Devin Booker of Phoenix Suns responds after making a basket during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday, April 21, 2021 in Philadelphia. (AP Photo / Matt Slocum)
“That’s why Book is who he is.”
For three-quarters, sophomore Philadelphia 76ers wing Matisse Thybulle did the best work we’ve ever seen as someone defending Phoenix Suns All-Star security guard Devin Booker.
Booker was 3-of-10 off the field, with Thybulle blocking his jumper twice and not giving Booker much room to breathe. Along with the extra defensive attention from auxiliary defenders Booker is used to, he had a tough time.
But as Chris Paul said above, Booker played “winning basketball” in the last two minutes to make plays and close the shop when needed in a 116-113 win over the Philadelphia 76ers.
Booker had 19 points, eight of them in the last 2:03 when the Suns started six. It was the return of the bad man who cemented himself in the bubble as one of the game’s best closers, throwing utterly homemade runs to slam a door that still leaked through some daylight for the 76ers.
His sprint was matched by the 76ers, a 9-8 advantage for Philly, but Booker was the reason the 76ers never got the ball within three points until the final game of the game.
The first bucket came just inside the three-point line, where Booker used a screen from Deandre Ayton to get enough distance from George Hill.
Again Suns head coach Monty Williams brought a screen for Booker, this time at Ayton’s elbow.
Ayton’s screen got a slice from Thybulle, who recovered in a bad spot, and Booker took advantage with a beautiful, patient touch shot to increase the lead back to six.
After Embiid responded quickly, the Suns bounced back after a Paul miss, and outside the inbound, it was all a shot from Booker.
He may have thought the 76ers were going to make a mistake, and went all the way from the right corner to the left wing before going back to the right corner to hit the dagger.
He waved both fingers at the 76ers couch to let them know better luck next time.
“It doesn’t matter if he’s 0-for-20, I still believe his next shots are coming in,” Mikal Bridges said of Booker.
“He took the right pictures, he still wants it,” said Paul.
After Booker’s shot, the 76ers hit 3 more, Booker made both free throws, the 76ers countered again with a 3 and then Paul was on the line with the Suns with two and 0.8 seconds to go.
Paul buried the first, and with a three-point lead, he intended to make it to the second.
He missed, Joel Embiid took the rebound, threw it 25 yards into the opponent’s basket, and the ball went in and out for almost the most incredible game of the NBA season.
“Just one of those things that could have made for a really long flight, a long night, and little sleep,” said Williams.
Booker also ended the evening with seven assists as Thybulle did a great job rejecting shots and the 76ers’ defense kept coming off shooters to give Booker less room as well.
The victory for the Suns came against a 76ers team that missed three starters: Seth Curry, Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris.
With that information, you could assume this was another example of the Suns playing their competition, but it was a great all-round effort.
They did an excellent job at Embiid, driving eight of the Sixers’ 16 sales. Much of that was Ayton, who had a second game in a row in which he did a great job of restraining an MVP-caliber opponent.
This is the part where we get to Embiid with still 38 points and 17 rebounds, because he’s a superstar and an absolutely unstoppable force.
“I thought DA was making it very difficult for him, he’s just an unreal player,” Williams said of Embiid.
‘Jo is difficult. He’s so tough. He can score in every way possible, ”added Paul, also saying that Ayton did a great job in the match.
The Suns occasionally stood in front of Embiid and also knocked out Ayton on ball screens, taking several looks at Philadelphia’s only reliable attack option with those key figures out.
Phoenix was good at swarming Embiid as best any team could hope for when he started dribbling for the basket.
It’s unfair to mention Paul so late, as his 28 points and eight assists kept the Suns in. While it was a good win with the Suns playing well, it’s not in their top-10 efforts of the season, but it was one of those nights when Paul wouldn’t allow his team to lose.
Paul scored five runs in each of the first quarters, before eight in the third and 10 in the fourth. He also had no sales and continued his absurd run into April, with 102 assists and just 13 sales in his last 11 games.
Paul’s buckets were the extra bit of shot the team needed while Booker struggled, and he and his supporting cast all made timely shots to keep the Sixers close and never let them lead more than two in the second half.
Cam Johnson scored 15 points to replace an injured Jae Crowder in the second half, and Mikal Bridges added 18 points, four rebounds, one assist, two steals and two blocks. Those two were excellent throughout the game, and Phoenix is a different team if that’s the case.
Jevon Carter was a little hesitant in the first three quarters, bringing back his quote from two weeks ago when he said everyone from the coaching to the training staff told him to shoot the ball.
He recorded that in the fourth and converted a trio of threes for all nine points in less than three minutes.
“Our guys were mad at JC when he took a few shots and when he got it in the corner and it was great to see our guys shoot around him and take those shots down,” said Williams.
The Sixers got those kinds of contributions too, which is ultimately why this was a back-and-forth affair instead of the Suns going 10-plus everywhere. Danny Green (18 points), Tyrese Maxey (14), Furkan Korkmaz (12) and George Hill (11) were all in double digits for Philadelphia.
Dario Saric kept on looking for the Suns, especially in defense, where he committed five fouls in 18 minutes.
It’s gotten to the point in recent weeks that Williams may need to consider a change, whether that’s Frank Kaminsky’s return to the rotation or getting small with an attacker in 5. That’s a very, very difficult decision for Williams to make. take. , as you’d think he’d want to use this time to get Saric back on track for the playoffs, but when is the right time to save that and let the alternative use that time to find a flow instead?
Ayton had 10 points, five rebounds, two steals and two blocks. He did well on Embiid, and while his high-impact performance wasn’t elsewhere in the first three quarters, he made some big plays in the fourth, including an offensive rebound that led to that first shot that Booker hit on that eighth. . point rise.