On March 24 in 2017, Devin Booker went off for a career-high and franchise-record 70 points against the Celtics in a 130-120 loss at the TD Garden.
He became the sixth player in NBA history after Wilt Chamberlain, Kobe Bryant, David Robinson, Elgin Baylor, and David Thompson to score 70 or more in a single NBA game. It was the 11th time ever that an NBA game witnessed a 70-point performance.
Aged 20 at that time, Booker was the youngest player ever to score at least 60 or 70 in an NBA game.
March 24, 2017.
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) July 30, 2018
Devin Booker broke the Suns single-game scoring record with 70 points in Boston! pic.twitter.com/H4Qmsu3Fy2
Playing 45 of a possible 48 minutes, Booker shot 21-of-40 from the field and a near-perfect 24-of-26 from the free-throw line, while also recording eight rebounds, six assists, and three steals.
He scored 51 of his 70 in the second half in an attempt to spur the Suns to victory, but they ultimately fell short.
Other notable events on March 24
- In 1969, Baltimore Bullets' Wes Unseld became the second rookie (Wilt Chamberlain was the other) in NBA history to be named league MVP.
- In 1969, Elvin Hayes became the first rookie since Wilt Chamberlain to lead the league in scoring, averaging 28.4 for the 1968-69 season.
- In 1970, Jerry West clinched the first and only scoring title of his career. For the 1969-70 season, he stacked up 2,309 points in 74 games for a 31.2 ppg average.
- In 1973, Kansas City-Omaha's Nate "Tiny" Archibald became the first player in NBA history to lead the league in scoring (34.0) and assists (11.4) in the same season.
- In 1979, the Portland Trail Blazers retire their first jersey - Lloyd Neal's No. 36.
