Suns Stars Shine When Team USA Needed Them Most

Team USA will be playing for a gold. Much of that has to do with Booker and Durant.

Aug 6, 2024; Paris, France; United States guard Devin Booker (15) reacts with guard Jrue Holiday (12) in the first quarter against Brazil in a men’s basketball quarterfinal game during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Accor Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports / Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

PHOENIX -- Team USA escaped a major scare from Serbia in the semifinals of Olympic basketball play today, surviving the upset attempt for a 95-91 victory. Make no mistake, Stephen Curry was the catalyst to the victory, but the pair of Phoenix Suns stars in Devin Booker and Kevin Durant were instrumental in the victory as well.

Booker had one of the more modest statistical outputs of the key contributors for the U.S. today, but he played the entire fourth quarter of what ended up becoming a frame that was won 32-15.

Booker has now extended his team-best +/- to +112 in the 10 exhibition/Olympic games that have been played - and he continues to be the unheralded star of this team.

Sticking around the rotation with 4 former MVP's is evidence of how highly regarded the Suns star is - and he more than paid it back between playing hard nosed defense and hitting a key three-point look to continue swinging momentum towards team USA.

Durant, the all-time leading scorer in Olympic history, started the game 1-for-6 before finishing 4-for-8 and hitting what ended up becoming the dagger with under 30 seconds remaining in the game.

Durant remains one of the quintessential players that can take over any game on a whim. He didn't let his slow start affect his finish. He didn't force the issue. He stepped up when he was needed most.

I know he's not remotely one of the storylines right now, but it feels notable that Devin Booker is closing this game alongside four MVPs. Says a lot about how much respect he's earned from Steve Kerr and these superstars.

— Sam Quinn (@SamQuinnCBS) August 8, 2024

As for his teammate - the trust placed in Booker likely points towards him once again having a large role and ample playing time in the winner-take-all gold medal contest against the host country France.

Booker could be on pace for presumably as many as four gold medals by the end of Saturday, while Durant could have acquired number four himself.

The two stars being among the best and most impactful players for team USA should bode very well moving forward, as both look rejuvenated and reinvented after a rough 2023-24 campaign.

The bottom line is if Durant and Booker continue this roll into the upcoming season for the Suns, we could be looking at much better fortunes in 2024-25.