Against the wall after losing the first two games in Denver, the Phoenix Suns needed some monumental performances from Devin Booker (47 points) and Kevin Durant (39) to beat the Nuggets 121-114 at home this Friday and close the gap (1 -2) in the NBA Western Conference semifinal series.
Without Chris Paul, out until at least the fourth game due to a pubic problem, Booker and Durant led the Suns by the hand and frustrated the tremendous triple double of 28 points, 17 rebounds and 18 assists by the Serbian Nikola Jokic and the 32 Jamal Murray points.
Under the gaze of stars such as the Spanish golfer Jon Rahm or Damian Lillard, point guard for the Portland Trail Blazers, the Suns recovered sensations at the Footprint Center, where they will return this Sunday for the fourth game, again with no margin for error to avoid a new upset in the 'playoffs' for a franchise that seeks the first ring in its history.
Booker and Durant scored 86 points for the Suns. The first connected twenty of his 25 field goals and sealed 47 with just two free throws, scored with six seconds to go with the game already sentenced. Durant supported him with 39, nine rebounds and eight assists and finished 12 of 31 from shots after starting 1 of 9.
Jokic's magnificent performance was not enough for the Nuggets, who also gave his teammates rhythm and favored Michael Porter Jr.'s 18 points.
The night Joel Embiid received his season MVP trophy in front of his family and Philadelphia fans, the Celtics spoiled the party for the Cameroonian center by beating the Sixers 102-114. Friday night's win puts the Celtics up 2-1 in the series against the Sixers.
The night started well for an emotional Embiid who, surrounded by his parents and son, tearfully received the MVP of the season trophy minutes before kick-off.
The center would end the night as the game's top scorer, with a double-double of 30 points and 13 rebounds, as well as three assists and four blocks.
But without the contribution of James Harden, who had a bad night in which he only scored two of the seven triples he attempted and one shot of seven 2-pointers, the center exhausted himself in a useless attempt.
Harden, who for much of the night was indecisive and lacking in confidence at the rim, finished the night with 16 points on eight shots from the personal line. Tyrese Maxey didn't have a good game either, with 13 points after nine 3-point attempts and seven 2-pointers.
On the Celtics, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum were tireless. Brown applied a sticky defense to Harden from the first second of the game that threw the Philadelphia guard off balance. Brown had 23 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
And Tatum had a double-double with 27 points and 10 rebounds despite only making three of 11 3-pointers.
