PHOENIX — Devin Booker has not been at the top of his game as the Western Conference Finals have progressed. Mask or no mask, the two-time All-Star will need to be more productive and efficient to help the Suns keep control of the series.
After a 5-21 showing in a game three loss, Booker emphasized that the mask was not causing him much, if any discomfort, and that he was relatively happy with the quality of his shot attempts.
Yet just a moment later, Booker was jokingly telling the assembled media that he had undergone a nose reset without being put under, instead receiving eight injections of local anesthesia so the Suns could keep to their tight travel schedule. Whether it was the pain or the defense of Clippers guard Patrick Beverley, it was an uncharacteristically quiet night from Booker.
Couple that with a 5-19 night from Chris Paul, and it’s hardly a surprise the Suns lost. They are confident heading into game four, though.
“The one thing we’ve said is that when we come into the gym, we’re going to have a relentless mentality no matter what happened the day before,” head coach Monty Williams said.
There are many ways to get Booker and Paul back on track, and some of them start with luck. A superstar backcourt like this one is not going to go 10-40 from the field very often.
They will likely find ways to respond to Beverley’s aggressiveness, likely by putting the ball into Booker’s hands more so that Beverley cannot blow up plays before they happen. Booker could slide into the post, where he was in the 83rd percentile in the NBA as a scorer, per Synergy Sports play type data, or get out in transition a little more, where the Suns ranked fourth as a team in efficiency.
The Suns will also likely look to attack Clippers center Ivica Zubac in his drop defensive coverage, a task that is necessary to make life harder on Los Angeles but also more difficult if Cameron Payne, who is probable with a right ankle sprain, is hobbled at all. Zubac had 16 rebounds in game three and was a difference-maker defensively against Suns pick-and-rolls.
For the first time since game four of their first-round series against the Lakers, an opponent will get to see how the Suns respond and adjust. Before losing twice in a row in that series, the Suns had done it only a handful of times all year. It’s not in their DNA to make the same mistakes twice.
After an icky offensive night and some bizarre dry spells, Booker and his Suns have plenty of ways to get back on track on Saturday night, it’s just a matter of executing on those adjustments.
Sports
Watch more of the latest sports videos on the 12 News YouTube channel. Don’t forget to subscribe!