Booker Scores 59, Fredette Scores 6 In Loss To Jazz
Mar 25, 2019, 10:10 PM
Utah Jazz forward Joe Ingles (2) guards Phoenix Suns guard Jimmer Fredette (32) during an NBA basketball game at the Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City on Monday, March 25, 2019. (Kristin Murphy, Deseret News)
(Kristin Murphy, Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – It’s possible that several fans came to the game between the Utah Jazz and Phoenix Suns expecting a large scoring outburst from a Phoenix guard.
However, those same fans were likely left a little disappointed that the scoring was done by Phoenix’s Devin Booker and not former BYU legendary bucket-getter Jimmer Fredette.
Twitter user James Hansen may have had the funniest observation of the night during game’s action.
Devin Booker and JIMMER have 41 combined!!!
— James Hansen (@hansenjames) March 26, 2019
As it turned out, Fredette and Booker combined for 65 points, with nearly all of them coming from Booker, who finished with 59 points.
Getting points in high volume is nothing new to Booker. He scored 70 points almost exactly two years ago from Monday’s game in Utah against the Boston Celtics. The Suns lost that game too, by score of 130-120, but Booker made history as the youngest player to ever score that amount in an NBA game.
As Booker checked out of the game midway through the fourth quarter, the opposing crowd acknowledged his performance with a noticeable round of applause. He would later check back in, but the applause the first time left in the fourth quarter was the loudest.
The irony was, however, that no one elicited more cheers than Fredette. Every time he touched the ball, especially late in the game, the crowd went wild. As he launched each unsuccessful shot attempt, an audible gasp rang throughout the arena, only to be met with a collective frustrated sigh of disappointment every time.
STOLE THE SHOW IN UTAH!@DevinBook is tonight's @CarlsJr ⭐️⭐️⭐️ pic.twitter.com/29RsyZISEN
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) March 26, 2019
Finally, with less than two and a half minutes to go, Fredette was fouled and sent to the line. He drained both free throws for his only two points of the game.
The crowd went nuts.
A minute later, on his ninth shooting attempt of the night, he finally made his first field goal, a little bank shot from five feet out.
The crowd went nuts again.
#JimmerTime gets his first points in a Suns uniform!
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) March 26, 2019
30 seconds later, Fredette went to the line again and knocked down another pair of free throws to end his night with six points on 1-for-10 shooting.
All in all, for the second time in three years it was a loss and a huge scoring night for Devin Booker. For Jimmer Fredette it was fun experience, but not a terrific offensive showing.
The Jazz won 125-92.
