Following the Suns’ 107-120 loss to the Thunder in Game 2, Devin Booker was livid at the officials and called them out for not respecting him. Consequently, the Suns’ star player has been fined $35,000 for his vocal criticism of officials without what they adjudicated to be a significant basis.
“Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker has been fined $35,000 for public criticism of the officiating, it was announced today by James Jones, Executive Vice President, Head of Basketball Operations,” read the statement released by the league’s communications office.
“Following an investigation including multiple interviews and video review, the league found no basis for any claim of bias or misconduct by game officials.”
“Booker made his comments to the press following the Suns’ 120-107 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series on April 22 at Paycom Center.”
“The NBA also determined that Booker’s technical foul at 2:05 in the third quarter was improperly assessed, and it has therefore been rescinded.”
The league subsequently also rescinded the technical fouls they assessed to Dillon Brooks and Lu Dort for an exchange near the end of the game.
Booker anticipated this fine when he made the comments. But several other members of the Suns’ franchise also voiced their opinions in concurrence with what the 29-year-old guard said, like Dillon Brooks, Jalen Green, and the team owner, Mat Ishbia.
“Ya’ll should be interviewing the officials,” Brooks said. “That should be a new thing in the NBA. Officials have to explain themselves because it’s getting ridiculous when you can see it. It starts getting fiery. No control out there. Now they’re just whistling on one side,” Brooks concluded.
Jalen Green, who sat with Booker at his press conference, also voiced his opinion in agreement with his teammate and recalled what he had previously said after Game 1.
“I said my opinion last game about how the refs have been officiating. Either you don’t call it or call it both ways, but as Book said, it’s the playoffs. We’re on national TV. This is when you’re supposed to let the players be aggressive and play everything out,” said Green.
The billionaire team owner, Mat Ishbia, also chimed in on social media and criticised the officials as well.
“I am 100% behind Devin Booker here. Last night was not a good look for our league,” wrote Ishbia on X.
“Let me be clear, we didn’t lose because of officiating, but that doesn’t make last night any less important. If the referees are going to demand respect from the players – as they should – then the players should demand respect from the referees.
“When a referee is missing calls and clearly disrespecting the players, almost mocking them, they must be held accountable. Nobody who loves this game enjoyed watching that last night.”
“They want to see the players compete at the highest level. The league needs to be far more aggressive about this kind of thing. All players and all fans deserve it.”
It will be interesting to see if the league fines more members of the Suns regarding their comments. But they cannot deny that officials need to be held accountable and to a set standard that can be questioned after the game. Instead of just admitting mistakes in the L2M report.
If anything, this fine should serve as fuel for motivation to Booker, who has arguably not met expectations so far in this series. The Suns’ star player is averaging 22.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 3.0 assists in the two games that he has so far played in the 2026 playoffs while shooting 48.4% from the field and only 25.0% from beyond the three-point line.
A career 35.2% shooter from beyond the arc, Booker cannot face such a slump once again like he did earlier this season. Therefore, he needs to be more aggressive on the scoring end, focus on not turning over the ball as much, instead of complaining about officiating.
And only then can the Suns have some hope of bouncing back in this series. They are now headed home for Games 3 and 4 of this series in Phoenix on Saturday, April 25, and Monday, April 27.
