<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/suns-news-devin-booker-final-injury-update-christmas-game-nuggets');   ga('set', 'title', 'Suns’ Devin Booker gets final injury update for Christmas game vs. Nuggets');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Devin-Booker-gets-final-injury-update-for-Christmas-game-vs.jpg"></figure><h1>Suns’ Devin Booker gets final injury update for Christmas game vs. Nuggets</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-24T17:02:50-08:00">December 24th, 5:02pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-24T17:32:53-08:00">December 24th, 5:32pm</time><address><a>Rexwell Villas</a>Rexwell Villas is an experienced sports writer covering a variety of sports, including the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, and college football. He's a Communications Arts graduate from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines, and he claims to have JR Smith's conscience with his shot selection. He has won a basketball, a baseball, and a football championship in fantasy all within a year.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Phoenix Suns</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nuggets-vs-suns-prediction-odds-pick-12-25-2024">Phoenix Suns are scheduled to face the Denver Nuggets for a Christmas Day game</a> on Wednesday. However, Phoenix will not have the services of shooting guard Devin Booker on the court for that contest, as the former Kentucky Wildcats star has already been <a href="https://x.com/GeraldBourguet/status/1871717461642588613" rel="noopener">ruled out for that contest with a lower-body issue</a> (h/t to Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports).</p><p><i>“Devin Booker is out for Christmas Day against the Nuggets, now being listed with a left groin strain instead of soreness. Grayson Allen (concussion protocol), Bol Bol (left knee contusion), Collin Gillespie (two-way) and TyTy Washington (two-way) are all out as well.”</i></p><p>Booker, who is averaging 25.1 points and 6.4 assists per game in the 2024-25 NBA campaign, missed the last two Suns assignments after he suffered the injury in last Thursday’s 120-111 loss at home at the hands of the visiting Indiana Pacers. He scored 17 points on 5-for-10 shooting from the floor to go with six assists, two rebounds and a steal in 25 minutes of action versus the Pacers before leaving the game in the third quarter.</p><p>Since then, the Suns have gone winless in two games without him, as they <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/suns-devin-booker-sidelined-with-injury-vs-pistons">suffered an upset 133-125 defeat to the Detroit Pistons</a> at home on Saturday followed by a 117-90 loss to the Nuggets at Ball Arena in Denver.</p><h2><b>Suns to play Nuggets without Devin Booker again</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Kevin-Durant-and-Devin-Booker.jpg"><figcaption>Rob Gray-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Royce O’Neale has been inserted into the Suns’ starting lineup amid Booker’s injury, but he hasn’t done much yet. In the last two games, Neale has scored just a total of 17 points on a 40.0 percent shooting from the floor, five rebounds, five assists and three turnovers through 63 minutes.</p><p>Nevertheless, O’Neale can be expected to get another starting nod for the Suns in the rematch versus Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets. Meanwhile, Kevin Durant will get a heavier workload with Booker sidelined. Durant has been fantastic with or without Booker, and in the last two contests, the former NBA Most Valuable Player averaged 33.0 points on a 53.7 field goal percentage.</p><p>As a team, the Suns are 12th in the NBA so far in the 2024-25 regular season with an average of 113.4 points per game but they have put up just 107.5 points in the last two outings while also shooting 48.4 percent from the field.</p><p>The Suns will enter Wednesday’s Nuggets showdown on the heels of a three-game losing skid and with a 14-14 record.</p><p>With Booker’s status for the Nuggets game known, the soonest he can return to action will be on Friday when the Suns host Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks. After that, Phoenix will hit the road for a meeting with the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Suns’ Devin Booker gets final injury update for Christmas game vs. Nuggets

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/devin-bookers-nike-book-1-sedona-honors-desert-town');   ga('set', 'title', 'Devin Booker’s Nike Book 1 ‘Sedona’ honors desert town');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/0Devin-Bookers-Nike-Book-1-Sedona-honors-desert-town0.jpg"></figure><h1>Devin Booker’s Nike Book 1 ‘Sedona’ honors desert town</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-22T16:45:41-08:00">December 22nd, 4:45pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-22T16:45:58-08:00">December 22nd, 4:45pm</time><address><a>Dominik Zawartko</a>Dominik Zawartko is a Michigan State graduate with a degree in Political Science and English. Having previously worked in the nonprofit and legal sectors, he decided to pursue his true love of writing with ClutchPoints. Dominik's hobbies include painting, cooking food, training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and always having a laugh. His main focus areas are UFC coverage and all things sneakers.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The state of Arizona and the southwestern region has embraced Devin Booker ever since the Phoenix Suns selected him 13th-overall in the 2015 NBA Draft. Since then, he’s moved into second place on the Suns’ all-time scoring list and is likely to surpass Walter Davis this season with 485 points left to go. In honor of Arizona and the natural wonders that make it so unique, Devin Booker and Nike will present the Nike Book 1 “Sedona” to ring in the new year.</p><p><i><b>Check our <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sneakers">Sneakers news</a> for more upcoming releases and breaking content!</b></i></p><p>Sedona, Arizona is home to famous Red Rock State Park where the state garners much of its identity from the majestic and natural rock formations throughout the desert. It’s been a favorite spot for Devin Booker to unwind and his latest sneaker release will pay homage to the beauty of the area.</p><p>The fourteenth colorway of the signature Nike Book 1 will come in a stunning clay color, complete with stitching to represent the typography of the region.</p><h2>Nike Book 1 “Sedona”</h2><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">FIRST LOOK: Nike Book 1 “Sedona” 🏜️</p><p>🗓️ January 1st, 2025<br>📝 FJ4249-600 (MENS)<br>💰 $140 USD<br>💵COP OR 🚮DROP? <a href="https://t.co/MPGdV8eRNt">pic.twitter.com/MPGdV8eRNt</a></p><p>— KicksFinder (@KicksFinder) <a href="https://twitter.com/KicksFinder/status/1867789843373158661?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 14, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">OFFICIAL IMAGES: Nike Book 1 “Sedona” 🌄<br>Release Date: January 1st, 2024 ($140)</p><p>Catch all of the updated photos: <a href="https://t.co/rWGHdzRISX">https://t.co/rWGHdzRISX</a> <a href="https://t.co/wG5O974iq3">pic.twitter.com/wG5O974iq3</a></p><p>— Sneaker News (@SneakerNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/SneakerNews/status/1869525588857245846?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><br>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/devin-booker-teases-kentucky-wildcats-nike-book-1">Nike Book 1</a> “Sedona” will arrive in a stunning burnt orange and red clay colorway, featuring a monochromatic look throughout the uppers. The shoes are accented by a light tan color to create a striped look throughout the outsole. The hallmark feature of the sneakers is the darker red stitching throughout the uppers to resemble the typography of Sedona. Finally, the tongue tag features a further nod to the theme with a stitched graphic of the horizon.</p></figure><p>The Nike Book 1 “Sedona” is expected to release January 1, 2025 for a standard retail tag of $140. Expect these to drop on <a href="http://nike.com">Nike SNKRS app</a> and be available in select Nike retailers in full sizing.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Devin Booker’s Nike Book 1 ‘Sedona’ honors desert town

