BBNBA: Devin Booker's 38 points help Suns tie series with Clippers

The Phoenix Suns need a bounce-back win and Devin Booker was the man up to the task.

On Tuesday night in a Game 2 matchup between the five-seeded LA Clippers and four-seeded Phoenix Suns, it was Booker’s 38 points that separated the two squads. The former Kentucky guard reached his point total on an efficient 14-22 overall shooting, including a 4-7 clip on shots from long range and a perfect 6-6 mark from the free throw line. He also dished out nine assists in his 38 minutes played, leading Phoenix to a critical 123-109 win to tie the series at 1-1. The series now shifts to Los Angeles for Games 3 and 4.

After LA shocked the Suns with a 115-110 Game 1 victory, Phoenix came out for Game 2 with a different mindset. Although it didn’t exactly start out perfectly for the Suns — digging itself into a 13-point hole halfway through the second quarter — but the second half was all Phoenix, which outscored the Clippers by 14 after the intermission. Booker dropped 18 of his 38 points in the third quarter on 7-8 shooting to make it a five-point Suns lead going into the final 12 minutes of play. Some guy named Kevin Durant chipped in 25 points for Phoenix on the night, too.

“He’s an all-around player,” Durant said about Booker. “He can do everything at an elite level on a basketball court.”

Game 3 is set for Thursday, April 20 at 10:30 p.m. EST on NBA TV.

Randle, Quickley fall to Cavs in Game 2

After roughing up the four-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 1, the five-seeded New York Knicks received a taste of its own medicine in Game 2. The Cavs, led by Darius Garland’s 26 first-half points, manhandled Julius Randle, Immanuel Quickley, and the rest of the Knicks from the opening tip to the final buzzer. A 34-17 second-quarter advantage for the home team was more than enough to knot the series up at 1-1 with the show headed to the Big Apple for Games 3 and 4. Cleveland pushed the lead to as many as 29 in the fourth period before settling on a 107-90 victory.

Randle finished with a modest 22 points and eight rebounds, but he turned the ball over six times and shot just 8-20 from the floor. The big news, however, surrounding the former Kentucky big man was what happened in the closing minutes with the game already decided. While going up for a fastbreak dunk, Randle was met with a hard foul by Cleveland center Jarrett Allen, who attempted to block Randle’s shot but instead knocked Randle to the floor. Allen was called for a flagrant foul.

“I thought it was a little unnecessary,” Randle said postgame. “I understand that in the playoffs, you don’t give up on plays. But typically, you run across the body. Not like that.”

Why does Thibs have Julius Randle in the game !? pic.twitter.com/oXapMk0TyM

— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) April 19, 2023

I’ll admit I’m a Cavaliers fan, so maybe that’s altering my thinking, but I didn’t mind this foul by Allen. First of all, check the time and score. Why is Randle even in the game? Put him on the bench and keep him ready for Game 3. Plus, as Randle even mentioned, this is a playoff game. Tensions are high and a team like the Cavs — which built a reputation this season as a tough-nosed, defensive unit — is going to play that way until the clock reads nothing but zeroes.

But we’ll all quickly move on from this. Allen will surely hear some boobirds at Madison Square Garden for Game 3 though. And speaking of quickly, Immanuel Quickley had a semi-productive game for the Knicks, finishing with 12 points (4-8 FG) and two steals in 23 minutes. It was a step forward though, as he scored just three points on 0-5 shooting in Game 1.

Game 3 is set for Friday, April 21 at 8:30 p.m. EST on ABC.

4/28/23 statistics

Player	Score	PTS	FG (3PT)	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	+/-	MIN
Devin Booker (PHX)	123-109 W vs. LAC	38	14-22 (4-7)	1	9	1	0	3	15	44
Julius Randle (NYK)	90-107 L @ CLE	22	8-20 (3-7)	8	1	1	0	6	-7	33
Immanuel Quickley (NYK)	90-107 L @ CLE	12	4-8 (1-4)	1	1	2	0	1	-5	23

Tonight in the NBA

7:30 (TNT): No. 7 Lakers (Davis, Gabriel, Vanderbilt) @ No. 2 Grizzlies [LAL leads 1-0]
9:00 (NBA TV): No. 8 Heat (Adebayo, Herro: out) @ No. 1 Bucks [MIA leads 1-0]
10:00 (TNT): No. 8 Timberwolves (Towns) @ No. 1 Nuggets (Murray) [DEN leads 1-0]