Devin Booker, Kevin Durant deliver, but Deandre Ayton near no-show in Phoenix Suns’ Game 3 win

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The Phoenix Suns found a way to make this a series with their two best players combining for 86 points, a rarely used reserve coming through in the clutch and without their starting center on the floor in crunch time.

The fourth-seeded Suns will take a win any way they can get it right now.

Their 121-114 Game 3 victory that shouldn’t have been that close after building a 16-point lead in the first half kept them from falling into an insurmountable 3-0 hole in this Western Conference semifinals series.

The Suns certainly needed Devin Booker’s game-high 47 points to match a playoff career-high, Kevin Durant’s 39 points and T.J. Warren’s five points late in game to help close out the No. 1-seed Nuggets.

Phoenix used a 14-0 run that began late in the third and continued into the fourth to build a 99-88 advantage with 9:43 left in the game.

And Jock Landale did more than just score six points and grab nine rebounds. He showed Deandre Ayton — and reminded Suns head coach Monty Williams — that energy and effort can go a long way toward winning a game.

Here are five takeaways as the Suns prevailed without injured Chris Paul, who isn’t expected to play in Sunday’s Game 4 in Phoenix with a left groin strain suffered in the second half of Game 2’s loss.

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Deandre Ayton was watching during crunch time

Oh, the big fella was upset.

When Ayton saw Landale checking into the game with 4:57 left in the fourth and Phoenix up seven, I couldn’t read his lips from where the media sit, but he was barking and sporting a scowl while heading to the bench.

Teammates were coming over to talk to him as Ayton was visibly upset.

Then Landale got called for a foul guarding Nikola Jokic, who scored on the play and hit the ensuing free throw to pull Denver within five with 3:04 remaining in the game.

Timeout Suns.

As Landale sat down, Ayton started talking to him in an energetic way.

May 5, 2023; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) against Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton (22) in the first half during game three of the 2023 NBA playoffs at Footprint Center….

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/devin-booker-kevin-durant-deliver-140026438.html?src=rss

Author : AZCentral | The Arizona Republic

Publish date : 2023-05-06 17:32:13

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