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/suns-devin-booker-sidelined-with-injury-vs-pistons');   ga('set', 'title', 'Suns’ Devin Booker sidelined with injury vs Pistons');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Devin-Booker-sidelined-with-injury-vs-Pistons.jpg"></figure><h1>Suns’ Devin Booker sidelined with injury vs Pistons</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-20T17:16:42-08:00">December 20th, 5:16pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-20T17:16:42-08:00">December 20th, 5:16pm</time><address><a href="https://haydencilley.wixsite.com/hayden-cilley-s-port">Hayden Cilley</a>Hayden Cilley joined ClutchPoints in August 2024 as a Phoenix Suns and Mercury reporter, as well as an Associate Editor. Hayden graduated from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University while covering events like the 2023 NCAA Men's Final Four, the 2024 Vrbo Fiesta Bowl and the Arizona State men's swim and dive team. He recently covered the Phoenix Mercury for The Next Hoops and PHNX Sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>After <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/suns-news-devin-booker-ruled-out-pacers-game-concerning-injury">Devin Booker left the Suns game with a concerning injury</a> on Thursday, that <a href="https://x.com/HaydenCilley/status/1870265231185723579" rel="noopener">injury has him sidelined</a> for Saturday’s game against the Detroit Pistons. Before the injury, Booker posted 17 points, six assists, and two rebounds while shooting 50% from the field. His injury highlights an injury-plagued season for the Suns. Both Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal have missed 11 games each this season. There’s been minimal continuity due to a constant change of the lineup.</p><p>While they only played 41 combined games last season, they haven’t played much together this season. That’s been the constant theme surrounding the team this season. The lack of continuity. Much of it began in the preseason when center Jusuf Nurkic sustained a finger injury throughout the season.</p><p>After that, the injuries piled on, with Bradley Beal being injured in the second game of the season. Now, it’s Booker who makes his first trip on the injury report for the season. He played in all 26 games leading up to Saturday’s contest. Now, Durant and Beal will be asked to carry the offensive burden.</p><h2><b>Who will step up for the Suns through Devin Booker’s injury?</b></h2><p>Luckily, Phoenix has a variety of players that can step up to the plate. Royce O’Neale, Grayson Allen, and Tyus Jones are some of more notable names. Not to mention, rookies Oso Ighodaro and Ryan Dunn could have expanded roles. The Suns have their floor general, and someone who can set the table for the two stars. Also, Jones is averaging career highs in points per game, as well as threes made and attempted.</p><p>As a result, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/suns-news-devin-booker-gushes-tyus-jones-underrated-skill-suns-defeat-blazers">Booker gushed over Jones’s underrated skill</a> in Sunday’s win against the Portland Trail Blazers. It’s not only Jones who has risen to the occasion. O’Neale has been one of the premier players for Phoenix. He’s averaging a career-high 11.1 points while <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/o/onealro01.html" rel="noopener">shooting 46.3% from three on 5.7 attempts per game</a>. O’Neale is a top-tier catch and shoot player and has thrived.</p><p>Still, Booker’s loss is a huge one, considering he hasn’t missed a game. Also, the injury history of Durant and Beal is something to worth noting. However, that can’t be a focus of concern, as it’s once again a next-man up mentality. While Durant highlighted what sucks about the injuries, it’s in the past. However, playing the Detroit Pistons can help their case.</p><p>For the team, they’re hoping for a rejuvenated offense and defense with Booker out. Both Beal and Durant will have increased roles, along with the rest of the team, which has been the theme all season long.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Suns’ Devin Booker sidelined with injury vs Pistons

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/suns-news-devin-booker-ruled-out-pacers-game-concerning-injury');   ga('set', 'title', 'Suns’ Devin Booker ruled out for rest of Pacers game with concerning injury');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Devin-Booker-ruled-out-for-rest-of-Pacers-game-with-concerning-injury.jpg"></figure><h1>Suns’ Devin Booker ruled out for rest of Pacers game with concerning injury</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-19T20:09:09-08:00">December 19th, 8:09pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-19T20:26:37-08:00">December 19th, 8:26pm</time><address><a href="https://haydencilley.wixsite.com/hayden-cilley-s-port">Hayden Cilley</a>Hayden Cilley joined ClutchPoints in August 2024 as a Phoenix Suns and Mercury reporter, as well as an Associate Editor. Hayden graduated from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University while covering events like the 2023 NCAA Men's Final Four, the 2024 Vrbo Fiesta Bowl and the Arizona State men's swim and dive team. He recently covered the Phoenix Mercury for The Next Hoops and PHNX Sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Phoenix Suns will be <a href="https://x.com/Amanda_Pflugrad/status/1869955465016131907" rel="noopener">without their star shooting guard</a>, Devin Booker, for the remainder of Thursday’s game against the Indiana Pacers. Booker endured groin tightness midway through the third quarter, according to Amanda Pflugrad of the Suns broadcast team. He walked off the court and hasn’t returned to the floor since.</p><p>Before his injury, Booker posted 17 points, six assists, and two rebounds. He also shot 7-8 from the free-throw line on the night. After playing in every game this season, the injury marks a first for the Suns guard. Immediately after the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/suns-news-is-bradley-beal-playing-blazers-latest-injury-update">Suns lost Bradley Beal to right knee tightness</a> for two games, they were dealt another significant blow. There’s no timetable for the severity of the injury or when he’ll be ready for game action.</p><p>On the season, Booker has been the constant for the Suns. He’s averaging <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/bookede01.html" rel="noopener">25.4 points, 6.4 assists, and 3.7 rebounds</a> per game. Although his numbers are down, he’s had to carry a heavy offensive burden. Booker has played a multitude of games without Kevin Durant and Beal. As a result, he’s been the focal point on offense. Defenses are attacking him with double teams and constant pressure.</p><h2><b>How can Devin Booker’s injury limit the Suns?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Devin-Booker.jpg"><figcaption>Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>For all of the speculation about whose team it is, Booker is the franchise player. He’s been the mainstay since being drafted in 2015. Not to mention, he’s consistently in the conversation for the top shooting guard in the league. Booker attracts a plethora of attention away from Durant and Beal. That’s saying a lot, considering how lethal scorers Durant and Beal are. However, it’s not the two stars that are the lone recipients. The role players are pivotal beneficiaries as well.</p><p>For instance, Tyus Jones is having a career season. While he’s playing with the Suns Big 3, Booker has been a key help in convincing Jones to adopt a scorers mentality. After Sunday’s game, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/suns-news-devin-booker-gushes-tyus-jones-underrated-skill-suns-defeat-blazers">Booker gushed about Jones’s underrated skill</a>. The leadership is there with the Suns guard, and it’s evident.</p><p>Despite the injury, it’s another war cry for players to step up. Luckily for Phoenix, they’ve had a variety of players rise to the occasion. As mentioned earlier, Jones has stepped up to the plate with his scoring. Royce O’Neale has had a career year and made seven starts. He also is having a career season in his second season in The Valley.</p><p>Furthermore, it puts more pressure on Durant and Beal to perform. The Slim Reaper has been crucial for Phoenix, as <a href="https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/suns-record-with-durant-this-season" rel="noopener">they have an 13-2 record with him playing</a>. However, most of that has been with the entire Big 3 together. Now, it’ll be the other two stars trying to fill Booker’s shoes on all fronts. They’re more than capable of doing so, but keeping the team afloat in a competitive Western Conference won’t be as easy.</p><p>For now, the Suns can only hope that Booker’s injury diagnosis is a precaution and nothing more. With the way the season is going, it’s hard to tell if that’s the case.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Suns’ Devin Booker ruled out for rest of Pacers game with concerning injury

