Devin Booker looked eager to show off his new and improved hamstring last night. Even though he misfired on his first two shots, watching them both strike iron rather than nylon, he followed up with some strong defense, taking on the aggressive and gritty play style which kept the Phoenix Suns afloat during the three week stretch he took off to heal up.
After Booker’s second miss, the Hornets rebounded and Miles Bridges jetted down the court, looking to finish off an alley-oop slam. But Booker bolted after him and exploded upward to deflect the pass. He then gathered himself and tapped the ball back into play to set up Phoenix with a fresh possession.
His hamstring passed its first test. No chinks in the armour, no bugs in the system, just a bouncy Devin Booker back and making plays.
For a while though, hamstring injuries seemed to be coming for all the top NBA shooting guards like the Grim Reaper from that classic meme where he strolls down a hallway, tapping on door after door. Last year, he came knocking for James Harden, and three weeks ago, he stepped up to Booker’s residence.
But with his play last night, Booker managed to fight him off, coming back from his pulled hammy to help the Suns manhandle Charlotte like a balloon-animal maker. Phoenix put up season highs in 3-pointers made and total points during the affair, knocking down 20 shots from beyond the arc and winning by a 137-106 final score.
Booker himself contributed with 16 points, five assists, six rebounds, and a steal. He also shot 4-8 from downtown, maintaining the sweet shooting touch he displayed prior to his injury, now hitting from range at a career-best 40.9 percent clip.
But aside from Booker’s return in its own right, and the Suns becoming a far more dangerous team due to it, we learned a great deal from what went down on the court during this game, including these three takeaways.