BBNBA: Devin Booker drops 37 for Suns in game with significant Playoff implications
Including tonight’s slates, there are just three more days left of games on the 2023-24 NBA regular season schedule. The Play-In round is right around the corner with the Playoffs to follow. Plenty of former Kentucky Wildcats will be in the mix. But let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves just yet. Let’s first dive into everything that happened on Wednesday night across the Association.
For starters, Devin Booker exploded for a BBNBA-high 37 points in a 124-108 win for the Phoenix Suns over the Los Angeles Clippers. It was a tight contest until the fourth quarter when the Suns ran away with the victory down the stretch, outscoring the Clips 32-15 in the final frame. Additionally, Brandon Boston Jr. posted a season-high 23 points in 40 minutes played for L.A. while adding seven rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
Wednesday night was the punishment for Tuesday night’s flop, which saw the Suns go down early to Los Angeles 35-4 in the first quarter and trail by as many as 37 points before losing 105-92.
Booker and Phoenix needed this win, too. It puts the Suns just a half-game back of the New Orleans Pelicans for the final Playoff spot. If they can’t overtake NOLA, then the Suns will have to work their way into the Playoffs through the Play-In round. Phoenix has road games against the Kings and Timberwolves left on the schedule.
Herro’s 21/7/6 line not enough to stop Mavericks
Tyler Herro played in just his fourth game back on Wednesday after sitting out since Feb. 23 with a knee issue. He finished his night with 21 points, seven rebounds, and six assists in 35 minutes for the Miami Heat, but unfortunately, it wasn’t nearly enough to slow down a near triple-double from Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavs, which has now won 16 of its last 18 games, beat the Heat 111-92.
Herro didn’t receive much help from his teammate Bam Adebayo either. The All-Star center registered just eight points (3-13 FG) and three rebounds in 29 minutes. Miami currently holds the 8-seed in the Eastern Conference and is two full games behind the Pacers for the final Playoff spot.
Meanwhile, for the Mavericks, PJ Washington added 12 points and six rebounds in the win. When Washington is part of Dallas’ starting lineup consisting of Doncic, Kyrie Irving, Derrick Jones Jr., and Daniel Gafford, that group is now 15-1 on the season.
Other BBNBA notes
- It came in a 106-102 loss to the Brooklyn Nets, but Immanuel Quickley had himself quite a night for the Toronto Raptors, dropping 32 points, seven rebounds, and nine assists in 33 minutes. Quickley hit several clutch shots down the stretch, but his efforts weren’t enough to sneak away with the win.
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder dominated the Keldon Johnson-less (foot injury) San Antonio Spurs, coming away with a 127-89 victory at home. SGA finished with 26 points, six rebounds, and five assists in just 26 minutes while his backcourt teammate, rookie Cason Wallace, added four rebounds, three assists, and three steals, but failed to score a single point.
- Jamal Murray went for 20 points, four rebounds, and six assists in the Denver Nuggets’ 116-107 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, which was without Karl-Anthony Towns once again due to a knee injury. Towns hasn’t played since March 4 but is trending toward a return, per ESPN. With the win, Murray and the Nuggets move back into first place in the Western Conference.
- Nick Richards chipped in seven points and two rebounds in 18 minutes off the bench for the Charlotte Hornets in a 115-114 win over the Atlanta Hawks.
4/10/24 statistics
| Player | Score | PTS | FG (3PT) | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | +/- | MIN |
| Devin Booker (PHX) | 124-108 W @ LAC | 37 | 13-24 (5-12) | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 39 |
| Immanuel Quickley (TOR) | 106-102 L @ BKN | 32 | 10-24 (4-11) | 7 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 33 |
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC) | 127-89 W vs. SAS | 26 | 10-18 (1-3) | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 26 | 26 |
| Brandon Boston Jr. (LAC) | 108-124 L vs. PHX | 23 | 10-24 (2-9) | 7 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | -15 | 40 |
| Tyler Herro (MIA) | 111-92 L vs. DAL | 21 | 6-15 (2-5) | 7 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 4 | -5 | 35 |
| Jamal Murray (DEN) | 116-107 W vs. MIN | 20 | 8-13 (4-6) | 4 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 27 |
| PJ Washington (DAL) | 111-92 W @ MIA | 12 | 5-11 (2-6) | 6 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 34 |
| Bam Adebayo (MIA) | 111-92 L vs. DAL | 8 | 3-13 (0-2) | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -20 | 29 |
| Nick Richards (CHA) | 115-114 W @ ATL | 7 | 3-4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 18 |
| Chris Livingston (MIL) | 117-99 W vs. ORL | 1 | 0-1 (0-1) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -9 | 3 |
| Cason Wallace (OKC) | 127-89 W vs. SAS | 0 | 0-5 (0-4) | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 24 | 24 |
| TyTy Washington (MIL) | 117-99 W vs. ORL | 0 | 0-1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -7 | 3 |
| Karl-Anthony Towns (MIN) | 116-107 L @ DEN | DNP-Knee | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Olivier Sarr (OKC) | 127-89 W vs. SAS | DNP-G League | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Keldon Johnson (SAS) | 127-89 L @ OKC | DNP-Foot | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Tonight in the NBA
- 7:00 | Bulls @ Pistons
- 7:30 (TNT/truTV) | Knicks (Randle: out) @ Celtics
- 9:00 | Rockets @ Jazz (Juzang: 2Way)
- 10:00 (TNT/truTV) | Pelicans @ Kings (Fox, Monk: out, Lyles)
- 10:00 | Warriors @ Trail Blazers (Sharpe: out)
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