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Per the Arizona Republic:
Devin Booker loves playing at Madison Square Garden.
The New York Knicks should be thankful the Phoenix Suns only visit once a regular season.
Booker iced a cooler-than-be-cool fadeaway 3 with 1.7 seconds left to stun the Knicks, 116-113, Sunday evening before a sellout crowd of 19,812 that watched in disbelief.
Jalen Brunson missed a 3 at the buzzer that rimmed in and out on his game-high 35-point night.
Booker added 11 assists and committed just two turnovers.
Via ESPN.com:
Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker is expected to return from a groin injury Sunday for the Christmas Day matchup with the Denver Nuggets, sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Booker last played one week ago, when he scored 58 points in a comeback win over the New Orleans Pelicans.
Via the Arizona Republic:
Devin Booker will miss his third straight game with groin soreness Friday against the West-leading Grizzlies (19-11) at Footprint Center to end a four-game homestand.
The Suns All-Star guard hasn’t played since scoring a season-high 58 points in Saturday’s comeback win over the Pelicans. Phoenix (19-13) is coming off a 113-110 loss to Washington, which had lost 10 in a row.
The Suns are currently 4th in the Western conference.
Via ESPN.com:
Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker has agreed on a four-year, $224 million supermax extension, his agents, Jessica Holtz and Melvin Booker of CAA Basketball, told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Booker’s deal begins in 2024-25 and brings his total contract value to six years and $295 million.
Booker, 25, has become the face of the Suns franchise since being drafted 13th overall by Phoenix in the summer of 2015, including leading the Suns — alongside future Hall of Famer Chris Paul — to the NBA finals in 2021.
Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker is likely to miss Games 3 and 4 against the New Orleans Pelicans with a mild right hamstring strain, but he hasn’t been ruled out for the rest of the opening-round Western Conference series, sources told ESPN. The Suns were still evaluating results of an MRI on Wednesday to get a full picture of the injury and a clearer timeline for a return, sources said. – ESPN.com
Superstar guard Luka Doncic participated fully in the Dallas Mavericks’ practice Wednesday for the first time since straining his left calf, fueling cautious optimism that he could be cleared to play as soon as Game 3 on Thursday against the Utah Jazz. The Mavs listed Doncic as questionable for the first time this series. He was listed as doubtful for the first two games before being officially ruled out a couple of hours before tip-off. Doncic, who suffered the injury in the April 10 regular-season finale, has been gradually ramping up basketball activities and made explosive moves off of his left leg for the first time during the recovery process in an individual workout Tuesday. He said he was “feeling good” when he played some 1-on-1 on Wednesday, but the Mavs did not do any live scrimmaging during the practice. – ESPN.com
The progress of Brooklyn Nets star Ben Simmons in practices this week — and the anticipation that it will further accelerate in the coming days — has turned Game 4 on Monday into a realistic target for his season debut, sources told ESPN. Simmons hasn’t been ruled out for Game 3 of the first-round playoff series against the Boston Celtics, sources said, but there are still more hurdles Simmons would be required to clear in a much shorter window of time for him to be ready to play in Saturday’s game in Brooklyn, sources told ESPN. – ESPN.com
The Suns lost a playoff game last night, and have a Devin Booker injury to worry about. Via ESPN.com:
On Tuesday night, Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker suffered a hamstring injury, and the New Orleans Pelicans stepped up all night and put had a tremendous finish to win 125-114 Game 2 and even the series at 1-1.
Booker scored 31 points in the first half, including seven 3-pointers. But he did not score in the third quarter, and he injured his right hamstring when contesting a Jaxson Hayes dunk in transition with 4:45 left in the period. He exited the game and headed straight to the locker room.
Here’s the Arizona Republic on Suns guard Devin Booker:
Devin Booker has many reasons to smile right now even though he’ll miss his fifth consecutive game Monday night.
One, his injured left hamstring is improving.
Two, he’s at least back on the court with his teammates for shootarounds.
Three, his team is still rolling without him.
With the NBA’s best record, the Suns (21-4) were 3-1 without Booker going into Monday’s game against the Clippers (15-12) at STAPLES Center as he continues to rehab and train in working his way back from injury.
“Hammy feels good, man,” said Booker, who strained his hamstring in the first half of a Nov. 30 win over the Golden State Warriors. “Just getting back right. Finally back out on the court doing some things. I’ve just been lifting prior to that. Feeling good back out on the court during shootaround. That’s always a plus.”
The Suns are 21-4 this season, which is the best record in the NBA through Sunday’s games.
Their leading scorers so far in 2021-22 are Booker at 23.2 points per game, Deandre Ayton at 16.3 ppg, Chris Paul at 14.4 ppg and Mikal Bridges at 12.2 ppg.
Here’s the Arizona Republic with the latest on Suns shooting guard Devin Booker:
Phoenix Suns coach Monty Williams said Devin Booker had “a lot more pop to his step” Tuesday, but still isn’t ready to play the two-time All-Star after sitting him for Monday’s preseason opener at Sacramento.
“I think Book is still a few days away from us even talking about him playing,” Williams said after Tuesday’s practice. “I think he needs more practice time. We weren’t able to do any 5-on-5. We’d love to have him in that environment before we put him on the floor. So we haven’t even talked about that as a staff yet.”
The NBA today announced Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker as the winner of the 2020-21 Season-long NBA Cares Community Assist Award.
Booker, who is currently playing in the NBA Finals, was selected by fans during a 12-day public voting period as well as by an NBA executive panel for his exceptional community outreach in the greater Phoenix area over the past several months.
Per the league: “This season, Booker furthered his commitment to the Phoenix community, donating $500,000 to five Arizona community groups for their respective efforts to improve the lives of local youth and families through his Devin Booker Starting Five Initiative, which has committed a total of $2.5 million over the course of five years – $500,000 annually – to five different youth-serving nonprofits in Arizona. Known as the second Starting Five class, Arizona Autism United, Central Arizona Shelter Services, YMCA of Southern Arizona, GAP Ministries and Elevate Phoenix each received a $100,000 grant from Booker to help address critical funding needs following the pandemic and support their respective efforts to improve the lives of local youth and families. The first class — Special Olympics Arizona, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center, UMOM New Day Centers and Ability 360— received their $100,000 grants in late 2019.”
The Suns have been one of the best stories in the NBA over the course of the season’s first half. Via the Arizona Republic:
The Suns continue to have the winning fever as they’ll go into the NBA All-Star break on a four-game surge after beating Golden State, 120-98, Thursday night before 3,233 fans at Phoenix Suns Arena…
Winners of 16 of their last 19 games, Phoenix (24-11) has the NBA’s second-best record as it won at defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers, 114-104, on Tuesday before returning home to top the Warriors (19-18) for the second time this season.
The Suns will open the the second half of the season March 11 at Portland, a team they throttled by 32 points late last month.
Heading into NBA All-Star break, the Western conference seeds are 1) Jazz, 2) Suns, 3) Lakers and 4) Clippers. Leading the Suns in scoring this season are Devin Booker at 24.9 points per game, Chris Paul at 16.0 ppg, Deandre Ayton at 14.5 ppg, and Mikal Bridges at 13.7 ppg.
The team is doing it on both ends of the floor. The Suns boast the 8th best offense and 3rd best defense through Thursday’s games.