After getting blown out in Game 5, the Lakers were adamant about slowing down the Suns from beyond the three-point line in a win-or-go-home Game 6. Whatever plan the team devised, Devin Booker had other ideas.
Booker scored 47 points on 8-for-10 shooting from deep as the Suns beat the Lakers, 113-100, to advance to the second round. The win marks the first time Phoenix has advanced past the first round since 2010, when the team made it to the conference finals before losing to the Lakers.
Booker led a Suns barrage in the first quarter that gave Phoenix a commanding early lead. He shot 8-for-9 from the field and a perfect 6-for-6 from deep to finish with 22 points in the first, giving the Suns a 36-14 lead. Phoenix led by as many as 29 points in the first half, while the Lakers never held a lead.
For the series, Booker averaged 29.7 points per game, topping the 30-point mark four times.
The loss marks the first time in LeBron James’s career that his team was knocked out of the first round. James finished with 29 points on 11-for-26 shooting with nine rebounds and seven assists.
Suns point guard Chris Paul had 8 points on 4-for-12 shooting with 12 assists. Lakers guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 19 points on 7-for-11 shooting.
Lakers forward Anthony Davis, who missed Game 5 with a groin injury, attempted to play in Game 6 but left after just five minutes. The Suns will take on the Nuggets in the second round.
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