The Phoenix Suns (now 20-18) entered last night’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers having lost two straight and three of four. They were 2-4 when all their Big 3 played and had lost five straight to the Lakers dating back to last season.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Safe to say, the Suns needed a get-right win sooner rather than later. Devin Booker seemed to take it upon himself early against the Lakers to make this happen.
Booker had 16 points in the first quarter, making 6-of-10 field goals, and looking willing to shoot no matter if he was contested or not. The Suns won the first quarter 36-25 and never looked back from there. They ultimately led by as much as 32 and defeated LA 127-109 at the end of the night. Booker finished the night with 31 points, five rebounds and five assists.
Devin Booker came to play. 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting in the 1Q #ComingInHot
pic.twitter.com/jW7qVBKyTx— Burn City Suns Talk 🎙️ (@BurnCitySuns) January 12, 2024
Booker said he came out with an aggressive mindset stemming from the Suns’ last couple results, but gave credit to his teammates, specifically Kevin Durant, when referencing his hot start postgame.
“(It was) really just doing what my teammates ask of me,” Booker said. “KD came to me before the game and said, ‘I want you aggressive. Don’t worry about getting me involved, I’ll get myself involved.’ Having a mate like that out there there with you to give you that much confidence and let you rock out, that’s important.”
Devin Booker credited Kevin Durant for his hot start:
"KD came to me before the game and said, 'I want you aggressive. Don't worry about getting me involved, I'll get myself involved.' Having a mate like that out there there with you to give you that much confidence and let you… https://t.co/MTzFLhgj05 pic.twitter.com/KioXskfI3f
— Burn City Sports (@BurnCitySports) January 12, 2024
Kevin Durant’s Reaction to Booker’s Comments
Durant said that instilling confidence in his teammates is nothing out of the ordinary for him.
“I feel like that’s been my approach since I’ve been in the league,” Durant said. “I’ve figured out I could fend for myself, you don’t got to force feed me the ball, or put me in my spot. I don’t need a point guard to set me up, like I can find out how to get be aggressive and make an impact on the offensive side. As much as everybody can be aggressive without having to focus on trying to get me the ball or our best scorers the ball, if we (are) aggressive and just make the right play, the ball is going to find us. That’s usually the approach we all have, but sometimes it’s good to reiterate that to your teammates, so they can go out there and have a free mind. So as much as I can, I try to put that in the ear of my guys.”
How Pride Affected Booker’s Play
That’s not to say the past results, especially Monday’s 138-111 loss to the Clippers, did not affect Booker and how he played.
“Pride always kicks in with us,” Booker said. “We’re true competitors, and we get bothered by losses. We’re emotional, and I think everybody in this league is to some degree. It’s all about how you respond.”
The Suns and Booker will look to carry this momentum into their next game on Sunday night against the Portland Trail Blazers (10-27).
Kevin Durant wanted, and excelled, at challenge of guarding LeBron James
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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
