Suns’ Kevin Durant: Knicks’ Jalen Brunson a ‘Hall of Fame Player If He Keeps It Up’

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Kevin Durant had high praise for Jalen Brunson after getting an in-person look at one of the best shooting performances in NBA history during the New York Knicks’ 139-122 win over the Phoenix Suns on Friday night.

The Suns star told reporters after the game that Brunson is a “Hall of Fame player if he keeps it up.”

Brunson scored a career-high 50 points on 17-of-23 shooting with nine assists, six rebounds and five steals in the victory. He was 12-of-12 from the field in the second half and made all nine of his three-point attempts (8-of-8 in the second half).

Per the NBA, Brunson joins Michael Jordan and Rick Barry as the only players in league history with at least 50 points, nine assists, five rebounds and five steals in a single game.

ESPN noted Brunson is the first player in NBA history to score at least 50 points in a game without missing a three-pointer.

Brunson’s outburst sparked the Knicks’ 76-point second half. They went into the break trailing the Suns 68-63, despite getting at least 13 points from Brunson, Julius Randle and RJ Barrett.

The Suns had four starters with at least 10 points in the first half. Durant looked like he was going to match Brunson shot-for-shot early with 17 points and four made three-pointers through the first two quarters.

While Durant leveled off in the second half, Brunson hit another level by scoring 35 points over the final 24 minutes. He’s the first Knicks player to drop 50 in a game since Julius Randle’s 57-point outing against the Minnesota Timberwolves on March 20.

In his second season with the Knicks, Brunson is making a strong case to be an All-Star for the first time in his career. The 27-year-old is averaging a career-high 25.6 points per game and ranks ninth in the league with a 46.0 percent success rate from behind the arc.