The Suns fell 125-92 to the Jazz on Monday but it wasn't due to a lack of shooting from one player.
Devin Booker dropped 59 points in the team's fourth consecutive loss to become the first player in NBA history with 50 in a game in which his team lost by 30 or more.
While the stat is impressive — and it is head-shake worthy — the fourth-year guard hit other milestones in the process.
- He became the sixth player in NBA history with multiple games of 59 or more points to join Wilt Chamberlain (40), Kobe Bryant (6), Michael Jordan (5), Elgin Baylor (3) and James Harden (3).
- Booker scored the fifth-most points relative to his team in a game in league history after recording 64 percent of the Suns' points. It was the second-highest percentage in the past 25 seasons behind only Bryant, who scored 66 percent of the Lakers' points in his 81-point game in 2006.
- He scored the most points in the 22-year history of the Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City. The previous high was 51 held by Karl Malone, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf and James.
However, it seems that even Booker's greatest nights aren't enough to help the struggling Suns. His previous season high of 55 points was set in December during a triple-overtime loss to the Wizards.
"He did more than enough," rookie center Deandre Ayton said after the loss in Utah, via the Arizona Republic. "We just couldn't really contribute with him."
Booker is showing no signs of stopping during in the team's final seven games despite the Suns' lottery-bound ending. Phoenix's 17-58 record is the second worst in the league behind New York — the Knicks have compiled just a 14-60 record.
"Every time I lace up my shoes, I'm going out there to compete and win and try to lead my team to victory," Booker said. "So whatever I have to do to do that. I had it rolling a little bit today. We kept playing through me, but my teammates were setting good screens, getting the ball on time."
Stats provided by ESPN.
