OKLAHOMA CITY – Devin Booker is not the one purpose Oklahoma Metropolis dominated the Phoenix Suns, 99-83, Friday night in entrance of a packed home of 18,203 individuals on the Paycom Heart.
He’s probably the most alarming.
Booker went scoreless within the first half because the Suns trailed 48-36 on the break. The All-Star guard completed with 12 factors on 2-of-10 taking pictures whereas going 8-of-8 from the road.
In line with Stathead, Booker final went scoreless in a half on December 23, 2019, when he failed to attain within the first half throughout a 113-111 residence loss to Denver. Nuggets.
“They had been trapping me if we made just a few photographs early. I am not on the market making an attempt to attain towards double and triple groups.”
Devin Booker in scoreless 1st half in Suns’ loss to OKC. 12 factors. minus-29
Get a bucket to maneuver the staff ahead. “I deserted them in my early years.” #Suns pic.twitter.com/ircTfa0vho
– Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) November 16, 2024
With Kevin Durant again in Phoenix rehabbing a strained left calf and Bradley Beal out for the second straight sport, additionally with a strained left calf, the Suns wanted Booker to have a giant night time towards the Thunder.
He failed miserably. Booker was minus-29, the worst of anybody who performed Friday night time.
Grayson Allen additionally didn’t play a second straight sport as a result of proper hamstring soreness, however the Thunder (11-2) are additionally brief our bodies.
Rising star Chet Holmgren (fractured proper iliac wing), Alex Caruso (proper hip soreness), Jaylin Williams (sprained proper hamstring) and Isaiah Hartenstein (fractured left hand) didn’t performed, however the Thunder nonetheless rolled with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander main the best way with 28 factors in 33 minutes.
The Suns trailed by 25 factors in Friday’s NBA West Cup Group B sport towards the league’s prime staff in defensive score.
The Suns (9-4) are 1-3 with out Durant, however they may look to complete their four-game street journey at .500 as they face the Minnesota Timberwolves, the staff that swept them within the first spherical of final season’s playoffs, Sunday at Goal Heart.
Listed below are three takeaways from a second straight ugly loss. Sacramento beat Phoenix, 127-104, on Wednesday.
“They put two individuals on him each time he had it. There was quite a lot of consideration on him.”
Mike Budenholzer on Devin Booker going scoreless in 1st half of OKC loss.
Additionally addressed the Suns not making the most of the scale benefit with Jusuf Nurkic. ##Suns pic.twitter.com/4S7K4uVY7C
– Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) November 16, 2024
Booker was distracted, he did not carry it
Booker has all the time had a continuing dialogue with the referees. That is nothing new, however he would nonetheless play exhausting and produce ultimately.
He did neither Friday night time.
Booker confirmed his frustration with Lu Dort to the purpose that he pushed him away as each had been out of bounds. The play was reviewed for a doable flagrant, however it was later dominated a standard foul.
Booker had greater issues than that.
He continues to wrestle with double-teaming to make a fast determination. He is used to the double, dealt with it higher, however dedicated a game-high 4 turnovers.
“I hate shedding. They seem to be a good staff. A staff we’ll most likely need to face within the latter components of the season.”
Josh Okogie on OKC after Friday’s loss.
He later mentioned Thunder was so good defensively as a result of he might double whereas rotating on the again. #Suns #ThunderUp pic.twitter.com/2DRGWuI9RD
– Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) November 16, 2024
The Suns had 17 for the sport that led to twenty OKC factors. The Thunder play with an vitality and physicality that Phoenix hasn’t been in a position to match, however it’s as much as Booker to carry it to offer the Suns a preventing probability on offense.
The Suns didn’t drive OKC to cease double-teaming Booker. They shot 29.3% from the sphere, or 9 of 37 from 3. As a collective, Phoenix might have accomplished higher on their second and third performs, however Booker additionally does not present that burst to get previous a defender or the separation to be famous for the jumper.
He did not react to Gilgeous-Alexander’s play the best way he normally does to a star participant. After the sport, Booker mentioned the times of making an attempt to attain on double and triple groups had been over, however irrespective of how exhausting the Thunder doubled him and the way poorly Phoenix shot the ball Friday, he needed to be extra aggressive and set the tone.
