Devin Booker key to survival for Suns vs.Thunder in NBA Playoffs

The Valley icon had to be better than just good on Friday if the Suns were going to defeat the Golden State Warriors and advance to the real NBA playoffs and in a last-ditch, win-or-go-home Play-In Tournament game at Mortgage Matchup Center.

Booker had to be great — right? — and do what any team’s best player is expected to do: Put the weight of the entire franchise on his back, turn in a performance for the ages and valiantly lead the Suns onto the next stage.

Maybe not.

In this case, the Suns’ all-time leading scorer was hardly sensational, but teammate Jalen Green was, and that was the difference in the Suns’ 111-96 victory that propels them onward to face the No. 1 seed and defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday. Phoenix will open the best-of-seven series on the road at 12:30 p.m.

Green scored a game-high 36 points, and Booker chipped in 20 to go with six rebounds and eight assists. Although probably no one is giving Phoenix a chance to survive what’s next, this exciting season lives on, and perhaps Booker can help make it last even a bit longer if he can dominate a game.

Coach Jordan Ott knows how explosive Booker can become. He saw it as a fan, he said, watching the Suns in the 2021 NBA Finals.

“He has the capability of doing it all himself,” Ott said in his postgame news conference. “I think he’s finding that balance. He can trust his teammates. Without that trust in his teammates and him early in the season making those plays, we’re not here today.

“He always tries to make the right play. He always competes extremely hard defensively. Those two things, when your best player does that, you’ve got a chance. He’s led us all year through the bumps and bruises that he’s had and tonight, I did not want to take him out of the lineup.”

Booker left late in the fourth quarter after picking up a technical foul for barking at some of the Warriors, including their instigator-in-chief, Draymond Green, who was ejected.

What was that all about?

“Nothing, man,” Booker said, shrugging. “I’ve been there before. I understand the situation. My big brother used to beat me (in games) back in the day and I threw a fit. (Draymond Green) is a competitor. He loves the sport. He wants to be in those (playoff) environments, he’s been in them before and he’s not this year.”

But that’s where Booker (a plus-25 impact while on the floor Friday), Jaylen Green (plus-22), Jordan Goodwin (19 points, nine rebounds, eight steals), and Dillon Brooks (13 points, four assists) are headed.

“It’s super exciting,” Booker said. “It’s the best time of the year. Sitting and watching those games at home, it’s a *expletive*. OKC, it’s going to be live. Those are the games you want to play in.”

Booker’s performance followed a disappointing game in the Suns’ first play-in contest, a 114-110 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday in which he finished with 22 points, including just six points in the second half after getting into foul trouble. He missed five free throws and failed to find his range from behind the 3-point line.

He wasn’t very precise from the arc on Friday, either, going 0 for 4. One must assume the switch is going to flip and he’ll turn it on in the next round. What if he doesn’t?

It’s probably completely unfair to heap everything on Booker moving forward, but this is his team, and if the Suns aren’t going to quickly be ushered out of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs, it’s time to step up.

At least he was better in this latest game than Golden State superstar Stephen Curry. After pouring in 35 points during the Warriors’ 126-121 play-in victory over the Los Angeles Clippers, Curry was held to just 17 points against the Suns. He was 3 of 10 from 3-point range.

“Yeah, we had to get him off the 3-point line,” Booker said. “… We understand they’re an older team. We understand they only had a day of rest. So, we just wanted to up the pressure.”

Don’t take this the wrong way, but all the pressure now is squarely on Devin Booker.