Devin Booker makes history, scores 70 points in loss to Celtics

BOSTON – The pregame question focused on Devin Booker.

Is he the best shooter you’ve been around?

“I’ve played with some great shooters,’’ Suns coach Earl Watson said, naming off a couple. “Ray Allen, Kevin Durant. He has amazing potential. His stroke is textbook.”

An hour later, Booker went out and showed as much. The second-year guard produced the highest-scoring game in franchise history, pouring in 70 points in a 130-120 loss to the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. While the Suns lost for the seventh time, Booker put together the highest-scoring game of the season, passing the 60 Klay Thompson put up against Indiana in October.

A night to remember.

Every bucket from Devin Booker's 70 POINT NIGHT!#WeArePHX pic.twitter.com/d4hhQZes0B

— NBA (@NBA) March 25, 2017

In the process, he became the third-youngest player in NBA history at 20 years, 145 days, to record a 50-point game, joining LeBron James and Brandon Jennings.



Throughout this stretch, most of the focus has been on Phoenix’s young players, which makes sense. Both rookie point guard Tyler Ulis and forward Alan Williams have made good use of their extended minutes – something that will serve management well in their short-term decision-making – but this also is an important time for Booker, a gifted scorer who already has one foot in the stardom pool.

By now, most know that in two years Booker has scored in ways not many have. Before turning 20 in October, he scored 1,087 points as a teenager, sixth most in NBA history. Of the five players ahead of him on that list – James, Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant and Dwight Howard – all but Anthony were All-Stars within their third seasons. Anthony made it in his fourth season.

source: USA today