Devin Booker has led the Phoenix Suns to their seventh consecutive win after nailing a game-winning three over a double-team against the New York Knicks. Booker went viral in 2019 for complaining about double teams in practice, prompting a lot of fan hate. He shut those fans up with his game-winning tonight and flexed the same on Instagram.
“Always complainin’ bout the double.”
The post has already seen Kyle Kuzma and Trae Young comment in support of Booker.
Booker is referencing a viral moment during the summer of 2019 when he was playing a summer scrimmage with a couple of NBA players. During the scrimmage, Booker was getting double-teamed by his opponents, causing the Suns’ star to lash out at Joakim Noah by saying he gets doubled throughout the season and needs one-on-one time to help him improve his game.
Many criticized Booker for ducking double teams, including his idol Kobe Bryant. The Suns were barely competitive before the 2020-21 season, with Booker being their lone offensive option since being drafted in 2016. Tonight, he made it clear that double teams never intimidated him by taking a heavily contested shot to seal the win without Kevin Durant on the court.
Devin Booker Is Reaching A New Level
The Suns were without Durant and Bradley Beal against a formidable Knicks squad, leading Booker to drop 28 points and 11 assists to help his Suns squad pull the victory off. Booker is averaging 29.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 8.9 assists this season and could find himself in MVP talks if the Suns keep climbing up the standings.
This win improves Phoenix’s record to 11-6, overcoming a slow start to the season and now sitting third in the West behind Minnesota and Oklahoma City. They’re tied for the longest win streak in the NBA with seven wins on the trot, along with the Orlando Magic.
Phoenix was expected to be among the contenders in the West, but their 4-6 start to the season left many wondering if they were capable of competing atop the Conference with the concerning injury history of the three stars on the squad. Beal has barely touched the floor due to a back injury, while Booker missed games at the start of the season too, with Durant carrying the load.
That led to KD now needing to take time off but entrusting a healthy Booker to lead the squad. He’s done it admirably, becoming the team’s point guard and averaging a career-high in assists for someone many considered a one-dimensional scorer. The fact they’re staying strong through the injuries they already have is an encouraging sign for if and when the entire squad is healthy.
The season ahead is very long and the Suns need to keep pace in a very challenging West but they’ve recovered really well after a poor start. Whether they can enjoy good health over the dog days of the season from December to March will be the real test for this group, as one week of bad games could see a team crash out of the top six and have to fight through the play-in tournament.
We sincerely appreciate and respect you as a reader of our site. It would help us a lot if you follow us on Google News because of the latest update.
Thanks for following us. We really appreciate your support.
