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Fight Breaks Out As Devin Booker And 19YO Rockets Rookie Exchange Blows Mid-Game

Published 02/29/2024, 11:55 PM EST

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USA Today via Reuters

The Phoenix Suns are currently facing off against the Houston Rockets. Tensions are high, as both the Western Conference teams are looking to move a few spots up the points table and maintain the same to have a shot at the playoffs. While most of the players were seen maintaining their cool throughout the game, Devin Booker and Cam Whitmore were not among them.

As the game progressed with the Suns leading by 6 points, Booker almost brought the team to a double-digit lead gap by scoring a three-pointer. As the player proceeded to head to the opposite side of the court, he egged Brunson on by bumping his shoulder against the Rockets player’s chest and exchanging some words. The latter did not choose to let Booker walk away easily and proceeded to push the player away. The duo continued to throw hands at each other until they were stopped by another Suns player. Once the situation cooled down between the two athletes, Booker was called for a foul while both him and Whitmore ended up receiving separate technical fouls at each other’s expense.

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For fans who have been keeping a close watch on both the Suns and the Rockets, this incident might have been somewhat expected as this was not the first time that Booker and Whitmore seemed to have been a part of some on-court tension. The same was apparent during last week’s matchup, when both players seemed to be mouthing off each other.

The Suns ended up winning the game by 5 points. In the aftermath of the same, the 4x NBA-All Star addressed the scuffle, reportedly stating that it is always “fun” to turn up the heat during certain moments in a game.

“Nothing personal, just competition” Booker said.

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Jusuf Nurkic criticizes Whitmore for the on-court actions against his teammate

Whenever an on-court fight occurs during an NBA game, it quickly becomes the topic of conversation. Not only fans but basketball players, both former and current, often choose to voice their opinion during such situations.

During the post-game press conference, Devin Booker once again addressed the issue. Highlighting it as something that began during their last game, the player called the incident as nothing more than being “extra physical” and “just competing”. He draw parallels between the current situation and the one he shared with Jimmy Butler during the former’s rookie year.

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While the 27-year-old seemed to have brushed the incident off, his teammate was not one to put it aside. Talking to members of the press, Jusuf Nurkic criticized Cam Whitmore by stating “The kid did some bullshit in Houston too, if you remember. So they want to play that nonsense basketball.” Nurkic further strengthened his support towards Booker by stating that “I will always have the back of my teammates.”

What are your thoughts on the Devin Booker-Cam Whitmore feud? Let us know in the comments down below.

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Written by:

Ashmit Kumar

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Ashmit is an NBA Content Analyst at EssentiallySports. Having started as a writer, he specializes in writing captivating stories that include the elements of in-depth coverage of teams, players and more. Due to his knowledge of the technicalities of the sport, Ashmit writes perspective pieces that provide well-researched analysis.
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Edited by:

Saumya Khanduja