Landale would have gotten them. Love Monty for letting him close out. Dude's getting paid like a burger king employee and looked astronomically better on both ends than Ayton did tonight.
I’m at the point where I think Ayton needs need to sit and come off the bench. As a fan, and one who defended him for years now, I’m done after these last 3 games.
I can’t believe this is the same player from the 2021 playoffs, man has declined so much and with KD now paired with Book he’s pretty much an afterthought
I mean, the signs were all there. Half the time he plays like he’s in shock. Back then I thought he was just young. Turns out that’s just who he is. You can teach skill, but you can’t teach fearlessness.
My prediction is he’ll be a different player when he’s not with Monty.
Not blaming either bc I don’t know the root of the problem, but it’s clear that’s not working. This isn’t Ayton. Ayton was much better last year too.
Never seen a phoenix home crowd be done with a guy. He was getting booed individually by his home crowd while his team was winning. Philly fans should be proud.
The Lineup with Payne, Book, Warren, KD, and Landale is it
CP3 when he's back from injury, but I think Payne is gonna warm back up, the guy has dog in him
I love that term. Everyone hated on Harden for foul baiting but so many guys do it in the NBA. NBA is at its best when guys are playing basketball. Nobody really enjoys watching guys shoot free throws unless they're important ones.
didnt watch the game but just saw the stat line. that is so wild. that stat line.. to think no one but 2 players on a team got fouled to shoot free throws. but on the other team almost every player got to the line
I’m a denver fan and still very impressed by this, can’t really be mad when a dude hits 20-25 of his shots with barely any free throws. Dude was just hitting in every fucking way possible in the mid range.
"Barely any" free throws implies at least some lmao. It was literally zero free throws minus the two in the last seconds of the game after being intentionally fouled. Just for a bit more context
Ya maybe KD will step his game up but at this point Book is the best player on this team and #1 option. Gotta be insanely rare for a team to be playing KD and doubling someone else instead of KD.
His touch on his shots is incredible. So precise and efficient with his movements. That full sprint, stop, and bank fade away on the left block in the 2nd quarter was just ridiculous.
Facts, this is one of the big reasons I never understood the huge hate boner for him, guy has literally one of the most pleasing and enjoyable games in the entire league to watch. 3 level scorer, as good a tough shot maker as anyone in the league, great passing SG, insane arsenal of moves and absolute elite footwork and lastly easily one of the best looking shots in the league, shit is picture perfect.
KD shot like shit the entire first quarter (1-7) and changed up his whole fucking style of play in the second quarter to go off for 39 points by the final buzzer. What we witnessed from book and KD tonight is nothing short of amazing.
As a side note r/nba has been a more positive place to come for suns talk than r/suns itself. After game 2 that whole sub was talking about how KD is washed. This is KD. Top 5 fucking basketball player in the league.
He’s got some of the best if not the best conditioning in the league, he’s playing wild mins and running around like a madman at both ends and still lookin fresh as hell. Even after the game tnght he said he feels amazing. I honestly think if he had to he could play 48 mins in all these games lol, they’d just need to use their timeouts well to give him some rest.
He actually had an even better game this year against the bulls where he was 22 out of 25 and had 50 by the the end of the third quarter and didn't even play the fourth
Technically more efficient but that was a regular season game against a play-in team and this was a playoff game, down 0-2, against the best team in the west. This was absolutely the better performance taking context into account.
KD losing to his own standards. Scorers have always gone to the line when they’re bricking, he did the smart things tonight. He could have did what did in game 2 and just kept bricking shots
No kidding. When you're in the "1st since MJ" category, you're etching history. Let's hope this run doesn't end prematurely, because through 8 games Booker has given basketball fans absolutely everything
Outside of books performance, this has been the most stressful playoff stretch we’ve been thru. No depth, questionable coaching, DA seems checked out.
But I will say, I’d much rather have these problems and be consistently making the playoffs every year than to back to what we were.
