The Phoenix Suns shot down the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers, winning Game 6 — and the series — in L.A. on Thursday.
As a forever NBA fan, our temptation to chronicle this one in real time was too tough to ignore.
The Phoenix Suns knock out the Los Angeles Lakers, first quarter
Playoff Jae times 3. The veteran provides a shockingly quick start.
8:05 left in the first quarter: A.D. begins the foundation for excuses, clutching his upper leg/groin.
LeBron not exactly playing downhill, shoots his second 3 without attempting to drive the lane.
6:05 A.D. out. What doctor OK’d his health? Dr. J? Dr. Kevorkian?
5:55 Mikal is better than Kyle Kuzma, offensive board and a putback.
Turnover L.A.
One more pass … Bridges to Booker — TRIPLE — and it’s 21-10.
Grant Hill makes the obligatory excuse for LeBron (high ankle, blah blah). And then it happened. A national outlet gave the Suns a little love. “… But also, give credit to the defense.”
Well, thank you.
LeBron and his, uh, “big shoulders” roll into the lane, spin and take an off-balance fadeway. No good.
Devin Booker? TRIPLE, TRIPLE!!! It’s 27-10.
Timeout.
Book and Playoff Jae Crowder are 7-7 from 3-point range.
“Credit the Suns,” Lakers coach Frank Vogel said after the game.
Well, thank you, Coach.
Kuzma hits one as play by play guy Kevin Harlan offers another mention of LeBron’s ankle injury — you know, LeBron, whose head was even with the rim earlier this series, right?
Back to the action.
BOOKER TRIPLE, BOOKER TRIPLE!! He’s now 6-6 from long range and the Suns hold a 33-12 lead.
Timeout Lakers.
Cam Payne gets hungry and busts the Suns’ 10th 3-pointer in the quarter. TEN!!
Suns hold Lakers to a season-low 14-point quarter.
This is reminiscent of Game 4, when the Suns just took it from L.A.
The Phoenix Suns knock out the Los Angeles Lakers, second quarter
Cam Johnson tries to join the 3-parade. Misses but grabs the offensive board and it’s 38-14.
LeBron drives and can’t convert. Whines, and then heads back up court.
Cam Johnson to Frank Kaminsky for two.
Cam Johnson for 3 and it’s another …
Timeout Lakers.
Text to me just came in from a four-decade Lakers fan: “Payne a lefty like me, but my jumper is prettier.” Then Cam Johnson hits his 3. “CALL IT,” he said. Then, quickly, some perspective. “This better not be the championship, hope the Suns have their eyes on the bigger picture.”
Booker and CP3 would allow for nothing less than the game-day focus every night.
Lakers get interested. KCP hits another 3 and it’s a 9-0 run with more than six minutes left.
Schroder, 0-9 in Game 5, forces the action and draws a foul on Booker. Two free throws cut the deficit to 19 with just more than three minutes left before halftime.
No worries. After a very questionable flagrant on Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (players from the 1980s and 1990s, along with millions of old-school basketball fans cringed), Booker finished the half with a pair of free throws to give him 33 — on 11-16 shooting.
HALFTIME: Suns 62, Lakers 41
Shaq says Booker is a budding superstar. Those players sense the kill. Booker, Shaq said, is a guy who says, “Gimme the damn ball and get out the way.”
Suns fans have to be so happy to have a national audience find out what they’ve known for years. Book is a killaaahhhh.
The Phoenix Suns knock out the Los Angeles Lakers, third quarter
Third quarter starts with a Schroder layup and a Gasol foul on Deandre Ayton, who hits a pair of free throws.
CP3 may not be able to shoot, but he can pass… lob jam Ayton.
LeBron hits a layup… muscling position inside — like he could do all game long if he wasn’t sulking.
Later, LeBron, called a “hypocritical little b—-” by some in the social media space, cheap-shots Ayton, who asks for a review.
