‘Couldn’t recall the last time’: NBA star’s ‘very uncharacteristic’ act as broken contender faces overhaul
The Suns had been eradicated from the NBA playoffs on Friday (all instances AEST) after struggling a 125-100 loss to the Denver Nuggets in Game 6 of the Western Conference semis.
Playing with out Chris Paul (who had been injured since Game 2) and DeAndre Ayton (who missed Game 6 with a rib damage), the Suns had been blown out on their dwelling courtroom to the No. 1 seed within the West – ending an unimaginable run that Phoenix guard Devin Booker had been on all through the sequence, by which he scored 83 factors on almost 80 per cent taking pictures in Games 3 and 4.
Booker struggled in Game 6, scoring 12 factors on 4-of-13 taking pictures – and after the sport (and the Suns’ season) was over, Booker left the world with out talking to media.
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“This is very uncharacteristic for Booker, who typically embraces the responsibilities that come along with being the face of the franchise,” tweeted ESPN’s Tim McMahon after the sport was over. “Local media members couldn’t recall the last time he left arena without fulfilling his media obligations.”
Last yr, when the Suns additionally noticed their season finish in a blowout on their dwelling ground throughout the Western Conference semis – a 123-90 massacre to the Mavericks in Game 7 – Booker did communicate to media, as did Paul.
Perhaps Booker is conscious that the crew might probably face a serious overhaul within the low season below new proprietor Mat Ishbia.
Booker, Kevin Durant, Ayton and Landry Shamet are the one 4 gamers below fully-guaranteed contracts. Paul, who’s 38, has a crew possibility, as does Cameron Payne.
Ayton, who had an underwhelming sequence matching up with former MVP Nikola Jokic, has additionally been persistently floated in commerce rumours.
Booker, who remains to be solely 26 and appears to get higher yearly, might be again in 2023-24, as will Durant.
However, the crew that received the primary two video games of the 2021 NBA Finals earlier than dropping 4 straight to the Bucks appears to be going backwards after back-to-back second-round knockouts.
Perhaps Booker’s early exit might be an indication of some inside frustration for a crew that was thought of among the many favorites to win the NBA championship after they landed Durant in a blockbuster commerce from the Nets.
It’s a commerce that additionally decimated the Suns’ draft belongings as they now will search for methods to construct round Booker and Durant.
They have now been steamrolled of their final recreation of the season on their dwelling ground for the second-straight yr.
“It was pretty much the whole game,” Suns head coach Monty Williams mentioned. “Eighty-one points in the first half. It was deflating to just see them score like that, running down the floor getting easy buckets.”
-This article was first printed in The New York Post and reproduced with permission
