March 31, 2021; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns security guard Devin Booker (1) shoots Chicago Bulls forward Patrick Williams (44) in the second half at Phoenix Suns Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
The last time Devin Booker paused was when the Phoenix Suns hit the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The way Phoenix reacted after that game, a 102-97 Thunder win on January 27th in Phoenix, proved to be a turning point.
And although Booker missed the two games after that, also for Booker.
Booker and the Suns face Oklahoma City in Phoenix Friday night after winning four straight games and seven of their last eight games to move up to second place in the Western Conference.
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Since returning from the hamstring injury that kept him away for four games in late January, including losing to Donner, Booker has averaged 26.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 2.9 turnovers per Play while shooting 50.4% off the field.
All of these numbers come from the first 14 games of the season, when Booker averaged 22.9 points and flipped the ball 4.1 times per game.
And the team success that Booker missed in his first five NBA seasons comes with that improvement.
The January loss to Donner dropped Phoenix to 500. There are suns 25-6.
“Yes it does,” Booker said when asked if it was more important to get big numbers now that Phoenix is winning. “But to be honest, just winning the game, that’s the main goal every evening.
“And we’ve put out some tight ones lately.”
In Wednesday’s 121: 116 win over Chicago, Booker scored a season high of 45 points in 17:24.
“Sometimes I don’t really pay that much attention to it, I just expect it,” Sun’s point guard Chris Paul said of Booker’s numbers. “I think he does it the way we play. It’s not like he’s hunting out here trying to get it. “
The Thunder has changed a lot since that win in Phoenix.
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None of the top Oklahoma City scorers for the game – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Al Horford – are active. Gilgeous-Alexander has missed the last four games and is expected to miss a significant period with plantar fasciitis, while Horford has been closed for the season as the Thunder moved to a younger rotation.
Among the other main culprits in this game, Luguentz Dort missed the last two games in the concussion log, Darius Bazley the last 11 with a shoulder injury and Hamidou Diallo was traded.
These rotation changes include the addition of Svi Mykhailiuk in trade for Diallo.
Mykhailiuk has scored 38 points in the last two games, 22 of them in their win against Toronto on Wednesday.
He’s only played seven games with the Thunder, but Mykhailiuk has shot 47.7% off the ground since the trade. He was at 37.7% in 36 games with the Pistons.
Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said Thunder scouts identified Mykhailiuk as a player with a lot of growth potential before trading.
“He’s a really complete player and has a runway as a player – he can get a lot better,” said Daigneault. “We still think he’s pretty early in his development and we’ll allow him to explore all facets of his game further.”
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–Field level media
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