With every game meaning so much to the Phoenix Suns down the stretch of this regular season, the last thing they wanted to do while having the toughest remaining schedule in the league was gift a game to an opponent.
Yet that is exactly what happened on Wednesday night - in The Valley no less - as the Suns were hammered 105-92 by the visiting L.A. Clippers. An opponent they will see once more before this up-and-down regular season comes to an end. The final score might not look too bad, but this was a game that began with the Clippers incredibly having a 35-4 lead.
It is clear the Suns need their best players to come out and steady the ship in the midst of a disastrous loss and performance, but Devin Booker didn't exactly do that.
Booker had himself an off night, going 1-for-11 to finish with 12 points in 40 minutes of action. Those nights will happen, but Booker, Bradley Beal and Kevin Durant combining for 10 assists in 119 minutes on the court is unacceptable if this team wants to have any hope of winning. Sharing the ball and finding the open man a concept that alluded them as the Clippers piled on the pressure.
In the aftermath, Booker spoke with the always great Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic, and his response to the line of questioning was not exactly what Suns fans would have wanted to see. Rather than be annoyed, Booker's laidback response was worrying given the situation the Suns now find themselves in after such a demoralizing loss.
"Chillin'. Another chance tomorrow... I mean I don't get into the too high and too low thing, just got to take it a day at a time. Next task is tomorrow (against the Clippers) and we'll cross that bridge once we get there."Devin Booker
Booker is right not to get too high or low - especially during the regular season - but the nature of this loss to a team that they could see in the postseason is not encouraging. All most fans want to see out of the team that they support, is that they try and win the games they play. They won't win them all and bad losses happen, but the lack of effort, intensity and afterwards caring is very concerning.
Booker's demeanour after a game which saw the Suns plummet down to seventh and back into a play-in scrap was questioned by the media, but his response to that was as nonchalant as everything else he had to say.
Q: Average person is seeing your demeanor and going how can he be this even after a loss like that.
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) April 10, 2024
A: "I've been here before. I've had the best record in the #NBA and they're going to say, it just matters what you do in the playoffs regardless."
Devin Booker. #Suns #Clippers pic.twitter.com/AMvShZxbqT
Lost in the malaise around the defeat was the fact this was the Suns' last home game of the regular season. Given that there are no guarantees they make the playoffs at this point - although they will likely have a play-in game at the Footprint Center - this was not the lasting memory fans wanted to leave the arena with.
The Suns now have three road games to close out the campaign, against the Clippers, Sacramento Kings and Minnesota Timberwolves. The top team in the West who recently got some good news of their own on the injury front, which would be a disaster for the Suns if they do end up meeting in the postseason.
That Kings game could be a preview into a potential play-in matchup and although the Suns would be favored, their reward for making the playoffs the hard way would be a seven game series against either the Timberwolves, Oklahoma City Thunder or Denver Nuggets. Hardly what was envisioned at the start of the season once Beal joined the fold.
The Clippers are also surging again having now won four games in a row, with the good vibes around this group from their own recent three game win streak now gone. Maybe this is Booker's way of dealing with the frustrations of a season that has gotten away from the organization, but it should worry fans all the same.