One for the history book

PHOENIX • LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, the late Kobe Bryant.

Those are the names that Devin Booker would not normally be associated with, and that was why the Phoenix Suns guard was thrilled after making National Basketball Association (NBA) history on Wednesday.

He matched his season high of 38 points while reaching a milestone and also had seven rebounds and five assists to lead the Suns to a 115-97 victory over the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder.

In the first quarter, Booker (25 years, 60 days) became the seventh-youngest player in NBA history to reach 10,000 career points. He finished the game with 10,034.

The others are James, Durant, Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, Tracy McGrady and Antetokounmpo.

"It means a lot," Booker said on ESPN after achieving the feat.

"Truly grateful to be in this position. I have a lot of praise for my coaches for trusting a young kid and letting me play through mistakes because everybody doesn't get that opportunity."

JaVale McGee contributed 16 points and eight rebounds and Cameron Payne added 16 points and seven assists for Phoenix, who snapped a two-game slide and improved to 27-7. They are joint-top of the Western Conference with the Golden State Warriors.

Cameron Johnson had 12 points, Jalen Smith collected 11 points and 14 rebounds and Chris Paul added 10 points for the Suns.

Booker has scored 68 points in less than a week against the Thunder. He scored 30 when Phoenix registered a 113-101 home win over Oklahoma City last week.

"The thing you love about Book is he's a fierce competitor and he's fearless.

"He made some huge shots tonight and to get that milestone, that's just what he does," said acting Suns coach Kevin Young, filling in for Monty Williams, who is still in the league's Covid-19 health and safety protocols.

Four players, including Deandre Ayton and Jae Crowder, were also in the protocols.

Ty Jerome had career bests of 24 points and eight rebounds for Oklahoma City (12-22), who dropped their second straight game.

Aaron Wiggins added 22 points and eight boards for the Thunder, who played without leading scorer Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (ankle) and five others who were in Covid-19 protocols.

Their head coach Mark Daigneault also missed the game due to the protocols.

In Memphis, Ja Morant scored 41 points to lead the Memphis Grizzlies to a third straight win, a 104-99 comeback victory over James' Los Angeles Lakers.

Morant, whose last-second basket lifted the Grizzlies to a 114-113 win over the Suns on Monday, scored a career-high six three-pointers.

"I was taking what the defence gave me and it turned out good for us," he said. "That's normally how I attack every game. Tonight was just my night."

The Lakers were ultimately undone by 18 turnovers in an often sloppy performance that wasted a stellar 37-point effort from James.

James, on the eve of his 37th birthday, tied a career high with eight three-pointers and pulled down 13 rebounds.

REUTERS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE