Suns' starlets shine on big stage

PHOENIX (Arizona) • The Phoenix Suns were playing their first play-off match in 11 years. Three out their five starters were playing at this level for the first time.

Yet it looked like the hosts were the ones who had the experience as the second seeds beat the defending National Basketball Association (NBA) champions Los Angeles Lakers 99-90 in Game 1 of their Western Conference opening series on Sunday.

Devin Booker - one of several Suns, including Deandre Ayton, 22, and Mikal Bridges, 24 who were making their play-off debuts - shone, scoring a game-high 34 points against the visitors.

For the first time in over 30 years, the No. 7 seeds in the West are being favoured by bookmakers over the No. 2 seeds, according to ESPN Stats and Information.

Booker and his teammates showed the hard-nosed approach that will be needed if they are to overcome the Lakers in this best-of-seven series.

The 24-year-old guard rallied his team after an injury curtailed veteran guard and fellow All-Star Chris Paul's influence and brought a cool head to the table when tempers flared in the fourth quarter.

Suns reserve guard Cameron Payne was tossed out after a shoving match which saw players and backroom staff stream onto the court.

But Phoenix, one of the NBA's youngest teams, appeared to relish the physical battle, belying their lack of post-season know-how.

Afterwards, Booker declared his team were ready to scrap it out with the Lakers, saying: "The intensity's different, the physicality is different. And it's only one game."

Bridges, who added 10 points, said: "Times get tough, we don't separate. We're going to fight through it together."

If the Lakers fail to match the Suns' intensity, Anthony Davis, who cut a subdued figure with just 13 points, admitted they could face an early exit.

"I missed a ton of shots. We missed a ton of shots as a team," the forward said. "There is no way we are winning a game, let alone a series with the way I played. This is on me."

The Lakers made 33 of 76 shots and were paced by 18 points from LeBron James.

Game 2 will again be held in Phoenix as the Suns have home-count advantage. And with the same raucous crowd expected - 11,000 people were present on Sunday - coach Monty Williams feels his team can rise to the occasion again today.

Paul will be their only concern after the guard, who had just seven points on the night, heard "a crack" in his shoulder that restricted his mobility but Williams said that the 36-year-old reassured him of his availability for Game 2.

In Salt Lake City, there was another shock as Dillon Brooks had 31 points and Ja Morant added 26 to lead the No. 8 seeds Memphis Grizzlies to a huge 112-109 road win over the Utah Jazz, the team with the best record in the regular season.

The visitors, in the post-season after a three-year absence, fell behind by 14 points in the first half, but rallied to jump ahead by 15 points early in the fourth quarter.

The Jazz were short-handed after All-Star Donovan Mitchell, who has missed the past month with an ankle injury, was ruled out of the game. While Bojan Bogdanovic paced the hosts with 29 points, Rudy Gobert's foul trouble with over four minutes remaining cost his team dear.

With the loss, the Jazz no longer own home-court advantage in this round, although Game 2 will still be held in Utah tomorrow.

Mitchell remains a doubt, with the team saying he will be "evaluated day-to-day".

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS