The Phoenix Suns are down 0-2 to the Oklahoma City Thunder in their first-round playoff series, and the postgame press conferences are already more heated than the games.
After the Thunder’s 120-107 Game 2 victory on April 22, Suns guard Devin Booker went somewhere few NBA players dare to go — he named a specific referee and torched him publicly.
“In my 11 years, I haven’t called a ref out by name, but James [Williams] was terrible tonight,” Booker told reporters, according to USA TODAY.
What Devin Booker Said About the Referee
Booker picked up a technical foul in the third quarter for arguing calls. He claimed the ejection wasn’t even the referee’s idea — it was the opposing team’s.
“I heard [the Thunder’s Alex] Caruso tell them to call the tech and he ended up doing it,” Booker said.
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His core frustration centered on what he sees as inconsistent foul calls, specifically an offensive foul assessed against him compared to similar plays drawn by Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
“It’s definitely something that has to be looked at,” Booker said. “Whatever I get fined for, everybody can pull the clips and see where the frustration comes from.”
Dillon Brooks Invoked Michael Jordan and LeBron James
If Booker lit the match, Suns forward Dillon Brooks poured gasoline on it. Brooks fouled out of Game 2 with 25 seconds remaining and had plenty to say afterward about SGA’s playing style and how referees reward it.
“He a little frail, and that’s what the refs are going to call,” Brooks said.
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Then he went full nostalgia mode, pulling in two of the biggest names in basketball history to make his point.
“Like, I used to watch this back when Michael Jordan was playing or whoever else, when LeBron [James] 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.”
The Suns Aren’t the Only Ones Complaining About the Refs
Brooks and Booker aren’t operating in a vacuum. New York Knicks coach Mike Brown made similar observations about SGA back on March 4 after facing the Thunder.
“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 Kept It Cool After Game 2
For his part, Gilgeous-Alexander let his Game 2 stat line do the talking: 37 points on 9-of-9 from the free throw line.
When asked about the criticism, he gave the kind of measured response that contrasted sharply with the Suns’ fireworks.
“I can’t control what Dillon or anybody else on the other side is going to complain about,” SGA said. “All I can do is try to go out there and win basketball games for my team.”
