OKLAHOMA CITY — While Phoenix Suns' forward Dillon Brooks fumed about the officiating in the visiting locker room, Devin Booker took it there in the nearby interview room with Jalen Green co-signing after their 120-107 loss Wednesday to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Specifically, Booker called out lead referee James Williams after a loss that left the Suns down 2-0 to the Thunder in their best-of-7 opening-round NBA Playoff series.
“In my 11 years, I haven't called a ref out by name, but James was terrible tonight through and through,” Booker said. “It's bad for the sport, bad for the integrity of the sport. People are going to start viewing this as the WWE if they're not held responsible.”
Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker, right, drives past Oklahoma City Thunder guard Isaiah Joe during the first half in Game 2 of a first-round NBA playoffs series Wednesday, April 22, 2026, in Oklahoma City.
Fine incoming.
Like, $35,000, with former Suns general manager James Jones likely to announce it in his role as NBA executive vice president, head of basketball operations. Jones was at Game 2, by the way.
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No problem. Booker will gladly pay whatever it is. He can afford it.
Booker didn't stop there.
“It just feels disrespectful,” Booker said. “I know I haven't won a championship in this league, but I have been in it for 11 years now. To get to this point and be treated like that, for me to be even saying something out loud, it’s bad.”
Brooks called for the referees to answer questions postgame for accountability purposes.
“Y'all should be interviewing the officials,” he said. “That should be a new thing in the NBA. Officials got to explain themselves because it's getting ridiculous when you can see it. It starts getting fiery. No control out there. Now they're just whistling on one side.”
Trust and believe, the media would love it. Not happening, though.
Green voiced his opinion about the officiating after Sunday’s 35-point loss in Game 1, but he took a moment to add onto what Booker said following Game 2.
“Either you don't call it or call it both ways, but like Book said, it's the playoffs," Green said. “We're on national TV. This is when you're supposed to let the players be aggressive and play everything out. I don’t know.”
The series shifts to Phoenix for Game 3 on Saturday at 12:30 p.m., and Game 4 on Monday at 6:30 p.m.
Here are takeaways from Game 2, with the Suns’ officiating issues and more among key topics.
Beyond officiating
The officiating didn’t decide Wednesday’s outcome.
Phoenix can’t fall behind by 26 points on the road in the second half against the defending NBA champions with that rabid sellout crowd of 18,203 reaching 104 decibels.
Can’t be careless with the ball for a second straight game, either.
The Suns committed 22 turnovers that led to 22 Oklahoma City points after having 17 turnovers in Game 1 that the Thunder translated into 34 points.
Reigning NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a game-high 37 points in leading the Thunder, who lost Jalen Williams to a left hamstring injury in the third quarter.
Williams had already cooked Phoenix for 19 points in the first half.
Had he finished the game on the court, it likely would have been another blowout win for Oklahoma City.
Brooks scored 30 points before fouling out, but the better team won even though the Suns showed some fight in cutting that 26-point deficit to 10 late in the game.
Still, Phoenix just feels like the officials had too much of a say in the outcome.
Here’s why.
Caruso said what?
Booker got called for a technical foul without an explanation when it appeared all he did was try to save the ball from going out of bounds with 2:05 left in the third and Phoenix trailing, 93-75.
The ball just happened to hit Thunder forward Jaylin Williams on the arm.
Booker claims Thunder guard Alex Caruso literally had a say in him in getting the tech.
“Definitely something that has to get looked into,” Booker said. “I heard Caruso tell him (the referee) to call the tech and he ended up doing it.”
Phoenix Suns guard Jalen Green, right, drives past Oklahoma City Thunder guard Alex Caruso during the first half in Game 2 of a first-round NBA playoffs series Wednesday, April 22, 2026, in Oklahoma City.
JB DeRosa is credited with calling the tech, but Booker took dead aim at Williams.
He also took issue with being called for an offensive foul when catching Caruso in the face with an elbow late in the second quarter. Ott challenged the call, but it was unsuccessful.
“Caruso is moving forward on that,” Booker said. “If that’s unnatural shooting motion compared to what guys are doing to get fouls nowadays, you can play them side-by-side. I’ll let you guys be the judge. Pull the clips. Run it back. I’m surprised this is happening on national TV in playoff games.”
Sitting beside Booker, Green just shook his head.
For Booker, this comes down to respect.
He’s earned it with NBA coaches, players, and to some degree, with the officiating.
Booker averaged a career-high 8.1 free throw attempts this regular season — one less than Gilgeous-Alexander, who is considered a foul merchant.
Still, Booker felt some sort of way on Wednesday about the officiating to the point he really took them to task by naming an official for the first time in his career.
‘Little frail’
Brooks and Thunder guard Lu Dort, a fellow Canadian, got double techs with 8:15 left in the third.
Two basketball players with football bodies.
All good, but Gilgeous-Alexander is a little lighter.
Brooks chose a different word to describe his fellow Canadian’s frame.
“A little frail,” Brooks said about guarding Gilgeous-Alexander. “That's what the refs are going to call. I got to be smarter about it, but this is the playoffs, a man's game.”
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, right, drives past Phoenix Suns forward Oso Ighodaro during the second half in Game 2 of a first-round NBA playoffs series Wednesday, April 22, 2026, in Oklahoma City.
A day earlier, Brooks talked about playing Gilgeous-Alexander 1-on-1 as teammates for Team Canada in Paris during the 2024 Olympics, giving the impression he won his share.
It's a different story in an NBA playoff game, but Brooks just couldn’t help but reflect on how the game he grew up watching has changed.
“When Michael Jordan was playing, or whoever else, when LeBron (James) was younger, it was physical basketball,” Brooks said. “I don't get why all the falling, the flopping and flailing and all this stuff is allowed when we get to the playoffs. Leave that for the season, for the fans. This is about who is the better team. Don't decide the games on free throws."
Free throws: Thunder 20 of 25. Suns 18 of 22.
“Maybe I got to look back at it and see it they're really fouls, but all I know is when I'm watching or when I was out for the playoffs or I've been in the playoffs or I'd be watching from before I was in the NBA, it was straight physical. Straight low scoring, physical basketball and you got to score the basketball to win or get stops to win. Not this flailing and going to the line and stoppage of play. Like, got to fix that.”
Word got back to Gilgeous-Alexander about what Brooks said.
“I can’t control what Dillon or anybody else on the other side is going to complain about,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “All I can do is try to go out there and win basketball games for my team. Dillon is doing what he’s supposed to do. He’s supposed to bring energy to the game, rile up the game. Once again, he did a good job of bringing energy to the game. It was super fun out there. I love playing against him.”
