Devin Booker made up for Kevin Durant’s absence against the Oklahoma City Thunder by dropping 44 points, and at the end of it all, he still wanted to play more as he hilariously refused to check out of the game.
The Phoenix Suns led 121-88 in the fourth quarter with 7:26 remaining on the clock, and Booker was asked to come back and cool his heels, except that he had a cheeky smile on his face and looked earnestly at his coach Monty Williams to see if he could stay on the hardwood a little longer. He did eventually call it and headed back to the sidelines.
Booker didn’t want to leave the game. 😂
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) March 9, 2023
On the game front, it was another good outing for Booker as he whipped up 44 points coupled with 3 rebounds and 4 assists in just 28 minutes. He shot 17-of-23 from the field and was 6-of-10 from beyond the arc. His performance made him the first player in franchise history to have four consecutive games with at least 35 points.
Booker has been on a tear for the Suns this season averaging 27.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 5.8 assists — his career-best numbers thus far in terms of points and boards.
With Durant rolling his ankle during the warm-ups and being a late scratch, the onus was on Booker to shoulder the scoring load and the guard rose to the occasion with a clinical display.
Kevin Durant Reveals What He Loves About Devin Booker’s Game
Durant has had the distinction of seeing Booker play up close as a rival and now a teammate. And the veteran forward revealed what he loved about the latter’s game.
Per The Athletic, “I like his work ethic,” Durant explained. “I remember seeing him in college, I loved his form on his jump shot at a young age. So I was like, I can tell he’s been working on his game. So just following him over the years, just seeing how quickly he developed. His IQ for the game. He understands the game.”
“I like guys that can score from all areas of the floor and being around somebody that works like that and cares about the game like that is only going to help me. So, I’m looking forward to being around him.”
Booker and Durant have been the one-two-punch combo the Suns have been looking for, and they will be hoping that the veteran forward will be back on his feet soon.
The Suns have maintained that their primary objective is winning the championship, and only time will tell if they can win the title together.
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