Devin Booker leads Phoenix Suns to 8th consecutive win: Final Score 105-97 Against Utah Jazz
When Chris Paul joined Devin Booker on the Phoenix Suns in a trade last season, it wasn’t always clear who would be the game’s finisher when it came down to it.
Nowadays, it’s simply instinct. For example, on Wednesday night, Booker powered the Suns through three quarters before Paul clinched the deal. Booker had 43 points and 12 rebounds, Paul scored 15 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter, and the Suns stretched their winning run to eight games with a 105-97 triumph against the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night.
“It’s a pleasant feeling now,” Booker added, “but it comes with a learning curve.” “There was a lot of trial and error, but now we’ve had enough experience to know what to anticipate.” Booker led the Suns through three quarters but didn’t have a shot in the fourth until 3:45 remained. With his mid-range shots and drives to the hoop, Paul took up the offensive load.
“You can only create trust by playing tight games together,” Paul explained. When Hassan Whiteside committed an offensive foul and a technical foul, the Jazz trailed 98-94. Booker used two technicals to set up a jumper that beat the shot clock, giving the Suns the lead they needed.
The Biyombo block leads to the Booker slam on the @Suns fast break!
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“It’s a pleasant feeling now,” Booker added, “but it comes with a learning curve.” “There was a lot of trial and error, but now we’ve had enough experience to know what to anticipate.” Booker led the Suns through three quarters but didn’t have a shot in the fourth until 3:45 remained.
With his mid-range shots and drives to the hoop, Paul took up the offensive load. “You can only create trust by playing tight games together,” Paul explained. When Hassan Whiteside committed an offensive foul and a technical foul, the Jazz trailed 98-94. Booker used two technicals to set up a jumper that beat the shot clock, giving the Suns the lead they needed. The Suns were also missing two starters in Jae Crowder (wrist) and Deandre Ayton (ankle), but Bismack Biyombo scored 12 points in his season debut.
He stated he chose Phoenix based on “gut instinct” when he had suitors wanting to lure him back to the NBA, but playing with Paul and Booker made his decision clear. “They’re adept at bringing games to a close….” Believers have wills rather than wants.
“Those players have tenacity,” Biyombo added. Initially, the Suns just outhustled and outran the Jazz, converting mistakes and missed shots into easy transition scores. Booker outscored the Jazz alone in the opening quarter with 21 points, and the Suns blocked five shots on their route to a 39-18 advantage after one period.
“Chris can read the game, and when Book gets it going like that, he usually goes to setups where he can get him in catch-and-shoot situations.” “Monty Williams, the coach of the Phoenix Suns, stated. “But I believe our squad feeds off of him when he’s in a rhythm like that.” Booker scored 26 points in the first half, a season record for the Suns, but they shot 5 for 17 in the second.
On Monday, he needed 35 field goal tries to score 33 points, but he was significantly more effective this time, going 16 for 28 and adding nine free throws. With 16, Booker became the Suns’ career leader in games with 40 or more points.
The same clubs faced off in a close game on Monday, with Phoenix winning 115-109 over an incredibly short-handed Jazz squad. Conley, Ingles, Bojan Bogdanovic, and Royce O’Neale sat out the first meeting in Phoenix, but returned for the rematch on Wednesday.
According to the most current NBA All-Star vote results, Booker is ranked sixth among Western Conference guards. His coach believes he’s making a joke. “There are so many men receiving so many more votes than him – it’s ridiculous”, according to Williams.
“When you look at what he’s done not only recently, but throughout the season, and the victories we’ve had, you know he should be a starter on the All-Star team. Tonight was one of those games in which I believe he demonstrated that point.” Booker, who at times heard cries of “M-V-P!” from the Utah audience, says he’s no longer concerned about votes. “I’m in a new part of my career now… and I’ll let the politics and media popularity contest play out,” Booker stated. The starting will be revealed on Thursday.
Suns: JaVale McGee (knee), Frank Kaminski III (knee), and Cameron Payne (wrist) were among the other key Phoenix players out by injury. In the second quarter, Booker was called for a technical foul. The Suns outscored the Jazz 22-3 on fast breaks and scored 22 points off 14 Utah mistakes.
Jazz: Bogdanovic flung the splint that was protecting his left ring finger avulsion fracture after a scoreless first quarter with a pair of turnovers, but it was back on when he returned in the second quarter. Trent Forrest twisted his ankle in the fourth quarter after making a twisting baseline jumper. The Jazz led by two points only once in the game.
First Half
The Jazz started four different players than they did two days before, with Mike Conley, Joe Ingles, Bojan Bogdanovic, and Royce O’Neale all returning. Bismack Biyombo made his first start in purple and orange with Deandre Ayton and JaVale McGee both sidelined with lower limb ailments.
Phoenix got off to a fast start, jumping out to a 13-5 lead by the time the first timeout was called. Kudos to the Suns supporters who made their presence felt from the stands. They did it with balanced scoring, as all starters contributed to the game’s opening run.
