On May 3, Beijing time, the NBA playoffs Western Conference semifinals ushered in a focus battle, the Suns at home to meet the Lone Ranger, the first quarter of the Sun once led by 15 points, the single quarter 35-25 led by 10 points, Doncic and Booker formed a confrontation.
The Suns were the league number one, eliminating the Pelicans 4-2 in the first round, with Booker suffering injuries and missing multiple games. The Lone Rangers were 4th in the West, eliminating the Jazz 4-2 in the first round. In the three meetings of the regular season, the Sun swept the Lone Ranger and had a clear advantage.
Booker continued to start, and the Suns started: Paul, Booker, Bridges, Crowder, Ayton. The Lone Rangers' starts are: Doncic, Brunson, Bullock, Finney Smith, Powell. As soon as the first quarter came up, Paul scored on a jumper, Booker broke through, Bridges scored on a layup, Crowder hit a three-pointer and the Suns made it 9-0. The Lone Ranger didn't score for nearly 3 minutes, Doncic broke the deadlock for the Lone Ranger, the Suns continued to extend the advantage, Booker hit both free throws to give the Suns a 14-4 lead.
Booker grabbed consecutive rebounds in the front court to score, and the Suns stopped the Lone Ranger. Booker blocked Brunson's angry defiant attack, and Booker hit two free throws to give the Suns a 22-7 lead of 15 points. The Lone Ranger's offense was not good, Doncic propped up the team's offense, and the Kleber Pelicans became the Wizards, scoring consecutive points to chase 18-26. The Suns' shooting percentage remained high, with the two teams scoring alternately rising, with the Suns leading 35-25 in the first quarter. Booker had 13 points, six rebounds and four assists in the first quarter, Ayton nine points and Paul two points. On the Lone Ranger side, Doncic had 14 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists, and Kleber had 9 points.