All nine three-pointers from Deuce McBride’s career night in Toronto

The New York Knicks (44-28) handed the depleted Toronto Raptors their fiftieth loss of the season on Wednesday. In the 145-101 blowout, 6’2” shooting guard Miles “Deuce” McBride contributed 29 of those points, tying his career-high (a record set earlier in the month against the Warriors).

While burying the Raptors, Deuce hit a career-best nine three-pointers, shot 10-of-17 from the field and 64% from deep, and dished up seven assists. It was a masterful performance from a player who spent a lot of time on the pine before January 2024. For your pleasure, here are all nine of his three-point beauties.

1) Before this January 2024, Deuce had started four NBA games. Since then, due to a spate of team injuries, he has started 10. Always be ready for opportunity, kids. Here he handles a low pass from Isaiah Hartenstein, regains his composure, plants his feet, and fires in the face of Gary Trent, Jr. to record the first points of the game.

2) Deuce was always a killer defender but took a while to click offensively. He never stopped working, however, and has been praised of late for his Mamba-like focus on preparation. It shows the most in his fundamentally strong three-point stroke. Last season, he hit 30% from downtown on 2.1 attempts per game. This season? 42% from downtown on 3.6 attempts, and he has shot 81-of-192 since January 1, 2024. This triple put the Knicks up 9-2.

3) Lacking in height, Deuce needs a high release to clear a defender’s fingertips. With every shot he jumps to his highest point and lets the ball fly as high as he can, capitalizing on his 6’8.75” wingspan. This 25-footer, his third longball in the first three minutes, put New York up 12-5.

4) McBride hit 70-of-190 three-pointers in his two-year college career, or 37%. The hard work he’s put into perfecting his shot—including shooting 500 triples per day—has clearly paid off. Still in the first quarter, Deuce hits his fourth triple, a 26-footer, at the seven-minute mark to put our heroes up 23-15. Here, Jalen Brunson drives the paint, stumbles while drawing the attention of all five Raptors, and kicks out to a wide-open Deuce. McBride’s fourth three put the Knicks ahead 23-15.

5) Stilllll in the first quarter, the 23-year-old pride of Cincinnati corrals an off-target pass from Donte DiVincenzo—also a decent marksman—and fires before Gradey Dick can even come close to his air-space. Knicks up, 31-19.

6) Yep, still in the first quarter. McBride made himself undeniable with tenacious defense, and he rates in the 89th percentile for deflections (3.2 per game). Now that his offensive skills have caught up, how do you slide this guy back to the second unit? The following triple, assisted by Jalen Brunson, was his sixth, the most a Knick has made in a quarter this season. It gave New York a 38-21 lead.

7) In December, McBride agreed to a three-year, $13 million contract extension. In light of his recent production, that’s starting to look like Leon Rose’s shrewdest deal yet. Here’s Deuce in the third quarter, swishing his seventh triple to put New York up by 20.

8) This was McBride’s fifth straight game with 40+ minutes played. In the fourth quarter. Bojan Bogdanovic connected with Deuce for the following bomb, his eighth of the contest. With his spirit broken, Gradey Dick demonstrates disinterest in contesting this 28-footer. Knicks up 125-91; Raptors crying for mercy.

9) With just under five minutes remaining, Deuce hits his new career-high, a ninth three-pointer. Remarkably, Donte DiVincenzo had just set a new Knicks record for most threes in a game on Monday, with 11 against Detroit. Briefly, fans at home wondered if McBride might try to match DiVo’s mark, but Thibs subbed out the flamethrower at 4:49 in a rare act of mercy toward the opponent.

To those who claim that this team lacks shooting, Donte and Deuce are offering an emphatic rebuttal. The question that has arisen is: will Thibs send McBride back to the bench once OG Anunoby and Julius Randle return from their injuries, or will Donte move to the second squad and assume leadership duties there?

That, my friends, is called a luxury problem. Congratulations on a beautiful game, Deuce. Go Knicks!