Phoenix Suns Rout L.A. Lakers, Win 1st Playoff Series Since 2010

PHOENIX, AZ — The Phoenix Suns officially dethroned LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers Thursday night.

The No. 2 seeded Suns, thanks in large part to a 47-point outburst from guard Devin Booker, earned a series-clinching, 113-100 Game 6 victory over the defending champions in the City of Angels.

It was a night that started with a flurry of baskets from Booker and his teammates, who jumped out to a 36-14 lead at the end of the game's opening quarter.

It was also a night where the Lakers lost dynamic forward, Anthony Davis, to a groin injury five minutes into the night.

It was also the night where James suffered his first-ever opening round exit in the NBA playoffs, after going 14-0 as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat and Lakers.

For Suns head coach Monty Williams, it was a night where his team, which had not made the postseason since the 2009-10 season, proved that they belonged on the sport's biggest stage.

“Typically, you don’t see young players play this way in these kinds of environments,” Williams said. “So it says a lot about their character (and) integrity, but it also speaks to the season we’ve had. We’ve had a lot of close games against really good teams … The carryover from that, I believe, has helped them.”

For Booker, Thursday night's one-sided win showed that Phoenix's 51-21 record during the abbreviated regular season was no fluke.

The sixth-year guard knew his shooting touch was true to form prior to tip off, and soon showed the nation that he was up for showing out on the association's largest stage.

"I was just locked in, to be completely honest, from when I woke up," Booker said. "I had a tough time taking my pregame nap, all out of excitement. We treated this game like a Game 7. ... We were stressing since we won the last one that we wanted to end it here, on their home court."

Williams commended the likes of Booker for their steely poise against a Lakers team that featured the likes of four-time league MVP LeBron James and a host of other, experienced players.

For Williams, the Suns victory on Thursday is less a final stamp on what's been a remarkable franchise-wide turnaround as it is a tale of a team that's playing its best basketball at the right time.

"It certainly is cool to beat the defending champs, for sure," Phoenix coach Monty Williams said. "But you can only hold onto that for so long, and now you have to move towards another worthy opponent."

For now, Williams and company will turn their attention to the Denver Nuggets, who await them in the Western Conference semifinal round.

The two sides will square off in the first game of their series at 7 p.m. local time at Phoenix Suns Arena on Monday.

Until then, the purple-and-orange clad fans of the Valley can soak in a win that's been 11 years in the making, thanks to the exploits of Booker and the steadfast coaching of Williams.