The most unbelievable play in an unbelievable Suns 129-124 win over the Denver Nuggets to draw even at 2-2 in their second-round playoff series came with about 3 minutes left. Devin Booker gathered an offensive rebound and found Kevin Durant for a 3 -pointer that put the Suns ahead 121-113.
The most shocking part of the play was that it started with a Booker miss.
Booker authored yet another star performance for the Suns, finishing with 36 points on 14-for-18 shooting, including 3 for 4 from 3-point range.
He’s been so hot he could probably throw a quarter in a vending machine from across the room – with his eyes closed.
Booker’s efficiency was enough to offset 53 points from Nikola Jokic, almost all of which came with a hand or three in his face.
(Oh, yeah, Kevin Durant had a double-double with 36 points and 11 assists.)
The Suns are headed back to Denver for Game 5 Tuesday with all sorts of momentum.
The series is tied 2-2, but somehow it feels like Phoenix is ahead.
The Suns have found a bench rotation, featuring Landry Shamet, Terrence Ross, TJ Warren and Jock Landale.
They’ve figured out a way to motivate Deandre Ayton, who had three offensive rebounds on the first possession and kept that same energy throughout the game. Ayton finished with 8 boards in 27 minutes and a bunch of hustle plays, including a critical block of a Michael Porter Jr. 3-point attempt with Denver making a final push.
And, mostly, the Suns have learned to trust each other.
Late in the game, Booker found Landale in the paint for a basket that made the score 113-104. Booker was 36 at the time and had just checked back in after sitting out with foul trouble.
No one would have faulted Booker for taking the shot himself, but he had faith in his teammate and made the right play, which if you’ve been watching the guy at all over the years wasn’t unbelievable, at all.
Reach Moore at [email protected] or 602-444-2236. Follow him on Instagram and Twitter @SayingMoore.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Devin Booker, Suns have Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets in trouble