Suns star Devin Booker lives for big moments, but Tuesday’s Play-In loss was head-scratching

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PHOENIX — Postseason basketball does not all the time make sense, does not all the time comply with the anticipated script. With simply greater than two minutes left in Tuesday evening’s NBA Play-In Tournament contest, Devin Booker dribbled 3 times, seemed on the basket — and watched his free throw bounce off the rim.

That was one in every of 5 free throws Booker missed within the Phoenix Suns’ 114-110 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers at Mortgage Matchup Center. Of all the pieces that unfolded in a recreation of breakneck swings, this was essentially the most complicated, just because Booker doesn’t usually miss.

And, additionally, he lives for these moments.

Just a day earlier, as Booker spoke to reporters after apply, he was requested how a lot duty he ought to shoulder because the staff’s chief and face of the franchise. “A lot,” Booker answered with out hesitation. “That’s part of the title.”

Booker completed with 22 factors in opposition to Portland, but he shot 8 of 13 from the foul line. He had not missed 5 free throws in a recreation because the season opener almost six months earlier. That recreation meant little. Tuesday evening’s reply meant a ton.

Phoenix’s loss moved the Suns to the entrance porch of elimination. On Friday evening, they may host the winner of Wednesday’s Play-In matchup between the Golden State Warriors and LA Clippers. A feel-good season — the Suns weren’t anticipated to get this far — is on the road. Win and the Suns advance. Lose, and so they go house.

This isn’t all on Booker, though his second-half manufacturing was alarming.

The Suns led 105-97 with lower than 4 minutes left within the fourth quarter. They scored just one extra area objective for the remainder of the sport. They have been outscored 51-27 from the 3-point arc. A defensive-minded group, they allowed Blazers All-Star Deni Avdija to go off for 41 factors and 12 assists.

And but Phoenix nonetheless had an opportunity. Trailing 112-110 with 16.1 seconds left, Royce O’Neale inbounded the ball to Booker. Just 16 seconds earlier, Booker had penetrated and hit teammate Jordan Goodwin with a nifty cross. Goodwin scored on a reverse layup and was fouled. He missed the free throw, but Phoenix led, 110-109.

This time, Booker drove the lane once more. Among one of the best defensive gamers within the league, Portland’s Toumani Camara matched him step for step. Instead of taking a contested shot, Booker picked up his dribble and seemed for assist. I’ve observed Portland guard Jrue Holiday wanting on the ball and never at his man. Booker threw Jalen Green, who had darted to open area. Streaky all evening, Green had scored 35 factors. This time, I’ve missed. Goodwin grabbed the offensive rebound but was stripped. Portland sealed the sport on a Jerami Grant dunk, clinching the Western Conference’s seventh seed and a date with the San Antonio Spurs within the first spherical.

“He made the right play,” Suns coach Jordan Ott stated of Booker’s choice. “We got a pretty good look.”

“Maybe we could have dragged it out a little bit to waste a little more of the clock,” Green stated, “but just trying to go for the win.”

Phoenix shot 50 % from the sphere within the fourth quarter. Green had 11 factors over the ultimate 12 minutes; Dillon Brooks had 9. Booker didn’t have a area objective, lacking all three of his makes an attempt. In the second half, the star guard was 1 of seven from the sphere.

Asked how this recreation bought away, Booker informed the Suns let Avdija get free. Portland’s 6-foot-9 ahead was 12 of 14 from contained in the 3-point arc, with lots of these makes an attempt coming close to the rim. Booker additionally talked about his 5 missed free throws.

“Once you miss a couple, then it just becomes a mental game, overthinking something that you put millions of reps into,” Booker stated.

Booker has performed 47 postseason video games over his 11-year profession. Before Tuesday, he had by no means missed greater than two free throws in a playoff recreation. Against the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2024, Booker sank 20 of 21 from the foul line. Against the Lakers in 2021, he made 17 of 17. Overall, Booker had made 89.9 % of 308 free throws in his postseason profession.

Which is what made Tuesday’s Play-In efficiency so head-scratching. Booker normally is clutch in these conditions.

“I really don’t care if he misses 10, 12 — it doesn’t matter,” Suns guard Collin Gillespie stated earlier than leaving the Phoenix locker room. “He’s our best player. We’ll put the ball in his hands. He’ll make the right plays, and we’ll live and die with whatever he does. We got to help him as much as we can.”

The greatest information for the Suns is that they get one other likelihood. They left the world late Tuesday evening in a foul temper, which is one in every of their greatest qualities. Losses within the NBA can come so usually and so shortly that it dulls the aggressive spirit. That’s not the case with Phoenix. After a current apply, Booker stated it is refreshing to seek out everybody “pissed off” after losses as an alternative of performing like nothing is flawed.

A win Friday evening clinches the Western Conference’s eighth seed and a first-round collection with the Oklahoma City Thunder. A loss ends the Suns’ season.

“We addressed it right away — the goal is to get in,” Ott stated of the playoffs. “Just get in any way possible. It’s been our goal for a while, but we got to move on. It sucks. These are hard to take. But there’s stuff to learn in here that we got to learn fast, and do everything we can to get ready for Friday night.”

Correction: An earlier model of this story said that Portland sealed the sport on the foul line. A Jerami Grant dunk offered the ultimate factors.