Devin Booker postgame press conference after the Phoenix Suns (12-10) fall to the Sacramento Kings (12-8) 114-106
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Without Kevin Durant (ankle), Bradley Beal (back) and Grayson Allen (groin) Phoenix got off to a really hot start tonight with an 11-2 run, then it was very back and forth the rest of the first half until the Suns closed it on a 12-3 run. Then, the Kings outscored Phoenix 33-12 in the third quarter as the Suns shot 28% and 0-for-8 from three. Phoenix made a valiant effort with some big threes in the fourth, but De’Aaron Fox’s 23 fourth quarter points carried the Kings to the victory. Booker finished the night with 28 points, 7 assists and 7 rebounds, while Eric Gordon added 19 and Jusuf Nurkic had 15 and 9 boards. Fox ended with 34 and 7 assists, while Domantas Sabonis had 15 and 17 rebounds.
The Suns have now lost 4 of their last 5. How does Booker stay confident through this recent stretch?
“Look at the bench and see Bradley Beal and Kevin Durant sitting there, getting ready to come back out.”
With tonight's 114-106 loss, the #Suns have now dropped 4 of their last 5 games and are 12-10 on the year, yet Devin Booker is not worried about where they're at currently.
"I look at the bench and see Bradley Beal and Kevin Durant sitting there, getting ready to come back out" pic.twitter.com/47w6v5Cf09
— Burn City Suns Talk 🎙️ (@BurnCitySuns) December 9, 2023
The Suns will look to bounce back next Tuesday night against the 10-12 Warriors at Footprint Center.
Top Quotes from Devin Booker (via Suns)
(On frustration of players being out with injuries…)
“It is part of it. I mean, you have to deal with it. It is part of the NBA season. We are not going to be the only team to deal with injuries throughout. The good teams find a way to win when they are down players. We had the opportunity to do that tonight, going up nine into halftime. If we come out with a better third quarter, I think we could have put this one away.”
(On difficulty evaluating the team without full group…)
“You guys know that one piece can always change a team drastically. That is not an ordinary piece that we are adding either, that is Bradly Beal. Me and KD (Kevin Durant) have played together, sure. But we have not had Brad out there. One person can change everything, the whole landscape and the spacing. Obviously, I can keep saying that I cannot wait until he comes back, but making sure that he is healthy and ready to go before he does.”
(On being patient with becoming the team they are envisioning…)
“I have been through it before. Just understanding. I obviously would rather be at full strength, but remembering what we are playing for. Trying to learn from wins and losses. Teams are probably going to try to take out three of us. Other guys are going to have to find spacing and be in the right spots. Here is a good time to step up in those opportunities and build some confidence.”
Devin Booker is not happy with the “inconsistent” foul calling
*Get the BEST Phoenix sports insider information, exclusive content, and access to our seasonal magazines! SIGN UP HERE to unlock our premium content!*
Brendan Mau is a senior writer covering the Phoenix Suns and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @Brendan_Mau
