DeAndre Ayton had his best game in his young NBA career on Saturday. The Phoenix Suns rookie scored a career-high 33 points in their 122-118 loss to the Denver Nuggets at the Talking Stick Resort Arena.

Ayton also did it efficiently as he shot 80 percent from the field, converting 16 of his 20 attempts. The 2018 first overall pick also posted 14 rebounds and added four steals for the Suns.

The former Arizona standout was a one-man wrecking crew for the Suns in the second period. He scored 24 points on 12-for-13 shooting from the field. It was the highest-scoring performance for a rookie in franchise history, and the sixth-highest points scored in a quarter for any Suns player.

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Devin Booker finished with 27 points and eight assists, while TJ Warren added 22 points. Miles Bridges chipped in 17 points, but their productions were still not enough to lead the Suns to a victory over the Western Conference-leading Nuggets.

Jamal Murray erupted for 46 points to go along with eight assists and six rebounds. Nikola Jokic flirted with a triple-double with 23 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds. Malik Beasley added 15 points off the bench, while Juan Hernangomez ended up with 10 points and nine boards.

The Nuggets remained on top of the Western Conference standings with their 23-11 record. The Golden State Warriors are second in the conference with their 24-13 record, followed by the 22-12 Oklahoma City Thunder. The Suns are still at the cellar with the second-worst record in the league at 9-28.