Best – Devin Booker (G) Phoenix Suns (35PTS 13-25FG 6-9 3PT 3-5FT 4REB 8AST 2TO)
Devin Booker deserves recognition for more than just Tuesday’s buzzer-beater against the Clippers. Before making the game-winning shot, Booker had already torched the Clippers’ defense. Many people questioned why the NBA invited the Suns to the bubble with a record of 26-39, good for 12th place in the West. But the Suns have come out hotter than any other team, winning all three of their games. The Suns have tons of young talent: Deandre Ayton, Kelly Oubre Jr., Cam Johnson, and Mikal Bridges. However, their young superstar Devin Booker has shown he can be the leader of this up and coming team. Booker has come up big the last two games and helped the Suns take down two western conference teams seeded above them. He has averaged 32.5PPG, with 4REB and 6AST while also shooting over 50% from the field and behind the arc. Booker has proven he is not shy about taking game-winning shots. Tuesday’s game was his third winning game in which he scored 30+ points. If Booker and the Suns keep up this level of play, they will be the ones to have the last laugh.
Luka Doncic (G) Dallas Mavericks (34PTS 12-24FG 2-6 3PT 8-11FT 20REB 12AST 2BLK 6TO)
I have a feeling Doncic is going to be on this list a lot this season, so to keep from being Donciced out, I focused on the second-best player of the night. However, there is one highlight I had to include. On Tuesday, Doncic broke a record for the youngest player with a 30-20 game at 21. This record was previously held by Oscar Robertson, who was 23 at the time.
Other Notables: Jusef Nurkic (C) Blazers -18PTS 19REB 3BLK 2STL 3AST; Bam Adebayo (C) Heat – 21PTS 12REB 1STL 1BLK 2AST.
Worst – Jaylen Brown (G) Boston Celtics (9-23FG 0-5 3PT 0-2FT 18PTS 10REB 0AST 2TO 1BLK 2STL 39MIN)
The Boston Celtics entered the bubble as one of the favorites in the Eastern Conference but have gone 1-2 after their loss on Tuesday night to the Miami Heat. This does not bode well for the Celtics as the Heat were seeded right behind them at 4th.
The loss on Tuesday was partly due to the erratic play of one of their best, Jaylen Brown. Brown was having the best season of his career before the shutdown happened, putting up what would have been career highs (20.7PPG 6.3REB 2.1AST 1.1STL 73.6FT% 48.9FG% 34.1MPG). But on Tuesday night, his much less talented doppelganger donned the Celtics jersey.
It was a massive game for both teams, fighting for a higher seed in the Eastern Conference playoff bracket. The Celtics were only up 2.5 games on the Heat, and now after this loss, their lead is down to 1.5 games. The Celtics are a team that can lean on its depth. It does not make sense for Brown to throw brick after brick when there are plenty of other players that can help with scoring. Brown needs to go back to the Celtics’ core with five games left and play as a team.
Extra Tras: Robert Covington (F) Rockets – 6PTS 2-11FG 2-11 3PT 8REB 1AST 2STL; Marcus Smart (G) Celtics – 3PTS 0-5FG 0-2 3PT 3-4FT 1REB 2STL 1TO; Bogdan Bogdanovic (G) Kings – 3PTS 1-15FG 1-8 3PT 3REB 2AST 1STL 3TO.