Phoenix Suns star guard Devin Booker showed why he's one of the most elite scorers in the entire NBA against the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night. In 31 minutes of action, Booker dropped 51 points while only missing five shots from the floor (he went 20 for 25). He also added six assists, four rebounds and a steal for good measure.
Booker's performance was especially impressive considering that he did it all in three quarters, as he didn't play for a single second in the fourth frame with the game already in hand for Phoenix. The Suns went on to pull out a 132-113 win. The game was the fourth 50-plus point performance of Booker's career and his first since 2019. He scored a career-high 70 back in 2017.
Check out the highlights from Booker's huge night below:
🤯 51 PTS (20/25 FGM) | 6 AST | 6 3PM@DevinBook WENT OFF for 51 PTS in just 3 quarters of play! pic.twitter.com/BWd4Vs6y15
— NBA (@NBA) December 1, 2022
Booker had some help when it came to toppling the Bulls, as DeAndre Ayton added 30 points and 14 rebounds of his own. The two appeared to be in pretty good spirits after the game, and understandably so.
“That’s a BAD man right there man!”@DevinBook (51 PTS) & his hype man @DeandreAyton (30 PTS) walk off after the @Suns 6th straight win! pic.twitter.com/YoL4nAC4vd
— NBA (@NBA) December 1, 2022
Booker has been balling so far this season and is a major part of the reason that the Suns have the best record in the Western Conference a quarter of the way through the campaign. Booker, fresh off of dropping 44 points against the Sacramento Kings on Monday night, is averaging a career high 27.9 points per game to go along with 5.8 assists and 5.4 rebounds (also a career high).
There are plenty of worthy candidates at this still-early point in the season, but Booker has certainly thrust himself right into the thick of the MVP conversation. The fans in Phoenix certainly think so, at least. He was ranked seventh in the most recent iteration of the Kia MVP Ladder, but after dropping 95 points in his past two games combined, he is likely to climb in the next version. The fact that he has the Suns in pole position in the West despite the fact that Chris Paul has missed the past 11 games certainly needs to be factored in.
Booker has long established himself as one of the league's premier players, but he seems to have taken another step forward so far this year. If he can keep it up, both he and the Suns could be in position to win some hardware at the end of the season.
