LOS ANGELES: The Phoenix Suns, fueled by 47 points from Devin Booker, toppled the NBA Champion Los Angeles Lakers 113-100 on Thursday, handing superstar LeBron James his first first-round playoff exit.
James scored 29 points to lead the Lakers, but they were unable to dig themselves out of a 29-point first-half hole and lost the best-of-seven Western Conference series four games to two.
The last defending NBA champion to be knocked out in the first round was the San Antonio Spurs in 2015.
“That’s the only way we wanted it to be honest,” Booker said of drawing the Lakers in the first round.
“We knew we weren’t going to get to where we wanted to go without going through them, and it happened to be in the first round.
“It was a tough match-up all the way through. Once they got us down 2-1 we had to regroup and get everything right and we came in and we battled,” added Booker, whose team next faces the Denver Nuggets, who eliminated the Portland Trail Blazers Thursday with a 126-115 victory in game six of their series.
James, who won his fourth NBA title when he led the Lakers to victory in the quarantine bubble in Orlando last season, had never before lost in the first round in 14 prior appearances.
But he and the Lakers clearly felt the lack of star Anthony Davis, who was a game-time decision to start after missing the second half of game four and all of game five with a groin strain.
Davis, clearly hindered by the injury, lasted less than six scoreless minutes and the Suns grabbed the game by the throat in the first quarter with Booker scoring 22 points in the opening period.
“He’s a warrior,” Vogel said of Davis. “It was difficult for him to be able to move. We did everything we could from a treatment standpoint to loosen it up and we were hoping that some in-game adrenaline would help.
“But he certainly wasn’t moving well at all to start the game and then went down grabbing at it early in the first.”
With the series in the balance, Davis said, “I obviously didn’t want to just lay down.
“I wanted to do what I can,” he said. “It never felt good, but the competitive nature in me wanted to go out and help the team as best as I could. But my body didn’t agree.”
Davis and James both said that a series of injuries along with absences due to the league’s Covid-19 protocols prevented the champions from fulfilling their potential.
“Obviously (we) fell short of our goal, but we tried to do everything we could to be as good as we could be,” James said.
Meanwhile, Booker made eight of nine shots from the floor in the first quarter, including six of six from three point range.
The Suns led 36-14 after the first period and from there the Lakers never got the deficit below double digits.
“Credit the Suns,” Vogel said. “They came out and made their first seven threes or something. Booker was red-hot to start the game. They put us in the deficit and it was too much to overcome.”
The Suns have won three straight games to reach the second round for the first time since 2010, when they fell to the Lakers in the Western Conference finals in their most recent playoff appearance.
“I’ve been working my whole life for this moment so it wasn’t time to shy away from it,” Booker said. “Plenty of hours of sacrificing a lot of life to this game. So I wanted to put it on full display tonight.”
But he said the Suns would face another demanding test in the Nuggets.
“It’s going to be a battle and we understand that going into it.”Denver eliminated Portland on their home floor, where Serbian center Nikola Jokic scored 36 points to go with eight rebounds and six assists.
Denver’s Michael Porter Jr. scored 22 of his 26 points in the first quarter while Monte Morris added 22 off the bench for the Nuggets and Jokic had 20 points in the third quarter to spark a rally for the victory.
“We made some big stops and scored some clutch baskets at big times,” Jokic said. “It was a team effort.”
The Trail Blazers seized a 14-point lead early in the third quarter but the Nuggets closed the period on a 14-4 run, then started the fourth on an 8-2 spurt to grab the lead and broke open the game in the final minutes.
“Nobody can take the fight out of us,” Jokic said. “We go out there and fight. That’s what we’re doing. We’re never going to quit.”
Damian Lillard led Portland with 28 points and passed off 13 assists while C.J. McCollum added 21 points, Norman Powell had 17 and Carmelo Anthony scored 14 off the bench.
Suns topple NBA champion Lakers in first round of playoffs
https://arab.news/2ayvw
Suns topple NBA champion Lakers in first round of playoffs
- Suns victory handed superstar LeBron James his first first-round playoff exit
- Suns faces in the second round playoff the Denver Nuggets, who eliminated the Portland Trail Blazers
Man United crashes out of FA Cup as club weighs up candidates for interim coach
MANCHESTER, England: Managerless Manchester United crashed out of the FA Cup with a 2-1 defeat to Brighton on Sunday.
At the end of a week that saw the storied Premier League team and 13-time FA Cup winner fire head coach Ruben Amorim, the loss at Old Trafford has likely consigned United to another trophyless season and was greeted with loud jeers from the home crowd.
