In a span of about 15 seconds of game clock, Devin Booker got free for a two-handed dunk, pulled down a defensive rebound, flexed as he made his way to the opposite free-throw line and calmly sank the two shots to seal the Phoenix Suns’ first win of the Western Conference Finals.
It was a more-than-fitting end to arguably the best performance of Booker’s career. The 24-year-old’s first-career triple double — 40 points, 13 rebounds, 11 assists — propelled the Suns to a 120-114 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers Sunday afternoon at Phoenix Suns Arena to take a 1-0 series lead.
“It’s very special, but the win feels better,” Booker said. “That’s what I’m out there for the whole entire time. Part of the triple-double is assists, and that’s my teammates making them pay for running and doubling and seeing different types of defenses. The rebounds come from DA (Deandre Ayton) boxing out when he has a Zubac or Boogie (Cousins on him) and me coming in and getting the rebound.
“It takes a whole collective team group to get what we got done.”
Booker clinched the statistical benchmark in highlight fashion, when he found Mikal Bridges for an alley-oop slam in transition for his 10th assist to give Phoenix a 113-104 lead with 2:35 to play. His sequence in the game’s final minute squashed an 8-0 Clippers burst to cut the Suns’ lead to 116-114 with 22 seconds to play. He also scored 16 consecutive points in the third quarter while going toe-to-toe with Clippers star Paul George, who finished with 34 points.
And the Suns needed it all from Booker while playing without All-Star point guard Chris Paul, who missed the game while in health and safety protocols. Perhaps Booker’s best nod to the future Hall of Famer: He only committed two turnovers while playing more point guard than normal.
The Suns' first postseason 40-point triple-double since Charles Barkley in 1993 was the latest in a line of spectacular outings during Booker’s initial playoff run. He is averaging 29 points on 49.1 percent shooting, 7.4 rebounds and 5.4 assists over the Suns’ 11 games. He has eclipsed 30 points in five of those contests.
Phoenix has now won eight consecutive playoff games dating back to Game 4 of the first-round series against the Lakers to extend a franchise record.
All five Suns starters finished in double figures, including 20 points and nine rebounds from Deandre Ayton, 11 points and nine assists from Cameron Payne while starting in place of Paul and 12 points and four rebounds from Cam Johnson off the bench. Phoenix shot 55.1 percent, its best mark in the playoffs so far, totaled 16 fastbreak points and 54 points in the paint and committed only seven turnovers.
Game 2 of the series is Tuesday night at Phoenix Suns Arena.
HIGHLIGHTS:
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING:
Devin Booker on where his performance ranks among the best of his career: "I’ll let you guys do the rankings. I’m just going out there to win every game possible. I’ve been saying since the start of the playoffs -- every next game is our biggest game."
Monty Williams on Booker's 16 consecutive points in the third quarter: "He didn’t inject himself into the game. He just did it out of what we do. There are times where a guy scores, and you just want to go grab the ball and jack up a shot. I thought the way Devin did it tonight was within our scheme and what we do."
Jae Crowder on FaceTiming Chris Paul in the locker room: “Chris was excited, but he was holding up this, finger one. It was one game. We did what we’re supposed to do. We held it down. We made plays on both ends of the court. He was just very excited. He had a smile on his face. But he’s eager to get back.”
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KEY PERFORMERS:
Devin Booker: 40 points, 13 rebounds, 11 assists
Deandre Ayton: 20 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists
Mikal Bridges: 14 points, 2 assists, 2 blocks, 1 steal
Jae Crowder: 13 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists
Cam Johnson: 12 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals
Cameron Payne: 11 points, 9 assists, , 3 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block
Torrey Craig: 8 pints, 6 rebounds, 1 assist
ICYMI:
It takes talent, relentless drive and togetherness to become one of the NBA’s final four teams remaining in the postseason. But the Suns’ ability to reach this level of consistent, confident and clinical execution, particularly while winning a franchise-record seven consecutive playoff games, can be directly tied to their willingness to embrace the belief that everything counts. That attention to detail becomes even more critical with an NBA Finals berth on the line when Phoenix’s series against the Los Angeles Clippers begins Sunday afternoon, especially with Paul missing at least Game 1 while in health and safety protocols.
Craig is a versatile defender and willing rebounder on both ends. He will dive for 50/50 balls and flash his athleticism via deflections and blocks. He has gotten more offensive opportunities with the Suns as an outside shooter and authoritative finisher off cuts and in transition. Now, Craig is showcasing all of those attributes during a playoff series against his former team while providing a jolt to the Suns’ championship aspirations.
