ooker didn't have an opening statement so much as a sustained one. He moved the curve by inches in the first quarter — a clean look here, a contested stop there — and let the game come to him.
The first quarter is where it broke open — o'neale 29' 3pt jump shot (5 pts) (booker 2 ast) (+2.1). From that possession on, the curve never had to be rebuilt the same way twice.
The fourth was control. Booker closed at +6.9 without needing a final flourish to get there.
Key moments