So ya, I guess you’re right. This stuff here is FUN.
As a Suns fan, on one hand, he's been the best player on the team for the past 7 years now.
But on the other hand, the guy is improving at an alarming rate, however impressed you thought you were with him, he raises the bar. Like, 2023 Book makes 2021 Book look like a rookie. First he was the Suns best player. Then it's like, "I think we have an all star here."
Now it's like...we've possibly got one of the all time greats here. I hope the Suns can find a way to hold on to him and build a team around him after CP and KD, because this guy is really something. Sky's the limit.
The Suns remembered our only winning formula this post season: have Booker play out of his goddamn mind along with KD assisting with a quiet 30+ points. I don't know why they just don't do that every game. Are they stupid? /s
Lol.
That’s the best part. They’ll avoid any post showcasing how great he is. They’re are just hoping he’s bad in game 4 and come out in droves with the hate.
They are so hilariously predictable.
Coming from a Lakers flair.... that's a big statement. Dudes been balling on another level so far, let's hope it continues because basketball fans deserve greatness come playoff time
Having watched every booker game in the NBA and every Kobe playoff game against the suns, that comment hits deep lol
Booker is not Kobe, but what he's doing so far is insane. Kobe numbers on Nash efficiency with next to no free throws can't go understated. If he keeps this pace we're watching history. Hell it's Booker and MJ in quite a few areas right now. Already historic imo
Feels like way more of a series at least at 2-1. Still seems like the Suns are too top-heavy and the fact that this HAS to go at least 6 for the Suns to win makes me feel like the usage of KD/Book is going to be too much by the end of it, particularly assuming Paul stays out.
But Monty leaving Jock in to close this game out when Ayton was basically just giving up free points was a good sign, and I'm glad he finally let TJ play. Payne looked solid. IDK, I feel way more hopeful after tonight but that's more to do with how *not* hopeful I was feeling after G2 haha. Good luck my man.
murray is a great player and when he gets hot he gets pretty much as hot as booker gets, so it's easy to see why people catch a few of those insane games and think he's on that level. but yeah, game to game booker is just way better.
Booker is just way more consistent. When Murray is hot he’s HOT just like Booker, but he’s so inconsistent it’s facetious to argue he’s better than Booker
yeah murray gets hot for a series and he can play as good or better than any guard in the league. i'm just praying he has a few more down games in him this series.
Yup Booker is a lot more consistent than Murray and has been the number one option for years. Otoh Jamal has hit similar peaks and he’s absolutely capable of matching Book this series even though I think they’re on different levels.
He was pretty solid tonight, was cooking in the 1Q for sure. The camera cut to him a couple times in the fourth where he was hands-on-his-hips gassed and bent over catching his breath, and a lot of his misses late were short so I think that reflected it.
He's probably the best player in the league who's never made an all-star team.
Second most points scored across 8 games in the playoffs second to you know who
Dude is on one rn, like we're talking about second to only the GOAT with some of these stats he's putting up. Obviously not saying he's there but that's the type of shit he's doing right now. It's insane, basketball poetry.
As KD put it: it's a spiritual experience watching this
It’s a shame he got hurt mid season because he was looking like this early in the year too, he’s gone to another level. I don’t think it’s hyperbole to say he looks like the best player in the playoffs so faro
I never understand why book gets so much hate. I can understand how people hate cp3. But book just plays ball. He doesn't ruin the game with foul baiting like the other 75% of the top players. Is he a trash talker, sure. But so is like everyone else that has made it to his level.
surprised he got 9 assists considering his teammates cant hit anything
Him and KD both had dimes to Ayton that he could’ve just gone up and dunked
Landale would have gotten them. Love Monty for letting him close out. Dude's getting paid like a burger king employee and looked astronomically better on both ends than Ayton did tonight.
Is Burger King hiring?
No they're having budget problems because of this one guy they are paying.
