NBA: Suns’ Devin Booker scores 70 points in loss to Celtics
Devin Booker scored 70 points, becoming the sixth player in NBA history to reach that total, but the Boston Celtics got 34 points from Isaiah Thomas and outlasted the Phoenix Suns, 130-120, on Friday night at Boston.
Booker, a second-year guard, joined Wilt Chamberlain, Kobe Bryant, David Thompson, David Robinson and Elgin Baylor as the only NBA players with at least one 70-point game. It been done only 10 times — six by Chamberlain — in NBA history before Friday, when the 20-year-old from Kentucky had 51 points in the second half..
Booker’s 70 points were the most in an NBA game since Bryant’s 81 for the Lakers against Toronto on Jan. 22, 2006 — the second-highest scoring game in league history behind Chamberlain’s 100 points on March 2, 1962.
Booker also set a record for points against Boston. Baylor had 64 for the Minneapolis Lakers against the Celtics on Nov. 8, 1959.
Cleveland 112, at Charlotte 105: LeBron James had 32 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds as the Cavaliers ended the Hornets’ three-game win streak and stayed a game up on Boston in the East.
Denver 125, at Indiana 117: Nikola Jokic had 31 points and 17 rebounds as the high-scoring Nuggets continued their playoff push, winning for the sixth time in eight games.
at Milwaukee 100, Atlanta 97: Giannis Antetokounmpo had 34 points and 13 rebounds as the Bucks won for the 11th time in 13 games and tied the Hawks for fifth in the East.
at Houston 117, New Orleans 107: James Harden had 38 points and tied a career high with 17 assists to rally the Rockets past the Pelicans.
Philadelphia 117, at Chicago 107: Rookie Dario Saric scored a career-high 32 points and had 10 rebounds as the 76ers beat the sagging Bulls, who’ve lost nine of 12.
at Orlando 115, Detroit 87: Elfrid Payton had 14 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, his fourth triple-double of the season for the Magic. The Pistons have lost three straight and six of seven.
at Washington 129, Brooklyn 108: John Wall scored 22 points in 24 minutes as the Wizards rolled past the NBA’s worst team.
at Golden State 114, Sacramento 100: Stephen Curry had 27 points, Draymond Green had 23 and the Warriors eased past the Kings.
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