Bismack started out well, playing great perimeter and inside defense. His second defensive block in as many defensive possessions resulted in a devastating Booker dunk, part of a 12-0 Suns surge.
Jalen Smith, who had played 0 minutes in the previous three games despite Deandre Ayton’s injury, entered the game halfway through the first quarter. It’s nice to know we won’t have to see him on the back of milk cartons. And, wouldn’t you know it, it’s true? He, too, received a block.
Injuries need unusual rotations. The Suns finished the first quarter with Elfrid Payton, Landry Shamet, Devin Booker, Ish Wainright, and Jalen Smith on the court. In Q1, that lineup had a +5.
In the first quarter, Devin Booker continued to show his ability to set the pace in terms of scoring. Devin was second in the NBA in first-quarter scoring before Wednesday’s game, averaging 8.4 points per quarter (#1? Kevin Durant, 9.0). Book was outscored by 21 points in the first quarter. The Jazz had 18 points. It was Booker’s 17th quarter with 20 or more points. Suns up by 39-18 after one.
Utah isn’t the Western Conference’s fourth best squad for no reason. They are a seasoned squad with organic chemistry, similar to the Suns. Even without Gobert and Mitchell, this team’s seasoned leadership remains apparent.
As the second quarter began, the Jazz reminded us of that – as well as the fact that they are tied for fifth in the NBA (with the Suns) in three-point shooting. They began with a 12-4 run and quickly restored their rhythm and enthusiasm. Both seemed to be missing in the first.
With 5:17 remaining in the second quarter, Jordan Clarkson nailed his second three-pointer, cutting the Suns’ advantage to eight points. The reigning Sixth Man of the Year possesses a fast three-point shot that he is not afraid to employ.
As I stated in Utah’s piss-health gradient court, it was difficult not to worry about how much water I drank today.
Emotions began to boil up when Devin Booker was called for his eighth technical foul of the season.
Booker scored six points on two-of-four shooting in the first half, raising his total to 26 (10-of-15 overall), while the rest of the squad struggled. Against the Jazz, he scored 25 points for the third time in his career.
The squad shot 5-of-17 from the field (29.4%) – 3-of-13 (23.0%) if Devin’s contributions are excluded – and turned the ball over six times, resulting in eight Jazz points. The Jazz, on the other hand, were 12-of-21 (66.7 percent) from the field, including 6-of-9 from beyond the arc.
They were outscored 30-11 in the first half, scoring only one point in the last six minutes. Phoenix has a 50-point lead over Utah, which has a 48-point lead.
Second Half
Eddie Johnson said on the BallySportsAZ broadcast that Devin Booker was “wired.” He came out of the locker room ready to keep his flame-throwing ways going, scoring seven of the Suns’ first eleven points in the quarter. The third quarter is another in which Book shines, averaging 8.2 points per third, enough for fifth best in the league.
Utah’s tenacity was demonstrated in the third quarter as they attacked the boards, grabbing three offensive rebounds and staying in the game with their second-chance points. It doesn’t hurt to go to the line, and they did it in the first quarter, making 5 of 7 tries to the Suns’ two total attempts.
Eric Pachall, a former Villanova teammate of Mikal Bridges, was a thorn in Mikal Bridges’ side, scoring 7 points and grabbing three rebounds. Ish Wainright started the season shooting 22.7 percent from three-point range, making five total attempts. Tonight, he had two through three quarters.
Phoenix, on the other hand, kept Utah at bay and extended their advantage. As the third quarter came to a close, Devin had 37 points and had played every minute of it. The Suns increased their advantage to ten points, 74-64.
Chris Paul wakes up as the fourth quarter begins. While Devin Booker rests, CP3 gets to work, aiding teammates, shooting threes, and outsmarting his opponent on the court. That has been the storey thus far. It went on into the night.
Paul got his fourth shooting foul against the Jazz with 8:30 remaining in the game. The rest of the game would be decided by free throws.
Jordan Clarkson resurfaced midway through the fourth quarter. The Suns’ advantage was trimmed to four points after his third three-pointer of the stanza.
What’s the Point God answered with a 12-foot jumper, his game-high 12th point. It wasn’t going to be his last. CP3 controlled the middle of the fourth quarter. To get to the line, he made contact, then manoeuvred to his preferred area on the floor, the right elbow, and was surgical.
The Jazz refused to go away, and for the 20th time this season, we found ourselves in “clutch” situations. After an 8-0 run by Utah, they narrowed the advantage to two with 3:40 left. Chris Paul’s layup brought the streak to a close. But, of course, this is true.
As Hassan Whiteside was being teched up, Devin Booker scored his 40th point, and Booker followed it up with a high-degree-of-difficulty 19-footer to put the Suns up 7. For the rest of the game, that was the closest the Jazz would come. Entering the fourth, Paul had 6 points. Exiting, he had 15 on 5-of-7 shooting.
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