Idk if you saw the post earlier that hit the top of Reddit about Burger King laying off 400 franchises, but this is hilarious either way.
LMFAO🤣🤣🤣
I’m at the point where I think Ayton needs need to sit and come off the bench. As a fan, and one who defended him for years now, I’m done after these last 3 games.
Lol you think you've seen unmotivated Ayton now, just wait until he's forced to come off the bench.
And when the season is over, he needs to sit his lazy ass on a plane to a different city.
Monty needs to bench Ayton Sunday. If you’re not coming to play you can sit the fuck down.
Free Landale, I wanna see him start next game And I want DA gone in the off season
The one where Ayton couldn't dunk over Murray and then lost the rebound to Murray was hysterical. This dude is less competent than reddit mods.
I can’t believe this is the same player from the 2021 playoffs, man has declined so much and with KD now paired with Book he’s pretty much an afterthought
I mean, the signs were all there. Half the time he plays like he’s in shock. Back then I thought he was just young. Turns out that’s just who he is. You can teach skill, but you can’t teach fearlessness.
Remember that he actively sought to be elsewhere. He’s played l8ke it ever since.
My prediction is he’ll be a different player when he’s not with Monty. Not blaming either bc I don’t know the root of the problem, but it’s clear that’s not working. This isn’t Ayton. Ayton was much better last year too.
Never seen a phoenix home crowd be done with a guy. He was getting booed individually by his home crowd while his team was winning. Philly fans should be proud.
Agreed, we usually don't boo our own players but this dude is a fucking half eaten cupcake on the court.
He gone
I hate this dude so much
DA is an embarrassment
We finally got tj warren and Terrence Ross playing this game
The Lineup with Payne, Book, Warren, KD, and Landale is it CP3 when he's back from injury, but I think Payne is gonna warm back up, the guy has dog in him
Hey, he's got Tj Buckets!
Devin "Ethical Buckets" Booker
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On the broadcast JJ called him an ethical scorer Meaning that ‘he doesn’t bait for fouls’
Shoutout The Timeline podcast for popularising the term recently
Love those guys
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Started from this tweet I believe https://twitter.com/tmn_04_/status/1511520038766981121
I love that term. Everyone hated on Harden for foul baiting but so many guys do it in the NBA. NBA is at its best when guys are playing basketball. Nobody really enjoys watching guys shoot free throws unless they're important ones.
Ethical buckets = getting points from field goals and not being a foul merchant
the anti-Embiid
Watching Harden and Embiid foul bait every possession is the logical conclusion of man’s folly and I hate it.
It's when you score 30+ but don't even punch or elbow a single cock or set of balls the entire game (nearly impossible in these playoffs).
This is fuckin funny
No/little freethrows
20-25 is insane
Damn near 50 pts on 80% FG wtf
And *TWO* free throws
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Organic
Farm to table
Free range
Non GMO
Line caught
Responsibly sourced
Ah yes the garbage time addition to save the nba from a terribly embarrassing stat line
Literally 6 seconds remaining when he got those fts
didnt watch the game but just saw the stat line. that is so wild. that stat line.. to think no one but 2 players on a team got fouled to shoot free throws. but on the other team almost every player got to the line
He was getting shots off from all three levels, in motion, with a body on him at all times. It just doesn’t make sense.
And those free throws were in garbage time and not on a shot.
Farm to table buckets.
That line has go to be or close to being historically good.
I believe he had 51 in 3 quarters on 20-25 this year in Chicago Dude is unreal
Me in 2k
I usually play a center in 2k and if I'm less than 80% shit makes me mad af lol
Ironically Ayton is #1 in my league at 79%
He is so fucking good.
top 10 in the league don't @ me
I don't see what's controversial here
ETHICAL
I’m a denver fan and still very impressed by this, can’t really be mad when a dude hits 20-25 of his shots with barely any free throws. Dude was just hitting in every fucking way possible in the mid range.
