BBNBA: SGA drops 29, Suns overcome poor night from Devin Booker

The NFL was at the center of the pro sports world, but there were a few NBA games worth talking about as well. Read about another terrific night from SGA while the Suns continue to win.

SGA drops 29 as Thunder score 87 total points

It was business as usual for Oklahoma City in last night’s loss vs. Cleveland. Shai Gilegous-Alexander made terrific plays all over the court and amassed nearly 30 points as the rest of the Thunder offense fell flat. Shai officially went for 29 on 12-23 shooting while recording nine rebounds, six assists and three steals. He also sent Darius Garland into the Eastern Hemisphere with this crossover.

my oh my, Shai. pic.twitter.com/SMh3S9xyxz
— Thunder Film Room (@ThunderFilmRoom) January 23, 2022

Alexander was responsible for a third of the Thunder’s points as no other starter scored more than 10 points. Last time I had the chance to write about Shai and the Thunder, I noted that they were realistically in the playoff picture in a weak West. OKC promptly put that idea to bed by losing five straight since.

Oh well, Jabari Smith did look pretty freakin’ good against Kentucky yesterday. Perhaps he’ll be draining those contested jumpers off of passes from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander next season.

Suns tighten chokehold on NBA Standings

Two years ago, 11 points on 5-23 shooting from Devin Booker would have meant an immense blowout for Phoenix. Instead, the Suns barely noticed the off night from their superstar as they cruised a 10-point win over a Pacers team that had dusted the Warriors and Lakers already during their West Coast road trip.

Guys like Bismack Biyombo and Mikal Bridges picked up the slack, each scoring over 20 points to give Phoenix their sixth straight win and a sizeable lead in the standings.

Make it six straight! pic.twitter.com/cgTwKef9SH
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) January 23, 2022

The Suns are now 3.5 games up on Golden State atop the West, and are the only team in the NBA with single-digit losses (9) while nobody else has less than 13. The Suns were a surprising two-seed last year that made it all the way to the Finals. In 2021-22, they’re even better and have the inside track at the No. 1 overall seed come playoff time.

Phoenix is the NBA Title favorite hiding in plain sight. Not much talked about compared to more click-worthy teams like the Lakers, Warriors or Nets. But better equipped to win the championship? Absolutely.

Finally, Isaiah Jackson played 13 minutes and scored six points to follow up the best game of his season against the Warriors the other day. The rookie is getting a real chance with some of the regular rotation players out for the Pacers.

AD to return?

Anthony Davis hasn’t played since December 17th and has missed a roller coaster month for the Lakers with an MCL injury. But reports are that he could return in today’s game against the Miami Heat.

Anthony Davis (left knee MCL sprain) has been upgraded to questionable for the Heat game on Sunday. He’ll be a game-time decision.
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) January 22, 2022

He’s officially “questionable” to play today, and I’ll assume the Lakers extend their caution one more game. But it’s certainly possible Davis could suit up and take the court for the first time in a month.

LA desperately needs the All-NBA big man back to help get back on track and climb the Western Conference standings.

Statistics

Player	Result	Points	FG(3PA)	Rebounds	Assists	Steals	Blocks	Turnovers	Minutes	+/-
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (OKC)	94-87 L @ CLE	29	12-23 (3-7)	9	6	3	1	3	39	-1
Devin Booker (PHO)	113-103 W vs. IND	11	5-23 (0-6)	7	3	2	2	3	39	+5
Isaiah Jackson (IND)	113-103 L @ PHO	6	2-4 (0-0)	3	2	0	2	1	13	-5
De’Aaron Fox (SAC)	133-127 L @ MIL	DNP – Ankle	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Rajon Rondo (CLE)	94-87 W vs. OKC	DNP – Hamstring	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–