After spending most of this season in Northern Arizona, Alec Peters was given his time to shine in the Suns final game of the season. The rookie did not disappoint.
Peters was signed to a two-way contract after being selected in the second round of last year’s draft. He had shown a lot of success in the G-League throughout the year, but that talent was brought to the big stage as the Suns tipped-off against the Dallas Mavericks.
It was clear from the start that it was going to be a strong outing from Peters as he finished the first quarter perfect from the field with an already-career-high nine points. By halftime, he upped his high to 12, but this was only the beginning.
Peters’ three threes would be matched in the third quarter alone as he tied Devin Booker for the most by a Suns rookie with six from deep. He helped guide the Suns to a 39-point quarter as the team took a seven-point lead into the fourth.
“AP got it going a little bit and it was fun to watch,” Head Coach Jay Triano said.
The fourth quarter was heat-check time for Peters. And then another heat-check. And then another as “The Alec Peters Show” continued. Whether it was launching it from deep or taking it inside for an and-one, the 22-year-old rookie could not be stopped.
“His teammates cheered him on because he’s such a hard worker,” Triano said. “He works hard before practice. He comes back to shoot all the time. He’s dedicated and it was nice to see it pay off in a game for him.”
He finished the game with 36 points, including eight three-pointers while shooting 61.5 percent from beyond the arc.
Alec Peters Scores 36 vs. Mavericks
Peters’ got it done on the glass as well grabbing another career-high nine rebounds. He joins James Harden as the only two players in the league this season to score 36 points while hitting eight threes and grabbing nine boards.
He joins Donovan Mitchell, Kyle Kuzma and Josh Jackson as the only rookies to score 36-plus points this season. He is also one of just two rookies to hit eight threes from beyond the arc (Lauri Markkanen).
“I’m happy for him because he puts a lot of work into it,” Triano said. “He shoots the ball well in practice and he shot the ball well in the G-League so it was just a matter of getting enough minutes and getting a flow in an NBA game. It was great to have him do that tonight.”
Peters’ made elite Suns company as he joins Walter Davis (four times), Amar’e Stoudemire, Dennis Layton and Josh Jackson as the only rookies in franchise history to score 36 points.
The team scored eighty points in just the second half as it was their highest total in half since 2009.
The Suns ended their 50th season on a high note as they defeated the Mavericks 124-97. Dragan Bender (15 points), Danuel House Jr. (16 points), Shaquille Harrison (career-high 18 points), Alex Len (18 points), Alec Peters (36 points) and Tyler Ulis (14 points) all finished in double-digits.