Booker did not try this. He did not take a 3 although it is an essential a part of the offense.
I do not know if these are lingering results of the illness. Booker would simply say he is tremendous if requested about it or even when he is injured, however he simply scored 31 on Tuesday towards the Jazz.
It isn’t listed on the harm report for sickness or every other harm.
Booker simply did not appear like himself in any respect on Friday.
That is an issue, particularly if Beal is out for an prolonged time frame and Durant does not return till Nov. 26 towards the Lakers on the earliest.
Thunder sooner and extra athletic
The Suns had been unable to reap the benefits of the plain measurement benefit they’ve with 7-foot Jusuf Nurkic.
This was the sport the place Nurkic ought to have been fouled throughout OKC’s whole entrance line, beginning with 6-6 Jalen Williams. The Thunder countered his lack of measurement by doubling him after which rotating to connect to the shooters within the again.
As soon as once more, Phoenix wanted to shoot the ball higher to make the protection pay. Rookie Ryan Dunn going 1 of 9 from 3 and Tyus Jones going 2 of 8 was simply as problematic as Booker or Nurkic.
Nevertheless, Nurkic’s job Friday night time ought to have been to assault the offensive boards as a substitute of making an attempt to provoke the offense, which was clearly a part of the sport plan.
The Suns had 11 offensive rebounds and tried a game-high 40 free throws. The loopy factor is that they might have made much more strikes on the road if Nurkic had imposed his physicality.
He missed his seven discipline objective makes an attempt whereas scoring solely 4 factors.
When requested why the Suns have not taken full benefit of their measurement benefit, Booker mentioned “good query” however declined to offer a solution.
Nurkic ought to have been the reply.
Shocked Mason Plumlee did not see minutes as a result of he is good at crashing the boards.
Rookie Oso Ighodaro ate up his minutes, however completed the sport with 5 fouls.
On the opposite aspect, the Thunder outperformed the Suns in getting further possessions. They tried 16 extra photographs than Phoenix due to 13 offensive rebounds.
The Thunder are a nasty matchup for Phoenix even with out three key gamers. If each groups are wholesome, favor OKC as a result of the Thunder can play bodily with small ball and be the extra bodily staff.
“They’re bodily. They’re connected to a rope. They do not allow you to in in your actions simply.”
Tyus Jones on OKC after Suns loss as OKC leads the NBA in defensive score.
On offense with Devin Booker doubled.
“We have now to shoot, beginning with me.”
Jones 2 of 8 of three. #Suns pic.twitter.com/qW01gs2PTE
– Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) November 16, 2024
Okogie supplies a spark
Mike Budenholzer rewarded Josh Okogie for his play in Wednesday’s loss at Sacramento beginning Friday. Okogie scored a season-high 25 factors and grabbed eight rebounds, together with a career-high six on the offensive boards.
He additionally selected to carry Royce O’Neale again to his position coming off the bench.
Okogie scored a team-high 15 on Friday, however shot simply 4 of 12 from the sphere whereas O’Neale shot 11 of 4 from 10.
Given the best way OKC began the sport, the Suns might need been higher off going small from the beginning and having O’Neale on the 5.
Nurkic isn’t one hundred pc along with his ankle harm. So this might have been a possibility to relaxation him and get him again in higher well being to face Rudy Gobert on Sunday.
The Suns as a substitute discovered themselves in an athletic contest received by OKC, with Williams transferring across the court docket for uncontested dunks. The Thunder outscored the Suns, 14-4, in quick break factors.
As soon as once more, OKC performed poorly towards Phoenix, however Okogie is incomes extra minutes due to his aggression, improved 3-point taking pictures and his regular performs.
Do you might have any ideas on the present state of the Suns? Contact Suns insider Duane Rankin at [email protected] or contact him at 480-810-5518. Observe him on X, previously Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.
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This text was initially printed on Arizona Republic: What’s unsuitable with Devin Booker? Scoreless in first half of Suns loss