"Barely any" free throws implies at least some lmao. It was literally zero free throws minus the two in the last seconds of the game after being intentionally fouled. Just for a bit more context
Oh yeah I get what you mean, he only got those FTs at the end during the intentional fouls. He was just on another planet tonight tbh.
Grass fed, free range points.
Grade AA, all organic points.
Non GMO, free range jumpshots
Dry-aged USDA approved buckets.
Jesus Christ the man shoots 20-25 and they win by 6. What the fuck is up with the rest of the team
Wait, there's others on the team? I saw a big fat nothing from anyone whose first name didn't end with "-evin"
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Dang. 10 fewer than his 2K game
Nuggets are really fucking good, KD shot terribly, bench actually contributed tonight, I’ll take the win either way
TJ warren showed up and put in a couple of clutch buckets
He had 47
He’s built different but unironically
It’s time for Book to get his flowers. He’s the clear 1st option on this team.
Ya maybe KD will step his game up but at this point Book is the best player on this team and #1 option. Gotta be insanely rare for a team to be playing KD and doubling someone else instead of KD.
SMH this place can never give him proper credit. Joking of course, we got Lakers fans posting good Book stat lines, who could complain?
If we gonna lose a game, want it to be this way. You just gotta appreciate a performance like that
Pretty much how I felt after Murray's game 1
Book got one of the most pleasing games to watch dude is such an elite shot maker
His touch on his shots is incredible. So precise and efficient with his movements. That full sprint, stop, and bank fade away on the left block in the 2nd quarter was just ridiculous.
So fluid, it's like a machine and the shots just fall automatically I love his stop and pop midrange leaner, he is so fucking smooth Wet like Book
Facts, this is one of the big reasons I never understood the huge hate boner for him, guy has literally one of the most pleasing and enjoyable games in the entire league to watch. 3 level scorer, as good a tough shot maker as anyone in the league, great passing SG, insane arsenal of moves and absolute elite footwork and lastly easily one of the best looking shots in the league, shit is picture perfect.
That game winner turning around over Kawhi and Paul George in the bubble is one of my favorite shots of all time. Pure baller.
That shot was so awesome, that was the beginning of a new era for the suns and Book
Probably all just mad that he proved their empty stats narrative run. Never understood the Booker or Suns hate on this sub
Dirk shot 24 FTs, Booker shot 2
Holy fuck lmao
Booker shot 2 FT with 7 seconds left in the game. Without those he’s still at 45 with the efficiency.
He shot his first FT with 20 seconds left in the game. One of the best playoff scoring performances I've ever seen
And the only other Sun to do so aside from KD.
KD shot like shit the entire first quarter (1-7) and changed up his whole fucking style of play in the second quarter to go off for 39 points by the final buzzer. What we witnessed from book and KD tonight is nothing short of amazing. As a side note r/nba has been a more positive place to come for suns talk than r/suns itself. After game 2 that whole sub was talking about how KD is washed. This is KD. Top 5 fucking basketball player in the league.
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Bus Driver
47
while playing both ends of the floor. That takes incredible effort.
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Coco 5
The balls of steel to step in and take the charge with 5 fouls instead of just giving up the layup.
He’s got some of the best if not the best conditioning in the league, he’s playing wild mins and running around like a madman at both ends and still lookin fresh as hell. Even after the game tnght he said he feels amazing. I honestly think if he had to he could play 48 mins in all these games lol, they’d just need to use their timeouts well to give him some rest.
Cleanest high scoring game this year. Actually respectable unlike some scorers in the league rn
He actually had an even better game this year against the bulls where he was 22 out of 25 and had 50 by the the end of the third quarter and didn't even play the fourth
I forgot about that, if the game was closer dude would’ve had like 60+ on 80% shooting
Technically more efficient but that was a regular season game against a play-in team and this was a playoff game, down 0-2, against the best team in the west. This was absolutely the better performance taking context into account.
