The Phoenix Suns were humiliatingly eliminated at home for the second consecutive season.
Phoenix's 125-100 loss to the Denver Nuggets in Game 6 of the Western Conference semifinals on Thursday night was uncannily identical to the Dallas Mavericks' resounding victory in Game 7 of the same series at Footprint Center.
Even the 30-point deficit at the break was the same. So was the response from Suns supporters, who were heard booing loudly at the break and streaming out of the stadium with plenty of time left in the fourth quarter.
"It sucked," said Kevin Durant, whose midseason trade acquisition turned the Suns into the West's betting favorite. "I had a negative vibe. Embarrassing."
Devin Booker departed the venue without addressing the media, which was a very atypical action for the Suns' franchise star.
Despite having a terrible performance as the Suns were eliminated, Booker averaged 33.7 points during this series.
He finished with 12 points on 4-of-13 shooting, closely echoing his poor performance against the Mavs in the elimination game from the previous season (11 points, 3-of-14 shooting).