Interim coach Darren Fletcher admitted the 20-time English champion was “not in a good moment,” but said it was too soon to write the season off with Champions League qualification still achievable.
“It’s probably not what fans want to hear about Manchester United because they’ve been winning cups and challenging for the Premier League,” he said. “Don’t waste the season. That would be the challenge that I would set. That’s the challenge that probably the players feel like they need to achieve this year.”
Former United striker Danny Welbeck scored what proved to be the decisive goal in the 64th minute, and Benjamin Sesko’s late header was only a consolation for the hosts in the third-round match.
United has exited both domestic knockout competitions at the earliest possible stage this season, following the humbling loss to fourth-tier Grimsby in the English League Cup. The latest defeat means United will play the bare minimum of 40 competitive games for a top division team this season.
Its only chance of silverware this term is the Premier League, which would require a remarkable turnaround with United currently seventh in the standings and 17 points behind leader Arsenal with 17 games left.
A trophyless campaign would be back-to-back seasons in which United has ended up empty-handed.
The club’s hierarchy hope an interim coach will be able to salvage the season by securing Champions League qualification. United has spoken to former players Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Michael Carrick about taking on the role until the summer. Fletcher, who has taken charge of the two games since Amorim’s departure, is also a contender, as well as former United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy.
The loss to Brighton underlined the challenge facing the interim coach.
“Any time you come in at Manchester United, it’s a massive job,” Fletcher said. “It’s not about a manager, it’s not about directors. It’s about everyone and the players have to group together, take responsibility, find a way of improving quickly and taking on the challenge for the rest of the season.”
Brajan Gruda fired Brighton ahead in the 12th, with Welbeck doubling the advantage after the break. Sesko scored his third goal in two games in the 85th, but substitute Shea Lacey was sent off four minutes later and United could not force an equalizer to take the game to extra time.
“I gave it my best and ultimately I’m disappointed to not be able to win a game or to get a result today,” said Fletcher, who drew his other game in charge 2-2 with relegation-fighting Burnley.
Arsenal advances
Arsenal advanced earlier Sunday with Gabriel Martinelli scoring a hat trick in a 4-1 win at Portsmouth.
Martinelli’s treble helped the Premier League leader come back from going a goal down to the second-tier Championship team inside three minutes.
Colby Bishop stunned Arsenal with the opening goal at Fratton Park, but the lead only lasted five minutes after Andre Dozzell scored an own-goal.
Martinelli put the visitors ahead with a flicked header in the 25th. He slid in for his second six minutes after the break and headed in his hat-trick goal in the 72nd. It was the first time the Brazilian had scored a hat trick for Arsenal.
Victory could have been even more emphatic if Noni Madueke had converted from the penalty spot in the first half.
“It’s always tough to go into these places, especially in the manner that we started the game, conceding the early goal, but we managed to turn things around so I’m very happy,” said manager Mikel Arteta.
Record 14-time FA Cup winner Arsenal last lifted the trophy in Arteta’s first season in charge in 2020. It was the last major honor the London club won, but victory against Portsmouth maintains its four-pronged trophy pursuit along with the Premier League title, the Champions League and the English League Cup.
“I think we are very privileged to be where we are, and the games that we have to play, which means that we are in every competition,” Arteta said.
Leeds rallies
Top-flight Leeds was also behind to Championship opposition, but recovered from 1-0 down to beat Derby 3-1 at Pride Park.
Third-tier Mansfield pulled off an upset to beat Championship side Sheffield United 4-3 and Norwich routed Walsall 5-1, with Jovon Makama scoring a hat trick. Norwich head coach Philippe Clement later said that US international Josh Sargent refused to play in the game.
Relegation-fighting West Ham needed extra time to beat QPR 2-1. Valentin ‘Taty’ Castellanos’ goal saw Nuno Espirito Santo’s team end a 10-match winless run.
West Bromwich Albion beat Swansea 6-5 on penalties following a 2-2 draw after extra time. Hull won 4-3 against Blackburn on penalties after a 0-0 draw.
Norwich fan dies
Norwich said a home fan died at the conclusion of its win over Walsall at Carrow Road. A medical emergency occurred after the game and the Championship club announced the death of the fan later in the day.
“The club would like to sincerely thank medical staff, stewards and nearby supporters for their efforts to assist during the emergency and will ensure those involved receive the appropriate care,” a Norwich statement read.
“Everyone at Norwich City would like to send their heartfelt condolences to the supporter’s family and friends.”
