Suns star Devin Booker sounds off on taking late shot vs. Grizzlies to reach 40 points
On Friday afternoon, Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns improved their record on the 2023-24 season to an impressive 10-6 with a 110-89 road win over the Memphis Grizzlies. Although Kevin Durant was forced to miss this contest, Booker was able to carry the load offensively, helping Phoenix cruise against a Grizzlies defense that was constantly left searching for answers for most of the game.
Toward the end of the game, a little bit of controversy occurred when Booker took a shot with time running down and the victory firmly in hand for the Suns, a situation in which most players customarily run out the shot clock as a sign of their respect for their opponent. Instead, Booker picked up his fortieth point of the night with the field goal and drew a smattering of boos from the Grizzlies fans.
However, after the game, Booker was sure to address the incident and why he meant no disrespect to the Grizzlies.
“No disrespect to the Grizzlies,” said Booker, per Duane Rankin of AZCentral. “I wouldn't take that shot if it wasn't the In-Season Tournament, but we needed it.”
Indeed, for the NBA's inaugural in-season tournament, of which Friday's Suns versus Grizzlies game was a part, point differential does play a role, so it hasn't been uncommon to see teams score on final possessions that they would usually run out the clock on.
As for the Suns, the team has done an admirable job of navigating the series of injuries they've dealt with thus far on the young season.
