As controversial as the move was, Phoenix Suns head coach Monty Williams was justified to sit Devin Booker out in the closing moments of Game 3. Booker simply did not have the same level of energy in the contest as he had shown throughout the postseason so far. Most of his shots fell short, his footwork was not precise, and he rarely moved without the ball. Once the game got out of reach, Williams was smart to keep Booker tied to the bench.
Having an off-night is nothing new for key players on the Suns. Chris Paul looked rusty during Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals against the Los Angeles Clippers, having missed the previous two games. Deandre Ayton struggled on offense in Game 2 during that same series, just days after joining the Wilt/Russell/Kareem holy trinity of big men in Game 1, as the only players to score over 20 points and grab over 15 rebounds in an NBA Finals game.
Like Ayton and Paul before him, Booker had a humbling experience in Game 3, only scoring 10 points. His bad game individually just so happened to coincide with a bad game Phoenix as a team, so his poor performance was that much more glaring. Even after the game, Booker seemed to understand the bigger picture though: the team’s success is far more important than his own individual numbers.
Devin Booker on his 3-for-14 shooting performance: "It wasn't well, obviously. But there's nights like that, and the most important part to me is winning the game and we didn't do that, so I'm most frustrated about that."
— Gerald Bourguet (@GeraldBourguet) July 12, 2021
However, the Suns need Booker to be great if they hope to win their first ever NBA championship. Booker must not forget why he wants to be great either. This is the moment he has waited for for his entire life, and he is just two games away from cashing in on it.
But will Booker let anyone else take it away from him?
He knows he has to score at least 25 points per game for the Suns to win. Milwaukee is not going to make it easy for him though, sticking tight to him no matter where he goes on the court.
Their three starting perimeter players are all tough matchups. Khris Middleton has the length to bother Booker’s jump shot, PJ Tucker has great experience and the strength, and Jrue Holiday has the quickness and astute instincts to stay in front of him.
Booker is not going to get the same easy looks, and put up the same numbers as he did during this series’s first two games as we move forward. After his 3-point barrage in Game 2, the Bucks are not going to leave him open under any circumstances. But even with that said, here are three ways for Booker still find a way to hurt Milwaukee, and pull off a bounce-back game for the ages.