MILWAUKEE. – Devin Booker moved slowly and meticulously from his locker to the exit, much the way one might expect when departing a room of peers not guaranteed to reconvene as a group.
Reality hit with force for the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night (Wednesday in Manila). As the book closed on a surprising return to the playoffs culminating in what might have been measured six months ago as an implausible NBA finals run, the Suns sat in complete silence in the losing locker room at Fiserv Forum frozen by the gravity of reaching the end.
“Experience is the best teacher,” Booker said in a somber postgame media session before rushing to hop a flight to Tokyo to join Team USA.
“So, I think all of our games have gotten better and like I said, we understand how important each possession is now and this feeling, I keep talking about the hurt, you know, you don’t want this, and this is what you strive for, this is what you go into the summer with and you take it and use it as fuel.”
The 24-year-old Booker was 0-for-7 from 3-point range in the deciding game in the series.
He proved a brilliant shot-maker and scorer in these playoffs but going 3-for-21 from long distance in the Suns’ four finals losses is going to sting the rest of the summer. He also had six turnovers in Game 6.
Turnovers were such an issue for 36-year-old point guard Chris Paul that the Suns had Booker bring the ball up the court for all but one first-quarter possession. The shift seemed to save Paul’s legs in a 26-point effort. — Field Level Media
