuesday. The Clippers' hopes of squaring the series had been dealt a blow by the absence of Kawhi Leonard, who joined Paul George on the injured list. Russell Westbrook produced one of his best performances for the Clippers with a 37-point display. In Miami, the Heat took full advantage of the absence of Milwaukee's two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, leading by double digits much of the night. Jimmy Butler scored 30 points on 12-of-19 shooting before departing late in the third quarter after taking a hard fall. After visiting the locker room he returned to the bench but with the game in hand did not go back on the floor. Duncan Robinson scored 20 points and fellow reserve Kyle Lowry added 15 as the Heat bench delivered 59 points. "We just came out here and played with some intensity," Lowry said. The Heat will try to level the series on Monday, but Lowry said he knows they'll face a tough task. "Every game is a different game," he said. Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said the team would continue to "monitor" Antetokounmpo, who suffered a back contusion in game one, missed game two and was a late scratch on Saturday. In the late game the Memphis Grizzlies welcomed star guard Ja Morant back after a hand injury as they visited the Los Angeles Lakers with their series knotted 1-1. The post Sixers sweep Nets to advance, Suns on brink as Heat burn Bucks appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
NBA: Suns outshine Clippers, take 3-1 series lead
LOS ANGELES – Kevin Durant finished with 31 points, 11 rebounds and six assists to help the Phoenix Suns take a 3-1 series lead over the L.A. Clippers with a 112-100 victory. Devin Booker plundered 30 points and veteran Chris Paul added 19 in a late burst of scoring as the Suns bagged their second straight win in […] The post NBA: Suns outshine Clippers, take 3-1 series lead appeared first on Cebu Daily News......»»
Sixers advance after Nets sweep, Suns on brink as Clippers downed
The Philadelphia 76ers shrugged off the absence of Joel Embiid to complete a 4-0 sweep of the Brooklyn Nets in the NBA playoffs on Saturday as the Phoenix Suns edged closer to a second-round berth with a victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. The Sixers advanced to an Eastern Conference semi-final showdown against either Boston or Atlanta with a dominant second-half display to seal a 96-88 victory in Brooklyn. The Sixers trailed by 11 points early in the third quarter but transformed the contest with an 18-4 run to take the lead before closing out victory with a fourth-quarter rally. The Sixers' win was all the more impressive given the absence of star center Embiid, who suffered a right knee sprain in Thursday's 102-97 victory in game three. Embiid led the NBA with 33.1 points a game and is a finalist for the NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) award. With Embiid out, Paul Reed stepped in to fill the void and finished with 10 points and 15 rebounds. Tobias Harris led the scoring for Philadelphia with 25 points and 12 rebounds, while De'Anthony Melton came off the bench to produce 15 points and lead the fourth-quarter rally. Harris said the Sixers had been determined to use Embiid's absence as a motivator. "He's the MVP. And when we heard he wasn't playing, I think it was an opportunity for everybody else to really step up and understand that we've got to get a win without the big fella," Harris told the TNT television network after the win. "For us to come out here and get this victory, it feels great for the whole group. "The whole group came together today. It's a great win for us and a great way to sweep the series." Asked what his message to the injured Embiid would be, Harris replied: "Hurry up and get your ass back out here." The 4-0 series victory was Philadelphia's first playoff sweep since 1991. Spencer Dinwiddie led Brooklyn's scoring with 20 points while Nic Claxton had 19 points with 12 rebounds. In Los Angeles, Kevin Durant finished with 31 points, 11 rebounds and six assists to help Phoenix take a 3-1 series lead over the Clippers with a 112-100 victory. Devin Booker plundered 30 points and veteran Chris Paul added 19 in a late burst of scoring as Phoenix bagged their second straight win in Los Angeles in the best-of-seven series. It means the Suns need just one more win to book their place in the Western Conference semi-finals, with game five set for Phoenix on Tuesday. The Clippers' hopes of squaring the series had been dealt a blow by the absence of Kawhi Leonard, who joined Paul George on the injured list. In their absence, Russell Westbrook produced one of his best performances for the Clippers with a 37-point display but ultimately it was not enough as the greater depth of the Suns' line-up proved too much. "I'm in a good place and I'm enjoying playing ball," Durant said after the win. "I've been out a few months this season, and I'm just happy I'm out here where the ball is." In later playoff games on Saturday, the Milwaukee Bucks travel to Miami looking for a win on the road over the Heat with the best-of-seven series finely balanced at 1-1. Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, who sat out game two after suffering a back injury in game one, was listed as questionable for Milwaukee. In the late game, the Memphis Grizzlies travel to Los Angeles to face the Lakers with their series knotted at one game apiece. The post Sixers advance after Nets sweep, Suns on brink as Clippers downed appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Booker pours in 58, Suns down Pelicans
Devin Booker scored 58 points to propel the Phoenix Suns to a come-from-behind 118-114 victory over New Orleans on Saturday, his second 50-point performance of the NBA season......»»