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/suns-news-devin-booker-gushes-tyus-jones-underrated-skill-suns-defeat-blazers');   ga('set', 'title', 'Devin Booker gushes over Tyus Jones’ ‘underrated’ skill after Suns defeat Blazers');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Devin-Booker-gushes-over-Tyus-Jones-underrated-skill-after-Suns-defeat-Blazers.jpg"></figure><h1>Devin Booker gushes over Tyus Jones’ ‘underrated’ skill after Suns defeat Blazers</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-15T21:43:31-08:00">December 15th, 9:43pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-15T21:43:31-08:00">December 15th, 9:43pm</time><address><a href="https://haydencilley.wixsite.com/hayden-cilley-s-port">Hayden Cilley</a>Hayden Cilley joined ClutchPoints in August 2024 as a Phoenix Suns and Mercury reporter, as well as an Associate Editor. Hayden graduated from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University while covering events like the 2023 NCAA Men's Final Four, the 2024 Vrbo Fiesta Bowl and the Arizona State men's swim and dive team. He recently covered the Phoenix Mercury for The Next Hoops and PHNX Sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/trail-blazers-vs-suns-prediction-odds-pick-12-15-2024">Phoenix Suns secured their second consecutive win</a>, this time against the Portland Trail Blazers. Tyus Jones and Devin Booker were at the forefront of it for Phoenix in that contest.</p><p>Although Booker posted 28 points, it was Jones who stole the show. He had 19 points on 8-9 shooting and knocked down all three of his three-point attempts. Following the win, Booker spoke to reporters and broke down how Jones was successful in <a href="https://x.com/HaydenCilley/status/1868510137989976333" rel="noopener">all facets of the basketball court</a>.</p><p>“He’s mastered that since the sixth grade,” Booker said. “I keep telling y’all to watch him be super punctual. Since then, he’s always had a pace on the open floor and his scoring, which is so underrated. I’m glad that he is on our side.”</p><p>The first season of a Jones and Booker backcourt seems to be paying dividends. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/suns-tyus-jones-unlocking-best-version-devin-booker-team">Jones is having a career season</a> alongside Booker, Bradley Beal, and Kevin Durant. He’s averaging a career-high 12.5 points, seven assists, and 2.6 rebounds per game. However, he’s averaging a career-high in three-point makes and attempts. Not to mention, Jones is connecting on 42.9% of those. While some can say it’s a byproduct of playing alongside the Suns Big 3, there’s more to it than that.</p><h2><b>Mike Budenholzer and Devin Booker love what Tyus Jones brings</b></h2><p>Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer has an offensive system that emphasizes the three-pointer more than any shot. The Suns are sixth in total threes made and seventh in total threes attempted. That trickles down to every player, from Jones to Booker to Durant. Luckily, the influx of threes wasn’t a lone-season revelation. Jones explained postgame about <a href="https://x.com/HaydenCilley/status/1868510934345367851" rel="noopener">a conversation he had that sparked that influx</a>.</p><p>“That third year (in Memphis), it was in the off-season talking with Taylor Jenkins about just being a little bit more aggressive shooting the ball, especially from the three-point line. So that’s been something they’ve been on me about here as well. Everyone knows about Bud’s system. He wants us to get up threes. Also, with the gravity that KD, Book, and Brad create, everyone else is getting an open look. So just being ready to fire them and knock them down.”</p><p>The Phoenix point guard has been the X-factor heading into the season. It was evident before his first game with the team. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/suns-news-mike-budenholzer-grayson-allen-tyus-jones-free-agency">Grayson Allen and Budenholzer convinced Jones to join the Suns</a>. 25 games into the season, and it hasn’t disappointed. He’s been the floor general that they missed all of last season. His impact opens up the floor for Booker, Beal, and Durant. For the Suns head coach, he sees that as well as anyone. </p><p>While Jones explained how his three-point emphasis grew, Budenholzer echoed that sentiment. He detailed how he’s been on Jones about taking those shots throughout the game and the season.</p><p>“We probably just have to stay on him and be in his ear more,” Budenholzer said. The more aggressive he is, the better we are as a team. I think that’s harder for him to wrap around with his basketball intellect and his point guard kind of nature. When he’s aggressive, I think we are at our best. He’s done that some recently, and we need more of it.”</p><h2>Tyus Jones has been the Suns’ X-factor this season</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Tyus-Jones-with-Mike-Budenholzer.jpg"><figcaption>Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Budenholzer isn’t exaggerating about the Suns’ need for more scoring from Jones. In the past eight games, he’s scored 10+ points. In all of those games, he’s shot <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/j/jonesty01/gamelog/2025" rel="noopener">37% from three or better</a> while taking a minimum of three attempts. Plus, it unlocks another dimension to the offenses.</p><p>Defenses will sag off of guys like Jones to focus on the three stars. As a result, it allows Jones consistent, open looks. Phoenix has been encouraged by his increased scoring production. As Jones described it, his mentality is about making the right decision every play.</p><p>“It’s finding in the flow, trying not to pass up shots that they’re just taking,” Jones said. “I’m not hesitating to make my reads. Whatever the defense is giving me in the last couple of games, it’s been some early looks and just getting in a rhythm early on, and that’s been helping me.</p><p>“I’m not coming in saying, ‘I’m going to shoot X amount of times tonight’ or anything like that. I’m just taking what the defense gives me, looking to try to be a playmaker. That’s scoring or creating for others and just taking my shots with confidence.”</p><p>Beal remains out with right knee swelling. It could mean that Tyus Jones will be in line for another scoring opportunity. After all, he’s been in that position for the first 25 games and will likely be in that same spot for the remainder of the season. The emphasis from Devin Booker, Mike Budenholzer, and other teammates and coaches should result in a dead-eye shooter that teams will respect and pay serious attention to.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Devin Booker gushes over Tyus Jones’ ‘underrated’ skill after Suns defeat Blazers

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/warriors-news-steve-kerr-eye-opening-admission-devin-booker-evolution');   ga('set', 'title', 'Warriors’ Steve Kerr drops eye-opening admission about Devin Booker’s evolution');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Steve-Kerr-drops-eye-opening-admission-about-Devin-Bookers-evolution.jpg"></figure><h1>Warriors’ Steve Kerr drops eye-opening admission about Devin Booker’s evolution</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-11-30T17:43:39-08:00">November 30th, 5:43pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-11-30T17:43:39-08:00">November 30th, 5:43pm</time><address><a href="https://haydencilley.wixsite.com/hayden-cilley-s-port">Hayden Cilley</a>Hayden Cilley joined ClutchPoints in August 2024 as a Phoenix Suns and Mercury reporter, as well as an Associate Editor. Hayden graduated from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University while covering events like the 2023 NCAA Men's Final Four, the 2024 Vrbo Fiesta Bowl and the Arizona State men's swim and dive team. He recently covered the Phoenix Mercury for The Next Hoops and PHNX Sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Golden State Warriors</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Oftentimes, greatness respects greatness, especially in the NBA, and especially if you’re Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, and Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker. The <a href="https://www.sportskeeda.com/basketball/news-steve-kerr-heaps-ultimate-praise-most-adaptable-devin-booker-contribution-team-usa-olympics" rel="noopener">duo was together for two Olympic games</a> (2020, and 2024) but have never been on the same NBA team. Regardless, the mutual respect and adoration between both men is evident. Before Saturday’s game, Kerr told reporters about how he’s seen Booker’s game evolve not only in the Olympics but throughout his NBA career.<br><br>“He was a great player right away but he’s a two-way player,” Kerr said. “What I was impressed with in the Olympics was that it’s not easy for a guy to adapt his normal role of go-to guy score and then to be asked to be a defender, connector, and then thrive in that role. <br><br>“Then become a star when we needed him to become a star those last couple of games. He was incredible and that’s what you need from any player the willingness and ability to adapt to whatever the game calls for. Booker is just phenomenal, a great player, great guy.”<br><br>This isn’t the first time both players have shared that mutual love and respect. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/olympics-news-steve-kerr-reveals-unsung-team-usa-mvp#:~:text=But%20Team%20USA%20head%20coach,He%20was%20our%20unsung%20MVP.">Kerr called Booker the ‘unsung MVP’</a> of the Olympics because of his selflessness. That characteristic wasn’t just a morale boost for his team, it was a tangible boost too. Booker would <a href="https://www.si.com/nba/suns/news/anthony-edwards-impressed-devin-booker-olympics" rel="noopener">defend a plethora of opposing countries’ top players</a>.</p><h2><b>Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr loved coaching Devin Booker in the Olympics</b></h2><p>Not to mention, he would make shots when it mattered most. In the quarterfinal game vs Serbia, Booker hit a couple of three-pointers that began to swing the momentum towards the United States’s way. Also, the Suns star stood out, even on a team with Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, and LeBron James. Even Curry agreed with Kerr’s take about Booker being the ‘unsung MVP’.</p><p>However, when the Suns star heard the comments, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/suns-news-devin-booker-silence-steve-kerr-unprompted-team-usa-mvp-praise">Booker broke the silence about Kerr’s unprompted response</a>. He appreciated the response, considering that Kerr is a champion in his own right. Gold Medals with USA Basketball, and NBA championships as a coach, and as a player highlight an impressive résumé. Also, Kerr isn’t one to hide his praises with former players. <br><br>While Booker is prepared to face his former USA Basketball teammate and head coach, Kerr relishes in his previous opportunity to share the court with Booker again, even if it’s on the other side.<br><br>I loved coaching him, loved coaching Kevin (Durant),” Kerr said. “That was the experience of a lifetime and both those guys helped make it. That was a thrill.” </p><p>The Warriors will square off against the Suns in a battle for one of the top seeds in the west. </p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Warriors’ Steve Kerr drops eye-opening admission about Devin Booker’s evolution

