The Phoenix Suns are struggling mightily without their injured protagonist Devin Booker against the New Orleans Pelicans. Things are looking up for the Bucks and Heat. The NBA on Monday morning.
Second loss in fourth game: West-leading Phoenix Suns struggle mightily in their home opener against the New Orleans Pelicans. Still without their top man Devin Booker (muscle injury), the team from Arizona lost 103-118 at the New Orleans Pelicans and still needs two wins to advance. It remains to be seen when Booker will return. In his absence, Brandon Ingram shined for the Pelicans with 30 points. “We’re going to fight until the last second. That’s our identity, there’s no alternative for us,” “Big Man” Jonas Valanciunas, who finished with 26 points, also sent a pithy message to the Suns.
Before that, the Denver Nuggets had averted the threat of a sweep in their series against the Golden State Warriors, just as the Toronto Raptors had done against the Philadelphia 76ers the day before. The Nuggets rallied in their own arena against the previously dominant Californians, 126-121, to cut the deficit to 1-3. Nikola Jokic scored 37 points for the Nuggets, while Steph Curry’s 33 points and Klay Thompson’s 32 were unexpectedly not enough for the “Dubs” to secure the necessary fourth win. Curry again came into the game off the bench.
Young stays in single digits
Like the Warriors, the Miami Heat are one win short of advancing to the next round. The 110-86 loss to the Atlanta Hawks gave the Eastern Conference’s best main-round team a chance to close the deal at home on Tuesday night. The Heat held Hawks superstar Trae Young to a disappointing nine points, while their go-to-guy Jimmy Butler was impressive with 36 points and ten rebounds.
In the early game on Sunday, the Milwaukee Bucks led by Giannis Antetokounmpo (32/17/7) had put another heavy damper on the Chicago Bulls by 119-95 at the United Center of the old champions and had pulled away to a 3-1 lead.