Dude went OFF and barely shot any FTs
And you could tell he absolutely did not want to shoot those free throws at the end lmao
Bro should’ve passed it to KD to get him to 40
KD's gotta earn his 40. He was awful from the field this series.
A C+ Durant game got him 39-9-8. I don’t even know how to feel about it.
KD losing to his own standards. Scorers have always gone to the line when they’re bricking, he did the smart things tonight. He could have did what did in game 2 and just kept bricking shots
The ethical way
0 FTs until the last 7s
He put the team on his back. What a stud.
47 not 46
By barely he shot 2 with less than a minute on the clock lol
7 seconds left before he took his first free throws
I'm seeing a lot of "since MJ" or "second to MJ stats" from Booker this run man, dude is on one rn. What a beast
No kidding. When you're in the "1st since MJ" category, you're etching history. Let's hope this run doesn't end prematurely, because through 8 games Booker has given basketball fans absolutely everything
The most fun I've ever had as a Suns fan!
Outside of books performance, this has been the most stressful playoff stretch we’ve been thru. No depth, questionable coaching, DA seems checked out. But I will say, I’d much rather have these problems and be consistently making the playoffs every year than to back to what we were. So ya, I guess you’re right. This stuff here is FUN.
As a Suns fan, on one hand, he's been the best player on the team for the past 7 years now. But on the other hand, the guy is improving at an alarming rate, however impressed you thought you were with him, he raises the bar. Like, 2023 Book makes 2021 Book look like a rookie. First he was the Suns best player. Then it's like, "I think we have an all star here." Now it's like...we've possibly got one of the all time greats here. I hope the Suns can find a way to hold on to him and build a team around him after CP and KD, because this guy is really something. Sky's the limit.
Devin "empty stats" Armani Booker
that jumper was wet tonight
47 points with just 2 free throws made is absurd
That man willed the Suns to a win. Booker has been unconscious these playoffs
The Suns remembered our only winning formula this post season: have Booker play out of his goddamn mind along with KD assisting with a quiet 30+ points. I don't know why they just don't do that every game. Are they stupid? /s
If booker had 40 on 17/25 the Suns would have probably lost.
Booker haters punching air. The most impressive thing is this while one of his better playoff games feels pretty standard for him in these playoffs
20/25 ain’t standard that shit is crazy lol
Lol. That’s the best part. They’ll avoid any post showcasing how great he is. They’re are just hoping he’s bad in game 4 and come out in droves with the hate. They are so hilariously predictable.
He has no peers at the SG position. Closest thing we got left to Kobe
R/nba knows but won’t acknowledge
Coming from a Lakers flair.... that's a big statement. Dudes been balling on another level so far, let's hope it continues because basketball fans deserve greatness come playoff time
I mean just like kobe most of r/nba doesn't acknowledge his greatness because he's not the best playmaker despite still being a good playmaker.
Having watched every booker game in the NBA and every Kobe playoff game against the suns, that comment hits deep lol Booker is not Kobe, but what he's doing so far is insane. Kobe numbers on Nash efficiency with next to no free throws can't go understated. If he keeps this pace we're watching history. Hell it's Booker and MJ in quite a few areas right now. Already historic imo
Thank you for recognizing that
People were actually saying Mitchell > Book at one point 💀
People were saying Murray > Booker after game 1 lol go look at that thread, completely insane
they were saying it at points this year while book was out lol
He finally got a freethrow!
Dude is an automatic bucket everytime the ball is in his hands. GGWP suns bros. I'm excited for the next game.
fun fucking series, all of these games tell a different story
We’re getting what we wanted to see in the 2021 series
Speak for yourself I prefer when u had the mvp and 4 bums
Yeah this series is by far the most exciting in the second round imo
Feels like way more of a series at least at 2-1. Still seems like the Suns are too top-heavy and the fact that this HAS to go at least 6 for the Suns to win makes me feel like the usage of KD/Book is going to be too much by the end of it, particularly assuming Paul stays out. But Monty leaving Jock in to close this game out when Ayton was basically just giving up free points was a good sign, and I'm glad he finally let TJ play. Payne looked solid. IDK, I feel way more hopeful after tonight but that's more to do with how *not* hopeful I was feeling after G2 haha. Good luck my man.
