Devin Booker tops 50 for third recreation in row in opposition to Pelicans

NEW ORLEANS — Greater than an hour after Monday’s recreation ended, Devin Booker’s evening nonetheless wasn’t executed.

With greater than 40 family and friends readily available from Booker’s hometown of Moss Level, Mississippi, lower than a two-hour drive from New Orleans, Booker stood close to the baseline of the Smoothie King Middle taking footage.

The Phoenix Suns star was coming off one other standout efficiency in opposition to the New Orleans Pelicans in a 124-111 victory.

With 52 factors, Booker joined Wilt Chamberlain as the one gamers in NBA historical past to have three consecutive video games with at the least 50 factors in opposition to a single opponent.

“Anytime you get named with Wilt, and it is occurred a number of occasions in my profession,” Booker stated, “however you realize you probably did one thing particular.”

Booker additionally had 52 factors within the groups’ earlier matchup this season on Jan. 19 in New Orleans. When the groups squared off final season, on Dec. 17, 2022, in Phoenix, Booker had 58.

That offers Booker 162 factors in his previous three video games in opposition to the Pelicans, essentially the most for any participant in a three-game span in opposition to any opponent up to now 50 seasons, surpassing the 158 factors James Harden had in opposition to the Memphis Grizzlies in 2019, in accordance with the Elias Sports activities Bureau.

Booker stated he “does not actually have a solution” for his success in opposition to New Orleans.

“I simply really feel like I am taking part in the identical means,” he stated. “I imply, the crib is shut. I’ve plenty of household in attendance. I grew up coming right here. It is the primary NBA enviornment I went to. So there’s some historical past right here.”

Booker began out scorching with a 24-point first quarter and had 37 at halftime because the Suns constructed as a lot as a 26-point first-half lead. They upped the result in 27 within the third quarter earlier than the Pelicans tried to make a comeback.

New Orleans, led by 30 factors from Zion Williamson, trimmed the result in as little as seven within the fourth quarter however Phoenix held on for the win.

Suns ahead Kevin Durant, who was on the court docket for Booker’s 52-point evening in January in opposition to the Pelicans, stated he could not imagine what Booker was doing.

“It was like déjà vu because it was occurring,” he stated. “You search for, he is obtained 20 factors within the first quarter. Then what I liked about it, all the pieces was within the circulation of the sport from the beginning. Pin downs, catch-and-shoots, cuts to the rim, layups, going by pull-ups. That is the signal of an otherworldly scorer when you are able to do it within the circulation of the offense like that.”

Suns coach Frank Vogel stated Booker was in assault mode from the beginning.

“If there was house on the 3-point line, he was trying to stand up,” Vogel stated. “If there was an avenue to the rim, he was ducking his head and attending to the rim and attending to the free throw line. So he was doing it in all methods.”

The win pulled Phoenix inside one recreation of New Orleans within the standings as each groups struggle to remain out of the play-in match.

The Pelicans are the No. 6 seed at 45-30 with the Suns one recreation behind at 44-31. The groups meet once more Sunday in Phoenix, however Monday’s win gave the Suns the tiebreaker within the season collection.

Phoenix returns dwelling for a four-game homestand in opposition to Cleveland, Minnesota, New Orleans and the Clippers earlier than ending with the Clippers, Sacramento and Minnesota on the street. It stays the league’s hardest schedule down the stretch, however the hope is Monday’s win may give the Suns momentum.

“Our problem now could be to string collectively two in a row of these sorts of efficiency after which three in a row and hold it going slightly than being inconsistent, which we have been at occasions this 12 months,” Vogel stated.