Jalen Brunson’s eighth three-point attempt of the night looked off-target at first, hitting the side of the rim before bouncing several times and eventually falling.
He was so hot from the field that the pitcher’s throw seemed almost unfair. He got it anyway.
Brunson, a sixth-year guard, scored a career-high 50 points while hitting all nine of his three-point attempts, and Julius Randle added 23 points as the New York Knicks beat the Phoenix Suns 139-122 on Friday night.
It was a terrific shooting display from Brunson, who made 17 of 23 shots, including 12 of 12 in the second half. The last 3 brought him to 50 points on the night. He also had five steals.
“I had no idea,” Bronson said of his perfection from a distance. “I was playing for free.”
Brunson is the first Knicks player to score 50 points while making nine 3-pointers. He is also the first player to go 8-for-8 on 3-pointers in the first half in NBA history, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.
Brunson is the fourth player in Knicks history to record a 50-point game on 70% shooting, joining franchise legends Patrick Ewing, Bernard King and Willis Reed.
Phoenix, which lost star 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 fired up and 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 settled for a 99-97 lead heading into the fourth. Bronson kept the Knicks close with 19 points in the quarter on 7-for-7 shooting, including five 3-pointers.
“The way he shot the ball was special,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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