Paul missed the first game of the series best of seven in the Western Conference Finals after being inducted into the league’s health and safety protocol after testing positive for Covid-19. But even without their “leader”, as Booker calls him, the suns were able to score an important home win thanks to Booker’s outstanding performance in front of a loud audience in the Phoenix Suns Arena. He scored 40 points on 15-of-29 shooting, in addition to 13 rebounds and 11 assists – his first triple-double of his career – to help the Suns beat the Clippers 120-114 to a 1-0 To take the lead in her series. Suns head coach Monty Williams then praised Booker’s performance as team leader. “I like the way Devin did it,” Williams told the media. “He didn’t inject himself into the game. He just did it out of what we’re doing.” There are times when a guy scores and you just want to grab the ball and jack a shot. I thought the way Devin did it tonight is in line with our plan and what we’re doing. “READ: Money Talks: Michael Jordan and the Impact of Not Being an Athlete-Activist had to go through some tough seasons. Though Booker has improved himself year on year – he has been named an NBA All-Star for the past two seasons – qualifying for the playoffs was elusive The eleven-time All-Star seemed like the glue for an already talented Suns team and helped get them into the playoffs for the first time since 2010 with a regular season record of 51:21.The players are in their first playoff run, showing no signs of nervousness, and some big names – including LeBron James and MVP Nikola Jokic – beaten in her first two series. When the news came out that Paul tested positive for Covid-19 and might miss game time, it seemed like a big problem n et back for the suns. Against a Clippers team that missed their own superstar in Kawhi Leonard, however, Booker stepped out when his team needed him most. After a relatively quiet first half, he exploded after the break, scoring or assisting on 43 of the Suns’ last 50 points. He became the first Suns player since two-time MVP Steve Nash to score a triple-double in the playoffs in 2005, after which Booker and his teammates called Paul to celebrate with their absent colleague. “He’s our leader. We depend on him a lot,” said Booker. “We know how disappointed he is and how frustrated he is that he couldn’t be here for the first game in the Western Conference Finals, especially since he knows his history at the time.” But we had him with us the whole time. We took him to the locker room, had him in our after-game huddle. He’s proud of us. He’s ready to return, he’s working, and we can’t wait to have him. ”Elsewhere, the Atlanta Hawks reached their second Eastern Conference final in 50 years on Sunday after beating the Philadelphia 76ers 103-96 in one series-winning streak had defeated Game 7. After a dramatic playoff series that included dramatic drops and comebacks, it was Kevin Huerter who wore the Hawks early and ended up with a team high of 27. Talisman Trae Young was late in the competition hot and finished with 21 points and 10 assists, keeping the 76s – with Joel Embiid scoring 31 points – in check. Visit CNN.com/sport for more news, features and videos. “Everyone’s on fire,” said forward John Collins afterwards: “We worked all year to be in moments like this. Game seven, I have the feeling that we all had each other’s back. We couldn’t have asked for anything else en than tonight. We prevailed for a win. “The Hawks reached the last final of the conference in 2015. Before that, they weren’t a step away from the NBA Finals since the 1969/70 season. They’ll face the Milwaukee Bucks in the East Conference Finals, after the Bucks beat the star-studded Brooklyn Nets on their series, Game One is scheduled for Wednesday in Milwaukee.
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