Devin Booker pours in 32 as Suns slam Thunder
Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns talks with Mikal Bridges #25 and Deandre Ayton #22 during the first half of the NBA game against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Phoenix Suns Arena on April 02, 2021 in Phoenix, Arizona. Christian Petersen/Getty Images/AFP
Devin Booker scored 32 points to lead the host Phoenix Suns to a 140-103 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday.
The Suns hadn’t previously scored more than 132 in a game this season.
Article continues after this advertisementThe first time the teams met this season, the Suns scored a season-low 97 points in a Jan. 27 loss. Booker didn’t play in that contest due to a hamstring injury.
☀️ @DevinBook scores 32 PTS and the @Suns notch their for 5th straight victory! #WeAreTheValley pic.twitter.com/fGTPN3HWii
— NBA (@NBA) April 3, 2021
On Friday, he followed Deandre Ayton’s alley-oop bucket by sinking a 3-pointer in the opening minute. He put up 16 points as the Suns built a 43-13 lead after the first quarter.
Article continues after this advertisementPhoenix hit four 3-pointers in the game’s first five minutes and hit six threes in the opening period, shooting 60 percent overall in the frame.
While Phoenix started red hot offensively, Oklahoma City went the other direction.
After making their first shot of the game, the Thunder missed their next 14, not hitting their second field goal until nearly seven minutes into the game.
The Thunder shot 16 percent in the first and were just 1 of 7 from behind the arc.
Oklahoma City’s offense woke up in the second quarter, scoring 37 points. The Thunder cut the deficit as low as 18 before halftime and again briefly in the third quarter but could never get closer.
Rookie Theo Maledon scored 16 of his career-high 33 points in the second quarter for the Thunder. Maledon, whose previous career high was 24, hit four 3-pointers in the second period and finished with five treys on the night.
Rookie Aleksej Pokusevski added 20 for Oklahoma City, which lost for the fourth time in five games.
Phoenix is an NBA-best 26-6 since the January loss to the Thunder. The Suns have won five consecutive games and eight of their last nine.
Booker, who shot 11 of 20 from the floor, has averaged 33.3 points per game over the past four.
The Suns shot 60 percent from the floor and had 36 assists, both figures their second best of the season.
Chris Paul tonight:
17 Pts
12 Ast
100% FG
1 TurnoverPoint God @CP3 pic.twitter.com/yoUOGwcKjt
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) April 3, 2021
Phoenix’s Chris Paul had 17 points and 12 assists. Mikal Bridges and Cameron Johnson also had 17 points each.
The Suns scored 25 points off 16 Oklahoma City turnovers.
