Devin Booker dropped 35 points against the 76ers and Suns remained unbeaten (7–0) in the bubble
Suns superstar Devin Booker was once again the focal point of the game as he led his team to another victory 130–117 this time against the Philadelphia 76ers who were missing many key players due to injuries. Phoenix remained unbeaten (7–0) in the bubble.
“That’s life, man,” Booker said of their record in the bubble acknowledging that even if they make it 8–0, it might not be enough to secure them a playoff spot. “We’re controlling what we can control and that’s the eight games they gave us. … I don’t think there’s going to be any sad faces around here, whether we make the playoffs or not.”
Booker had a great performance with 35 points (11/24 FG, 2/4 3-PT, 9 rebounds and 7 assists) and became the Suns’ career leader by recording his 91st 30-point game, breaking a tie with Walter Davis.
Mikal Bridges added 24 points (8/10 FG, 3/5 3-PT, 2 rebounds, 1 assist), Dario Saric came off the bench and was very efficient scoring 18 points by shooting 7-out of-9 from the field and 2-of-2 from the perimeter. Ricky Rubio, who struggled in the second half, finished the game with 16 points, five rebounds and 10 assists.
“We know we’re not totally in control of our fate but we put ourselves in a good position,” Suns head coach Monty Williams said. “No one would have guessed the Phoenix Suns would be in this position before all of this started.”
Suns maintained a doubled digit lead in the fourth quarter (101–90) but 76ers reserve point guard Raul Neto was so crafty with the ball creating easy shots for his teammates and knocking down three-pointers all night.Firstly, he made 8-foot driving floating jump shot (101–92), then made a layup (101–94) and next possession he made a 26-foot three point jumper to cut Suns’ lead to six points (103–97). Suns made a run 10–5 and since then they surged their lead to double digits again to close out the game.
Neto had a career-high 22 points coming off the bench, shooting 50% (9/18) from the field and 3-of-7 from the perimeter.
76ers coach Brett Brown said he was satisfied his short-handed team achieved the goal “to connect some of the dots on things that will be transferable to the playoffs.”
Shake Milton was Philadelphia’s only healthy starter against the Suns as 76ers played under the absence of their starters with Joel Embiid out (with a left ankle injury), Tobias Harris (with sore right ankle), Al Horford (with asore left knee) — all were on the bench watching the game. Ben Simmons (who had a surgery on his left knee) is expected to be out for the rest of the season.
Sixers coach Brett Brown on Joel Embiid: ‘I do expect him to (play in one of the last two regular-season games).’
Philadelphia center Kyle O’Quinn was one point away from a triple-double recording nine points, 10 rebounds, and a career-high 11 assists. He was really close to getting a triple double and his teammate Furkan Korkmaz felt bad because late in the game, he was wide open but Korkmaz attempted a three-point shot instead of passing him the ball and for this reason he apologized to him after the game.
“I don’t think Furk knew, I knew, but I didn’t want to look like I was trying to get it,” said O’Quinn. “I don’t want to look like one of those guys running in, miss a layup, just to get a rebound, and put it back so Furk was playing the game. I would much rather us play in the flow than force me the ball. He came to me after the game and he apologized in the most sincere way so I guess me and him are good.”
“I didn’t find out until late when I was subbed out at the end. I knew I had it going a little bit with the assists, but if you start tracking rebounds and points, you’ll never get it so I just kept it going and flowing and when I came to the bench, my teammates had told me how close I was and then it’s like ‘Dang’, but it is what it is. I can’t celebrate going for a triple-double while down 13. That’s the ultimate selfish look and I’m not that guy,” he added.
The Sixers will travel to Toronto to face the defending champions in a back-to-back game.
Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SteliosK24
This is my Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/NBA-Western-Conference-644047762388472/
And you can hit the follow button on this platform if you want.