It’s pretty hard to see a New Orleans Pelicans team getting mauled by Devin Booker for two straight games, especially when the shooting guard dropped 50 or more points twice. As a result, Pels coach Wille Green slammed his team by saying they were too soft on the Phoenix Suns star.
Just recently, the Suns got the 124-111 win over NOLA at the Smoothie King Center. Booker was on fire the entire night when he dropped 52 points on 67 percent shooting from the field, three rebounds, and nine assists. Kevin Durant added 19 points of his own while Jusuf Nurkic filled the stat sheets with 19 points, 19 rebounds, and four assists.
The Pelicans, meanwhile, had Zion Williamson lead the way by posting 30 points in a little over 36 minutes. Trey Murphy III contributed 21 points, while CJ McCollum made 15 points and nine assists for New Orleans.
Coincidentally, Booker also scored 52 points on the Pelicans last January 19 in a game played at the Smoothie Center. His impressive showing paved the way for Phoenix to win with a score of 123-109.
New Orleans Pelicans Coach Willie Green Slams His Team For Allowing Phoenix Suns’ Devin Booker To Score 50 Points Twice
After the Pelicans’ recent loss to Phoenix, Willie Green spoke to the media and criticized his team’s effort, especially on the defensive end. In a video shared by Pelicans Film Room on X:
The Pelicans’ defense on Booker and the Suns seemed to be perplexing, given that they’re ranked seventh out of 30 teams in the league. Also, the team boasts capable defenders in Trey Murphy III, Herb Jones, and Jonas Valunciunas, among others, to make life for the All-Star harder on the defensive end.
That kind of mentality shown by New Orleans won’t have a place in the playoffs. Otherwise, they’ll find themselves exiting the postseason earlier than expected.
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