Devin Booker entered the Phoenix Suns' Wednesday night battle against the Chicago Bulls coming off a 44-point explosion against the Sacramento Kings on Monday. However, Booker even managed to one-up himself in an even more incredible performance against the Bulls.
In 31 minutes across only three quarters of play, Devin Booker put the Bulls to the sword after he dropped a season-high 51 points on a ridiculous 20-25 shooting from the field (6-7 from deep, 5-6 from the foul line). In the process, Booker joined James Harden as the only two players in NBA history to score 50-plus points on 80 percent shooting or greater through three quarters, per ESPN Stats & Info.
Harden accomplished the feat on November 5, 2017, when he torched the Utah Jazz to the tune of 54 points on 18-21 shooting (85.7 percent) through three periods. The Beard ended up going 1-4 for two points in a brief five-minute cameo in the fourth quarter. This “dropped” his efficiency to a mere 76 percent, as he finished with 56 points on 19-25 shooting. The Rockets blew out the Jazz, 137-110, which sent Harden to the bench in garbage time, preventing him from scoring 60.
Devin Booker “suffered” a similar fourth-quarter fate to that of James Harden. The Suns led the Bulls by 25 points, 106-81, to start the fourth, which glued Booker to the bench until the final buzzer. Phoenix was able to finish the game without any hiccups, as they claimed their 15th win of the season with a 132-113 victory.
It's worth mentioning that Harden won the MVP in the same season he pulled off the aforementioned feat. That should bode well for Booker, who, despite leading the Suns to one of the best records in the NBA, has mostly gone under the radar.
Nevertheless, Devin Booker will have stiff competition for the MVP, with Jayson Tatum and Luka Doncic playing out of their minds to begin the season. But this kind of performance should put awards voters on notice.
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