After going down 2-0 to the Nuggets, the Suns have clawed their way back into their Western Conference Semifinal series, thanks largely to the play of Devin Booker.
The Suns guard has been the NBA's most impactful scorer throughout the postseason. He followed up his 47-point performance in Game 3 with another scorching effort at the Footprint Center on Sunday night.
Booker was ruthlessly efficient once again in Game 4, totaling 36 points (14-of-18 shooting), a playoff career-high 12 assists and six rebounds to lead the Suns to a 129-124 win.
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While the three-time All-Star has been posting spectacular numbers, he is keeping his focus on the end goal.
"Man, I'm just trying to win," Booker said after Game 4. "I always say, and it's something I'll tell [Kevin Durant], throw that efficiency s— out the window. I don't care about that. Just keep going, keep attacking, keep being aggressive, and if it's a product of getting open shots and knocking them down, that's what I'm supposed to do. ...
"I feel like I'm supposed to make a lot of the shots I take."
"I don't usually get open shots, so this is a new thing with having KD's gravity on the floor."
— NBA (@NBA) May 8, 2023
Devin Booker also credits the screens set by Deandre Ayton and Jock Landale for his offensive success in the series.#NBAPlayoffs presented by @GooglePixel_US pic.twitter.com/Xc5viRbQJI
And he's done just that. Over his past two games, Booker has racked up 83 points with only nine missed shots.
| Game | PTS | REB | AST | STL | FG% | 3P% |
| Game 3 | 47 | 6 | 9 | 3 | 20-25 (80.0%) | 5-8 (62.5%) |
| Game 4 | 36 | 6 | 12 | 1 | 14-18 (77.8%) | 3-4 (75.0%) |
When you zoom out, Booker's postseason scoring exploits not only have him standing alone atop the playoff leaderboard, but also alongside some NBA legends.
Averaging 36.8 points through nine playoff games, Booker ranks fourth in NBA history in points per game among all players who have played in at least eight postseason games, trailing only Elgin Baylor (38.1 in 1961 and 38.2 in 1962) and Jerry West (40.6 in 1965).
Sunday's Game 4 also marked the third straight 35-point game for Booker, setting a new franchise record.
Playoff leaders (minimum 100 FGA):
— StatMuse (@statmuse) May 8, 2023
PPG — Devin Booker
FG% — Devin Booker
3P% — Devin Booker
Balling. pic.twitter.com/wHUMKLvdn1
With Booker firing on all cylinders and Kevin Durant filling it up, the Suns will look to seize momentum in the series when they travel to Denver for Game 5 on Tuesday.
