Devin Booker Erupts After Game 2, Says Ref Was ‘Terrible’ in Suns Loss vs Thunder
Devin Booker has spent 11 years in the NBA without publicly calling out a referee by name. That streak ended after Game 2 against the Oklahoma City Thunder — and his teammate Dillon Brooks dragged Michael Jordan into it for good measure.
The Phoenix Suns are down 2-0 in their Western Conference first-round playoff series after falling 120-107 to the defending champion Thunder on April 22. Game 3 is scheduled for April 25 in Phoenix. But the postgame conversation had nothing to do with adjustments or X’s and O’s. It was all about officiating — and the Suns did not hold back.
Booker Goes Where He Hasn’t Gone In 11 years
Booker picked up a technical foul in the third quarter for arguing calls. What set him off, according to USA TODAY, wasn’t just the calls themselves — it was how the tech came about.
“I heard (the Thunder’s Alex) Caruso tell them to call the tech and he ended up doing it. In my 11 years, I haven’t called a ref out by name, but James (Williams) was terrible tonight,” Booker told reporters.
The Suns guard’s frustration centered on what he described as inconsistent foul calls — specifically, an offensive foul called on him versus a similar play that Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander drew in his favor.
Booker made it clear he expected a fine and didn’t care.
“Whatever I get fined for, everybody can pull the clips and see where the frustration comes from,” he said.
That’s about as direct an invitation as an NBA player can give for fans to go review the tape themselves.
Brooks Brings Up Jordan and Questions Modern Officiating
Brooks, who fouled out of Game 2 with 25 seconds remaining, took a different angle in his criticism — one aimed squarely at how the league officiated Gilgeous-Alexander’s style of play.
“He a little frail, and that’s what the refs are going to call,” Brooks said. “Like, I used to watch this back when Michael Jordan was playing or whoever else, when LeBron was younger. This is physical basketball. I don’t get why all the dropping and the falling and the flopping and the flailing and all this stuff is allowed when we get to the playoffs.”
It’s a complaint that extends well beyond the Suns’ locker room. New York Knicks coach Mike Brown made similar observations after his team faced the Thunder on March 4.
“SGA, he’s a tough cover,” Brown said. “And he does a great job of convincing the referees – probably better than anybody in the league – that he’s getting hit.”
SGA’s Response: Scoreboard
Gilgeous-Alexander let his Game 2 numbers do most of the talking. The MVP posted 37 points and went 9/9 from the free throw line — a stat line that will only add fuel to the Suns’ frustration about how he draws fouls.
When asked about the criticism, Gilgeous-Alexander kept it brief.
“I can’t control what Dillon or anybody else on the other side is going to complain about,” he said. “All I can do is try to go out there and win basketball games for my team.”
The Suns now head home facing a 2-0 deficit and carrying a very public grievance about how the series is being called. Whether the league office responds to Booker’s comments with a fine — something he openly anticipated — will likely be its own headline before tipoff in Phoenix.
This article was created by content specialists using various tools, including AI.
