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Phoenix Suns superstar Kevin Durant instantly became a Jalen Brunson fan after the New York Knicks star lit him and his Phoenix Suns up with a career-high 50 points.
“That’s his franchise,” Durant said of Brunson via New York Post. “And he’s going to be a Hall of Fame player by the end of his career the way he’s playing out there.”
“If he keeps this up, he’s on a great pace to do that. They all support him. They put in sets for him, they ran plays for him. When he gets hot, they continue to get him the ball,” Durant said. “So tonight is one of those nights for him.”
Brunson was perfect from downtown, sinking a record 9 of 9 3-pointers en route to leading the Knicks to a 139-122 upset win over the Suns on Friday, December 15.
He became the only second player in NBA history after Durant’s former teammate, Kyrie Irving, to score at least 50 points while not missing a 3-pointer. But Brunson is the only player in NBA history to score 50 points and went 9 of 9 from 3.
Brunson dominated the Suns not only from deep. He bent their defense in every imaginable way.
The Knicks star laced up his career night with nine assists, six rebounds and five steals.
Brunson joined Knicks legend Walt “Clyde” Frazier as the only player in franchise history to have recorded at least 40 points, five assists and five steals in a single game.
It was 50 years apart.
A former second-round pick, Brunson’s rise to stardom is nothing short of spectacular in one of the NBA’s biggest markets.
He got Durant’s approval.
More on Jalen Brunson’s Historic Night
Brunson obliterated the Suns’ defense, hitting 17 of 23 shots as he became just 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.
But he also made exclusive records.
Brunson is the first Knicks player ever to score 50 points while making nine 3s. He also is the first player to go 8-for-8 on 3-pointers in a half in NBA history, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.
And in a typical Brunson fashion, he just shrugs off the accolades.
“It means a lot. But I wanted to focus on continuing to get better,” he told ESPN’s sideline reporter Rosalyn Gold-Onwude. “I mean, we got a long way to go. This was a good night but we got to get ready for [Saturday].”
The Knicks visit the Los Angeles Clippers on the second night of a back-to-back schedule on the road.
Knicks Not Interested in Zach LaVine
Chicago Bulls insider K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago revealed that the Knicks are not interested in trading for the two-time All-Star wing, who played for one season under Thibodeau in Minnesota.
“League sources have previously told NBC Sports Chicago that the New York Knicks, another rumored landing spot for LaVine, have never seriously engaged or shown interest. Same goes, at least for now, for the Philadelphia 76ers and Miami Heat,” Johnson wrote.
The Bulls are having a hard time creating a market for the injured LaVine, who is out until January to treat his current right foot inflammation.
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