Phoenix Suns’ Devin Booker reacts after making a basket during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Philadelphia 76ers, Wednesday, April 21, 2021, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo / Matt Slocum)
“That’s why Book is who he is.”
Second-year wing Philadelphia 76ers Matisse Thybulle did the best job we’ve ever seen as the defender of Devin Booker, the Phoenix Suns All-Star Guard, for three quarters.
Booker was 3-out-10 off the field, with Thybulle blocking his jumper twice and not giving Booker much room to breathe. Along with the extra defensive attention of assistant defenders that Booker is used to, he had a hard time.
But as Chris Paul said above, Booker “won basketball” the last two minutes to make plays and close the store when he needed a 116-113 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.
Booker had 19 points, eight of them in the final 2:03 when the Suns started six. It was the return of the bad guy who solidified himself in the bubble as one of the leading shutters of the match, making completely self-created runs to slam a door that was still leaking through the daylight for the 76ers.
His trail was matched by the 76ers, a 9-8 advantage for Philly, but Booker was the reason the 76ers never scored within three points until the final game of the game.
The first bucket comes just inside the three-point line, where Booker used a screen from Deandre Ayton to get enough separation from George Hill.
Again, Suns head coach Monty Williams brought a screen for Booker, this time to the elbow from Ayton.
The Ayton screen got a piece of Thybulle, which was in a bad spot to recover, and Booker took advantage with a beautiful, patient touch to extend the lead to six.
After Embiid responded quickly, the Suns returned a Paul mission, and from the inside it was all Booker’s shot.
He might have thought the 76ers would trespass, and he went from the right corner to the left wing before returning to the right corner to strike the dagger.
He swung both fingers to the 76ers bench to let them know better luck next time.
“It doesn’t matter if he’s 0-for-20, I still believe he’s going to get in next shots,” Mikal Bridges said of Booker.
“He made the right time, he still wants it,” Paul said.
After hitting the Booker shot, the 76ers hit another 3, Booker made both of his free throws, the 76ers tipped again with a 3 and then Paul was in line with the Suns scoring two and 0.8. seconds before was.
Paul buried the first, and with a lead of three points he intended to fetch the second.
He missed, Joel Embiid grabbed the rebound, threw it 80 feet at the opposite basket and the ball went in and out for almost the most incredible game of the NBA season.
“Just one of the things that could make a very long flight, long night and not much sleep,” Williams said.
Booker also ended the evening with seven assistants, as Thybulle did a good job and the 76ers defense still came off the shooters to give Booker less space as well.
The victory for the Suns took place against a 76ers team that missed three starters: Seth Curry, Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris.
With the information presented, you can assume that this was another example of the Suns playing their competition, but it was an excellent effort to do everything.
They did an excellent job at Embiid, forcing him into eight of the Sixers’ 16 turnovers. Much of it was Ayton, who had a second game to do an excellent job of limiting an MVP caliber opponent.
This is the part where we at Embiid still have 38 points and 17 rebounds, because he is a superstar and an absolutely unstoppable force.
“I thought DA was making him very difficult, he’s just an unreal player,” Williams said of Embiid.
‘You’re tough. He’s so tough. He can score in every possible way, ‘Paul added, saying Ayton did a good job.
The Suns sometimes put Embiid ahead and also turned Ayton off on ball screens, otherwise looking at Philadelphia’s lone reliable offensive option with the key players.
Phoenix was good at swarming Embiid as well as any team could hope if he started dripping into the basket.
It’s unfair to call Paul that late because his 28 points and eight assists kept the Suns in it. While it was a good win where the Suns played well, it’s not their top 10 effort of the season, but it was one of those nights in which Paul would not let his team lose.
Paul scored five points in each of the opening quarters before eight in the third and 10 in the fourth. He also did not have a turnover, and he continued this absurd run in April, with 102 assistants and only 13 times in his last 11 games.
Paul’s pickups were the extra shotgun the team needed while Booker struggled, and he and his cast all hit shots to keep the Sixers close and never put more than two ahead in the second half.
Cam Johnson scored 15 points, replacing an injured Jae Crowder in the second half, and Mikal Bridges added 18 points, four rebounds, an assist, two steals and two blocks. These two were an excellent match, and Phoenix is a different team if that is the case.
Jevon Carter hesitated a bit in the first three quarters and brought back his quote from two weeks ago when he said that everyone, from the coaching to the training staff, tells him to shoot the ball.
He locked it up in the fourth year and converted a trio of tries for all nine of his points in less than three minutes.
“Our guys were upset about JC when he turned down a few shots, and then he got it in the corner, and it was great to see our guys shoot around him,” Williams said.
The Sixers also got these kinds of contributions, and that was ultimately why it was a back-and-forth affair instead of the Suns consistently leading by ten plus. Danny Green (18 points), Tyrese Maxey (14), Furkan Korkmaz (12) and George Hill (11) were all in double figures for Philadelphia.
Dario Saric continued to look out for the Suns, especially in defense, where he committed five fouls in 18 minutes.
It’s come to the point in the last few weeks where Williams may need to consider a change, whether it’s the return of Frank Kaminsky in the rotation or going small with a forward on the 5. It’s a very difficult decides for Williams to take, as you would think he would like to use this time to get Saric ready again before the playoffs, but when is the right time to sponsor it and let the alternative use the time to get a stream instead to find?
Ayton had 10 points, five rebounds, two steals and two blocks. He did well on Embiid, and although his big impact was not there in the first three quarters, he did have some great plays in the fourth, including an attacking setback, which led to the first shot Booker had on that eight-point thrust.