Devin Booker Comments on OKC Thunder’s Swarming Defense

“The secret is out, man,” Booker said. “They do speed you up. They play aggressive. They'll grab, they'll hold, but it's never like when you're in a shooting position. It's always on the handle or on your drives when they get away with it."

"Actually tonight, they probably called 40 to 50 percent of them, which is good. For real. For real. But yeah, they have multiple defenders out there. They have their switching partners. Guys that will get after it every time. They're a tough matchup."

Against the Thunder, Phoenix turned the ball over 18 total times. The Suns’ top assist guy was Booker with six, but he also turned the ball over five times. Oklahoma City’s defense was completely swarming, and gave Phoenix so many problems.

The point that Booker made regarding foul calls was a bit ironic, as the foul count was relatively even. Phoenix committed 24 total fouls compared to the Thunder’s 22 fouls. Oklahoma City’s physical defense got the best of Phoenix, though, as the Suns turnovers turned out to be the difference maker in the end.

Oklahoma City’s elite defense has propelled this team for two seasons now, and honestly, earned the Thunder its first championship. With Jalen Williams back in the fold, this team added an All-NBA defender to an already dominant unit. And in his return, he contributed two steals and a block.

Booker is right, Oklahoma City is a tough matchup and they absolutely play aggressive. But there’s no secret, this has been the case for three seasons now, and it’s the recipe that won this franchise a championship. Everyone knows Oklahoma City is elite defensively, and now, Booker knows firsthand.