Nothing comes of it, but if you saw it, the “bump” was a cheap shot.
Timeout.
After Booker rescues the Suns on a couple of possessions, Markieff Morris bricks a 3 and the Suns lead by 17, 77-60 with under six minutes left in the third.
And now, LeBron, somehow (hahaha) fighting that horrific ankle sprain, drives the lane and converts a layup to cut the lead to 13. Lakers fans wonder, “Well, if he can do that now, why hasn’t he done that all night?”
Timeout Suns.
Cam Payne two free throws, a (non-call) travel on Matthews followed by a Matthews 3. Then a pair of Payne free throws make it 81-67 with 3:26 left in the third.
LeBron is now trying. Is it too late?
Markieff cheap shots Cameron Johnson. Big decision here. Flagrant.
Then, the great Talen Horton-Tucker hits a bucket and then kills his team with a technical foul on a yapping cheap shot against Cam Johnson.
LeBron is trying again. Goes into the paint and scores. And, of course, screams for a foul that simply did not exist.
Torrey Craig offensive foul.
LeBron decides to play hard again. (Where was that when he was so addled with the “high ankle sprain” in the first half?)
Booker TRIPLE is very, very large, but Lakers cut it to 13.
Payne misses, LeBron misses a 3 at the third-quarter horn.
Suns 89-76.
The Phoenix Suns knock out the Los Angeles Lakers, fourth quarter
Ayton with a huuuuuge 8-footer.
LeBron defended well at the rim (whines).
Suns turnover.
Cam Johnson with a major league 3!!!
LeBron has Cam Johnson posted up … and he passes it back out. Strange.
Lakers cut it to 12 and Harlan mispronounces “Ch’King” from Burger King.
Lakers cut it to 10.
CP3 with a clutch bucket.
LeBron is realizing Father Time is undefeated. He’s giving the effort but needs a breather.
Suns 96-84 with 7 1/2 left.
CP3 from 2!!!! Suns lead by 17 with 6:42 left.
Did CP just say, “Ask about me”? Answered.
Timeout.
Back for a wide open 3 from KCP. No good.
CP3 barely missed from 3.
Looking for the dagger, CP3 misses another 3.
Suns up 15 with 5:27 left, and LeBron is back.
Talen Horton-Tucker hits a YMCA bucket, as he is wont to do.
Playoff Jae hits maybe the biggest bucket in 11 years — 104-90. Now it’s 104-93 after the German with the blond streak hits a 3 for L.A.
Booker, with 43 through three quarters, draws a big foul and heads to the line scoreless thus far in the fourth.
He hits two. Suns lead 106-93 with 3:26 left.
LeBron misses a layup, whines, sulks and the Suns run more clock. This may be … over?
Playoff Jae seals it!!!!
It’s 111-95 Suns.
And now the Lakers wanna chirp Booker for dunking? Oh, good God. Crowder can’t help himself and gets tossed.
Get this: Crowder was apparently tossed for taunting — in the form of a salsa dance, perhaps mocking LeBron’s Mountain Dew commercial! It’s important to stay up on current culture.
And… if you look closely, Chris Paul was miming LeBron’s post-up — admired and mimicked by Andre Drummond — from earlier in the series.
Lakers text friend compares Crowder’s behavior with Draymond Green. I take it as a compliment for Crowder.
That was fun.
The Suns take out the Lakers 113-100.
“I’ve been working my whole life for this moment,” Booker, who finished with 47, tells TNT. “I wanted to put it on full display tonight.”
Chris Paul, talking to Bally’s Sports AZ about the physical challenges during this series: “MRIs left and right. Bunch of treatment. It’s the hardest part not being able to be me.”
But, yeah, the Lakers would have won with A.D., right? Please.
It’s on to the conference semifinal series against the presumptive NBA MVP Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets.
“First series win for Coach,” Paul said. “We gonna keep rolling.”
Game 1, Monday night in Phoenix.
Ready?