The Phoenix Suns did more than just win a playoff game Thursday night.
They eliminated the defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers at STAPLES Center in earning their first series win since 2010, which was the last time they made the playoffs.
Monty Williams won his first playoff series in seven seasons as a head coach.
Devin Booker scored a career playoff-high 47 points with 33 coming in the first half.
Chris Paul played through a lingering right shoulder injury first suffered in Game 1 while Jae Crowder and Mikal Bridges found their games after early series struggles.
So Williams truly enjoyed that water bottle celebration in the visiting locker room, but his focus quickly turned to facing the Denver Nuggets in the conference semifinals.
'Let it marinate': Suns celebrate 1st round series win over defending NBA champion Lakers
Phoenix Suns celebrate eliminating the Los Angeles Lakers as Monty Williams received a water bottle shower after getting his first playoff series win.
Phoenix Suns, Arizona Republic
Game 1 of this best-of-7 series is Monday at Phoenix Suns Arena.
"That was a lot to enjoy, but by the time I got on the plane, I was already watching Denver and getting ready for the next series," Williams said. "It's not a lot of time to sit around and reflect on stuff. That's for the offseason and we hope that's a ways away."
The second-seeded Suns have won three in a row with two coming on the road. They recognize the third-seeded Nuggets present different challenges than the Lakers did, but aren't looking to veer from what has worked for them all season.
"The key is sticking to what we do" Suns center Deandre Ayton said after Thursday's Game 6 closeout win. "Defense is what creates our offense and we know it's going to be a different team, different style of play, but we can't change what we do."
The Nuggets won the final two games of the regular-season series against the Suns with both victories coming in overtime in Phoenix back in late January.
Jamal Murray hit a desperation 3 around Ayton at the buzzer to force OT in the second win as Booker missed that game after injuring his hamstring in the first of a back-to-back against the Nuggets.
Murray has since suffered a season-ending knee injury, but the Nuggets still have the league MVP favorite in All-Star center Nikola Jokic, who averaged 33 points on 53.4% shooting in leading Denver past Portland in the first round in six games.
Shooting 43.1% from 3 in the series, Jokic averaged 10.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists.
"They play through Jokic, a lot," Williams said as he noted how Denver scored a whopping 80 points in the paint in its 130-126 win Jan. 22 in Phoenix.
In Murray's absence, Michael Porter Jr. has become Denver's second scoring option as he's averaging 18.8 points in the playoffs.
"Porter Jr. has stepped up his production," Williams said.
Porter responded to a lowly 3-point effort in losing Game 4 with back-to-back 26-point performances. Shooting a combined 9-of-17 from 3 in Game 5 and 6, Porter scored 22 in the first quarter of Thursday night's closeout game, hitting 6-of-7 3-pointers.
"Don't give him too much space no matter who's really in front of him," said Suns wing Mikal Bridges, who acknowledged Porter's leaping ability and high release make him tough to defend. "At his size (6-10), if he feels like he has a little bit of space, he's going to get his shot off for sure."
The Suns also realize Denver has much more than Jokic and Porter.
"(Aaron) Gordon, (Austin) Rivers, (Facundo) Campazzo, Monte Morris, Markus Howard, you can keep naming them," Bridges said. "JaMychal Green, Paul Millsap, everybody. They do their part and they all come in aggressive, confident and play hard. We just got to come in and lock in. Can't take those guys lightly because they might not put up the numbers that Jokic and Porter are putting up."
Williams is also expecting Will Barton (hamstring) and P.J. Dozier (abductor) to return for the Nuggets as neither have played in this year's playoffs.
"PJ and Will, right now, they were able to go through parts of practice today,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “Will has been doing that. That was a first for PJ. So, there is definitely hope and optimism that they will be available at some point during the series."
Malone said he's not "ruling out" Barton for Game 1.
"We’ll have to see how the next 48 hours go," Malone said. "But there is a chance that he could play, and maybe there is a chance that PJ Dozier, at some point in this series, will be available as well.”
Relive Devin Booker's 47-point night in leading Suns past L.A. Lakers
Devin Booker goes for 47 points in leading Phoenix Suns past defending NBA champion L.A. Lakers to end the series in six games.
Duane Rankin, Arizona Republic
The Nuggets have the same understanding of the Suns being a strong team as a whole, but they see it all starts with their All-Star backcourt of Devin Booker and Chris Paul.
Booker is coming off a 47-point Game 6 closeout, hitting 8-of-10 shots from 3. Making it to the playoffs for the first time in his six seasons, Booker averaged 29.7 points in the series against the Lakers, who came into the postseason with the NBA's top defense.
"We're going to have our hands full," said Malone as Denver just faced Portland's dynamic backcourt of All-Star Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum.
"They're a top six in offensive and defensive efficiency. They're top seven in every freaking field goal percentage category. At the rim, midrange, 3-point, foul line. So they do a great job and it's all orchestrated by a Hall of Famer in Chris Paul and a guy that's an all-NBA talent in Devin Booker."
Paul has been dealing with an injured shoulder he reaggravated in Game 5, but hit two huge shots as part of a 7-0 run to stymie a late Lakers' run in Game 6.
"He's giving them that calmness on the floor," Jokic said. "It's basically one more coach on the floor so that helps them a lot. They're kind of young and to have someone like that as well as Jae Crowder, who is really a fighter there, when you have two veterans and one of them is really smart and one of them is really tough, it's really good and sets the tone for everybody else."
Jokic was later asked about Ayton, who has had his share of good games against him since entering the league in 2018. Ayton averaged 22 points on 70% shooting and 12.3 rebounds in three games against the Nuggets this season.
"I think he's the player that I have the most trouble," said Jokic, who averaged 25.7 points on 50.8%s shooting (4-of-8 from 3), 13.7 rebounds and 8.3 assists in three games against the Suns this season. "He's guarded me really well."
The Nuggets see themselves having as size advantage similar to what the Lakers had, but the Suns outrebounded them, 138-136 in the last three games of the series.
"I feel like we're the bigger team," Green said. "Just have to do our part in just being physical. Getting the offensive rebounds and feeding Jokic. Let Jokic lead us."
Have opinion about current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-787-1240. Follow him on Twitter at @DuaneRankin.
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2021-06-06 01:25:06Z
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