Devin Booker, a guard with the Phoenix Suns, is the best opponent.

Therefore, it’s understandable that resentment might surface after someone like Booker—whose Suns are down 2-0 against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of their playoff series—is treated so poorly for the first ninety-six minutes of postseason play.

“After the game, I’m just frustrated with the team,” Booker stated. “We must carry out our mission. When we’re playing well, we perform well. When the going gets tough, we have to stick together. We’ve been doing that all season long; something needs to change.

The word “adversity” has gained some traction in the Valley since the Suns have a poor track record of handling momentum shifts throughout the regular season, which has carried over into their two playoff games in Minnesota.

“We need to exert more control over their pressure. In terms of our movement and passing-cut offense, I felt like we really hit upon a few things in the first half. After the game, Phoenix coach Frank Vogel stated, “We didn’t sustain it when they went on a run, we didn’t stay locked into that plan, and we had too many lost possessions because of it.”

“We’ve had problems with that throughout the year with maintaining the basketball, and it came up again tonight. You have to perform well since this club is the greatest defensive team in the league and an outstanding defensive team.

Phoenix is currently facing a 0–2 deficit. Minnesota would have a significant advantage in the series if they lost on Friday.

“We simply need to regroup. We have two days to reflect and two days to spend with it. We have demonstrated that at several points this season, and that is something we must immediately address,” Booker remarked.

Booker and Kevin Durant discussed how important it will be to watch the Suns play in front of their home crowd again; you can read more about their conversation here.