LA Lakers 85-115 Phoenix Suns: Devin Booker leads the charge, LeBron James quiet, and Chris Paul injured; here are the 5 major talking points from Game 5 of their 2021 NBA Playoffs series
The Phoenix Suns destroyed the LA Lakers 115-85 in Game 5 of their 2021 NBA Playoffs series on Tuesday. The defending champions, playing without All-Star forward Anthony Davis, are now a game away from elimination in the first round of the postseason.
The Phoenix Suns took control of the game from the start as the packed Phoenix Suns Arena cheered on the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. Unlike the previous games where the LA Lakers put up a fight even in the losses, the Purple and Gold were never in the game except for the first few minutes of the first quarter.
Check out the 5 talking points from Game 5 of the LA Lakers vs Phoenix Suns series:
#1 Phoenix Suns on fire with Devin Booker leading
Devin Booker led the Phoenix Suns with 30 points but it was his sizzling first half that practically put this game away early. He had 22 points on a red-hot 9-of-13 shooting before the halftime buzzer sounded.
The sharpshooting guard gave the LA Lakers everything they could handle as the ferocity of his attacks stifled the defense. Whether it was a single defender or two players in his face, Booker gave the Lakers the business.
#2 Chris Paul looked healthy except for one instance
This was a promising game for Chris Paul considering his shoulder injury. He wasn’t losing his dribble and he was able to extend his arm without issues when following through his shot.
Paul orchestrated the Phoenix Suns’ possessions with precision as they only had one turnover in the first half. The future Hall of Famer played 23 minutes and had nine points, four rebounds and six assists.
Midway through the third quarter, there was a loose ball situation when the LA Lakers’ Wesley Matthews fouled the Phoenix Suns point guard, who doubled over in pain afterwards. He made both his free throws but was brought to the locker room to be looked at by team doctors.
Paul was back on the bench in the fourth quarter, but this situation could be an issue in Game 6.
#3 Phoenix Suns shoot well and take care of the ball
The combination of the Phoenix Suns’ hot shooting and ability to protect the ball throughout the game was the LA Lakers’ death knell.
In the first half, the Suns turned the ball over just once and had a total of four turnovers for the game. They also shot a sizzling 54.2 percent from the field, including 44.4 percent from the 3-point arc before halftime.
In contrast, the LA Lakers coughed up the ball 16 times and shot a horrible 34.5 percent for the game.
#4 LeBron James was too passive
The box score shows that LeBron James took 19 shots from the field to score 24 points but that doesn’t tell the whole story of his performance. The four-time MVP only had seven points in the first half on 3-of-10 shooting. And although he took 10 shots from the field by halftime, he was nowhere to be found during the Phoenix Suns’ onslaught in the second quarter.
James talked about carrying the load with Davis out, but he couldn’t follow through on his promise to LA Lakers fans.
#5 LA Lakers had no answer for Cameron Payne
Aside from Booker, reserve guard Cameron Payne looked like a man possessed in the first half. No one could stop the combination of Booker and Payne as the latter shot 6-of-7 from the floor and 2-of-2 from three in the first half. He finished with 16 points but the damage he wrought early on the LA Lakers was more than enough to put down the 2020 champs.
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