What looked to be a very promising postseason for the Phoenix Suns ended with a meek thud when they lost Game 6 of the Western Conference semifinals to the Denver Nuggets by 25 points on Thursday.
Devin Booker, who had put forth some huge games in this series, flamed out by shooting 4-of-13 from the field, but after the game, he did something shocking — he refused to talk to the media.
According to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, it was out of character for Booker.
This is very uncharacteristic for Booker, who typically embraces the responsibilities that come along with being the face of the franchise. Local media members couldn’t recall the last time he left arena without fulfilling his media obligations.
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) May 12, 2023
Just days ago, Booker was in full-on volcano mode, and his Suns had fought back to tie the series at two wins apiece.
They had lost the first two contests in Colorado, but he went a combined 34-of-43 and scored 83 total points in Game 3 and Game 4.
The Suns won both games despite being without future Hall-of-Fame point guard Chris Paul, who suffered a groin injury and missed the last four games of the series.
Even after they lost Game 5, there was a feeling they may just fight back again and force a seventh game.
Instead, they will face another long and painful offseason just a year after blowing a 3-2 series lead and losing Game 7 at home to the Dallas Mavericks by 33 points in the second round.
Booker is perhaps the NBA’s best one-on-one scorer, and his mid-range game is reminiscent of the late Kobe Bryant, whom he considers a mentor, and he now has Kevin Durant, another talented iso scorer, on his side.
But Phoenix sorely lacks depth, and on top of that, Paul is 38 years of age and often gets injured at playoff time.
Some feel new Suns owner Mat Ishbia will trigger some big changes this summer to get the team over the hump.
NEXT:
Deandre Ayton Addresses His Suns Future
