After gluing Landry Shamet, T.J. Warren and Terrence Ross to the bench for the entirety of Game 2 and for all but 19 combined minutes through the first two games of this second-round series against Denver, Suns coach Monty Williams dusted off his trio of bench shooters for 130 total minutes over Games 3 and 4, both Phoenix victories to tie the series 2-2.
It might seem strange to lead a story with the names of three Phoenix bench guys on a night when Devin Booker and Kevin Durant combined to score 72 points, two nights after they laid down 86 in Game 3, but there is, presumably, only so much weight this sizzling Suns duo can carry. The margins could be the main difference in a series being increasingly dominated by the stars.
After all, Nikola Jokic (53) and Jamal Murray (28) combined for 81 points on Sunday: plus-nine on the star ledger. Which is to say, directly, the 32 points that Shamet (19), Ross (8) and Warren (5) contributed were lifesaving for a Phoenix team that got just 17 total points from its other three starters.
Indirectly, Monty Williams making this lineup adjustment to roll with these previously forgotten shooters off his bench instead of Ish Wainright, Torrey Craig and Bismack Biyombo, while reducing the minutes of the defensive-minded but shooting-challenged Josh Okogie, has given Durant and Booker both the spacing and double-team-punishing outlets they need to do what they're doing.
Because what they're doing is, in a word, insane.
With 36 points apiece in Game 4, Booker and Durant have now scored at least 30 each in the same playoff game four times during this postseason. That's the most such outings for any teammates since Durant and Russell Westbrook did it in 2014 for the Thunder, per TSN Sports.
Factor in Booker's 47 and Durant's 39 in Game 3, and they are the first duo in history to post at least 35 points, five rebounds and five assists each in consecutive playoff games, per ESPN Stats.
Add all that up, and that's 158 points over the last two games for Booker and Durant, which goes down as the second-highest scoring output two teammates have ever tallied over a two-game playoff span, trailing only the 161 that Michael Jordan and Orlando Woolridge combined for in 1986, per ESPN Stats.
We knew this was going to be a killer combo when the Suns traded for Durant, but this is madness. Booker has hit 34 of his last 43 shots in this series. That is downright stupid. After Game 3, former Nuggets coach and Naismith Hall of Famer George Karl sent out the following tweet, basically saying there is no way Book and KD can keep this up.
Doesn’t feel like two players combining for 80% of the scoring on 60% shooting is a reliable gameplan for three more wins
— George Karl (@CoachKarl22) May 6, 2023
In part, Karl was right. Booker and Durant only combined for 56% of Phoenix's points in Game 4. But they didn't do it on 60% shooting. They did it on 68%. These guys are shotmaking gods and Booker might be turning in one of the best postseasons ever, but still, Karl's question remains a fair one: How long can this level production be sustained?
The Suns were always going to be top-heavy after they made the Durant trade. When Chris Paul went out, this became probably the thinnest roster remaining in the playoffs (the Heat might squabble with that, but they could seemingly pull people out of the stands and go to the conference finals).
But getting Warren back in that Durant deal was sneaky significant, and it could pay dividends for however long the Suns remains alive in these playoffs.
TJ Warren with big buckets down the stretch.
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) May 6, 2023
Incredible it took until Game 3 for the Suns to give him minutes. Warren is a much better threat as an outlet for Devin Booker or Kevin Durant when they face pressure, like Booker did on these plays. pic.twitter.com/2s6Cd5gPhb
From this point forward, everything the Suns do, from lineup decisions to Chris Paul's role when and if he comes back, needs to be in service of supporting Booker and Durant. If Paul does return, he cannot take control of the offense. These two guys don't need anyone setting them up, and they definitely don't need anyone slowing them down.
You might think that playing at a faster pace would wear Booker and KD down, but it's actually probably the opposite. It's the tightly contested, fighting-for-every-inch half-court possessions that take your legs. When two guys are carrying this heavy a scoring load, the less you have to create against set defenses the better. Easy buckets. Early offense. These are keys. Paul has to be taking note of that from the sideline. He is, from this moment forward, a role player.
Booker and Durant are the stars. This is not a Big Three. This is a Gigantic Two. I'm with Karl. I don't think two guys can keep doing this over the long haul. I still think Denver will win this series. But I will say that if any duo can, it's this one. Booker is out of his freaking mind right now, and Durant is, well, Durant. What a show they are giving us. Let's see how long it can go on.
