Devin Booker is reaching historic levels of ownership of the Pelicans franchise, notching a Wilt Chamberlain feat in the process.
Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns are in the middle of their most difficult stretch of the season. Coming off a 25-point demolition at the hands of the Shai Gilgeous-Alexander-less Oklahoma City Thunder, the Suns figured out the hard way that there was no rest for the weary, as they took on the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday night. Thankfully for the Suns, Booker continues to stake his claim for part-ownership of the Pelicans franchise.
Long known for being a Pelicans killer, Booker was back to his usual exploits on Monday night. The Suns star came out of the gates scorching hot, raring to put his off night against the Thunder in the rearview mirror, en route to finishing with 52 points in a 124-111 victory for Phoenix.
In dropping 52 points against the Pelicans, Devin Booker made history when it comes to thoroughly demolishing a specific franchise. According to Andrew Lopez of ESPN, Booker joined Wilt Chamberlain “as the only players in NBA history to have three consecutive 50-point games against a single opponent”.
Booker tallied 58 points against the Pelicans on December 17, 2022 in a four-point win, while the Suns star followed that up a season later with a 52-point night in a 14-point win over New Orleans. Now, the 27-year old guard completed the 50-point trifecta, and to top it all off, he finally broke past the six-threes barrier, making eight on Monday after shooting a downright terrible percentage throughout his career after making half a dozen.
As for Wilt Chamberlain, he dominated against the Los Angeles Lakers back in 1961. In three games during that year (October 20, November 17, and December 1) against the Lakers, Chamberlain scored 57, 56, and 60 points, respectively. There is no record like one that’s held by Chamberlain, so for the Suns star to notch this feat is nothing to scoff at at all.
Devin Booker’s reason for scoring outbursts vs. Pelicans
Devin Booker’s greatest rivals on the court are as follows: Luka Doncic, Paul George, and Klay Thompson. None of them play for the Pelicans. But why does Booker have it out for New Orleans seemingly every time he plays them?
The answer to that is simple: he has a lot of friends and family members that make the near two-hour drive from Moss Point, Mississippi (Booker’s hometown) to Smoothie King Center, so he wants to put on a show — which he has done in his past two trips to the Big Easy.
“I have a lot of family here. They’ve been showing up and showing out since my rookie year. And over 1,500 people here, you always have to put on something special for them,” Booker said in his postgame interview following the Suns’ win over the Pelicans, via ClutchPoints Twitter (X).
“I have a lot of family here. They’ve been showing up and showing out since my rookie year. And over 1500 people here, you always have to put on something special for them.”
Devin Booker on scoring 52 points in New Orleans for the 2nd time this season.pic.twitter.com/Ybadj7OlI6
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) April 2, 2024
Suns inch closer to sixth
Devin Booker’s 52-point masterclass serves as the mere cherry on top of the impact of this latest Suns win over the Pelicans on the playoff picture. The Pelicans, which sat in fourth in the Western Conference not too long ago, might be in danger of falling to the play-in spots after losing to the Suns — with Phoenix only one game behind them in the win-loss column.
Moreover, the Suns’ win on Monday night seals the season series in favor of them. Thus, in the event of a tie in the standings, the Suns own the tiebreaker over the Pelicans. After a dispiriting effort back on Friday, the Suns needed a win of this magnitude and that’s exactly what they got.
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