BBNBA: Devin Booker sets new playoff-high with 45 points
The NBA Playoffs are once again turning into an unpaid advertisement for Kentucky Men’s Basketball, and the ad has never been more convincing than last night. In three games on Thursday evening, three former Wildcats led their teams in scoring.
However, no player outshined Devin Booker.
In the Phoenix Suns’ 129-124 Game 3 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers, Booker went off for 45 points, six rebounds and three assists while shooting 18-29 (62%) from the field. Booker’s 45 points are the most scored by any player so far in the 2023 playoffs and are a personal playoff high.
Despite putting on a historic performance in Game 3, Booker remained humble following the win.
“I’m just put in the right situations. We have [Kevin Durant] out here. We have Chris Paul. Those guys attract a lot of attention and it opens up spots for me,” Booker said in a postgame interview with Ashley Shahahmadi.
Fueled by Booker’s jaw-dropping showing, the Suns will take a 2-1 lead into Game 4 on Saturday afternoon. If Bookers adds to his league-high 109 playoff points, the Suns should expect another win.
Tyrese Maxey steals the show
Speaking of winning, Tyrese Maxey was pivotal in the Philadelphia 76ers’ 102-97 Game 3 win over the Brooklyn Nets. The 6-foot-2 guard led his squad with 25 points while shooting an astounding 5-8 from deep.
Although Maxey is squeezed between a top-three MVP candidate and a former MVP winner, he repeatedly finds ways to show his value. Thursday night was no different. With the game tied at 96 points and 45 seconds left on the clock, Maxey drained a step-back bomb to give the 76ers a 3-point lead.
Look familiar?
Thanks to Maxey’s gutsy performance, the 76ers will stroll into Game 4 on Saturday with a 3-0 series lead.
Kentucky Kings struggle in Golden State
Unfortunately for BBN, not every former Wildcat could bring home a Thursday night victory. The Sacramento Kings dropped their first contest of the series in Game 3 against the Warriors.
In the 114-97 loss, De’Aaron Fox led the Kings with 26 points, nine rebounds and nine assists. The other Kentucky performances weren’t quite as impressive, though. After two standout showings, Malik Monk was nowhere to be found in Game 3.
The former SEC Player of the Year recorded just four points on 1-9 shooting. Fellow former ‘Cat Trey Lyles was no better. The veteran power forward scored two points in 13 minutes, shooting 0-6 from the field.
Fox isn’t letting the loss get to his head.
“We’re still up. This is a tough place to win at and I think everybody in the locker room knows that. We have to go out and we have to control what we can control,” the NBA Clutch Player of the Year said during the postgame press conference.
Fox and the Kings have a chance to exert that control on Saturday as they enter Game 4 in Golden State with a 2-1 series lead.
4/20/2023 Statistics
| Player | Score | PTS | FG (3PT) | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | +/- | MIN |
| Devin Booker (PHX) | 129-124 W @ LAC | 45 | 18-29 (3-7) | 6 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | +3 | 45 |
| De’Aaron Fox (SAC) | 114-97 L @ GS | 26 | 9-22 (3-9) | 9 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 4 | -17 | 38 |
| Tyrese Maxey (PHI) | 102-97 W @ BKN | 25 | 10-17 (5-8) | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | +1 | 36 |
| Malik Monk (SAC) | 114-97 L @ GS | 4 | 1-9 (0-4) | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -13 | 25 |
| Trey Lyles (SAC) | 114-97 L @ GS | 2 | 0-6 (0-4) | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| Brandon Boston Jr. (LAC) | 129-124 L vs. PHX | DNP | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Tonight in the NBA
7:00 (ESPN): Celtics @ Hawks [BOS leads 2-0]
8:30 (ABC): Cavaliers @ Knicks (Randle, Quickley) [Tied 1-1]
9:30 (ESPN): Nuggets (Murray) @ Timberwolves (Towns) [DEN leads 2-0]
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