Eight days into the NBA's season restart in Orlando, the Phoenix Suns have been the most impressive and surprising team. With a 114-99 win over the Indiana Pacers, they are sole holders of the best record in the bubble as they're a perfect 4-0 during the restart.
Devin Booker dished out a game-high 10 assists while scoring 20 points (6-12 FGs; 7-7 FTs) in 29 minutes of action. He entered and exited the arena with a t-shirt paying homage to the late, great Kobe Bryant.
"Kobe's with me every day," Booker said postgame when asked about the t-shirt and how much Bryant was on his mind. "You guys see what I put on my shoes with the 'Be Legendary.' It's a reminder."
"@kobebryant's with me every day."
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) August 6, 2020
- @DevinBook #BeLegendary pic.twitter.com/keqvR0RZ52
Booker, for the better part of his five-year NBA career, has donned sneakers from Kobe Bryant's signature line with Nike. Since Bryant's tragic demise in January, Booker has sported the sneakers with "Be Legendary", a message Bryant wrote on his sneakers as he gave them Booker after their final match-up in 2016.
Be Legendary ✍️ @DevinBook pic.twitter.com/xsyXUAy68V
— B/R Kicks (@brkicks) August 4, 2020
In the Suns' previous game, Booker knocked down the game-winning jumper over the outstretched arms of Paul George to defeat the LA Clippers.
🚨☀️ D-BOOK WINS IT 🚨☀️
— NBA (@NBA) August 4, 2020
Devin Booker pumps, spins, rises up and BURIES the #TissotBuzzerBeater to lift the @Suns to 3-0 in Orlando!#ThisIsYourTime #RisePHX #WholeNewGame pic.twitter.com/iKsqbAeMWv
After the win over LA, Booker said he's sure Bryant 'would be proud'.
While Booker's certainly been the star for the Suns during the restart, it's been a complete team effort. Through four games, six players are averaging double-digit points and the first-time All-Star stressed that after the win over the Pacers.
"Credit the good start to – just like I said – our collective team," Booker said after the win over Indiana. "We approached the bubble with the right mindset. We came in, before we even got to Orlando people in Phoenix were working out hard, just getting ready for this opportunity."
Coming into the NBA's season restart in Orlando, the Phoenix Suns had a very slim chance of contending for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
With each team set to play eight seeding games, the Suns trailed the eighth-seeded Memphis Grizzlies by six games. Four games in, the Suns have jumped from 13th in the West to 10th and they now trail the Grizzlies by just two games in the standings.
In their final four games, the Suns will face the Miami Heat, Oklahoma City Thunder, Philadelphia 76ers, and the Dallas Mavericks.
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