Devin Booker dominates again, drops 35 points to keep Suns perfect in bubble
Draymond Green was wrong. Devin Booker doesn’t need to leave the Phoenix Suns after all. He’s right where he belongs.
Booker turned in yet another dominant performance Monday to keep the Suns perfect in the bubble. Booker dropped 35 points, with five rebounds and four assists in a 128-101 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Booker — who went 9-of-17 from the floor — was hitting shots from all over the court. His most impressive play of the day came with about 5:30 left in the third quarter. After picking up his dribble near half court, Booker decided to throw up a shot. The net barely moved as the ball sailed through the rim for a deep three.
Suns overcame Deandre Ayton’s absence to win
Booker had to carry an even bigger load early in Monday’s game, as Deandre Ayton was unable to start due to a missed coronavirus test. Ayton did not show up for his test Sunday, and was not able to play in Monday’s game until he received a negative test. Ayton tested negative early Monday and was rushed to the arena. He arrived in time, putting up 10 points in 17 minutes.
Suns still perfect in the bubble
With the win, the Suns moved to a perfect 6-0 since the NBA restarted. Phoenix has beaten the Dallas Mavericks, Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat, Washington Wizards and Thunder. Booker is averaging 30.3 points per game since the season restarted.
The Suns will look to keep their unbeaten streak alive Tuesday, when they play the Philadelphia 76ers. Phoenix will then play the Mavericks on Thursday, completing the seeding phase of the NBA restart.
Suns still have a shot at the playoffs
Phoenix’s winning streak has the Suns just a half-game out of the ninth spot in the Western Conference. If the team can finish ninth, it would force a short series play-in with the No. 8 seed. In order for the Suns to get into that series, the team would have to beat out both the San Antonio Spurs and the Portland Trail Blazers. Portland currently sits in the ninth spot. The Memphis Grizzlies — who are currently the No. 8 seed — are only a game ahead of the Suns, so the standings could change drastically in the next couple days.
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