Devin Booker and Luka Doncic may be the only star-level players in the NBA who have an actual competitive rivalry that fans can’t get enough of. They don’t like each other on the court and have given us some incredible moments over the past few years.
Before the Suns vs. Mavericks Christmas matchup, Booker opened up on his rivalry with Doncic, saying they share mutual respect.
“I think it proves what social media is about and how people try to stir drama and look for anything. Me and Luka’s respect for each other has been mutual and at a high level since he came into the league. A playoff series gets super competitive, as every game goes, and the world takes and runs away with it. It’s good for the game, it’s good for traction, good for views. But there is no problem amongst each other, we just compete at a high level.”
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Booker and Doncic began their rivalry during the 2022 Playoffs when the Mavericks and Suns met in the second round. Everyone expected the Suns to easily go past the Mavericks but Doncic single-handedly led Dallas to a stunning seven-game series win. Booker was talking a lot of trash in the series, especially after the Suns went up 3-2. This led to Doncic dropping his iconic ‘Everybody acting tough when they’re up‘ line before orchestrating wins in Game 6 and 7 to go to his first-ever Conference Finals.
Doncic almost joined LeBron James as one of the only players to lead a series in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks, outmatching every Suns player in those categories in one of the most dominant series wins of all time.
People don’t remember what Book did throughout the series because of his Game 7 collapse where he ended the night with 11 points on 3-14 shooting, as the Suns saw a 64-win season end with a second-round exit at home.
Doncic averaged 32.6 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 7.0 assists, while Booker averaged 23.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.6 assists. People don’t remember what Book did throughout the series because of his Game 7 collapse where he ended the night with 11 points on 3-14 shooting, as the Suns saw a 64-win season end with a second-round exit at home.
Doncic And Booker Looking To Add Another Chapter At Christmas
Booker claims mutual respect between the pair but it does seem like there are bad feelings on the court whenever they meet up.
During a nail-biting Suns vs. Mavericks game last February, Doncic and Booker got into a messy on-court argument which also led to Kyrie Irving getting involved. Dallas was a pathetic team last season, so the Suns have had the last laugh in this rivalry.
The Christmas matchup is important for both teams. If the Suns lose, they fall below .500 and will have to fight their way out of the 11th seed. The Mavericks are looking to reclaim their place in the top four of the standings after an injury-riddled December has hurt them. They will enter Christmas without key rotational players like Josh Green and Maxi Kleber, along with Kyrie Irving continuing to miss games. Rookie center Dereck Lively II is questionable.
The Suns haven’t had health to brag about either, missing Bradley Beal for most of the season and going into Christmas without Jusuf Nurkic as well, missing the game for personal reasons. But at least they have both Kevin Durant and Booker still, as compared to a weaker roster in Dallas if both Kyrie and Lively end up missing the game.
It’s funny to look back at the 2018 Draft and think about a timeline where Doncic and Booker were teammates, as the Suns passed on Luka to draft Deandre Ayton. This would’ve been a championship-winning backcourt, but we’ll settle for them having the only discernable rivalry among young guards in the league.
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