The Phoenix Suns qualified this Tuesday for the Western semifinals (4-1) by eliminating the Los Angeles Clippers (136-130) who, without the injured Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, ended another bad season. After the brilliant performances in the second and third games, Devin Booker surpassed himself and offered a true scoring recital (47 points, 25 of them in the third quarter). Shooting 19-for-27, he stroked the triple-double with eight rebounds and 10 assists and surpassed Charles Barkley as the Phoenix player with the most games over 40 points in the playoffs.
In the Clippers, who in the last quarter had options to tie the game and even to take the lead after trailing by 20 points, Norman Powell (27 points) and Russell Westbrook stood out, who touched the triple-double (14 points, eight rebounds and eight assists), but who turned over five turnovers and was not successful in front of the basket (3 of 18 shooting).
After the loss to the Suns, the Clippers close another bad season that adds to years of disappointment. In 2020 they lost to the Denver Nuggets despite winning 3-1, in 2021 Kawhi Leonard tore his cruciate ligament and in 2022 they didn't make it past the play-ins. This year the injuries have also been an ordeal for the Los Angeles team.
The Suns, for their part, will face Nikola Jokic's Denver Nuggets who this Tuesday beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 112-109 in a very even match, and also took the series 4-1.
With 1.12 remaining to go and with the game tied at 104, Nikola Jokic scored two decisive baskets (one of them with an additional free kick) to overcome the resistance of some Wolves who had a triple by Anthony Edwards to force overtime.
The Serbian center signed a triple-double with 28 points (8 of 29 shooting), 17 rebounds and 12 assists, although the top scorer for the Nuggets (first in the West) was Jamal Murray with 35 points. Edwards (29 points, eight rebounds and seven assists), the Dominican Karl-Anthony Towns (26 points and 11 rebounds) and Rudy Gobert (16 points and 15 rebounds) were the most outstanding of the Wolves (eighth).
At TD Garden Trae Young (38 points, including the last 14 for the Hawks) led the exciting victory of the Atlanta Hawks against the Boston Celtics (117-119). A victory that makes it 2-3 in the series of the first round of the playoffs and that keeps Quin Snyder's men alive.
In addition to scoring 38 points, Young finished the game with 13 assists and four rebounds, while John Collins signed 22 and the Serbian Bogdan Bogdanovic, 18. For the Celtics Jaylen Brown contributed 35 points, seven rebounds and five assists and Jayson Tatum scored 19, with a modest 1-for-10 3-pointer.
The series now moves to Atlanta for Game 6, scheduled for Thursday, with the Celtics one win away from a second-round duel with the Philadelphia 76ers. Those from Boston, despite the defeat, still have a home field advantage, and even if they lose in Atlanta, they would play the eventual seventh game at the TD Garden.
While waiting for the epilogue of the series, those who can enjoy are the 76ers led by Joel Embiid and James Harden, who overwhelmed the Brooklyn Nets 4-0
