Quick reminder before we dive into this performance: Devin Booker just recently turned 21 years old.
Okay, now that we have that clear, let’s get into the Suns Monday night matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers.
It was a closely contested game following the first quarter with TJ Warren leading the way with seven points for the Suns. However, Booker was only shooting two-for-eleven with four points, but if there’s one thing we know about him, it’s that the low-shooting percentage probably wasn’t going to last.
It didn’t last.
By the end of the second quarter Booker had 14 points and the Suns carried a 13-point lead into halftime. Oh, but he wasn’t done quite yet. He followed up his 10-point second quarter, with a 13-point third quarter.
“Shooters never stop shooting,” Booker said about bouncing back after a slow first quarter. “I’ve been living by that motto since I was three years old.”
With 12 minutes left to play, Booker took it upon himself to one-up his quarterly point total yet again scoring 19 points in the fourth quarter as he closed out the game. The Suns won 115-101 behind Booker’s 46-point performance.
Booker Scores 46 vs 76ers
“Book’s going to get credit and rightfully so,” Head Coach Jay Triano said. “He started off two-for-eleven at one point and then he just got rolling. That’s why he’s special. That’s why he’s a special player.”
The young guard shot 53 percent from field while knocking down five three-pointer, three of them coming in the fourth quarter. This was Booker’s second highest scoring outing of his career following his 70-point game last season.
“I’ve seen the work he’s put in from high school to college to now,” Tyler Ulis said. “He didn’t just wake up one day and become this player. He worked hard at it. He’s doing great things and you’ll see a lot more.”
Booker’s ten 30-point games this year are the most by a Suns player through 25 games in franchise history. He is now tied with LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo for the most 30-point games in the NBA.
“I’m just staying the course honestly,” Booker said. “Each and everyday I want to get better. There’s more things I have to work on, turn around this franchise, starting to get wins and making the playoffs. Whatever I have to do to do that, I’m with it.”
Booker also did his work on the glass, grabbing eight rebounds to go along with his two steals and one block.
“He understands when we need him to do things like that,” Ulis said. “He’s a guy who loves a big moment.”
Ulis also had himself one of his best games of the season with 12 points and 12 assists for his first double-double of the season. Warren chimed-in with 25 points of his own and the Suns are now 6-0 when Warren scores at least 25 points.
The Suns 14-point game was their largest victory of the season. The team will look to carry that momentum into Tuesday night’s matchup against the Toronto Raptors. Catch the action on Fox Sports Arizona.