On April 18, Beijing time, the NBA playoffs first round G1, the Suns defeated the Pelicans 110-99, leading 1-0 on aggregate. In this game, Booker played very easily, contributing 10 points and 11 points in the first and third quarters, playing 40 minutes and 37 seconds, shooting 8 of 19, 4 of 8 three-pointers, 5 of 6 from the free throw line, 25 points, 8 rebounds and 1 assist, plus or minus +7.
Ahead of the game, the NBA League announced finalists for six individual awards. Alphabet Brother, Jokic and Embiid are in the final list, and the three will compete for the regular season MVP, and Booker regrets the defeat. Apparently, in the regular season MVP voting, Devin Booker still did not get the respect he deserved. However, the Sun star doesn't bother with this. After all, he has bigger goals than personal honors — the NBA championship.
A lot of people can't understand why the best players on the league's best teams didn't make it to the top three of the MVP list. Booker was grossly undervalued, and the MVP vote highlighted this even more. If another superstar — like Stephen Curry — leads his team to the best NBA record, he will be the main contender for the regular season MVP.
However, even after being snubbed, Booker was not too sad. He said he hadn't considered the regular season MVP, his focus was on the playoffs, and he wouldn't let himself be distracted by things that weren't important. "No, our main focus is on the playoffs," Booker said when asked if he wasn't on the MVP list.
If Devon Booker makes the top three in the MVP vote and even ends up winning the regular season MVP, that would be a very fitting reward. Unfortunately, Booker didn't win the media's liking, and he was never in the MVP's discussion sequence.
During the regular season, Booker averaged 26.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game, leading the Suns to an NBA-best record of 64-18. They are the only team with 60 wins, while the other MVP candidates' teams don't even make it into the top 2 in the East and West.