28 points. 81% shooting. Five-of-six from the three-point line.
This stat line would be a great game for any player, but Devin Booker managed to accomplish this in the fourth quarter alone on Thursday.
The Suns were down by 12 heading into the final quarter against the Dallas Mavericks and needed a spark.
Enter Booker.
Highlights: Suns vs Mavericks in Mexico City
With just 11 points in the first 36 minutes, Booker began his scoring run with a pair of three-pointers. He followed that up with a steal off Wesley Matthews and traveled coast-to-coast for a layup.
The 20-year-old continued this scoring outburst for the remainder of the contest. It turned into a Devin Booker vs. Dallas Mavericks matchup and the deficit was dwindling. No matter what Matthews did, Booker couldn’t miss; including a heavily contested three with 14 seconds left to bring the Suns within four.
Booker reached the line in the final seconds, converting on a free throw to tie his career-high of 39 points.
Devin Booker now holds the Suns franchise record for most points in a quarter. The record was previously held by Stephon Marbury who scored 26 in the fourth back in 2002.
“I love this franchise,” Booker said. “I love the city of Phoenix, so to be in the record books like that at a young age, it means a lot.”
Thirty-nine points is also the NBA record for most points ever scored in a regular-season game in Mexico, the previous being Michael Finley’s 35 in 1997.
Booker wasn’t alone in making history on Thursday. After finishing the first half with a double-double, Tyson Chandler went on to grab 19 total rebounds, breaking Charles Barkley’s NBA record for the most rebounds in a regular-season game in Mexico. He now has at least 15 rebounds in his last four games, which is the longest streak by a Suns player since Shawn Marion in 2006.
With these records falling in the first Mexico City matchup, the next game will be a must-watch. The Suns face off against the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday afternoon. Catch the action on Fox Sports Arizona.
