The Phoenix Suns knew that the Denver Nuggets were going to be a very tough opponent in the Western Conference semifinals.
In order to win, all of their biggest stars would have to perform very well in every game.
On Friday night, Devin Booker had one of the best performances of his career and helped his team score a huge win.
Booker scored 46 points, 6 rebounds, 9 assists, and 3 steals, going 20-of-25 from the field and 5-of-8 from the three-point line.
He now joins Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks as the only player in NBA history with a 45-point playoff game on 80+ FG%.
Devin Booker tonight:
46 PTS
6 REB
9 AST
3 STL
20-25 FG
5-8 3PJoins Dirk Nowitzki as the only player in NBA history with a 45-point playoff game on 80+ FG%. pic.twitter.com/8kGmtj98RO
— StatMuse (@statmuse) May 6, 2023
Booker was a huge part of Phoenix’s crucial win over the Nuggets in Game 3.
With a 121-114 victory, the Suns have brought the series to 2-1 and have kept their hopes of making the Western Conference Finals alive.
This isn’t Booker’s first great game of this series.
It’s also not his first amazing game of the playoffs either.
Just days before, he put up 35 points in Game 2.
For the 2022-23 postseason, Booker is posting 36.9 points, 5 rebounds, and 6.9 assists.
NBA experts will note that his point total is a league-best.
Booker has been intent on bringing his team back to the Finals for the last couple of years.
They were there just a few seasons ago.
But they were defeated by Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks.
All season long, Booker has been playing with a fire in his belly, scoring nearly 28 points on average per game.
Now that the Suns have reached the playoffs, Booker is playing even better and seems to have more focus and drive.
If he continues to play as he did on Friday night, the Finals are much more likely.
NEXT: Fans React To Devin Booker's Big Playoff Performance
