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Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis (3) defends against Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker. Ashley Landis

LA Lakers’ NBA title defence over as Booker leads Phoenix Suns to victory

Booker amassed 47 points, while Anthony Davis only managed five minutes on his return from injury.

REIGNING NBA CHAMPIONS the Los Angeles Lakers were dumped out of the play-offs after a 113-100 win for the Phoenix Suns sealed a 4-2 series victory.

Phoenix hit 18 three-point shots, with Devin Booker scoring eight as he amassed 47 points at the Staples Center, while Jae Crowder landed six threes.

The Lakers knocked out the Suns the last time Phoenix reached the play-offs in 2010 but LA were on the backfoot from the moment Anthony Davis only managed five minutes on his return from injury.

LeBron James top scored for the Lakers with 29, while Phoenix go on to play the Denver Nuggets, who saw off the Portland Trail Blazers 126-115 to secure a 4-2 series win.

The Nuggets were behind by as many as 14 in the third quarter, but Portland were limited to only 14 points in the final 12 minutes as Denver took the game.

Nikola Jokic was the top scorer for Denver with 36, while Michael Porter Junior added 26.

Elsewhere, Denver eliminated Portland on their home floor, as Serbian center Nikola Jokic scored 36 points to go with eight rebounds and six assists.

Denver’s Michael Porter Jr. scored 22 of his 26 points in the first quarter while Monte Morris added 22 off the bench for the Nuggets and Jokic had 20 points in the third quarter to spark a rally for the victory.

“We made some big stops and scored some clutch baskets at big times,” Jokic said. “It was a team effort.”

The Trail Blazers seized a 14-point lead early in the third quarter but the Nuggets closed the period on a 14-4 run, then started the fourth on an 8-2 spurt to grab the lead and broke open the game in the final minutes.

“Nobody can take the fight out of us,” Jokic said. “We go out there and fight. That’s what we’re doing. We’re never going to quit.”

Damian Lillard led Portland with 28 points and passed off 13 assists while C.J. McCollum added 21 points, Norman Powell had 17 and Carmelo Anthony scored 14 off the bench.

- Additional reporting from © – AFP, 2021.

Screenshot 2020-11-24 at 9.04.07 AM

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Nora Creamer
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