Devin Booker of the Suns ‘set the tone’ against the Jazz, and not in the way you might expect

PHOENIX— The Utah Jazz may have been scared off by Friday’s Halloween hoops performance, courtesy of Phoenix Suns archer Devin Booker.

After scoring 34 points against the Jazz in Monday’s overtime loss, Booker got revenge with a 36-point masterclass in a 118-96 victory. He shot 13-23 from the field and had 12 points in the first quarter.

That alone was the catalyst for the entire team, but something sparked the scoring outburst: defense.

Although it is The Suns had their own defensive issuesthey completely turned the tide. Booker himself was a major factor in the increased effort. He tracked loose balls out of bounds, picked up defenders all over the field and set the tone in that first quarter.

His teammates saw leadership by example, but he he didn’t take all the credit to post a message.

“We’ve got to do that every night, just find ways to figure out how the games are played and be the first to tackle,” Booker said after the game.

“I think we played really hard. I think we’re just going to play a little smarter at times with a lot of our fouls and giving teams free throws. But (this is) the closest to a game we’ve put together.”

Jordan Ott credits Devin Booker with setting the tone for the Suns

The star will modestly turn the attention from himself to his teammates, but Ott seems not to allow it.

Since when The Suns hired Ott as their head coachthe main goal was to maximize Booker’s skill set. A sample size of six games isn’t ideal, but it speaks to the talent.

Even with a roster surrounded by role players and up-and-coming rookies, the four-time All-Star is in the prime of his career and playing like it.

Unlike his first few seasons, defense was the top priority. Regardless of what any statistical metric might say, Booker’s effort was there, and it was a trendsetter.

As a result, athletic wings like Ryan Dunn and even three-point specialists like Grayson Allen make a concerted effort and a conscious decision to go after him on that end.

Mind you, this is without both Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green. Still, Booker’s emphasis on defense didn’t slow down Otto one bit, but he did knows how much it takes for this team to win.

Jordan Ott eloquently described Devin Booker’s defensive impact in Friday’s game.

“You saw the energy of the book to start the game. It’s the start that sets the tone.” pic.twitter.com/rU1Atbkig9

— Hayden Cilley (@HaidenCilley) November 1, 2025

“You set the tone with that, with your starting lineup, and that’s hard sometimes,” Ott said after the game. “It’s hard to pull it off, pick up a full court. You saw Book’s energy to start the game. That’s the start that sets the tone.

“And when you get a guy like that who’s done so much in his NBA career to go out there, pick up a full court, it shows you don’t have to talk anything; it’s leadership. So that part was great early on.”

Defense doesn’t tell Devin Booker’s whole story in Suns win

Yes, defense is a priority for this team. And yes, offense is just as important, and Booker excelled. Even without Kevin Durant or Bradley Beal by his side, the former Kentucky star has jumped to the top option.

Following his 36-point performance, it was the fourth consecutive 30+ point game of the season, and fifth in the season. He is averaging 30.6 points per game on nearly 50% shooting from the field and 38% from three.

However, he was a different approach to the game than the previous two seasons. There are more roles off the ball. He cuts more and finds soft pockets in the defense.

It looked almost effortless, even though the defense picked him at the point of attack. In Friday’s win, there were plenty of driving lanes, transition opportunities and overall tough shots.

As he paces the sidelines and the play goes back and forth, Booker takes his time and reads before the defense even makes a move.

“He needs both, and then even in the open field where there’s no screen, he just sees the space in front of them and knows when to attack it,” Ott said. “He’s mobile and he’ll see his gaps wherever he is. We just need him to be aggressive.”

“They (Utah) put a lot of snaps on him, for a reason and he just sees if he’s on the ball, what it looks like. They changed the coverage multiple times and they pick him up today and it’s different. Now you’re seeing it in multiple different coverages in one game.

“He gets it … it’s good to see. I think we all feed off of that.”

The Suns will hope to build on the momentum on Sunday as they take on the undefeated San Antonio Spurs. Both Booker and Victor Wembanyama can steal the show with how both players have played so far.