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It was a great night for the Phoenix Suns Friday as they beat the New Orleans Pelicans on their home floor, 123-109. Suns head coach Frank Vogel spoke to the locker room after the big win to go over the strengths of their performance. Especially how star Devin Booker scored a whopping 52 points which he compared to “Mamba mode” according to a video posted on the Suns' X (formerly known as Twitter) page.
“That's how you play 48 minutes of great defense right? Starting with Bradley Beal on Zion, KD on Ingram. That's how you play 48 minutes of extra pass basketball,” Vogel said. “Devin Booker, 50 piece. Mamba mode tonight. Outstanding. The Phoenix Suns are coming, the momentum is building. Keep it going.”
“Devin Booker 50 piece. Mamba mode tonight… The Phoenix Suns are coming. The momentum is building. Keep it going.”
Frank Vogel in the locker room after the Suns’ big win over the Pelicans 🗣️
(via @Suns)pic.twitter.com/ES6MvkP3vt
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) January 20, 2024
Booker credits his family as motivation
Booker cites his family as his main motivation to go out there and give it his all each and every game. His father and grandfather were at the game as Booker played “high school on the Mississippi coast” according to ESPN.
“I got 50 folks out there and I'm about to go see them,” Booker said. “That's where my main motivation comes, from all my family that's here. They drive over every time I play here and I like to put on a show for them.”
Booker made 18 of his 30 attempts from the field which includes making six of his 11 shots from three-point range. On the season, he is averaging 27 points, 7.7 assists, and 4.8 rebounds per game.
The University of Kentucky product has been more of a point guard in this current Suns team with firepower like Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal on the squad, but teams can't forget about his elite scoring ability as shown Friday night. He has reached the 50-point mark five other times in his career.
In terms of the most he has ever scored, it was an eye-opening 70 points against the Boston Celtics on March 24, 2017. Vogel said to the media after the game that the 27-year old has “incredible killer instinct.”
“The guy's just got an incredible killer instinct,” Vogel said. “He had that look in his eyes tonight. “It was a great team win, but Book was spectacular. He was able to torch these guys, but when the double-teams came, he shared it.”
Durant says that Booker being aggressive helps Suns
Also in the Suns win, Durant had 26 points to go along with five rebounds and two assists. He mentioned during his post-game media availability how when Booker is aggressive, it “opens the floor up for everybody.”
“When he starts off aggressive, looking to score, that just opens the floor up for everybody,” Durant said. “I expect this from him when we go out there — I'm not saying 50 points — but that aggressiveness, the shot-making.”
The Suns have won four straight games which puts their record at 23-18 leading to eighth place currently in the Western Conference. Their next game will be Saturday night against the Indiana Pacers who just recently acquired former Toronto Raptors star Pascal Siakam and have a returning Tyrese Haliburton.
