Lyou Philadelphia 76ers dropped from first to fourth in the Eastern Conference losing this sunday 114-104 before the undisputed leaders of the Western Conference, the Phoenix Sunsin an exciting match in which Joel Embiid scored 37 points and Devin Booker 35.
The Sixers (46-28), after winning their previous three games, reached the first position on Saturday thanks to the defeats of the Milwaukee Bucks and the Miami Heat, but their leadership lasted less than 24 hours. They were overtaken by the Boston Celtics, who beat the Minnesota Timberwolvesby the Heat and the Bucks.
The Suns (61-14), entrenched in first place in the Western Conference well ahead of their rivals, are not satisfied and continued to accelerate with their eighth consecutive win, which consolidates them as the best team in the NBA.
An adjective that goes beyond mere praise and is demonstrated by the numbers. Have the best balance in the league (61-14), they don’t know what it’s like to lose when they finish the third quarter ahead on the scoreboard (45-0), their balance is 27-10 against teams that exceed 50% of victories and sign a 31-6 in games decided in the last minutes. Figures that reflect, today, its superiority in the NBA.
Booker scored 35 points, 3 of 5 triples, 2 steals and two assistshelped by Chris Paul, with 19 points, Deandre Ayton, with 14and Mikal Bridges with 11.
For its part, Embiid had a double double of 37 points and 15 rebounds, with 3 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks. Tyrese Maxey, with 18 points, Tobias Harris with 17, and James Harden, with 14, could not prevent the hosts, led by Booker, from prevailing.
Duel between Embiid and Booker
The match began and ended as a duel between Embiid and Booker, who in the first two minutes were the only ones to score, 6 points for the Cameroonian and 7 for the Suns shooting guard.
Halfway through the first quarter, Booker, with three consecutive baskets in half a minute, defended the leadership of the locals (19-15).
In the last minutes of the first segment, “The Beard” Harden began to cause damage, inspiring Embiid who with 62 seconds to go reached 15 points (31-37).
But half a minute after the end of the first quarter, Booker, with a triple, tightened the score (36-37) to set, from a free throw, a partial in which he added 22 points at 37-39.
The second quarter began with Doc Rivers’s pupils even more motivated, for being first in the game and in the Conference, although their spirit did not last long.
An especially inspired Harris made the difference for the Sixers during the first 3 and a half minutes of the quarter, reaching 15 points and serving several assists that opened the gap (37-51).
In the middle of the second quarter, Bridges gave the Suns hope again with a triple, a dunk and a shot from two in a row (50-54).
At the end of the half of the game, Landry Shamet, with triple and mate, continued to encourage the resistance of the locals (57-62), with Booker missing in the segment and Embiid reaching 19 points in a quarter that ended 60-64 after a triple by Jae Crowder.
The locals resurface
Booker reappeared in the first moments of the second half with an “alley oop”, followed by a free throw, and the Suns smelled the Sixers in the neck again (63-64).
Four minutes into the third quarter had not been reached, when another triple by Crowder put the locals ahead (71-69).
The exciting match changed leadership on almost every play, with both teams focused on defense and ferocious on offense.
Booker reached 29 points to tie it at 81 at 3.17 to end the hectic segment. Embiid added the same points two minutes later (83-84), while Booker reached 33 at the end of an exciting quarter (89-84) that was played as the NBA final.
The third quarter concluded (91-86) and the last began with baskets by Congolese Bismack Biyombo (93-86). With two triples in a row from Shamet, the locals seemed to win the game (101-90), but there were still 7:43 minutes left.
And how could it be otherwise in this exciting game, the score was tightened again shortly after thanks to two triples by Maxey and a layup by Emmbid, who reached 31 points (101-98).
The Cameroonian made two free throws and Booker replied with one of two and another free throw (104-100) with 4.43 left. And the Suns kept hitting.
At 1:35 from the end of the game, Crowder, with a triple, unleashed the celebration among the fans in Fnix (114-102).
Embiid closed the scoreboard (114-104) reaching, from a powerful mate, some 37 points that were not enough to avoid the setback.
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