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/suns-news-devin-booker-reveals-urgent-phoenix-need-5-game-losing-skid');   ga('set', 'title', 'Suns’ Devin Booker reveals urgent need amid 5-game losing skid');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Devin-Booker-reveals-urgent-Phoenix-need-amid-5-game-losing-skid-1.jpg"></figure><h1>Suns’ Devin Booker reveals urgent need amid 5-game losing skid</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-11-20T22:56:45-08:00">November 20th, 10:56pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-11-20T22:59:40-08:00">November 20th, 10:59pm</time><address><a href="https://haydencilley.wixsite.com/hayden-cilley-s-port">Hayden Cilley</a>Hayden Cilley joined ClutchPoints in August 2024 as a Phoenix Suns and Mercury reporter, as well as an Associate Editor. Hayden graduated from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University while covering events like the 2023 NCAA Men's Final Four, the 2024 Vrbo Fiesta Bowl and the Arizona State men's swim and dive team. He recently covered the Phoenix Mercury for The Next Hoops and PHNX Sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>A 5-game skid for the Phoenix Suns leaves feelings of discontentment and an urge for a change. For Devin Booker, he broke down about what the five-day break from games will do for the team.</p><p>“I think it’s an important time to get the guys healthy,” Booker said postgame to reporters. “We need the same energy that we had to start to the season. We need that to get back rolling.”</p><p>In those five losses, they’ve been without Bradley Beal and Kevin Durant, who are both dealing with calf injuries. While <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/suns-news-kevin-durant-bradley-beal-possible-nba-cup-injury-returns-vs-lakers">Durant and Beal are targeting an NBA cup return</a> on Tuesday, having them for Wednesday’s game against the New York Knicks would’ve been ideal. Although the Suns were solid offensively, New York’s firepower proved too much to bear.</p><p>They shot a whopping <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/recap/_/gameId/401704823" rel="noopener">58% from the field</a>, 49% from three, and 90% from the free-throw line. Not to mention, they had a 44-point first quarter which was the turning point of the entire game. Although Phoenix made some nice runs, they never led at any point in the game. Jalen Brunson himself had 36 points and 10 assists. Karl-Anthony Towns had 34 points and 10 rebounds. </p><p>Booker even said this about the 44-point first quarter that swung the game in New York’s favor. “I think a lot of it was in transition on turnovers, so I was sprinting back, but the live ball turnovers kind of put you in a tough position. He (Brunson) made a couple of tough ones too. They just started off hot.”</p><h2><b>Devin Booker and the Suns’ frustration is warranted</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Devin-Booker-reveals-urgent-Phoenix-need-amid-5-game-losing-skid.jpg"><figcaption>© Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Phoenix looked gassed throughout the game, and for good reason. They’ve played six games within eight days, and a lot of travel in between. They had a back-to-back in Utah and Sacramento, before heading to Oklahoma City, Then, they traveled to Minnesota for a Sunday game and flew back to Phoenix and played on Monday.</p><p>While athletes are accustomed to extensive travel, they’re still humans. It takes a physical toll traveling consistently without much rest in between. Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer has also felt the ongoing effects of the short turnaround. As his team gears up for the break, the first-year Phoenix coach had an interesting perspective on the influx of games, and a lengthy break following. </p><p>“I think when the schedule comes out, it doesn’t look like something that you’d ever ask for,” Budenholzer said. “Maybe there’s some kind of silver lining in a 5-day break. We can get in the gym, we can look at things, we can figure out how to be better. When you get a break like this you have to take advantage of it in a lot of different ways.”</p><h2><b>Devin Booker gets props from his head coach</b></h2><p>Despite missing two of the Phoenix’s Big 3, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/suns-news-devin-booker-truth-bomb-double-teams">Booker has been at the forefront of many double-teams</a>, and focused defensive strategies. With Beal and Durant alongside him, it forces defenses to pick their poison with who to guard. In this stretch, teams have honed in on Booker. Also, other Suns players have had elevated roles.</p><p>Some have thrived in them, and others don’t appear ready for that uptake in minutes, or increased responsibility. The rise of injuries to the starting lineup could make a team become discouraged. However, Budenholzer’s main principle of being competitive has him feeling good heading into this mini-break.</p><p>“The group is good,” Budenholzer said. “Overall, the competitive spirit, the things that we’ve leaned on, we have a competitive group. We have a group that will stay together. It’s the things that we talk about. Losing is hard, this league is hard, so we have to fight through it. We have to compete our way through it.<br><br>“There are things that we need to work on and improve. But the competitiveness of our group has been in a good place when we were winning, and I would still say the same thing, right now while we’re struggling. The guys know how important competing is.”</p><p>Phoenix has five days until they play another game. Luckily, they also have <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/PHO/2025_games.html" rel="noopener">four more games at home</a> after Wednesday. The Tuesday game against the Los Angeles Lakers will be the second NBA Cup game. Both teams have split the season series so far at one game a piece.</p><p>If either Durant or Beal comes back for Tuesday’s game, it’ll be a massive win for the franchise. If not, the losing ways could continue after the extended time off.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Suns’ Devin Booker reveals urgent need amid 5-game losing skid

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/suns-news-devin-booker-silence-steve-kerr-unprompted-team-usa-mvp-praise');   ga('set', 'title', 'Devin Booker breaks silence on Steve Kerr’s unprompted Team USA ‘MVP’ praise');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Devin-Booker-breaks-silence-on-Steve-Kerrs-unprompted-Team-USA-MVP-praise.jpg"></figure><h1>Devin Booker breaks silence on Steve Kerr’s unprompted Team USA ‘MVP’ praise</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-11-20T09:59:53-08:00">November 20th, 9:59am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-11-20T09:59:53-08:00">November 20th, 9:59am</time><address><a>Malik Brown</a>Malik Brown is a multimedia reporter based in Atlanta who covers the Hawks and Dream for ClutchPoints. Malik has worked in entertainment and sports, and he specializes in the NBA and NFL.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Team USA men’s basketball team was able to capture gold during the summer at the Paris Olympics, and it took a buy-in from some of the best players in the world. One of those players who bought in a year <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/how-devin-booker-called-his-shot-with-gold-medal" rel="noopener">before the Olympics started was Devin Booker</a>, who told X, formerly Twitter, that he was willing to play any role that he had to.</p><p>He showed that during the Olympics run, and Team USA head coach Steve Kerr gave Booker praise after they won gold against France.</p><p>“Devin Booker is an incredible basketball player. Nobody asked about him. He was our unsung MVP. I just wanted to say that,” Kerr said.</p><p>Months later, Booker was <a href="https://andscape.com/features/phoenix-suns-guard-devin-booker-brings-thirst-for-nba-championship-from-olympic-experience/" rel="noopener">asked in an interview</a> with Andscape about Kerr’s comments and what that meant for the head coach to say that.</p><p>“It meant everything. No one really asked him,” Booker recently told Andscape. “That was probably something that was weighing on his heart throughout the whole process. I said it a year prior what I wanted to do for that team and what we want to do for the country.</p><p>“It was way bigger than all of us. To pull through was something we will talk about for the rest of our lives.”</p><p>Booker felt more like a Swiss army knife for Team USA, defending at a high level and also scoring when he needed to. His play allowed him to see the floor a lot and helped them win games as well.</p><h2>Devin Booker helped lead Team USA to a gold medal</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Devin-Booker.jpg"><figcaption>Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>After Team USA <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-news-austin-reaves-message-on-team-usa-stint-despite-failed-fiba-world-cup-bid">failed to win the FIBA World Cup</a> in 2023, Kyle Kuzma went on social media and prompted what he thought the team needed heading into the Olympics the following year.</p><p>“USA basketball better get some nba stars that know how to play a role,” Kuzma wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “Anybody can be nice with the ball in their hands but can you be cool with defending and going to the corner for a few possessions?”</p><p>That’s when Booker replied to Booker’s tweet with “I’ll do it.”</p><p>Booker lived up to his message and helped Team USA in whatever way he could. Going into the next Olympics in 2028, he’ll most likely be the vet on the team, which means he’ll have the task of leading the future of Team USA as he might be his last run. From there, players such as Anthony Edwards and Jayson Tatum will probably take over.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Devin Booker breaks silence on Steve Kerr’s unprompted Team USA ‘MVP’ praise

