DETROIT – Devin Booker is trying to raise the bar on this bet with Kevin Durant on Saturday’s NFC divisional playoff game between the Detroit Lions and Washington Commanders at Ford Field.
“I’m whatever, but we’re the favorites,” said Booker, a loyal Lions fan, after Thursday’s win over the Washington Wizards in D.C. “I don’t know if he’s going to be ready for that. We’ll see.”
Let’s do this.
“It’s whatever, man,” said Durant, a diehard Commanders fan from Washington D.C. “Whatever he wants to do, man. I’m feeling confident.”
Booker and Durant are planning to attend the playoff matchup that starts four hours after the Suns (20-20) tip off against the Detroit Pistons (21-20) at 2 p.m. MST, at nearby Little Caesars Arena. The NFL game begins at 6 p.m. MST.
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It’s less a mile in distance between the Lions’ domed stadium and the Pistons’ arena.
“Pretty sweet the schedules were able to matchup and we can go,” Durant said. “We play right before them. Go check the game out. Rooting for the guys to get it done.”
Prediction?
“If I had to, I’d say us, 24-21,” Durant said.
Booker said earlier in the week he and Durant agreed on NBA per diem being the bet wager.
NBA per diem for players is $161 per day on the road.
The Suns are in the middle of a five-game road trip that totals 10 days from the time Phoenix headed to Atlanta on Monday for Tuesday’s game against the Hawks to Jan. 22 when they’ll leave after playing at Brooklyn.
If Booker and Durant are counting each day, that’s $1,610 total per diem for each of them.
Sounds like low stakes for two high-priced players.
Durant is due to receive $51.2 million alone this season while Booker is in the first season of his four-year supermax deal that’s paying him $49.2 million this season.
Whatever the stakes are, bragging rights will certainly satisfy the victor.
“I got high expectations, man, for us to just go out there and play a great brand of Commanders football,” Durant said. “That’s a good thing to say when you’ve got an identity. I feel like we’ve got an identity as a football team. We didn’t have that for a long time. I’m excited. It’s going to be a fun game.”
The back-and-forth banter between Booker and Durant started in the Suns locker room after last Sunday’s home win over Charlotte.
The Commanders stunned Tampa Bay with a walk-off field goal in wild card action that same day to set up a divisional matchup against the Lions, who earned a bye.
Booker and Durant were too excited about having an opportunity to see the playoff game as the Suns had already planned to stay in Detroit after their game against the Pistons.
The Suns will fly out on Sunday before Monday’s game at Cleveland on Martin Luther King Day.
So, Booker will be at Ford Field on Saturday night. So will Durant.
Just don’t expect them to share the same space.
“Of course not,” Durant said. “Not sitting next to that man with that blue on.”
This will be Booker’s second opportunity to see a pro team from his home state in the postseason.
Born and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Booker attended the Detroit Tigers Game 3 win on Oct. 9, 2024 over Cleveland in the American League Division Series at Comerica Park.
The Suns played a preseason game the day before against the Pistons at Michigan State University. Team owner Mat Ishbia is a Michigan State alum who was on the Spartans’ 2000 men’s basketball national championship team as a walk-on.
Now, Booker will see his Lions in the NFL playoffs for the first time.
“It’s pretty crazy how the games lined up,” Booker said. “I caught a Tigers playoff game, first one in my life and now this will be the first NFL playoff game. The stars aligned. It’s a perfect situation. We’ll celebrate as such.”
Have opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at [email protected] or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.
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