LOS ANGELES (AFP) — Devin Booker scored 58 points to propel the Phoenix Suns to a come-from-behind 118-114 victory over New Orleans on Saturday, his second 50-point performance of the National Basketball Association season.
Booker scored 36 points in the second half as the Suns, who trailed by as many as 24 in the third quarter, sliced the deficit to 89-84 heading into the final frame.
They took a 106-105 lead on Chris Paul’s three-pointer with 5:24 to play. The Pelicans would tie it up one more time before Bismack Biyombo’s layup put Phoenix ahead for good with 4:11 remaining.
With his second 50-point game of the season Booker, 26, became the sixth-youngest player to score 12,000 points.
Paul scored 18 points and Mykal Bridges added 15 for the Suns.
Zion Williamson scored 30 to lead the Pelicans, who fell to 18-11 — one game behind Western Conference leaders Memphis whose seven-game winning streak ended with a 115-109 loss to the Thunder in Oklahoma City.
The Grizzlies were down 61-40 when star Ja Morant was ejected in the waning seconds of the first half after he received a second technical foul apparently for criticizing the officiating while talking to a fan.
Morant, who had picked up his first technical seconds earlier complaining about a call, finished with six points and five rebounds.
