Anthony Davis #3 of the Los Angeles Lakers steps to the bench during the second half of an NBA game against the Phoenix Suns at the Footprint Center on April 5, 2022 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns defeated the Lakers with a score of 121-110. Christian Petersen / Getty Images / AFP
Devin Booker scored 32 points and made six 3-pointers in three-quarters on Tuesday night to help Phoenix win 121-110 ahead of a visit to Los Angeles, a victory that eliminated the Lakers from the race to the docks as well as providing for the Suns with the franchise’s record 63rd win.
LeBron James sidelined with an ankle injury for the fifth time in seven games as Los Angeles (31-48) lost their seventh straight game. The defeat dashed the Lakers’ last hopes after the San Antonio Spurs beat the Denver Nuggets earlier in the night.
Deandre Ayton added 22 points and 13 rebounds and Chris Paul recorded 12 assists as the NBA’s Best Suns (63-16) clinched a two-game slip. Phoenix went through 62 wins by the 1992-93 and 2004-05 teams.
Devin Booker ends the alley to enter #PhantomCam
19 points for Books on NBA TV pic.twitter.com/vaZCDZ9TVi
– NBA (@NBA) April 6, 2022
Russell Westbrook scored 28 points and Anthony Davis scored 21 points and 13 rebounds for Los Angeles, which fell to 11-28 on the road. Phoenix is the NBA’s best player with a score of 32-8 at home.
Cameron Johnson had 12 points and Mikal Bridges added 10 for Phoenix, shooting 49% from the field and 14 of 39 from a 3-point range. Cameron Payne contributed 11 assists for the Suns, who sealed a 4-0 win over the Lakers this season.
Austin Reaves scored 18 points and Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard added 10 points each for Los Angeles, reaching 45.3 percent and being 9 of 29 from behind the arc.
The Suns took a 63-58 lead at halftime before taking the first 9:23 lead of the third inning.
Crowder and Booker drained all 3 pointers in a 12-0 burst to give Phoenix an 84-65 lead. The advantage hits 20 when Booker connects on another trey to make 87-67 with 5:30 left in the interval.
Booker hit the third pointer in 89 seconds to make it 90-68 with 4:46 remaining.
Ayton finished the opening quarter 33-12 with a spin jump to increase the lead to 96-70 with a score of 2:37.
Booker finished 16 points in the third quarter with a short time with 9.1 seconds remaining as Phoenix led 98-80 in the final inning.
The Suns led 25 in the middle of the final stanza before Los Angeles scored 12 in a row to cut into the margin.
Booker scored 16 points in the first half as the Suns took a five-point lead after the break. Westbrook had 18 first-half goals for the Lakers.
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