What we learned from Devin Booker's ice cold 3 with 1.7 seconds left to stun Knicks

NEW YORK – Devin Booker loves playing at Madison Square Garden.

The New York Knicks should be thankful the Phoenix Suns only visit once a regular season.

Booker iced a cooler-than-be-cool fadeaway 3 with 1.7 seconds left to stun the Knicks, 116-113, Sunday evening before a sellout crowd of 19,812 that watched in disbelief.

Jalen Brunson missed a 3 at the buzzer that rimmed in and out on his game-high 35-point night.

Booker added 11 assists and committed just two turnovers.

The three-time All-Star left his hot hand in Memphis where he scored a season-high 40 points on 15-of-21 shooting in Friday’s NBA In-Season Tournament group play win.

Booker was only 10-of-25 Sunday, but he scored nine of his 28 points in the fourth capped by the game-winner between R.J. Barrett and Julius Randle contesting the shot on the wing in front of the Knicks bench.

Winners of a season-high seven straight, Phoenix (11-6) was without Kevin Durant for a second straight game as he’s experiencing right foot soreness.

The Suns also didn’t have Grayson Allen, who woke up ill Sunday morning, Suns coach Frank Vogel said before the game.

Booker went 2-of-8 from the field in the first half Sunday for eight points, but the Suns still led by eight at the break as Eric Gordon nailed 4-of-6 from 3 in a 17-point first half.

Gordon scored 25 points for the game.

The Knicks (9-7) rallied from a 15-point, first-half deficit to take an 86-84 lead late in the third as Julius Randle scored 17 of his 28 points in the quarter.

The Suns took a three-point lead into the fourth, went up by as many as six, never trailed, but Brunson tied the game twice as his jumper knotted things at 113-113 with 21.9 seconds left.

That set the stage for Booker to deliver the game-winning 3 with ice drippings.

Here’s what we learned from Sunday’s game that played out like a Spike Lee joint as the Suns have two days between this latest win and Wednesday’s matchup at Toronto to conclude the three-game road trip.

Booker is that dude

There have been times Booker’s name has been in the MVP conversation, but he wasn't in the heart of it.

That’s probably still the case even after Sunday’s dramatics as Durant has put up better numbers and carried the team when Booker was out with multiple injuries.

However, when one steps back and fully takes in what Booker has done since returning from his five-game absence with a right calf strain, he has played some of the best basketball in his career.

Then in his last two games, without Durant and injured Bradley Beal (back), Booker scored 40 points Friday and followed that up with 28 and 11 with just two turnovers in 38 minutes?

Come on man.

He scores the ball. That’s what Booker does and will be able to do when he’s 60 years old with a gray beard and hopefully for his sake, much of the hair he has now.

What Booker is doing now is doing so many other things.

Eleven assists. Again, just two turnovers, but the two blocks with the first one Vogel challenged after Booker was called for a foul on Barrett, who had an easy two inside.

Not only did Booker erase that opportunity, the Suns won the challenge that denied Barrett two free throws and gave Phoenix possessions.

Say Barrett scores and Booker fouls him late. That’s three fouls early in the second half.

Maybe Vogel sits Booker down. Maybe he doesn’t, but that play shows he’s impacting the game beyond scoring.

Booker’s last shot more about his mind

Everyone in the building knew the Knicks were going to double Booker at the end, but to know when to give it up to Goodwin and knowing he was going to get it back.

Timing is everything. He not only understood that, but Booker acted accordingly.

He knew it was his time to take the shot and do it in The Garden.

Yes, Gordon had made 6-of-9 3s and it would’ve been easy to just watch the ball likely swing to him for a deep one.

Yuta Watanabe had hit a couple from deep and Goodwin was once again clutch in the fourth. Goodwin posted his second straight 14-point game Sunday.

All solid options.

If they miss, the game is most likely going into overtime, but Booker is like, hey, let me do this.

With all that being said, that’s a crazy shot.

I understand he’s right-handed, is going right, but fading to the side with Randle picking him up and Barrett trailing.

What wouldn’t been crazier, in Booker’s mind, was to drive and draw contact on the road.

He’s been here, done that and been on the wrong end of it.

Lesson learned.

Jalen Brunson’s team

Randle had a hostile takeover in the third, but up until Booker’s game-winner, Brunson was the best player on the court.

Hitting tough shots. Showing no fear.

Yep, this is his team without question.

The Suns have seen Brunson give them the business in the 2022 Western Conference semifinals when he came through big-time in Game 6 and Game 7 Dallas won to shock the top-seeded, 64-win Suns.

Luka Doncic was the main attraction, but Brunson did more than contribute to that series win.

Booker has seen that before, but Brunson has taken his game to another level.

If he doesn’t finish his career in New York? Ownership is even in more question.

Durant update

Durant went through his usual pregame routine Sunday, but he had his share of conversations with Suns strength and conditioning coaches as well as assistant coach John Lucas III.

He did a couple of drills of running the 3-point line, followed by short, quick steps up the sideline.

So while he was going through the normal stuff, there were clearly specific moments in which the Suns were testing the foot.

Vogel said it was a game-time decision and that the Suns needed to see him go through his pregame before deciding whether he’d play or not.

He’s certainly had his share of injuries, but the fact that he’s gone out there to test the foot while doing his usual pregame work can be taken as a sign he’s not seriously injured and probably could play if it was the playoffs.

Rewind: Suns escape from New York for 7th straight win on Devin Booker's game-winning 3

Finally known who kneed Watanabe in the thigh

Watanabe didn’t want to say whose knee he took to the quad in a pickup game with Suns players between two games at Utah that left him with a deep thigh bruise that sidelined him for four games.

It’s all good, but he smiled and provided a disclaimer.

“He didn’t do it on purpose,” Watanabe said.

That he was his teammate, Chimezie Metu.

Watanabe figured he’d be out for a while, is glad to be back and showed his value to the Suns in his return.

He’s not a great one-on-one defender.

Can create some offense, but the Suns have shot creators in Booker, Durant and Bradley Beal.

What Watanabe can do is shoot it from 3.

Corner. Wing. Top of the key. Hit two in the first half in his first game back since Nov. 17 at Utah.

His conditioning isn’t the best considering he missed four games with the left quad contusion, but Watanabe can knock down the deep ball.

He helps space the floor for their main guys.

It’ll be interesting to see if Vogel tries to play him and Nassir Little, who has been solid of late, when Durant returns. Little’s minutes – and production – went up with Watanabe out.

Little had three straight double-figure efforts before going for just two on Friday at Memphis. He then bounced back with 11 points Sunday, going 3-of-6 from deep.

Scoring is a bonus for Little, who is being asked to bring energy and defense, but Watanabe plays because of his offense.

Have opinions about current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-787-1240. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Devin Booker stuns New York Knicks, hit ice cold 3 to lift Phoenix Suns