NBA Fans Rip Durant, Suns for Wasting Devin Booker’s 62 Points in Loss to Pacers

zach bacharContributor IJanuary 27, 2024

Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images

Devin Booker’s historic night wasn’t enough to give the Phoenix Suns a victory on Friday, losing to the Indiana Pacers by the final score of 133-131.

The 27-year-old finished with 62 points, marking the second time in his career that he’s surpassed the 60-point threshold. He made 59.5 percent of his field goal attempts, including a 6-12 mark from behind the arc.

Booker scored 29 points in the opening quarter, connecting on 10 of his first 14 shots while hitting four three-pointers. He set a Suns record for the highest-scoring individual quarter in franchise history, breaking his own previous record.

Although Phoenix held a nine-point lead with just under seven minutes remaining in the fourth, head coach Frank Vogel’s team was unable to stave off a Pacers squad missing All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton.

No other player on Phoenix’s roster stepped up late in the game, as Booker was responsible for the team’s final eight points. Kevin Durant scored 20 of his own while shooting 9-16 from the floor, although he missed a potential go-ahead three with less than 30 seconds left in the game.

NBA fans called out the lack of help for the three-time All-Star.

Phoenix Suns @SunsTonight’s @FanDuel Stat Line of the Game. pic.twitter.com/kvxocDMuAR

Bleacher Report @BleacherReportPACERS SPOIL DBOOK 62 PT GAME 🤯 pic.twitter.com/Kv0yEy1YX2

PHX Fans @PHXFansAZThis one’s on KD, Beal and Gordon.

Sam Cooper @scooperhoopsBook with a proper whistle finishes tonight with 70 and the W 😢

Zona @AZSportsZoneCan’t believe they just blew that.

What a waste of a masterclass from Devin Booker.

phoenix suns @mvpsunsdbookSomeone else need to step up book can’t do everything by himself

kevin humpherys @kevin_humpherysThat stat line and KD decided to take this with Booker at 62 pic.twitter.com/KuUSTzdaPk

PointBookGod🌵🏜️ @CactusSunnnnSmh we choked and ruined a Booker masterclass

Mo @mcfcmo1SEND BOOK SOME HELP.

With the defeat, Phoenix’s seven-game winning streak came to an end. The Suns’ schedule doesn’t get much easier, as the team is in the midst of a road trip and will have five more away games before returning to Footprint Center on Feb. 6.