Devin Booker erupts in second quarter, scores 27 points in under 8 minutes
Feb 4, 2017, 8:31 PM | Updated: Feb 5, 2017, 2:00 pm
So Devin Booker just scored 27 points.
— NBA.com (@NBAcom) February 5, 2017
In 7 minutes and 14 seconds.#WeArePHX pic.twitter.com/D1IJBwYcvk
Devin Booker decided to challenge himself when it came to continuing his streak of scoring 20 points or more in 15 straight games.
This time, he would reach the mark in one quarter and then some to extend the streak to 16 games and separate himself from LeBron James as the youngest ever to do it in that many consecutive games.
With the Milwaukee Bucks taking it to the Suns and up 55-31 with 8:51 left in the second quarter, Booker checked back into the game to try and keep the game from being too far out of reach by halftime.
Instead of cutting it down to something like a 15-point margin, Booker made it a single-digit deficit, scoring 27 points in less than nine minutes and having the Suns within reach at a 74-66 scoreline.
Booker’s first nine points in the game were off back-to-back-to-back three-pointers on three consecutive possessions in less than a minute.
The 20-year-old’s ridiculous run of scoring also included a heat check, when Booker took the ball in transition and immediately pulled up from the three-point line, even with Bucks guard Tony Snell picking hum up at half-court. It didn’t matter.
People, Devin Booker is a stud. He scores all of his 27 PTS in Q2 alone. @Bucks lead @Suns 74-66. Giannis: 22 PTS / 5 REB. pic.twitter.com/Z5P9y6u48x
— NBA (@NBA) February 5, 2017
It’s the latest of flamethrower performances from the shooting guard. On Jan. 12, Booker scored 28 points in the fourth quarter against the Dallas Mavericks in a losing effort. That was followed by a 39-point night against the San Antonio Spurs, making it the second time this season Booker has had back-to-back games scoring at least 38 points.
The Suns would need all those points Booker would provide.
Bucks All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 18 points in the first quarter, and Booker and his backcourt partner Eric Bledsoe were a minus-18 in their first 10 minutes of action in the game.
At halftime, the Bucks were shooting 65 percent, a situation that would seemingly have them in a spot to cruise to a win. Instead, Booker exploded and gave the Suns a real chance to win, something that didn’t seem feasible before he checked in.
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