BBNBA: Booker, Suns sneak past Trail Blazers after last-second foul, plus MVP updates

[caption id="attachment_350418" align="aligncenter" width="1002"] (Getty Images)[/caption] The NBA season is almost over, with only a few days left until the last games before the play-in tournaments being on Tuesday. Last night’s NBA action did not disappoint, with close games and game-winning shots by some former Wildcats looking to make their playoff debut.

RECAP

BOOKER AND SUNS DEFEAT PORTLAND 118-117, DAME TIME GOES OFF FOR 41

Scoring a game-high 41 points seemed to not be enough for Damian Lillard and the Trail Blazers to take down the second-best team in the Western Conference, losing to the Phoenix Suns 117-118 on a last-second foul call. Shooting almost 70 percent from the field, Lillard did everything to push the Blazers past the Suns, including this clutch layup to go up by three points with less than a minute left. https://twitter.com/NBAonTNT/status/1393059659670454272?s=20 Devin Booker and the Suns had other plans, though, looking to keep their home losses at single digits. Down 117-116 with only 4.4 seconds left on the clock, Chris Paul inbounded the ball for Booker to dribble and get fouled on a pull-up mid-range jumper. Sinking both free throws, he finished 8-8 from the line, finishing the night with 18 points and five rebounds, while Paul led the way with 26 and seven assists, shooting perfectly from beyond the arc and the charity stripe. With the loss, the Trail Blazers are dangerously close to replacing the Lakers as the 7^th seed in the play-in tournament, leading by only half a game, while the winner gets Phoenix only one game behind the Utah Jazz and the best record in the NBA. https://twitter.com/statmuse/status/1393063343594774530?s=20

MVP UPDATE

With the end of the season only a few days away, talks over who is going to win the MVP award have been swinging back and forth. With midseason injuries to early-season favorites like LeBron James and Joel Embiid, Denver’s emergence in the West has given rise to Nikola Jokic for MVP talks. https://twitter.com/TheNBACentral/status/1393219080270848000?s=20 Currently sitting as the favorite on the list on NBA’s website, Jokic has taken the late-season lead after the aforementioned injuries. Embiid, who was the favorite before the All-Star break has been unable to match Jokic’s output every night, with a poor showing in the loss against Miami Heat. https://twitter.com/statmuse/status/1393023776229511171?s=20 Meanwhile, Giannis and the Joker are looking to finish the season on a strong note, with Antetokounmpo scoring 40 points with 15 rebounds while shooting over 70 percent in a 142-133 win over the Pacers, and the Joker handled Towns and the Timberwolves, going 14-21 from the field. https://twitter.com/NBATV/status/1393189354156134402?s=20

Here are the full stats from last night:

[table id=783 /]

TONIGHT IN THE NBA

7:00 - Cavaliers at Wizards 8:00 - Nuggets at Pistons (Diallo) 8:00 - Magic at 76ers (Maxey) 8:00 - Jazz at Thunder 9:00 - Raptors at Mavericks 9:00 - Clippers (Patterson, Rondo, Cousins) at Rockets (Wall) 9:00 - Kings at Grizzlies 9:30 - Pelicans (Bledsoe, Gabriel) at Warriors (Mulder)