Phoenix rising still
Devin Booker scored 31 points and Chris Paul added 23 on Thursday to spark Phoenix over Milwaukee 118-108 and give the Suns a commanding lead in the NBA Finals......»»
Suns move within 2 wins of NBA title
Phoenix—With the stamina to outlast rivals and the determination to keep attacking, Phoenix guard Devin Booker has sparked the Suns to within two wins of an NBA title......»»
Suns pressed to work harder after losing Saric to injury, says Booker
Saric, a key role player for the Suns in his position as a big man, suffered an ACL injury in Game One, effectively ending his playoff run with Phoenix where he appeared in 14 of their 17 games in the postseason......»»
Backcourt maestro Chris Paul powers Suns over Bucks in NBA Finals opener
PHOENIX (AFP) – Chris Paul, making his long-sought NBA Finals debut, scored 32 points to lead the Phoenix Suns over the Milwaukee Bucks, 118-105, in Tuesday’s opening game of the championship series. The 36-year-old backcourt maestro, in his 16th season, delivered clutch scoring and added nine assists while Devin Booker added 27 points and 22-year-old […].....»»
Suns hold on to edge Clippers, take 3-1 series lead
Devin Booker scored 25 points and Chris Paul made several clutch free throws in the waning moments as the Phoenix Suns held for a 84-80 win over Los Angeles, putting the Clippers on the brink of elimination from the NBA playoffs......»»
Suns seize commanding 3-1 lead vs Clippers
LOS ANGELES—Devin Booker scored 25 points and Chris Paul made several clutch free throws in the waning moments as the Phoenix Suns held for an 84-80 win over Los Angeles, putting the Clippers on the brink of elimination from the NBA playoffs......»»
Fiery Suns sink Clippers with last-gasp Ayton dunk for 2-0 lead
Deandre Ayton dunks the ball over Ivica Zubac in leading the of the Phoenix Suns to a 104-10-3 win over the LA Clippers in Game 2 of their Western Conference finals. (AFP) LOS ANGELES (AFP) – Deandre Ayton made the go-ahead catch and dunk with one second left and a bloodied Devin Booker scored 20 […].....»»
Suns sink Clippers with last-gasp Ayton dunk in see-saw thriller
Deandre Ayton made the go-ahead catch and dunk with one second left and a bloodied Devin Booker scored 20 points as the Phoenix Suns shocked the Los Angeles Clippers 104-103 in game two of their NBA playoff series......»»
DeAndre Ayton s wild alley-oop slam puts Suns ahead 2-0 vs Clippers
Paul George’s crucial misses from the free throw line left the door ajar for the Suns after a turnover by Devin Booker gave the Clippers the ball with 9.3 left......»»
Booker shines as Suns draw first blood against Clippers
LOS ANGELES (AFP) – Devin Booker delivered a 40-point triple double as the Phoenix Suns shook off some playoff rust to beat the fourth-seeded Los Angeles Clippers, 120-114, in the opening game of the Western Conference finals. Booker also had 13 rebounds and 11 assists for his first career triple double as the Suns won […].....»»
Hawks upset top seeded Sixers, Booker pours in 40 points in Suns win
Kevin Huerter scored a playoff career-high 27 points as the upstart Atlanta Hawks punched their ticket to their first Eastern Conference finals in six years on Sunday, with a 103-96 game seven win over the Philadelphia 76ers......»»
Booker sizzles as Suns beat Clippers in Game 1 of Western Conference finals
LOS ANGELES – Devin Booker delivered a 40-point triple double as the Phoenix Suns shook off some playoff rust to beat the fourth-seeded Los Angeles Clippers 120-114 in the opening game of the Western Conference finals. Booker also had 13 rebounds and 11 assists for his first career triple double as the Suns won on […] The post Booker sizzles as Suns beat Clippers in Game 1 of Western Conference finals appeared first on Cebu Daily News......»»
AP Sources: Beale and Booker to play USA at Tokyo 2020
Bradley Beale won gold with the United States basketball team 11 years earlier, allowing the Americans to score points at the Under-17 World Championship without.....»»
NBA Conference Semifinals: Phoenix ibinaon ang Denver, 3-0; Philadelphia umabante kontra Atlanta, 2-1
Kapwa kumbinsidong panalo ang sinungkit ng Phoenix Suns at Philadelphia 76ers sa magkahiwalay nilang laban sa Conference Seminals ng NBA playoffs. Tinalo ng bumisitang Suns ang Denver Nuggets, 116 – 102, para makuha ang 3-0 bentahe sa kanilang serye. Pinagsamang 55 puntos ng ginawa nina Chris Paul at Devin Booker para pangunahan ang Phoenix. Kumamada […] The post NBA Conference Semifinals: Phoenix ibinaon ang Denver, 3-0; Philadelphia umabante kontra Atlanta, 2-1 appeared first on Bandera......»»