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/thunder-news-jalen-williams-gets-real-lu-dort-locking-devin-booker');   ga('set', 'title', 'Jalen Williams gets real on Lu Dort locking up Devin Booker in Thunder win');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Thunder-news-Jalen-Williams-gets-real-on-Lu-Dort-locking-up-Devin-Booker.jpg"></figure><h1>Jalen Williams gets real on Lu Dort locking up Devin Booker in Thunder win</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-11-16T12:32:56-08:00">November 16th, 12:32pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-11-16T12:32:56-08:00">November 16th, 12:32pm</time><address><a>Josue Pavon</a>Josue Pavon is an Associate Editor and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat writer for ClutchPoints. He started his career as a credentialed media member writing about the Boston Celtics for WEEI.com in Boston, where he grew into a local on-camera NBA reporter and podcast host for CLNS Media. Alongside the Celtics radio broadcaster and two-time NBA champion Cedric Maxwell, Josue is the co-host of the Cedric Maxwell podcast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>When Phoenix Suns All-Star Devin Booker was standing out-of-bounce in the second quarter of Oklahoma City Thunder’s 99-83 win, Lu Dort remained glued to his hip, and it drove him nuts. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/thunder-news-shai-gilgeous-alexander-addresses-devin-booker-win-over-suns">Dort provoked Booker into a shove</a>, for which the four-time All-Star dodged a technical foul. Still, the play made a lasting impression on Thunder forward Jalen Williams, who <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIi9eZ2C5kw" rel="noopener">spoke</a> on it after the game.</p><p>“It’s just what he does on a nightly basis. You see that energy in what he’s doing. So, you always want to make sure you’re in the right spot to help him if he gets beat,” Williams said. “Just make sure our coverages and stuff are clean, especially when you have a really good player like that. Book’s had 70 [points]. So, you don’t want to give him anything easy, and you know, on the ball, Lu’s not really going to make a lot of mistakes.</p><p>“Just being there for screens and next-man rotations. So, I think Lu did a good job with that.”</p><p>Is that the reason why Booker reacted the way he did?</p><p>“A little bit of frustration,” Williams replied. “I think when you throw so many different looks at players, it’s easy to get frustrated. On top of it, it’s Lu, who’s not going to stop for the whole game. So, I think that probably adds to it. So, it’s just a moment of frustration. Just as a team, it’s one of those moments you just come together. It’s still a collective effort. So, we don’t really let that play affect the rest of the game.”</p><p>After going 0-for-6 in the first half, Booker finished with 12 points on 2-of-10 attempts. He also added four assists, four rebounds, one block, and one steal. However, on a night when the Suns were without Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, Phoenix heavily relied on Devin’s offense while the Thunder held their opponent to 83 points, a new season’s best.</p><h2><b>Shai Gilgeous-Alexander addresses Devin Booker after Thunder win</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Thunder-guard-Lu-Dort_9cb622.jpg"><figcaption>Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Jalen Williams wasn’t the only Thunder starter who commented on Devin Booker and Lu Dort, as Thunder All-Star <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/thunder-news-shai-gilgeous-alexander-addresses-devin-booker-win-over-suns">Shai Gilgeous-Alexander also addressed Booker</a> after Friday’s win.</p><p>“I can imagine it being frustrating offensively because you feel like you’re being pushed or shoved, or whatever it is,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “It’s obviously a skillset of his. His ability to move his feet as well as be physical, as well as be disciplined. He checks all of the boxes defensively, and thank God I don’t have to go through it on a nightly basis like the other teams do.</p><p>“But Lu’s special, for sure. He’ll end up on one of these Defensive Teams now or in the future,” Gilgeous-Alexander concluded.</p><p>The Thunder will host the Mavericks on Sunday.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Jalen Williams gets real on Lu Dort locking up Devin Booker in Thunder win

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/suns-news-devin-booker-truth-bomb-double-teams');   ga('set', 'title', 'Suns’ Devin Booker drops unique truth bomb on facing double teams');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Suns-news-Devin-Booker-drops-unique-truth-bomb-on-facing-double-teams.jpg"></figure><h1>Suns’ Devin Booker drops unique truth bomb on facing double teams</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-11-16T11:49:06-08:00">November 16th, 11:49am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-11-16T11:49:50-08:00">November 16th, 11:49am</time><address><a>Matt De Lima</a>Matt De Lima is an Associate Editor for NFL and college football at ClutchPoints. He has been covering sports for over 12 years at sites like Sports Illustrated, The Game Day, and countless others. Born and raised in California, he is a graduate of Virginia Tech and a diehard Hokies fan who now resides in southern Maryland.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Phoenix Suns were held below 100 points for the first time this season during Friday night’s 99-83 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Phoenix was limited to shooting 29.3% and Devin Booker was held to just 12 points on 2-of-10 shooting. After the game, he discussed being <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/thunder-news-shai-gilgeous-alexander-addresses-devin-booker-win-over-suns">held scoreless for the first half</a> and <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1857857207876071472" rel="noopener">his offensive struggles</a> while being double-teamed, per AZ Central’s Duane Rankin.</p><p>“(The Thunder) were trapping me. We made some shots early; we were getting some good looks. I’m not in the business of trying to go score over double and triple teams. You wanna make the right play and hopefully, we make shots. Make ’em pay.”</p><p>Rankin followed up by asking if Booker felt there might’ve been a moment when he needed to make a play to get a bucket to get the team back into it.</p><p>“Nah, I left those in my early years. If you look at the championship teams, you need four or five guys out there that are threats. And you make people pay for putting two on the ball. You get off or you get open on the backside. We had some open looks and we just didn’t make any of ’em.</p><p>“I probably generated more open looks than what I shot. There’s going to be nights like this where we’re down some people so they’re going to throw two and three people at me. But I just need to continue making the right play. If we make shots early, hit a few threes, then they have to get out of those defenses.”</p><p>Throughout the interview, Booker was calm, but his frustration with the Suns’ performance was palpable.</p><h2><b>Suns on skid with three losses in last four</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Suns-Devin-Booker-getting-his-shot-blocked-vs-Thunder.jpg"><figcaption>Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>With Kevin Durant (calf) and Bradley Beal (foot) <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/suns-news-bradley-beal-gets-pivotal-injury-update-after-jazz-game">sidelined with injuries</a>, the Suns are slipping, having lost three of their last four games.</p><p>Josh Okogie led the Suns with 15 points, nine rebounds, one assist and one steal. He played 30 minutes for the first time this season. He also scored 25 points in Wednesday’s 127-104 loss to the Sacramento Kings.</p><p>Phoenix certainly needs more out of Jusuf Nurkic. He went 0-for-7 from the field in 29 minutes with four points and eight rebounds. Booker finished with an atrocious -29 in plus/minus. In comparison, Lu Dort led the Thunder by going +23 over his 32 minutes.</p><p>The Suns were short-handed, so they called Royce O’Neale, Oso Ighodaro and Monte Morris off the bench for 20+ minutes.</p><p>Phoenix closes out a four-game road trip on Sunday against the Minnesota Timberwolves. They will host their next six contests with matchups against the Orlando Magic, New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers, Brooklyn Nets, Golden State Warriors, and San Antonio Spurs.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Suns’ Devin Booker drops unique truth bomb on facing double teams

