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The Phoenix Suns advanced to the second round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs tonight by seeing off the LA Lakers 113-100 in Game 6. Monty Williams' men took the initiative early and Devin Booker led the charge on offense as the Suns claimed the series 4-2.
Anthony Davis got injured early into the game and the LA Lakers missed him dearly. The Phoenix Suns then managed to restrict LeBron James in the early minutes, but he eventually left his imprint later on. Chris Paul wasn't in his best shape either, but he handled business down the stretch.
Paul will now lead the Phoenix Suns against the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Semifinals. Meanwhile, LeBron James and the LA Lakers have some introspection to do. This is also the first time LeBron James has lost a first-round series in the NBA Playoffs.
Without further ado, let's look at five talking points from the Phoenix Suns' all-important win against the LA Lakers.
#1 Phoenix Suns effectively kill the tie in the first quarter with historic 3-point shooting and solid defense
If LeBron James' teams have their backs up against the wall, you simply don't take them lightly. The Phoenix Suns came prepared for a battle at Staples Center tonight and made their intentions clear right from the offset.
First, it was Jae Crowder who racked up three consecutive three-pointers and then Devin Booker joined the party. Before the LA Lakers could even gather themselves, they were staring at a 14-36 deficit a mere 12 minutes into the game.
The Phoenix Suns made 10 three-pointers during this period, thereby tying the NBA Playoff record for most treys in a quarter. They also backed their offense with some solid defense and forced the LA Lakers into taking bad shots. The Purple and Gold shot just 28.6% from the field in the opening period of the matchup.
#2 LeBron James leads spirited effort from LA Lakers in the second half but it wasn't enough
The Phoenix Suns continued their good work in the second quarter, and their lead ballooned to 29 points at one juncture. It felt like deja vu for the LA Lakers, who had lost the previous matchup by 30. But that's when LeBron James finally picked up his game and led a fightback for the defending champs.
The LA Lakers went small in the second half by introducing Markieff Morris at the five and the Phoenix Suns had trouble coping with their floor spacing. This allowed the likes of Dennis Schroder and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to score in multiple ways, with LeBron orchestrating all of this.
The LA Lakers outscored the Phoenix Suns 56-26 in scoring inside the paint. They even cut the deficit to 10 points with eight minutes remaining in the matchup. But Monty Williams' men eventually held on for the win.
LeBron finished with 29 points, seven assists, nine rebounds, two steals and two blocks. Schroder also scored 20 points despite a tough first half. Even Caldwell-Pope managed 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting despite playing through a knee injury. All of their efforts turned out to be in vain though.
#3 Devin Booker catches fire and torches the LA Lakers
Devin Booker put up his best performance of the season in what was arguably the biggest game of his career so far. He played the entirety of the first quarter and toyed with the LA Lakers defense.
Booker scored 22 points in this period alone and went 6-of-6 from downtown. This outburst essentially allowed the Phoenix Suns to build that huge lead in the early phases of the game, which was eventually too huge for the LA Lakers to surmount.
Devin Booker continued this form the rest of the way and eventually finished with 47 points on 68.2% shooting. He grabbed 11 rebounds and contributed on the defensive end as well.
#4 The Anthony Davis experience lasts for just five minutes
Anthony Davis' inclusion in the starting lineup came as a huge boost for the LA Lakers, who missed him immensely in Game 5. Davis, though, started to struggle just moments after tip-off. A few possessions later. AD aggravated his groin injury again after attempting to block a shot attempt by Devin Booker.
The LA Lakers eventually adjusted without Davis, but the Phoenix Suns made it really difficult for the hosts to penetrate the paint in the first half. The Suns just collapsed into the paint and forced the Lakers to settle for shots from distance, something they've been really inefficient at.
#5 Chris Paul seals the deal for the Phoenix Suns in the clutch
Nothing was more indicative of Chris Paul's impact on this Phoenix Suns team than his play in the final minutes of this matchup. The LA Lakers were knocking on the door and had all the momentum on their side in the fourth, but that's when Chris Paul rose to the fore, like he always does in the clutch.
With the scoreboard reading 94-84 in the Phoenix Suns' favor, Paul pulled up for a turnaround jumper, then set up Mikal Bridges for a three-pointer and completed the rally with another bucket for himself. This 7-0 run gave the Suns a 17-point cushion over the LA Lakers and that was enough to claim the series-clinching win.
Chris Paul played just 29 minutes tonight, but still dished out 12 times, five of which came in the fourth quarter. And like always, Paul ensured that he was incredibly efficient, turning the ball just once during the game.
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