That electric crowd is goosebumps-inducing in person and takes television viewers aback, prompting local pride and national attention. It has been praised by young Suns experiencing the postseason for the first time and veterans who have been through countless playoff games alike. That’s why it’s reasonable to wonder if — or conclude that — the Suns have quickly created the NBA’s best home-court advantage during these playoffs.
The formal definition of the word “relentless” is “oppressively constant; incessant.” That descriptor has followed the Suns throughout this season, applying to their on-court style of play and their everyday habits while navigating this unique season. Knocking off the defending-champion Los Angeles Lakers in the playoffs’ first round required a relentless approach, which now carries the Suns into the Western Conference Semifinals against the Denver Nuggets.
“It’s just how the guys are built, individually and as a collective group,” Booker said. “If you go down the list of all the players, there’s nobody that’s scared of the moment. There’s nobody that hasn’t prepared for this moment. This isn’t new. This is how we’ve been playing for most of the season. We’ve had ups and downs, but we’re a confident team and we play hard all the way through.”
Now in his third season as general manager of the Phoenix Suns, James Jones has taken his knowledge of what it takes to win a ring and is building a roster of like-minded players with high-IQs, unselfish personalities and relentless attitudes both on the court and behind the scenes. The result is Phoenix’s dramatic rise over the past two seasons. The Suns went 51-21 during the 2020-21 regular season, finished second in a loaded Western Conference and enters Tuesday with the opportunity to take a 3-2 lead in their first-round playoff series against the defending-champion Los Angeles Lakers.
Cameron Payne plays with a fiery passion that somehow looks both free and furious, prompting some to compare him to the “haboob” dust storms that disrupt the Valley air during the summer monsoon season. It’s a fitting style for Payne, a former lottery draft pick who had his NBA career stripped away in early 2019 and is now savoring his shot on a Suns team with championship aspirations.
“To be on the road and have your fans cheering for you, especially when you make a run, is pretty cool," head coach Monty Williams said. "We’re thankful, grateful and we’re fighting our tails off to make those fans that we have in this environment have something to cheer for.”
Whether traveling from Phoenix or different parts of California, Suns.com gathered personal stories from six Suns fans making the trip and cheer on their favorite team.
Devin Booker, Deandre Ayton, Mikal Bridges and Cameron Johnson showed consistent effort all season, preparing them for the bright lights. They lived up to the moment in Game 1 and, in some cases, churned out historic stat lines — even during an intense game complete with the magnitude of the franchise’s first playoff game since 2010, a jarring injury to their Hall of Fame point guard and a scuffle that resulted in a teammate being ejected.
There are enough “Montyisms” for Monty Williams to write a compilation book — which Devin Booker has publicly and privately suggested to his coach. Even while repeating them to players, Cam Johnson said, Williams will preface by acknowledging some might call them “corny” or “goofy” or “coach speak.” Yet Johnson says those mantras are “big-time anchors” that have kept the Suns emotionally centered during the franchise’s emphatic rise to the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. They create personal connections with players by instilling belief and relaying constructive advice. They provide reminders that resurface in the head and heart when one least expects it, and can apply to both basketball and life.
Suns.com gathered personal stories from 13 people connected to the organization. Some are longtime fans, and others are long-time employees in behind-the-scenes roles. Some are community partners who work with the Suns to make residents’ lives a little brighter. Some are natives, and some have returned home.
“You look around the league at some teams, and not everybody has a vibe like this or an energy like this throughout,” Booker said. “I always say it’s a great environment to get better in. When you have everybody supporting you, everybody being honest with you — those are the same people that can give me constructive criticism at any point in the game, and I’m listening to them — that’s the name of our group, man.”
Culture, chemistry and overall spirit are intangible qualities that cannot be measured by traditional stats or advanced analytics. But players and coaches know it — feel it — when those attributes have manifested within a team.
Through his team’s journey to out-perform external expectations, his league’s-most-efficient playmaking and the leadership and passion he’s provided to the organization, Paul has entered the NBA Most Valuable Player conversation. And while making Paul’s case, one can draw parallels to the other Phoenix basketball icons who have won the award: Charles Barkley, Steve Nash and Diana Taurasi.
The Suns’ full playoff berth is the latest benchmark in a historic turnaround. In less than two seasons, the Suns have transformed from a team that tied for the NBA’s second-worst record to one that currently possesses the league’s second-best record. Should that standing hold, the Suns would become just the third team since the NBA-ABA merger that jumped from bottom-two to top-two in two seasons or less, joining the Boston Celtics in 1979-80 and 2007-08.