Can’t take it away: Phoenix Suns 2021 playoffs moment No. 3
Devin Booker was ready for his close-up.
This one came during Games 1 and 2 of the NBA Finals in Phoenix.
This was the emphatic answer that Devin Booker provided to the question: Is this 24-year-old ready for the biggest stage?
Booker began the assault on the Milwaukee Bucks by forcing his way to 12 points in the first quarter of Game 1, and finishing with 27 – including a perfect 10-for-10 from the free-throw line.
His undeniable leadership can’t be overstated. Entering Game 6, Booker had put up a 27.7 points-per-game average during the playoffs, with 5.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists to complement his resume. His Finals average entering Tuesday was 30 ppg.
And, when Suns All-Star measures up with a two-time NBA MVP, the level of Booker’s prominence is pretty clear.
Devin Booker and Giannis Antetokounmpo are the first pair of players in NBA history to each score 40+ points twice in one NBA Finals.
— NBA History (@NBAHistory) July 18, 2021
Booker: 42 in Game 4, 40 in Game 5
Giannis: 42 in Game 2, 41 in Game 3 pic.twitter.com/p6keDLOPka
The shooting, the energy and the physicality of Booker’s game are complemented by his many intangibles. The will to win — to find a way against the odds — isn’t common these days.
When Booker learns to work the refs in the same manner as his superstar contemporaries, well, the free throws will magically increase.