NBA Top Five Performances, March 25: Devin Booker Had 29 Points In Phoenix Suns' Win Against the Philadelphia 76ers

TOP PLAYERS OF THE DAY:

Worries began to sink in after the Phoenix Suns lost six of seven games in the absence of Kevin Durant. Devin Booker answered with a 29-point performance to help Phoenix defeat the Philadelphia 76ers in overwhelming fashion. A string of close losses eventually turned into a victory for Phoenix on Saturday. Even with the Suns’ recent losses, Booker is still performing at a high level in March, averaging 33.4 points on 58 percent shooting. With Durant trending toward a possible return this week, Phoenix looks to get back on their championship train.

“I think anytime he’s in that mode, it’s a number of things,” coach Monty Williams said about Booker. “Our bigs are setting good screens so he can attack. We’re playing in action pass 0.5 and it’s just his instinct to get to the basket.”

OTHERS:

- Trey Murphy III’s career-high 10 3-pointers contributed to a 32-point night in the New Orleans Pelicans’ blowout victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.

- Nikola Jokic had 31 points, 11 assists and six rebounds in the Denver Nuggets’ blowout win against the Milwaukee Bucks. The Nuggets have won three consecutive games after losing five of six.

- Despite the loss, Utah Jazz rookie center Walker Kessler had a career-high 31 points and 11 rebounds against the Sacramento Kings. Kessler became the first rookie in franchise history to have at least 30 points and 10 rebounds in a single game.

- Dejounte Murray had 20 points, 12 assists and two steals to help the Atlanta Hawks win over the Indiana Pacers without Trae Young in the fourth quarter.

Jayden Armant is a contributor to Inside the Heat. He is a student at Howard University. He can be reached at jayden.armant@bison.howard.edu or follow him on Twitter @jaydenarmant.