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/thunder-news-shai-gilgeous-alexander-addresses-devin-booker-win-over-suns');   ga('set', 'title', 'Shai Gilgeous-Alexander addresses Devin Booker from Thunder win over Suns');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Thunder-news-Shai-Gilgeous-Alexander-addresses-Devin-Booker-confrontation-from-win-over-Suns.jpg"></figure><h1>Shai Gilgeous-Alexander addresses Devin Booker from Thunder win over Suns</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-11-16T09:26:39-08:00">November 16th, 9:26am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-11-16T14:19:05-08:00">November 16th, 2:19pm</time><address><a>Josue Pavon</a>Josue Pavon is an Associate Editor and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat writer for ClutchPoints. He started his career as a credentialed media member writing about the Boston Celtics for WEEI.com in Boston, where he grew into a local on-camera NBA reporter and podcast host for CLNS Media. Alongside the Celtics radio broadcaster and two-time NBA champion Cedric Maxwell, Josue is the co-host of the Cedric Maxwell podcast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Frustration boiled over in the first half of Oklahoma City Thunder’s 99-83 <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/thunder-news-the-reason-jalen-williams-eager-devin-booker-suns-matchup">NBA Cup win against the Phoenix Suns</a>. All-Star Devin Booker was scoreless (0-for-6) when he shoved Thunder guard Lu Dort to the ground in the first half, which didn’t come as a surprise for All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander due to his backcourt mate’s tenacious approach to playing defense.</p><p>Dort can get under opposing players’ skin, as Booker snapped back in the second quarter. After the game, Gilgeous-Alexander <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIi9eZ2C5kw" rel="noopener">talked</a> about how effective Lu can be.</p><p>“He does a really good job of being physical without fouling, and a lot of times, I can imagine it being frustrating offensively because you feel like you’re being pushed or shoved, or whatever it is,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “It’s obviously a skillset of his.</p><p>“His ability to move his feet as well as be physical, as well as be disciplined, he checks all of the boxes defensively, and thank God I don’t have to go through it on a nightly basis like the other teams do.</p><p>“But Lu’s special, for sure. He’ll end up on one of these Defensive Teams now or in the future,” Gilgeous-Alexander concluded.</p><p>No technical foul was issued after officials <a href="https://x.com/andrewkschlecht/status/1857603874955186654?s=46&amp;t=r1n-d07DECxf6Tvlm4h8Xw" rel="noopener">reviewed</a> Booker’s push.</p><h2><b>Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dishes on Jalen Williams’ growth</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Thunder-guard-Lu-Dort-Suns-guard-Devin-Booker.jpg"><figcaption>Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Oklahoma City Thunder forward <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/thunder-news-jalen-williams-domination-vs-pelicans-gets-flowers">Jalen Williams followed up his season-high 31-point game</a> against the New Orleans Pelicans with an all-around gem of a performance against Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns.</p><p>Tasked with the defensive assignment of Suns center Jusuf Nurkic, Williams delivered in limiting the veteran big man to four points, all of which came at the free-throw line. It didn’t go unnoticed for All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.</p><p>Nukic finished 0-for-7 from the floor, 0-for-3 from deep, and 4-for-8 from the foul line. After the game, Gilgeous-Alexander gushed over Williams’ ability to impact a game.</p><p>“He really affects the game. He does so many things well. To sum it all up, when he’s out there, good things happen on both ends of the floor. Me and him were just talking about it; it feels like he still doesn’t even calculate the game; he just goes out there and plays basketball,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “His instincts take over.</p><p>“He affects the game on both ends of the floor at a very high level. His growth has been amazing. He still has room to grow, which is exciting but tremendous player for sure.”</p><p>Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder will conclude their six-game homestand against the Mavericks on Sunday.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander addresses Devin Booker from Thunder win over Suns

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/thunder-news-the-reason-jalen-williams-eager-devin-booker-suns-matchup');   ga('set', 'title', 'The reason Thunder’s Jalen Williams is eager for Devin Booker, Suns matchup');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Thunder-news-The-reason-Jalen-Williams-is-eager-for-Devin-Booker-Suns-matchup.jpg"></figure><h1>The reason Thunder’s Jalen Williams is eager for Devin Booker, Suns matchup</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-11-15T14:31:00-08:00">November 15th, 2:31pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-11-15T14:33:02-08:00">November 15th, 2:33pm</time><address><a>Josue Pavon</a>Josue Pavon is an Associate Editor and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat writer for ClutchPoints. He started his career as a credentialed media member writing about the Boston Celtics for WEEI.com in Boston, where he grew into a local on-camera NBA reporter and podcast host for CLNS Media. Alongside the Celtics radio broadcaster and two-time NBA champion Cedric Maxwell, Josue is the co-host of the Cedric Maxwell podcast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Oklahoma City <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/suns-vs-thunder-predictions-odds-pick-for-nba-cup-2024">Thunder are hosting the Phoenix Suns</a> in their first Emirates NBA Cup group-stage regular season matchup. After Thunder’s <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/thunder-news-jalen-williams-domination-vs-pelicans-gets-flowers">Jalen Williams scored a season-high 31 points</a> against the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday, he looks forward to facing the Suns at the Paycom Center.</p><p>For only the second time, the NBA’s mid-season tournament, which features all 30 teams and its uniquely designed basketball courts, is back in Oklahoma City. Williams is <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hz1xkVnkPWA" rel="noopener">excited</a> for Friday’s matchup.</p><p>“I’m really looking forward to it. I haven’t even seen the court,” Williams said. “I think I saw a leak. So, I don’t know if that’s the actual one. So, I’m excited to get out there. I feel like it has a very playoff vibe to it, but not like the playoffs. So, it should be pretty cool. Our fans usually show out for it.”</p><p>The Thunder’s passionate fanbase rarely disappoints in giving its team the home-court advantage NBA teams yearn for, and Friday shouldn’t be any different, as Jalen alluded to. Williams has been doing a little bit of everything for the Thunder lately. He is averaging 29.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 3.0 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game in the first two games of Chet Holmgren’s absence.</p><h2><b>Mark Daigneault credits Jalen Williams’ do-it-all domination</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Thunder-forward-Jalen-Williams-and-Thunder-head-coach-Mark-Daigneault.jpg"><figcaption>Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault commended Jalen Williams’ stellar performance in their win against the New Orleans Pelicans. Williams scored 31 points on an efficient 10-of-18 attempts, including 4-for-7 from deep, seven assists, six rebounds, four steals, and two blocks.</p><p>After the game, Daigneault was <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Y1XVR1cDmI" rel="noopener">excited</a> to give Williams his proverbial flowers and didn’t wait for a reporter to ask.</p><p>“You guys haven’t asked about Dub yet, but that guy was everywhere tonight. Literally everywhere. There’s nothing on the court he didn’t do tonight,” Daigneault said. “He guarded the ball, he guarded the rim, he blocked the shots, he ran, he created plays. He made shots. He beat everybody down the floor on both ends. The energy that guy played with and competitiveness. So, when you have a guy like him out there doing that, it checks a lot of the boxes.”</p><p>In Chet Holmgren’s absence, Williams has undoubtedly stepped up in every facet of the game, including earning trips to the free-throw line. He went a perfect 7-for-7 from the charity stripe in the Thunder’s win against the Pelicans and will most likely keep that same energy heading into Friday’s matchup against the Suns at the Paycom Center.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

