Jalen Brunson scores 50 points, burns NBA record books

14 seconds. That’s the time it takes Jalen Brunson’s burner to heat up.

With the clock reading 11:46 on the broadcast, Brunson scored his first bucket of Friday’s matchup at Footprint Center in Phoenix, AZ. All JB would do after that is scoring 48 more points without barely missing any of the shots he hoisted.

The result? Knicks 139, Suns 122.

The stat line? 50 points, 17-of-23 from the field, 9-for-9 from three, 7-of-9 from the stripe. Nine assists. Six rebounds. Five steals.

Don’t take Brunson for granted, fellas. This is a walking gift wrapped in a Knicks uniform and we’re all here to enjoy the little man while his presence lasts. Take advantage of it. Lose sleep. Watch them all games during West Coast trips. It’s well worth it.

Brunson cooked a 50-burger in the desert under Big Three bright-yet-cold Suns and ate it whole. In a single bite at history.

What Brunsolino did on Friday, miles and miles away from the comfortable confines of his New York home, was unheard of until a few hours ago.

Peep. I have taken the time to run and link the queries on Stathead so you can get everything in proper context. Not that it makes sense, anyway, because there is no match for this man.

• Brunson is the ninth player in franchise history to score 50 points. The other eight are Richie Guerin, Willis Reed, Bernard King, Patrick Ewing, Allan Houston, Jamal Crawford, Carmelo Anthony, and Julius Randle.
• Brunson is the first player in franchise history to score 50 points while making nine threes. Jamal Crawford and Julius Randle hit the 50-figure but topped at eight treys.
• Brunson is the fourth player in franchise history with a 50+ on 70%+ shooting. The other three are Patrick Ewing, Bernard King, and Willis Reed. Brunson shot 73.9 from the floor, none of the others went past 72.4%.
• Brunson is the second player in franchise history with 40 points, five assists, and five steals. Walt Frazier did it in 1977 and 1973.
• Brunson is the third player with a 50-5-9-5 line in NBA history. The other two are Michael Jordan and Rick Barry.
• Brunson is the first player to score 30+ points without a miss in a single half in NBA history.
• Brunson is the first player to score 50+ points without missing a three-point shot attempting eight or more.
• Brunson is the first player to go 12-for-12 on field-goal attempts in a single half in the history of the Association.
• Brunson is the first player to go 8-for-8 on 3-point shots in a single half in the history of the Association.
• Brunson is one of three players with the most/nine 3-point shots attempted without a miss. The other two are Ben Gordon (twice) and Latrell Sprewell (once).

And now, for the quotes.

“It means a lot,” Brunson said after the game. “But, I mean, I try to focus on continuing to get better. We’ve got a long way to go. This is a good night, but we’ve got to bounce back and get ready for tomorrow.”

“I had no idea,” Brunson said about his perfect three-point performance. “I was just playing free.”

“It’s cool,” Brunson said. “I’m just happy about the win. That’s all I care about.”

“The way he shot the ball was special,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said.

“I told his father, ‘He had your career in one night,” Thibodeau said, referring to assistant coach Rick Brunson. “It’s great, you want your players to achieve all the things they want to achieve but you want them to do it in the context of winning.”

“I’ll keep this safe for you,” RJ Barrett said while grabbing the game ball and securing it for good. “You’re going want to have this ball forever.”

“That’s his franchise,” Kevin Durant said. “And he’s going to be a Hall of Fame player by the end of his career the way he’s playing out there.”

Jalen Brunson, take a bow.