Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns Photo)
Devin Booker has been sensational in the NBA playoffs but he had one of those games he probably couldn’t wait to forget Sunday in the 120-100 Game Three loss to Milwaukee. The former Kentucky player was just 3-for-14 from the field, including 1-for-7 from 3-point range, and had a playoff low 10 points along with six rebounds and two steals.
Booker wouldn’t talk about what coach Monty Williams told him when he put his arm around him at the end of the third quarter. Booker said he would keep that “in-house” but Williams said he was just talking to him about the game and pace of play.
“Just normal stuff. This is one of those games that you typically, in NBA speak, say flush it. But you can’t in the Finals,” Williams said. “They keyed on him. He missed some shots. So that’s going to happen. He’s been in this situation before. When you get to the Finals, it means you’ve been in a number of situations. So this is nothing new. He’ll bounce back.
Booker said not to worry about him being ready for Game Four Wednesday.
“The most important part to me is winning the game and we didn’t do that, so I’m more frustrated about that. But we have a few days off here. We’re going to get back right and going to go over film and be ready Wednesday,” he said. “We’re on the road and we have to come in with the energy and effort. The 50/50 balls, the offensive rebounds, protect the paint — just the details that we talked about. But that’s what the playoffs are. That’s why it’s a series, and we have some room for improvement.”
Booker said he will find a way to get “better” shots in Game Four.
“The point of the game is to win it, and I think there were other things that went on throughout the game. You can say it’s a make/miss game, but at the end of the day you have to make the other team miss and get easy opportunities for your team. We didn’t do that,” Booker said.
