December 16, 2023, 1:04 a.m. ET
Jalen Brunson's eighth 3-point attempt of the night initially looked a little off as it hit the side of the rim before bouncing back and forth a few times and ultimately falling through.
He was so hot off the field that a shooter's throw seemed almost unfair. He still understood it.
Brunson, a sixth-year guard, scored on all nine of his 3-point attempts for a career-high 50 points, Julius Randle added 23 and the New York Knicks defeated the Phoenix Suns 139-122 on Friday night.
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It was a brilliant shooting performance from Brunson, who made 17 of 23 shots, including 12 of 12 in the second half. His last 3 gave him 50 points for the night. He also had five thefts.
“I had no idea,” Brunson said of his perfection from distance. “I was just playing freely.”
Brunson is the first Knicks player ever to score 50 points while making nine 3s. He is also the first player in NBA history to go 8-on-8 with 3-pointers in a half, according to a study by ESPN Stats & Information.
Brunson joins franchise legends Patrick Ewing, Bernard King and Willis Reed as just the fourth player in Knicks history to record a 50-point game while shooting 70%.
Phoenix – which lost star guard Bradley Beal to an ankle injury in the first quarter – has lost six of its last eight games. New York has won two of its last three games.
“They were making shots and just getting 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 quarter. Brunson 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.