The Suns had been eradicated from the NBA playoffs on Thursday evening after struggling a 125-100 loss to the Denver Nuggets in Sport 6 of the Western Convention semis.
Taking part in with out Chris Paul (who had been injured since Sport 2) and DeAndre Ayton (who missed Sport 6 with a rib harm), the Suns had been blown out on their dwelling court docket to the No. 1 seed within the West – ending an unbelievable run that Phoenix guard Devin Booker had been on all through the sequence, through which he scored 83 factors on practically 80 % capturing in Video games 3 and 4.
Booker struggled in Sport 6, scoring 12 factors on 4-of-13 capturing – and after the sport (and the Suns’ season) was over, Booker left the sector with out talking to media.
“That is very uncharacteristic for Booker, who usually embraces the tasks that come together with being the face of the franchise,” tweeted ESPN’s Tim McMahon after the sport was over. “Native media members couldn’t recall the final time he left enviornment with out fulfilling his media obligations.”
Final 12 months, when the Suns additionally noticed their season finish in a blowout on their dwelling ground through the Western Convention semis – a 123-90 massacre to the Mavericks in Sport 7 – Booker did communicate to media, as did Paul.
Maybe Booker is conscious that the crew might probably face a significant overhaul within the offseason underneath new proprietor Mat Ishbia.
Booker, Kevin Durant, Ayton and Landry Shamet are the one 4 gamers underneath fully-guaranteed contracts. Paul, who’s 38, has a crew choice, as does Cameron Payne.
Ayton, who had an underwhelming sequence matching up with former MVP Nikola Jokic, has additionally been persistently floated in commerce rumors.
Booker, who remains to be solely 26 and appears to get higher yearly, will probably be again in 2023-24, as will Durant.
Nonetheless, the crew that received the primary two video games of the 2021 NBA Finals earlier than shedding 4 straight to the Bucks appears to be going backwards after back-to-back second-round knockouts.
Maybe Booker’s early exit may very well 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’ve now been steamrolled of their final recreation of the season on their dwelling ground for the second-straight 12 months.
“It was just about the entire recreation,” Suns head coach Monty Williams mentioned. “Eighty-one factors within the first half. It was deflating to only see them rating like that, operating down the ground getting straightforward buckets.”
