BBNBA: Booker, Suns now #1 team in NBA; Tatum ties Bird's franchise high with 60 points.

by:Pranavdeep Singh•05/01/21•

SinghPranavdeep

GettyImages-DevinBooker

(Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)

Happy Caturday BBN fans, the sun is shining, and the Kentucky Derby is upon us. But before the horses take over for the day, here is a recap of last night’s NBA action.

RECAP

BOOKER AND SUNS DEFEAT #1 JAZZ, NOW HOLD BEST RECORD

With the Jazz missing about 43 points from their injured backcourt, Devin Booker and Chris Paul took ample advantage of the #1 team in the NBA, easily defeating the Utah Jazz 121-100. Scoring 31 points on 68 percent shooting from the field, Booker was +20 in his 29 minutes on the floor, while Chris Paul scored 12 with nine assists, a block, and a steal.

The Suns were locked in on both ends of the court, shooting almost 55 percent from the field, with Miles Bridges going 4-5 from three for 19 points, three steals, and two blocks. The only Suns starter to not score was Torrey Craig, but he added three blocks on the defensive end. Phoenix, by virtue of the tiebreaker, is now the #1 team in the NBA, thanks to their season sweep against the Jazz.

The Jazz playing without both Mitchell, out with a sprained ankle, and Mike Conley, who was out with a tight hamstring, struggled immensely getting offensive production, down 25 points at one point in the 2nd quarter. The Suns never feared a serious comeback out of the Jazz, with Bojan Bogdanovic scoring 22 points and star center Rudy Gobert with 10 rebounds, eight points, and three blocks. The next leading scorers were Joe Ingles and Jordan Clarkson, who went a combined 8-29 from the field.

JAYSON TATUM SCORES CAREER-HIGH, ERASES 32-POINT DEFECIT AGAINST SPURS

Coming back from a 32-point halftime deficit, Jayson Tatum propelled the Celtics past Gregg Popovich’s Spurs 143-140 in overtime. Scoring 60 points with 0 TURNOVERS, Tatum tied Larry Bird’s franchise high, while also becoming the only Celtic with multiple 50-point games in a season.

Going 20-37 from the field, Tatum in 45 minutes also grabbed eight rebounds and dished out five assists as he seemed to be in for a huge night, outscoring his entire team to start the game even as the Spurs built a 30+ point lead in the first half. Scoring 31 of his 60 in the 4th and OT, Tatum caused the Spurs to blow their largest halftime lead in franchise history.

For the Spurs, DeMar DeRozan led the way in scoring with 30 points, while also dishing out 14 assists. Jakob Poeltl notched a double-double as well with 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Keldon Johnson added 14 points and eight rebounds. The Spurs shot an astounding 71 percent in the first half, but left too many chances for the Celtics’ comeback, with DeRozan shooting only 33 percent for the game. Popovich now hosts Damian Lillard and his Trail Blazers at home on Sunday night.

KINGS DEFEAT LAKERS WITHOUT DE’AARON FOX, LEBRON’S FIRST GAME SINCE MID-MARCH

With De’Aaron Fox still out due to health and safety protocols, rookie Tyrese Haliburton has taken it upon himself to take over the scoring role, leading the Kings with 23 points while also dishing out 10 assists. As for the rest of the Kings, Richaun Holmes was the only other player with 20+ points, scoring 22 and grabbing nine rebounds.

As for the Lakers, in his first game back since March 18th, LeBron James slowly seemed to return to form, logging 32 minutes of action while scoring 16 points, with eight rebounds and seven assists. Anthony Davis, who also just recently returned from an injury managed to block 5 SHOTS, while leading the Lakers with 22 points, and 11 rebounds. The Lakers, now the 5th seed in the Western Conference, have nine games left before the playoffs and are currently projected to play the Denver Nuggets in the first round.

Here are the full stats from last night:

[table id=769 /]

TONIGHT IN THE NBA

7:00 – Pistons (Diallo) at Hornets (Monk, Washington, Richards)

7:30 – Warriors at Rockets (Wall)

8:00 – Bulls at Hawks

8:00 – Heat (Adebayo, Herro) at Cavaliers

8:00 – Grizzlies at Magic

8:00 – Pelicans (Bledsoe, Gabriel) at Timberwolves (Towns, Vanderbilt)

8:00 – Pacers at Thunder

9:00 – Wizards at Mavericks

10:00 – Raptors at Jazz

10:00 – Nuggets at Clippers (Patterson, Rondo, Cousins)

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