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Phoenix Suns goalie Devin Booker (1) shoots against the Philadelphia 76ers in the second half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, February 13, 2021, in Phoenix (AP Photo / Matt York)
There are some great wins in the regular season, and then there are wins that mimic basketball in the playoffs.
So it’s no surprise that Phoenix Suns shooting guard Devin Booker had his best game of the season when the level of play was so high in a 120-111 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. .
“This is what I expected. Play competitive basketball in the evening and in the evening, ”he says. “So it’s been five years of keeping your head down, staying locked up and seeing tunnel vision, trying to play the right way through it all for these times here. So I don’t want to look back.
Booker had 36 points this way, we got used to seeing from him where it was a difficult 36.
He has now scored at least 30 points in three straight games, reaching his expected form in the NBA.
The 76ers came to Phoenix fully engaged for a warning on Saturday at 1 p.m. The Suns were up for it, trading blows until they finally pulled out, shooting 61 percent of the field thanks to strong offensive execution.
Since the jump in the first quarter, Philadelphia has done the best job as a team defending Booker that we’ve seen in quite some time. Booker started 2 of 7 on the pitch, being controlled by Ben Simmons, one of the best defensemen on the planet.
Booker was able to find a rhythm with Danny Green defending him to open the second quarter, and to steal a retort from the man himself, he didn’t look back from there.
The two-guard All-Star has made 12 of his last 16 shooting attempts. Phoenix managed to be down to just five in the first quarter, where the return of the Suns ‘key reserves once again proved to be a deciding factor in the Suns’ victory.
The margins will decide which games are played at that level, and one of those was MVP candidate Joel Embiid’s Philadelphia minutes against the Suns’ second unit. This is where 5 Dario Saric’s backup was immense in his first game in over two months.
“Dario won’t come back to anyone, man,” Booker said.
Saric, who played with Embiid for two seasons, got the better of Embiid on both sides with the skill of someone who has trained against a guy countless times. The Croatian knew Embiid’s angles of attack and defense. It could have been the biggest difference in the game.
“I might know what he’s going to do, where I can meet him on the spot and that sort of thing,” Saric said.
Head coach Monty Williams called Saric a “warrior” and admitted you couldn’t expect him to block Embiid’s shot.
Saric had that block plus 15 points, two rebounds, four assists and four steals. In 20 minutes, he was over 18.
“Dario is one of the best guys to play with… We take a lot of what he does for granted. I know I do… He’s so cerebral, makes the right plays and (is) a great teammate, man, ”said Chris Paul.
Embiid got his own, with 35 points and eight rebounds, but those are the segments of the game the 76ers were supposed to win and they didn’t. The momentum of that first bench change in the second quarter pushed the Suns even higher to close with a draw at the end of the first half.
Booker and Paul assisted or scored on 20 of the Suns’ first 22 points in the third quarter. Booker tallied 16 of his 36 points in this third, including a 12-point streak from the Suns. And then it was the bench again.
Saric mostly beat Embiid in the second half. Their minutes against each other were tied in the first half, a huge win for the Suns, and Phoenix was plus-5 in the opening 5.30am of the fourth quarter with Saric on Embiid before Deandre Ayton finished the game. .
At that point, Phoenix was new and that’s where it was good for the Suns to have Paul and Booker at their best. The duo have scored or assisted on 16 straight points in the last five minutes.
Booker’s 33-foot dagger to put Phoenix 14 with 1:55 left was one of the frozen varieties.
It wasn’t just Saric from the bench. The group as a whole had 49 points, including four from Cameron Payne on his return, 11 via E’Twaun Moore, nine from Cam Johnson and another eight contributed by Jae Crowder.
“So sweet, man. We are deep. I feel like we’re 15, ”Booker said. “Anyone can play. Everyone is ready to go.
The Suns (16-9) can beat the NBA elite, like the 76ers (18-9), even with a few key players if they have other pieces ready to pick up their teammates. That was the case on Saturday with two of their top four players not playing well.
Ayton couldn’t really find a way to make an impact on the game. In 27 minutes, he had 11 points and six rebounds.
And if something was wrong watching the last few minutes, it was probably the lack of Mikal Bridges on the pitch. The ultra-reliable wing did a rare off night, posting four points, two rebounds and one assist in 24 minutes. Williams went with Crowder and Johnson on the bridges and starter Frank Kaminsky to end the game.
While the team have played well with Kaminsky in recent games and it is wise of Williams not to disrupt the flow, the team will get better contributions elsewhere, and Williams is not afraid to step down. with more options. Kaminsky only played 11 minutes.
Paul added 18 points, eight rebounds and 10 assists.
The Suns have now won five straight games and eight of their last nine. In three of their last four, they’ve beaten the 76ers, Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics. The Eastern Conference final will surely include at least one of these teams and maybe even both.
It’s the best basketball streak Phoenix has seen from his team in a decade. The high expectations for the Suns this year that are now being met and even surpassed shouldn’t let that slip to mind.
If anyone isn’t letting that happen, this is the face of the franchise.
Booker missed a three point while he was in the middle of his tear in the third quarter, and heading towards the timeout he shouted and took out some frustration on the basket near the bench. He knew the level of basketball played, how important each shot could be.
He wants to prosper there more than anyone. He did it on Saturday, and he will only get better.
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