The reason Thunder’s Jalen Williams is eager for Devin Booker, Suns matchup

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/suns-news-how-devin-booker-couldve-been-better-blowout-loss-kings');   ga('set', 'title', 'How Devin Booker could’ve been ‘better’ in Suns blowout loss to Kings');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Suns-news-What-Devin-Booker-couldve-done-better-in-blowout-loss-to-Kings.jpg"></figure><h1>How Devin Booker could’ve been ‘better’ in Suns blowout loss to Kings</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-11-14T07:35:24-08:00">November 14th, 7:35am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-11-14T07:35:24-08:00">November 14th, 7:35am</time><address><a href="https://haydencilley.wixsite.com/hayden-cilley-s-port">Hayden Cilley</a>Hayden Cilley joined ClutchPoints in August 2024 as a Phoenix Suns and Mercury reporter, as well as an Associate Editor. Hayden graduated from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University while covering events like the 2023 NCAA Men's Final Four, the 2024 Vrbo Fiesta Bowl and the Arizona State men's swim and dive team. He recently covered the Phoenix Mercury for The Next Hoops and PHNX Sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>On Wednesday, the Phoenix Suns and Devin Booker dropped the second game of a back-to-back against the Sacramento Kings. For the all-star shooting guard, he scored <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/bookede01.html" rel="noopener">18 points on 6-for-16 shooting, with five assists, three rebounds, and two steals</a>. <br><br>After the game, he spoke to AZCentral’s Duane Rankin about how he <a href="https://x.com/DuaneRankin/status/1856951769294934117" rel="noopener">could’ve been ‘better’</a> in the blowout loss to the Kings. “Just playing to our advantage,” Booker said. “They were putting two on the ball every time. I could’ve done a better job through the night of not trying to force it and get off it and trust my teammates a little bit more.”<br><br>Booker isn’t joking about putting two on the ball every time. Nearly every time he called for a screen, Booker was trapped and had to force the ball out. Sometimes, he would make the right read and make the defense pay. Other times, he would force a play which resulted in a bad shot or a turnover. </p><p>This performance is an anomaly from what Booker has done this season. With <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/suns-news-bradley-beal-gets-pivotal-injury-update-after-jazz-game">Bradley Beal being injured</a>, as well as Kevin Durant, it forced Booker to do a bit of everything. Not to mention, Jusuf Nurkic was playing hurt, and Grayson Allen was also out for the game.</p><h2><b>Devin Booker’s performance wasn’t the reason the Suns lost to the Kings</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Devin-Booker-reveals-how-he-couldve-been-better-for-the-Suns.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Although Booker has a bad game for his standards, a depleted roster and playing on a back-to-back don’t help. Not to mention, they flew from Utah to Sacramento late Tuesday night into the early hours of Wednesday. The Suns broadcast explained that the team didn’t land in Sacramento until about 1:00 a.m. Throughout the night, they played like they were tired. Also, the Kings shot the ball as well as they have all season.</p><p>The Kings <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/202411130SAC.html" rel="noopener">shot 64% from the field and 53% from three</a>. During the first 11 games, they struggled with their shot but that wasn’t the case on Wednesday. The three-point barrage was too much for Phoenix to handle. Also, the transition game killed any chances of a Suns comeback, especially in the fourth quarter. </p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/suns-news-kevin-durant-mvp-campaign-dampered-calf-injury">Durant’s calf injury</a> put a damper on the team, as well as his MVP run. Not having a true mismatch doesn’t help Phoenix, especially when their star guard is being double-teamed. Regardless, a top-tier performance by the Kings was too much for Phoenix to handle. They’ll travel to Oklahoma City and take on the Thunder in the second game of the NBA Cup on Friday.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

How Devin Booker could’ve been ‘better’ in Suns blowout loss to Kings

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/suns-tyus-jones-unlocking-best-version-devin-booker-team');   ga('set', 'title', 'The unheralded player unlocking best version of Devin Booker, Suns');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/The-unheralded-player-unlocking-best-version-of-Devin-Booker-Suns.jpg"></figure><h1>The unheralded player unlocking best version of Devin Booker, Suns</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-11-13T14:42:34-08:00">November 13th, 2:42pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-11-13T14:42:34-08:00">November 13th, 2:42pm</time><address><a>Brett Siegel</a>Brett Siegel joined ClutchPoints as a credentialed NBA insider and reporter in May 2023 after previously covering the NBA for Fastbreak on FanNation and NBA Analysis Network, as well as working with Louisville Basketball. From playing to coaching to covering the game as a media member, Brett has been involved with the game of basketball from many different perspectives. Breaking the news of various free agent signings, yearly NBA Draft news and other key stories around the league, Brett is always on the phone, getting the latest news and rumors around the NBA. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @BrettSiegelNBA.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>When Mat Ishbia went all-in with the Phoenix Suns by acquiring Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, he envisioned these two stars being able to win a championship with Devin Booker right away. With a 49-33 record, it appeared as if the Suns were set up for a legitimate chance to make a title run in the Western Conference, but a four-game sweep in the first round of the playoffs against the Minnesota Timberwolves promptly ended this team’s chance of claiming glory.</p><p>Multiple injuries obviously played a role in Phoenix’s demise and inability to win come time for the postseason, yet Ishbia decided it was time for a change of leadership. As a result, former Milwaukee Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer replaced Frank Vogel, and the Suns committed to their core group of superstars by keeping Royce O’Neale and bringing in Mason Plumlee as key secondary talents. However, Budenholzer and Plumlee weren’t the only key additions the Suns made, as <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/suns-news-tyus-jones-agrees-to-3-3-million-contract">Tyus Jones signed a minimum deal</a> to play alongside Booker, Durant, and Beal.</p><p>Jones, who was a key sixth man for the Memphis Grizzlies before breaking onto the scene as a reliable and dependable starting option at point guard for the Washington Wizards, simply did not have a market this offseason. Due to the Suns’ financial restrictions, this team didn’t have really any path to improving their roster further during the offseason than re-signing their current players and only offering minimum contracts to actual free agents.</p><p>With no market forming for his services,<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/suns-news-mike-budenholzer-grayson-allen-tyus-jones-free-agency"> Jones was going to have to accept a minimum-like deal</a>. Ultimately, this has worked to his advantage, as his pairing with the Suns couldn’t have been better.</p><p>In Phoenix, Jones has assumed the mantle of being the team’s lead point guard, a role that really nobody held a season ago. As a result of Booker, Beal, and Durant constantly having to be the ones to bring the ball up the floor and initiate the offense, Phoenix’s turnover rate was one of the worst in the league. Not to mention, this team’s offense stalled out at times since their three stars couldn’t move off the ball and get to their spots.</p><p>Now that Jones is in the picture, much has changed for the Suns’ approach on offense, and his presence alone has made this team virtually impossible to stop when at full strength.</p><h2><b>Tyus Jones provides Suns with true point guard play</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Suns-Tyus-Jones.jpg"><figcaption>Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The definition of what it means to be a point guard in the NBA has changed through the years. In the past, Chris Paul was the epitome of what it meant to be a point guard — a smaller player that always made smart decisions and set others up for offensive success before himself. Nowadays, teams tend to utilize many different physiques and molds as their lead facilitator, especially when it comes to some organizations having their centers assume the duties of lead playmaker.</p><p>Jones is certainly not one of the new-school guards as far as being a lengthy perimeter player who can fill multiple roles. Instead, the 28-year-old simply plays to his strengths at 6’1″, and he understands his role next to Durant, Booker, and Beal. After all, there is no need for Jones to try and do anything extra when he has three of the most talented scorers of this generation around him.</p><p>All the Suns wanted when they signed Jones to a minimum deal was steady, reliable play at the point guard position. Through 11 games, Jones has exceeded these expectations and helped evolve Phoenix’s offense.</p><p>Compared to last season when the Suns ranked 25th in turnovers, they now rank 10th in turnovers. Over the years, Jones has been the best when it comes to dishing out assists and taking care of the basketball. His 7.35 assists per turnover ratio last season in Washington was the highest assist-to-turnover ratio in NBA history. There is nobody better in the league when it comes to initiating the offense while also protecting possessions and the basketball, which is why Jones has been so important to the early-season success Phoenix has found.</p><p>Even Beal admits that the Suns <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5917185/2024/11/13/phoenix-suns-nba-bradley-beal-kevin-durant/" rel="noopener">struggled to find production in their backcourt</a> last season because they simply did not have a point guard.</p><p>“We didn’t love it as a team (last season),” Beal recently told Fred Katz of The Athletic. “The dynamic we had — we didn’t have a (point guard), which everybody crucified us on. It was tough. It was very tough. Everybody was kinda out of position last year, not necessarily what made them who they are.”</p><p>The bottom line is that Jones makes the game so much easier for the Suns’ stars, especially in regards to how Booker and Beal approach things offensively.</p><h2><b>Pressure has been taken off Devin Booker, Bradley Beal</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Devin-Booker-and-Bradley-Beal.jpg"><figcaption>Allan Henry-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>When you look at the numbers, last season was one of Booker’s best with the Suns. He nearly eclipsed his career-high in scoring, and the 28-year-old did reach a new career-high when it came to dishing out assists. The main problem with Booker was the fact that so much stress was put on him to lead the offense as the primary ball handler and facilitator that he was either fatigued or in foul trouble at the end of games. Even so, Booker still put together an All-NBA-worthy season.</p><p>As for Beal, the same cannot be said. The three-time All-Star guard ended up only playing in 53 games due to injuries, and he simply put too much pressure on himself to make both Booker and Durant better players. All three of the Suns’ stars are one-of-a-kind types of talents that simply do not need to change their approach in order to achieve greatness. That was the problem, though, as each of these stars put extra pressure on themselves to create opportunities for one another.</p><p>With Jones in the fold, the Suns can now rely on him to make the right decisions as far as who gets the ball every possession. Sure, Budenholzer calls out some sets and plays from the sidelines every now and then, but with the firepower Phoenix possesses, it is better to let Jones be the one who sets up the stars for success.</p><p>For Booker, he can simply be the scorer off the ball that he has always been throughout his career instead of always carrying the burden of being the team’s lead guard. In Durant’s case, he has a lot more space to create one-on-one post-up opportunities since Jones is bringing the ball up the floor and teams have to pay attention to Booker’s movement off the ball.</p><p>If you don’t want to take my word for it, take Durant’s, as he recently described how <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5890267/2024/11/01/tyus-jones-suns-point-guard/" rel="noopener">playing is a lot easier with Jones</a> by his side after the Suns’ 125-119 victory over the LA Clippers on October 31.</p><p>“The more playmaking and decision-makers you can have on a team, at that level, it’s always good. Ball still running through me, Book, Brad. But you add Tyus in there too, he’s mixing in a little bit. He’s not just simply controlling the whole game and handing us shots whenever he wants to. I think we’re all just playing in the flow of each other,” Durant said recently, via Law Murray of The Athletic. “I might bring it up, Ty might bring it up, Book might bring it up. Brad. So the more versatile attackers you have with four or five guys handing the ball, it just throws everybody off.</p><p>“The key is that we all can catch-and-shoot, catch-and-drive, play off the ball too.”</p><p>Versatility is what Jones brings to the table for the Suns. This early season success that he and the team have seen is no coincidence. Then again, this success ultimately leads to questions about whether everything can be sustained regarding the Suns contending for a championship.</p><h2><b>Suns’ championship outlook with Tyus Jones</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Tyus-Jones-with-Mike-Budenholzer.jpg"><figcaption>Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Can the Suns win the Western Conference and capture their first championship? This is what Ishbia expects to happen, and it appears as if this team truly has the capability to sustain their early-season success.</p><p>Of course, injuries will play a factor in how the season goes in Phoenix. Durant is already dealing with an injury, as <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/suns-news-kevin-durant-mvp-campaign-dampered-calf-injury">he is currently sidelined with a calf issue.</a> There is a lot of time to be passed between now and the playoffs.</p><p>Still, the difference from last season to this year in Phoenix is that Jones is the glue that holds these three superstars together on the court. Every great team always has one player that they look to as their “connector.” This is the role Jones has assumed, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ge1fXXYl3Q" rel="noopener">he is still figuring out</a> ways to make everyone around him better.</p><p>“I’m continuing to figure out, I don’t want to say my role, but just where my spots are. Just continuing to find my rhythm, continue to figure out the system,” Jones recently said at practice. “There’s gonna be nights where it’s more shots and there will be nights where it’s less shots depending on the different schemes. Depending on who got it going, things like that. Just how the game goes. But the nights that my shots are there, just being ready to take with 100 percent confidence and just trusting in my work.”</p><p>When you take care of the basketball and value possessions, good things tend to happen on offense. As the Suns’ lead point guard, Jones is averaging 6.4 assists per game this season and is only turning the ball over about 1.3 times per game. Overall, he has a 5.0 assist-to-turnover ratio right now, which again sits at the top of the league given his usage and production.</p><p>As a team, the Suns rank ninth in offensive rating and 11th in scoring. It is not a coincidence that Booker, Beal, and Durant are all finding more offensive success and look more comfortable in Phoenix this year. Some of that has to do with Budenholzer’s teachings and philosophy, but a lot of it comes from Jones’ ability to simply lead an offense the right way.</p><p>He is unselfish and willing to do what it takes to win games, which is why the Suns are lucky to have Jones in the point guard position.</p><p>“We are in this together and trying to improve. It just shows the determination that we got.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

