He is the symbol of this victory for the Suns by his serenity and his address found after a complicated start to the match. The Bucks had promised to strike from the start, and they did so with a more aggressive defense on Chris Paul, and a systematic attack from the circle. Phoenix is badly beaten, but Phoenix doesn’t break up. Like Booker who, to compensate for his clumsiness, begins to distribute the caviar.
“I just think Devin wants to prove to everyone that he’s one of the best players in the NBA. Not just with his stats. I think he wants to prove it by winning. He’s a competitor ” explains Monty Williams, probably referring to this exit at 70 points in a loss to Boston.
“He’s a great teammate, and that’s why I came here”
This Booker was very young, but he grew up quickly. When he attracts defenders, he is not in “hero ball” mode. He finds his shooters in the right tempo, and when he misses a shot, he tears off to get his rebounds. A permanent activity that will make all the difference so as not to sink, then stay in touch, and finally pass in front. It was also after a missed shot, then an offensive rebound, that he found Cam Johnson who scored the basket to pass in front. “He’s a great teammate, and that’s why I came here” launches Chris Paul at a press conference.
It is after returning from the locker room that Devin Booker will really take the game on his own. His 3rd quarter is a marvel. Technically, everything goes, with the fadeaway, the shoot at 8 meters or the shoot with the board on transition. And when the Bucks react and stick to the score, it is he who finds Chris Paul in the corner, at the 24-second buzzer, on a pass that crosses the entire end line.
And then there’s this faraway address. Considered a pure shooter since his arrival in the NBA, Devin Booker was only turning 34% this season! But that night, he plants 7 for 12 attempts. Sometimes with a defender on his back, sometimes after a small dribble to eliminate his vis-à-vis. Each shot did a lot of good for his team.
On arrival, his performance is beautiful and complete: 31 points, 6 assists and 5 assists, 12 of 25 on shots. In the last twenty-five years, only three players had achieved a 30/5/5 in the NBA Finals under 24: Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Russell Westbrook.
“At this point in the season, every game is a Game 7”
“We were leading by 10 points, but we knew they would give everything to come back” he explains about this ability of the Suns to put in from afar at the right time. “We absolutely wanted to keep control of the game. We defended well, and some shots came in ”.
At the end of the match, Monty Williams even called him back on the bench. “It was to preserve me. I had the feeling that we were in a good situation. I trust each of us ” explains Devin Booker. “We’re going to have two full days of rest, and then we’ll have to play in Milwaukee. “
What is he expecting there? His response is: ” At this point in the season, every game is a Game 7 ″. Funny when you know that he has never argued in his career …
| Devin Booker | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | LF | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Fte | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2015-16 | PHX | 76 | 28 | 42.3 | 34.3 | 84.0 | 0.4 | 2.1 | 2.5 | 2.6 | 3.0 | 0.6 | 2.1 | 0.3 | 13.8 |
| 2016-17 | PHX | 78 | 35 | 42.3 | 36.3 | 83.2 | 0.6 | 2.6 | 3.2 | 3.4 | 3.1 | 0.9 | 3.1 | 0.3 | 22.1 |
| 2017-18 | PHX | 54 | 35 | 43.2 | 38.3 | 87.8 | 0.5 | 4.0 | 4.5 | 4.7 | 3.1 | 0.9 | 3.6 | 0.3 | 24.9 |
| 2018-19 | PHX | 64 | 35 | 46.7 | 32.6 | 86.6 | 0.6 | 3.5 | 4.1 | 6.8 | 3.1 | 0.9 | 4.1 | 0.2 | 26.6 |
| 2019-20 | PHX | 70 | 36 | 48.9 | 35.4 | 91.9 | 0.4 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 6.5 | 3.0 | 0.7 | 3.8 | 0.3 | 26.6 |
| 2020-21 | PHX | 67 | 34 | 48.4 | 34.0 | 86.7 | 0.5 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 4.3 | 2.7 | 0.8 | 3.1 | 0.2 | 25.6 |
| 2021-22 | PHX | 17 | 33 | 43.7 | 38.5 | 84.0 | 0.9 | 4.7 | 5.6 | 4.9 | 2.4 | 0.9 | 2.7 | 0.2 | 22.4 |
| Total | 426 | 34 | 45.4 | 35.3 | 86.9 | 0.5 | 3.3 | 3.8 | 4.7 | 3.0 | 0.8 | 3.2 | 0.3 | 23.0 | |
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The MVP of the night | Devin Booker in Olympic form