The Phoenix Suns got back to winning ways with an impressive victory over a struggling Utah Jazz side with one former All-Star appearing back to his brilliant best.
Breaking a three-game losing streak, the Suns ran out 134-126 winners in a high-scoring contest.
Two players in particular stood out in the victory which helped the side improve their record in the Western Conference to 13-11.
Devin Booker and Kevin Durant stepped up for the Suns both scoring more than 30 points in the game.
The Suns are still without Bradley Beal who has been questioned by Kendrick Perkins, however, it appears his absence isn’t critical right now.
Pressure has been piled on playmaker Booker for his recent quiet performances but teammate Durant explained why he was never worried about the star.
While Booker has been noticeably struggling to find his best form in recent weeks the return of Durant seems to have made all the difference.
Durant made his return to the side after missing three games with an ankle injury. The big man scored 30 points in 34 minutes.
Stephen A. Smith recently questioned why Durant chose to join the Suns, perhaps it was to team up with four-time All-Star Booker.
Booker recently hit a landmark 15,000 NBA points and is closing in on the overall franchise record yet his displays have been questioned.
However, Durant explained why he was never concerned about Booker saying: “I ain’t worried about Book at all, he’s got 15,000 points for a reason.
“There’s gonna be games where he’s not knocking down shots, defense playing pretty solid, you’ve got to play against two or three people for most of the night but I just liked how he played in the flow.”
Booker not only scored 34 points in the game but also added two rebounds and eight assists in the victory to silence any doubters.
Before the Suns’ victory over the Jazz, there were a lot of questions about Booker and his patchy form this season.
Booker currently averages 25.3 points per game which is his lowest since the 2017/18 season.
The drop in numbers has caused many pundits to question the star, including Kendrick Perkins.
Speaking before the game Perkins said: “You would think looking at those numbers he would be in the same conversation as an Anthony Edwards or Donovan Mitchell but I don’t. I actually have a few guys ahead of Booker right now and I just don’t know why the drop off is.
“I don’t know if there’s something going on in the locker room, I don’t want to say or speculate any problems there but this is not the Devin Booker that we have all grown to love.
“We gotta remember a couple of years ago we were saying that Devin Booker reminded us of Kobe Bryant and that’s just not what it is right now.”
Booker’s display against the Jazz may have silenced Perkins for now but he will have to show it on a consistent basis to warrant further All-Star appearances.
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