Doug Haller

azcentral sports

BOSTON – When it was over, after Devin Booker had scored the last of his franchise-record 70 points, Suns veteran Tyson Chandler found his teammate on the court and embraced him.

"I was proud of him at 50, but Jesus, 70?" Chandler said, recalling his thoughts on the court. "I told him, I said, 'Listen, you're 20 years old and you had your name being chanted in the Garden. You turned the Garden around.'''

The Suns are in a free fall. Counting Friday's 130-120 loss to the Celtics at TD Garden, they have lost seven in row. Most fans are more interested in the draft lottery than this season's final few weeks. For one night, however, Booker lassoed their attention once more.

In front of 18,624 fans, Booker became the sixth player in league history to score at least 70 points in a game, joining Wilt Chamberlain, Kobe Bryant, David Thompson, Elgin Baylor and David Robinson. At 20 years and 145 days, he also became the third youngest to record a 50-point game, behind Brandon Jennings and LeBron James.

"You're in the gym alone," Booker said. "You're taking shots. You're making them consecutively. That's what it starting feeling like for me. I felt comfortable (like) I was in my home gym, training. It started getting easier and easier."

BOX SCORE: Celtics 130, Suns 120

Just a few days ago, Booker was in a slump. Entering Thursday's loss at Brooklyn, while battling ankle soreness, he had made just 13 of 55 over three games. Against the Celtics, Booker looked more like himself. Once he got rolling, he didn't stop. He hit a bank shot in transition. He canned a jumper and was fouled. He scored in the post.

Overall, Booker sank 21 of 40 from the field and 24 of 26 from the foul line. He had 19 points at halftime and a career-high 42 through three before exploding for 28 in the fourth.

"No matter who we tried on him, what we tried on him, he was in one of those zones, in a rhythm," Boston coach Brad Stevens said.

With 1:48 to go, Booker put back his own miss, breaking Tom Chambers' franchise record of 60 points, scored 27 years ago to the day against Seattle. By then, the Garden crowd was yelling for Booker to shoot every time he touched the ball, booing the officials after waving off a made 3-pointer because of an offensive foul. The second-year guard reached 70 after hitting two foul shots with 37.8 seconds left.

"I seen an interview with Kobe (once), and he said what separated him from a lot of people was everyone thought 30 points were a lot," Booker said. "He said he never set himself a limit, and that always (stuck) in my head. He said he'd score 100 if he could, so I don't put a limit on anything."

Over the final minutes, the Suns did everything possible to get Booker the ball. Each possession, it became their mission. Everyone knew what was at stake. At the time, the NBA had produced only 10 70-point games in history, and here was Booker, gunning for the 11th.

"Him, every time," forward Jared Dudley said. "One, we trusted him to make the right play. Two, he was the hottest guy."

With the game mostly out of reach – the Suns trailed by 18 with 3:37 to go – coach Earl Watson called timeouts to stop the clock and set up plays. This didn't sit well with the Celtics. After the game, some exchanged words with the Suns (22-51) as the teams walked off the court.

"It was weird what they were doing," Boston guard Isaiah Thomas said. "I don't think anybody has ever seen that; continuing to call timeouts, continuing to foul when we're up 15, but I mean it was obvious what they were trying to do."

Responded Watson: "I'm not coming into any arena trying to be liked. I don't care about being liked. We come in here and we're trying to build something with this young group. If people don't like us while we build it, so what. Do something about it. Simple as that."

In the locker room, Watson gave Booker the game ball. Veteran teammate Ronnie Price showered the guard with ice.

SUNS FREE APP: iPhone | Android

"I don't care if you're playing high school basketball,'' Price said. "I don't care if you're playing AAU basketball. Rec-league basketball. Seventy points is a lot of points. To be able to score the ball like that on this level when guys are keying on you, switching on you, and with the ease and poise (in how) he did it ... It's like watching a little brother open up another level of his game. And we still haven't seen his limits. He still has room to grow."

In addition to scoring, Booker, playing the point for a significant time, had eight rebounds and six assists. No wonder Boston fans applauded him.

"That meant a lot," Booker said. "A storied franchise like the Boston Celtics, and to do it here at the TD Garden, it's a night I'm going to remember for the rest of my life."

Contact Doug Haller at 602-444-4949 or at doug.haller@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on Twitter.com/DougHaller. ​