Devin Booker’s Frustration Boils Over as He Slams Referees at Nuggets’ $20,543,478 Forward’s Expense

The Phoenix Suns have endured a tough start to the season, losing their second game in a row to the Denver Nuggets on Friday. After the game, Devin Booker voiced his frustration with the officiating, criticizing the referees over a call involving Nuggets forward Cam Johnson.

During a post-game interview with AZ Central's Duane Rankin, the Suns star's frustration boiled over after receiving a technical foul in the fourth quarter, as he criticized the referees for the call.

"The ball was off Cam (Johnson's) foot in the first place. So just a compound mistake. He said he didn't see it. If you didn't see it, then ask for help. Don't just say it was out on us," Booker said.

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Booker received a tech in the fourth quarter after contesting a call on his former teammate Cameron Johnson. The $20,543,478 forward, who joined the Nuggets from the Nets this offseason, appeared to have the ball bounce off his foot, a moment the officials missed, much to Booker’s frustration.

The Nuggets earned a 133-111 win over the Suns on Saturday, earning their first victory of the season. On the other hand, this was Phoenix's second consecutive defeat, leaving them with a 1-2 record.

Nikola Jokic led Denver with his second triple-double of the season, while Jamal Murray chipped in with 23 points and 5 assists. Meanwhile, Devin Booker recorded 31 points and 7 assists while Grayson Allen dropped 17 points of his own.

Following this loss, the Suns will travel to Salt Lake to face the Utah Jazz in their final game of a three-game away stint.

Devin Booker opens up on a frustrating night after tying his career-high for turnovers in a game

Despite dropping a season-high 31 points against the Denver Nuggets on Saturday, Devin Booker endured a frustrating night with the ball. The former All-Star recorded nine turnovers during the game, tying his career-high for turnovers in the league.

During a post-game appearance with the media, Booker opened up on his turnovers.

"Just careless with the ball. Those could be more shot attempts. Still gauging it out. Still learning our spacing and just developing that chemistry," he expressed.

After trading away Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal during the offseason, Booker is bound to get more of the ball. However, he’ll need to improve his ball control if he hopes to lead the team from the front this season.

About the author

Arian Kashyap is a basketball journalist at Sportskeeda with over two years of experience at Essentially Sports and Spice Bite and a Bachelor's in Physical Education and Sports Sciences.

Arian's favorite team is the Miami Heat and it’s mainly down to Dwyane Wade being his favorite player of all time. Arian loved how explosive Wade was as a player and he had all the attributes, whether that be shooting, defending or passing. Arian really liked how he won titles both with and without a dynasty behind him.

Arian has also worked with Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools and was the manager for a Delhi-based women’s team called Garwhal Untied. Garwhal won the Delhi league and were runners-up during his tenure.

Arian has judged essay writing competitions for the Commonwealth Students Welfare Group of India in 2023 and was a part of the U-14 team for the Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools academy that qualified for the AIFF Round in 2023.

When not working or watching sports, Arian likes riding his motorcycle and reading.

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Edited by Arian Kashyap