NBA — Facing the Celtics, the back of the Suns had caught fire, in a rather strange performance.
Like all great offensive performances in the history of the league, that of Devin Booker contains several reading levels. The first is the most obvious and the simplest: statistics. Because on March 24, 2017, the back of the Suns scored… 70 points!
Since this season, only seven have also done so: Wilt Chamberlain (six times), Kobe Bryant, David Thompson, David Robinson, Elgin Baylor, Donovan Mitchell and Damian Lillard. This classifies you as an attacker…
In detail, these are therefore 70 points at 21/40 in shooting, including 4/11 in 3-point range, and 24/26 in free throws, with also 8 rebounds and 6 assists. Above all, these are 51 points scored in the second half!
“I do this sport to be a legend”
The second reading is that of the match. And there, it thickens since, since the Suns had been dominated throughout the game and they were launched into an end to the season without challenge or flavor, they had transformed the defeat into a one-man show for Devin Booker.
Thus, the Phoenix players only sought to serve their trigger, multiplying the screens (sometimes up to three in a row!) to offer him a suitable shoot. It was particularly caricatural in the final minutes, when the meeting was folded…
Nevertheless, the Suns had been directly encouraged by the spectators of the TD Garden, certainly satisfied with the victory of their team, but enthusiastic with the idea of living a great moment. Hence the fact that each basket of Devin Booker was accompanied by public support, as if he was playing at home.
« This is the craziest part of this evening for me », explained the back. « I do this sport to be a legend, one of the best and it’s a good way to start. As it happened in Boston, once morest the Celtics, one of the historic franchises of the league, it adds a little to all that. »
In addition, if Devin Booker had not chained the baskets as much, no doubt he would have joined the bench much more quickly, because he had been injured in the ankle for a few days. At the start of the match, he had even aggravated his injury and his coaching-staff had hesitated to spare him. Given his performance, they preferred to let him enjoy it, even if it meant damaging his joint.
“They started to encourage me and that surprised me”
“We discussed it two or three times,”
remembered Jay Triano, when he looks back on his exchanges with Earl Watson. “But we thought we were going to give him one more shot, a few more award-winning shots. He managed some, but the gap did not decrease. Then the fans started supporting it and we thought if they really wanted to see it, let it be. »
Third and final reading: talent. Completely helped by his teammates or not, sticking to 70 points remains a masterful performance. Marcus Smart and the Celtics haven’t fully rolled out the red carpet for their opponent. An extremely talented opponent, able to stick 14 points in two minutes like he did that night, going from 56 to 70 points in 120 seconds.
“They started cheering me on and it surprised me, since I know how crazy Boston fans can be.“, told Devin Booker. “I said following the match that I had respect for them. They were behind their team but wanted to witness a moment of history and that’s what they got. »
Many of his baskets are complicated, but with confidence and his technique, “Book” has always been able to dominate his direct defenders. Marcus Smart therefore, but also regularly Jaylen Brown.
| Devin Booker | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saison | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | LF | Off | Def | Until | 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 | 68 | 35 | 46.6 | 38.3 | 86.8 | 0.7 | 4.4 | 5.0 | 4.8 | 2.7 | 1.1 | 2.4 | 0.4 | 26.8 |
| 2022-23 | PHX | 45 | 35 | 49.9 | 36.8 | 84.1 | 0.9 | 3.7 | 4.5 | 5.5 | 3.0 | 0.9 | 2.6 | 0.4 | 28.1 |
| Total | 522 | 34 | 46.1 | 35.8 | 86.7 | 0.6 | 3.4 | 4.0 | 4.7 | 3.0 | 0.8 | 3.1 | 0.3 | 23.9 | |