The unheralded player unlocking best version of Devin Booker, Suns

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/devin-booker-teases-kentucky-wildcats-nike-book-1');   ga('set', 'title', 'Devin Booker teases ‘Kentucky Wildcats’ Nike Book 1');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Devin-Booker-teases-Kentucky-Wildcats-Nike-Book-1.jpg"></figure><h1>Devin Booker teases ‘Kentucky Wildcats’ Nike Book 1</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-11-05T12:07:35-08:00">November 5th, 12:07pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-11-05T12:07:50-08:00">November 5th, 12:07pm</time><address><a>Dominik Zawartko</a>Dominik Zawartko is a Michigan State graduate with a degree in Political Science and English. Having previously worked in the nonprofit and legal sectors, he decided to pursue his true love of writing with ClutchPoints. Dominik's hobbies include painting, cooking food, training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and always having a laugh. His main focus areas are UFC coverage and all things sneakers.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Mini-Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns are off to a hot start this season with a 6-1 record and they’re already looking like a contender to emerge out of the Western Conference. The Kentucky Wildcats Men’s Basketball team is also ranked No. 23 to start their journey towards a ninth NCAA Championship in school history. With his newest Nike Book 1 sneakers, Devin Booker pays homage to the 1995-96 Wildcats team that dominantly earned another ‘chip for the program.</p><p><i><b>Check our <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sneakers">Sneakers news</a> for more upcoming releases and breaking content!</b></i></p><p>The <a href="https://www.wildcatworld.com/kentucky-basketball-history/the-championship-teams/1995-96-national-champions/">1995-96 Kentucky Wildcats</a> are regarded as one of the best college basketball teams of all-time, posting a 34-2 overall record, going 16-0 in SEC play, and stringing together 25 consecutive wins en route to their school’s sixth National Championships. It was a hallmark moment in the coaching career of Rick Pitino and the “Untouchables” etched their name in NCAAB history. Coincidently, they also did it in the same year that Devin Booker was born.</p><h2>Nike Book 1 “Kentucky”</h2><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Kentucky coach Mark Pope gives us a first look at new “Kentucky” Nike Book 1 PEs 🥶</p><p>📸: <a href="https://twitter.com/DylanBallard_UK?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DylanBallard_UK</a> <a href="https://t.co/hqO8aCxn6O">pic.twitter.com/hqO8aCxn6O</a></p><p>— Nice Kicks (@nicekicks) <a href="https://twitter.com/nicekicks/status/1851728928185954688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 30, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">DETAILED LOOK: <a href="https://twitter.com/KentuckyMBB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KentuckyMBB</a>’s Nike Book 1 “96” PE</p><p>Paying homage to the Wildcats’ dominant NCAA Championship season in 1995-96. <a href="https://t.co/D0X4w48LQQ">pic.twitter.com/D0X4w48LQQ</a></p><p>— Sole Retriever (@SoleRetriever) <a href="https://twitter.com/SoleRetriever/status/1852069419872326085?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 31, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><p>Kentucky Head Coach Mark Pope gave reporters and fans a first look at the sneakers during a preseason press conference and we’re getting more detailed looks come in as Devin Booker teases the newest creation. The<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/devin-bookers-nightmare-before-christmas-nike-book-1-surfaces"> Nike Book 1</a> will feature a dark blue hue throughout the canvas uppers, highlighted by a softer blue color throughout the piping and sections of the outsole. We also see a white Nike Swoosh and white midsole completing the look.</p><p>Finer details will include the throwback UK logo featuring the Wildcat along the back heel and on the insoles. The heel tab typically features “96” as Booker’s birth year but serves its dual purpose for honoring the team of that same year. Finally, the Wildcats’ 34-2 record is seen on the tongue tab, a further nod to the excellence of Booker’s alma mater.</p><p>We have yet to receive word on an official release for these, but there’s a solid chance these will remain exclusively reserved for the men’s and women’s basketball teams at the University of Kentucky. If we do see a general release, however, expect these to be a very hot commodity given the UK fan base and the clean ensemble of the shoe.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
25.1	3.7	6.4	0.3	1.1

2024-25 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
25.1	3.7	6.4	0.3	1.1

Devin Booker news

Devin
Booker news