“Booker choke in big games and KD is nothing without Curry”: Phoenix Suns duo slammed by fans after In-Season Tournament quarterfinal loss
The In-Season Tournament quarterfinal matchup between the LA Lakers and the Phoenix Suns ended in controversy as the officials appeared to have missed several crucial calls late in the fourth quarter. Specifically with 11.2 seconds left on the clock when LeBron James inbounded the ball to Austin Reaves.
With the Phoenix Suns trailing by two (105-103), Devin Booker and Kevin Durant trapped Reaves in an attempt to force a turnover. Seeing the double team coming and sensing that they were at risk of losing possession, the Lakers tried to call a timeout.
However, it looked like Reaves no longer had the ball in his hands which meant his team could no longer call a timeout. Regardless, the Lakers were granted the timeout which allowed them to retain possession and ice the game. The Suns lost 106-103.
After the game, several NBA fans went on X to give a piece of their mind regarding the Suns duo.
One fan called out Booker and took a dig at KD as well:
"Booker choke he plays like trash. Booker choke in big games and KD is nothing without curry..."
A fan also pointed out that the Suns had 20 turnovers. For context, the Lakers only had nine.
"Don't turn it over 20 times and you don't need a 'Chance'"
Another user on X called out Booker for leading his team in number of turnovers:
Also read: "Wanted Bron in Vegas that bad": NBA fans in shambles as refs hand freebie to LA Lakers with potentially decisive call in close win.
Taking a look at the Phoenix Suns vs. LA Lakers In-Season tournament quarterfinal stats
The Phoenix Suns had a chance to win the In-Season quarterfinal until the final buzzer. However, the game could have gone a lot differently for them if they had not struggled in certain areas throughout the game.
A major problem that the Suns had was turnovers. They gave the ball away a total of 20 times. They also failed to force turnovers on defense, as the Lakers only lost possession nine times.
The Suns also surrendered a lot of offensive rebounds, while they failed to get some of their own. The Lakers ended the night with 21 offensive boards, while the Suns had eight.
The Lakers also had major struggles throughout the contest, the most glaring one being their shooting percentages. They attempted 102 field goals and only made 38 of them for a 37.3% shooting percentage. They also shot 9 of 30 from downtown.
Meanwhile, the Phoenix Suns had a more efficient shooting night, converting 37 of their 75 field goal attempts. Their 3-point shooting percentage was an impressive 48.0% (12 of 25 attempts).
Also read: “They have the size”: Kevin Durant names Lakers NBA Cup favorites after refusing to blame loss on refs.