Jalen Brunson’s eighth 3-point shot of the night initially appeared to be just wide of the mark, but it hit the side of the rim, bounced a few times, and finally went through.
He was so hot off the field that the shooter role almost seemed unfair. He figured it out anyway.
Brunson, a sixth-year guard, scored a career-high 50 points and made all nine of his 3-point shots, Julius Randle added 23 points and the New York Knicks defeated the Phoenix Suns 139 on Friday night. I broke it with 122.
Brunson made 17 of 23 shots, including 12 of 12 in the second half. He scored 50 points on the night with his last three. He also stole five bases.
“I had no idea,” Brunson said of his perfection from long range. “I was just playing for free.”
Brunson became the first Knicks player to score 50 points while making nine threes. He is also the first player in NBA history to make 8-of-8 3-pointers in the first half, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
Brunson became the fourth player in Knicks history to score 50 points in a game on 70% shooting, joining franchise legends Patrick Ewing, Bernard King and Willis Reed.
Phoenix, which lost star guard Bradley Beal to an ankle injury in the first quarter, has lost six of its past eight games. New York has won two of the past three.
“They made shots, they got hot and aggressive,” Suns star Kevin Durant said. “They killed us in the pick-and-roll and that was the game.”
The Suns led by 10 points midway through the third quarter, but entered the fourth quarter with a 99-97 lead. Brunson scored 19 points on 7-of-7 shooting in the quarter, including five 3-pointers, keeping the Knicks within a narrow lead.
“The way he hit the ball was special,” Knicks manager Tom Thibodeau said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
