Highlights: Booker Scores 34 Points in 30 Minutes
Word is getting around about Devin Booker. He may only be 19 years old, but his superstar foes have stopped treating him like a kid and more like a peer.
After dropping 34 points on Friday against the perennial-playoff contending Portland Trail Blazers, a game that included an electrifying 19-point third quarter, Booker was asked if his performance against the likes of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum boosted his confidence heading into the regular season.
“My confidence is always like that, wherever I’m at and whoever I’m playing against,” Booker said. “I feel like I’ve earned that respect around the league. People understand what kind of caliber of player I am."
"Game respects game. People know who has game. Everybody in the NBA can play but there’s that next level that people understand.”
Throughout training camp and the preseason, the Suns have tried to treat each scrimmage and game like the playoffs. The crowd and competition in Portland made that exercise easy to execute on Friday night.
“I felt like I was in regular-season mode, and that’s the first time I’ve really felt that so far,” Booker said. “Playing in Portland, they have really great fans. I heard the defense chants and everything.
“So I finally caught my rhythm. Playing against two really good guards also. They both have All-Star potential. Every time I match up with a top guard, I want to prove myself.”
Although it was just a preseason matchup, Booker’s outing impressed his coach for the way he scored more than just how much he scored. The 19-year-old only needed one 3-pointer to reach 34 points, connecting on 15-of-23 shots overall, including several mid-range jumpers off the dribble.
“He scored every way possible so you like everything that he did,” Head Coach Earl Watson said. “You can tell 19 years of age and his maturity and patience in the half-court and the way he can score is very unique.
“I’m not sure there’s a lot of people his age or a lot of people in the NBA who can do that. And that defense we were playing is a top-10 defense.”
Practice Notes
1. P.J. Tucker, who underwent back surgery in mid-September, is ahead of schedule according to Watson, but it is unclear when he will return to action. The team gave an initial six to eight week timeframe.
2. Tyson Chandler is back at practice after missing two games last week due to personal reasons. The Suns hope to have him play on Wednesday in Utah.
3. As the preseason begins to wind down, Phoenix’s starters will see more playing time deeper in games.
“Eventually you’ll see our guys getting quality minutes in the fourth quarter,” Watson said.