Booker confirms first place for Phoenix, Memphis qualified

March 24 gives wings to Devin Booker. On March 24, 2017, the Phoenix All Star guard became the Arizona franchise’s all-time leading scorer in a game by scoring 70 points against Boston. Thursday evening, five years to the day after this coup, Booker again made a splash. To a lesser extent, of course, since the number 1 of the Suns, who has never worn his number so well, this time stopped at 49 points during the clash between his team and Denver on the floor of Nikola Jokic’s Nuggets (28 points). Author of a colossal match once again, « Book », also brilliant in the collective game (10 assists), nevertheless allowed his team to win their 60th victory of the season (140-130). A new success (the seventh in a row) for the best team of the moment in the NBA which allows Booker and the Suns, already guaranteed to play in the play-offs for several weeks, to now also be certain of finishing in first place in the western conference, synonymous with home field advantage throughout the play-offs. A superb evening for Phoenix, which also recorded during this meeting the return of Chris Paul, recovered from a fractured right thumb. « CP3 » celebrated its comeback with a double-double (17 points and 13 assists).

Memphis will play in the play-offs

It will be very complicated to block the road to the Suns, who register a little more with each of their outings as the big favorite for the champion ring this year. Memphis, second in the West behind Phoenix, will be among the teams trying to keep Phoenix from going all the way. Since Thursday evening and the cardboard (133-103) at home of Grizzlies particularly impressive in rebounds (55-31) against Indiana – the third consecutive victory of the dolphin of the Suns – Ja Morant, currently absent on injury (to a knee), and his teammates, Desmond Bane in the lead (in the absence of the star of the team, Bane was once again the great architect of Memphis’ success, with 30 points scored on Thursday), indeed they also hold their ticket for the play-offs. For the past two seasons, the Grizzlies had had to play in the play-in. This time, they won’t have to go through that ax appointment that was fatal to them two years ago. As it goes, Memphis should even finish second in the conference behind Phoenix (Golden State is third to three wins over the Grizzlies).

BASKETBALL – NBA / REGULAR SEASON
Thursday, March 24, 2022
Toronto Raptors – Cleveland Cavaliers: 117 – 104
Memphis Grizzlies – Indiana Pacers: 133 – 103
Milwaukee Bucks – Washington Wizards: 114 – 102
New Orleans Pelicans – Chicago Bulls: 126 – 109
Denver Nuggets- Phoenix Suns : 130 – 140