Leading up to their rematch of last year's first-round playoff matchup, Anthony Davis gave Phoenix some fresh bulletin material when he confirmed his belief that the Los Angeles Lakers would have beaten the Suns had he not gotten injured, according to Dave McMenamin of ESPN.

Anthony Davis, asked if his groin injury is the main reason the Lakers didn’t beat the Suns in the playoffs last year, says: “It was … We know that. They know that … They got away with one”

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) March 13, 2022

After the Suns throttled the Lakers 140-111, Devin Booker took exception to Davis' words, as he clapped back saying that what-ifs are a part of the game and Davis was better off letting go of what happened.

"If if was a fifth, we'd all be drunk. ... There's a lot of if's in this game. And you look at history along the lines, there's something that comes up for every team during every season. Instead of just taking the high route and going, you have to make a comment like that." pic.twitter.com/BxanohbOmf

— Kellan Olson (@KellanOlson) March 14, 2022

ANALYSIS: "If ifs and buts were candys and nuts, we'd all have a Lakers-Suns playoff rematch to settle this" or something to that avail. Booker's statements are true, but it's not like Davis went out of his way to say this. He was asked a very specific question, and he answered honestly. On both sides, you can understand both feel the way they do. Davis was a key component of an NBA champion, and Booker played a part in beating said champion the next season. Both have identifiable reasons to feel the way they do.