Kevin Durant Demands More Aggression From Devin Booker After Washout in Game 1 vs Wolves

The Phoenix Suns’ playoff journey did not start the way they hoped. Kevin Durant and Co. suffered a humiliating 120-95 blowout loss in Game 1 against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Anthony Edwards showed why people consider him the next face of the NBA as he went off for 33 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists. But it was Devin Booker and Bradley Beal’s underwhelming performance that limited the Suns to only 95. Kevin Durant was not satisfied with Booker’s production in Game 1 and demanded more from the 4-time All-Star going forward.

KD addressed Booker’s off-night in his post-game interview, “I just think he missed some tough ones, some easy ones that he normally makes. I think he could be more aggressive to shoot more shots in the 1st half.” Booker had a horrible shooting night in Game 1, making only 5 of 16 from the field. His three-point shooting was no better, as he missed 4 of his 6 attempts from beyond the arc.

Despite Durant’s demand to be more aggressive on the floor, he didn’t seem too worried about Tuesday. “I’m not worried about Book, I think he’ll come out here and have a great Game 2.” Although Booker did not perform up to expectations, he has proved his worth in the playoffs throughout his career. He averages 27.8 ppg in the playoffs and even led the Suns to the NBA Finals with his dominant performances in 2021. Now that Booker got the early jitters off in Game 1, he will likely be ready to take over the rest of the series like he usually does.

Phoenix Suns need to unleash their Big 3 to beat Ant-Man

It was evident from Saturday’s Game 1 that the Suns need all their firepower to get past Anthony Edwards and Co. On the other side, Ant-man gave life to the Michael Jordan comparisons with his dominant performance. From elite scoring to taunting his GOAT pick Kevin Durant during the blowout win, Edwards let the Suns know there was a new sheriff in town as she shot a staggering 58% with a 4-8 3P record. If the Suns want to stop the bleeding and make a comeback in the series, they need to unleash their Big 3 on Minnesota.

Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal are arguably the most lethal offensive trio in the league. But only The Slim Reaper was able to ball out in Minnesota yesterday. KD finished with 31 points and 7 rebounds but was left stranded by his superstar teammates. Beal, who went off for 36 points against Minnesota in the final regular season game, only scored a mere 15 points in Game 1.

Both Booker and Beal took fewer attempts than usual, leading to the Suns’ double-digit final score.

The Suns Big 3 will need to come out all guns blazing on Tuesday to level the series and stand a fighting chance. Who do you think will come out on top in Game 2?