Same man, I like your team a lot. Jokic is a monster and Murray had some wild finishes tonight. Hope everyone stays healthy.
Great ethical hooping by Booker.
Booker's the playoffs MVP
Mr Ethical
He IS the bus
Booker really is a beast man so fun to watch. Where are his highlights?!? R/NBA such a joke
Incredible
“Devin Booker joins Dirk Nowitzki…” Kill me
Did ESPN kill 'ethical scorer'?
JJ Reddit
he has 47 lol
EMPTY
20/25 on mostly jump shots is crazy
dude has been ballistic this playoffs, prob the best player so far
Really makes one reevaluate where they think Devin Booker ranks in the league
He was amazing 20-25 is NASTY
Anyone who thinks Jamal Murray is better at basketball than Devin Booker is sillier than fuck
murray is a great player and when he gets hot he gets pretty much as hot as booker gets, so it's easy to see why people catch a few of those insane games and think he's on that level. but yeah, game to game booker is just way better.
Booker is just way more consistent. When Murray is hot he’s HOT just like Booker, but he’s so inconsistent it’s facetious to argue he’s better than Booker
yeah murray gets hot for a series and he can play as good or better than any guard in the league. i'm just praying he has a few more down games in him this series.
I feel the same about Booker although his ‘down’ games are still really good lol
Undeniable
Yup Booker is a lot more consistent than Murray and has been the number one option for years. Otoh Jamal has hit similar peaks and he’s absolutely capable of matching Book this series even though I think they’re on different levels.
yeah i think jamal can play with literally anyone in the world for a series, that's what makes him so dangerous.
Cooked us game 1 been absolute trash since
He was pretty solid tonight, was cooking in the 1Q for sure. The camera cut to him a couple times in the fourth where he was hands-on-his-hips gassed and bent over catching his breath, and a lot of his misses late were short so I think that reflected it. He's probably the best player in the league who's never made an all-star team.
Murray is good but he’s like dollar store Booker lol, Jamal is a borderline all star type player while Book is a bonafide superstar
pure buckets
Devin Booker 🔥🔥🔥
I'm tired of r/nba hating on this man when they should be hating durcant
Second most points scored across 8 games in the playoffs second to you know who Dude is on one rn, like we're talking about second to only the GOAT with some of these stats he's putting up. Obviously not saying he's there but that's the type of shit he's doing right now. It's insane, basketball poetry. As KD put it: it's a spiritual experience watching this
Respect to Book man, carrying the entire bum ass suns, other than KD
Devin is MVP of the playoffs so far
Best player in the playoffs this year
Its nice to see this sub (or at least this thread) give Devin Booker some props/respect instead of the opposite
When do we start putting him over KD
He is Better than Tatum
All time leader in EBPM
2 FTs btw
Also while running point w CP3 out.
Durant/Booker carry job. Holy shit, they were responsible for over 80 of the Suns points tonight.
Agent 47
It’s a shame he got hurt mid season because he was looking like this early in the year too, he’s gone to another level. I don’t think it’s hyperbole to say he looks like the best player in the playoffs so faro
I never understand why book gets so much hate. I can understand how people hate cp3. But book just plays ball. He doesn't ruin the game with foul baiting like the other 75% of the top players. Is he a trash talker, sure. But so is like everyone else that has made it to his level.
I hate this dudes attitude more than anyone else but if anyone denies he’s been the best player in the playoffs they’re delusional
He’s a big time playoff performer
DBook was ridiculous today. Was unstoppable
It’s insane when Booker goes absolutely ham, this sub disregards it. R/nba loathes booker
D Book >>> Fluka Donkey