Devin Booker’s 62-point game helps earn Western Conference Player of the Week
Jan 29, 2024, 2:02 PM
Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns goes up for a shot against the Orlando Magic during the first quarter at Kia Center on January 28, 2024 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images)
(Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images)
Devin Booker’s 62 points scored Friday in a loss to the Indiana Pacers carried a bit of weight for him to win the NBA Western Conference Player of the Week award that was announced Monday. The stretch accounted for games from Jan. 22-29.
It was an up-and-down week for Booker and the Suns despite him averaging 42.0 points and 5.0 rebounds while shooting 63.9% from the field.
Phoenix went 2-2 by beating Chicago and Dallas before losing to Indiana and Orlando.
Booker’s first game during that stretch was a 16-point outing as Kevin Durant dropped 43 himself. That was the second of two 40-point outings for Durant, and now Phoenix has a string of six such games between the two stars.
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The Suns are the first team since the 2002-03 Los Angeles Lakers to have a 40-point scorer in six straight games (Kobe Bryant’s personal stretch reached eight games that season).
Booker followed the 16-point outing with 46 against the Mavericks on 17-of-23 shooting, 62 against the Pacers on 22-of-37 shooting and then a 44-point game on 17-of-26 accuracy Sunday in a loss to the Magic.
Booker has now won Western Conference Player of the Week twice this year and nine times in his career, a franchise record.
Durant won the week prior to Booker’s win, making for the first time a Sun has won back-to-back since Steve Nash won twice in January 2007.
For the season, Booker is averaging a career-best 28.6 points and 7.3 assists. He’s also shooting what would be career highs from the field (50.5%) and from three (38.9%).
