PHOENIX – The noise came fast after a tough loss for the Phoenix Suns to the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday night, and the blame solely fell on the face of the franchise, Devin Booker’s shoulders.
Mar 24, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix guard Booker (1) against the Nuggets in the second half at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
A 22-foot missed three-pointer at the buzzer against Denver, and suddenly Devin Booker was trending for all the wrong reasons. Social media verdicts were swift and insulting. It’s the modern sports cycle, one possession stretched into a personality diagnosis. Now it leaves NBA fans questioning: Who should be taking the final shot for the Phoenix Suns?
Mar 24, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix guard Booker (1) argues with a referee alongside center Khaman Maluach (10) against the Nuggets in the second half at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
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NBA fans react to Devin Booker’s final shot:
Booker has always bounced back closely throughout his career and kept the same scorer mentality. Great scorers don’t fear the final shot; they absorb it. Booker has built his identity on taking those moments, not avoiding them. Over the recent years, he’s consistently hovered near the top tier in clutch usage among guards. That means he’s not just taking big shots, he’s taking more of them than most. Volume creates misses; it also creates legends.
Mar 24, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix guard Booker (1) against the Nuggets in the second half at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
For Phoenix, the stakes are immediate. The Phoenix Suns are navigating a razor-thin playoff race where every possession carries weight. Booker knows that. More importantly, he internalizes it. Misses like this don’t fracture his confidence; they refine it. Suns fans should view this differently. Not as failure, but as confirmation, Booker wants the ball when it matters most. That hasn’t changed, and it won’t. Stars aren’t defined by the shots they miss, but by their refusal to stop taking them. Booker’s next big moment isn’t in doubt. It’s inevitable.
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