In this list, look for the odd one out: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Devin Booker, Jalen Brunson, Stephen Curry, Luka Doncic, Joel Embiid, Zach LaVine, Tyrese Maxey, Karl-Anthony Towns… and Malachi Flynn. The Pistons player was invited to an All-Star club, as the 10th player this season to score 50 points in a game.
Against Atlanta, the leader of the Pistons signed the best performance, by far, of his career, he who had only done better than 27 units. Enough to make his performance one of the most unexpected in the history of the league.
One number alone almost sums up this out-of-nowhere release. Of all the players to have scored 50 points in a game in the NBA, Malachi Flynn has – and by a comfortable margin – lowest career points average (5.2 points), ahead of the 7.4 units of former Raptors winger Terrence Ross.
Third substitute to score 50 points in the NBA
Malachi Flynn did not take advantage of the absence of Cade Cunningham on Wednesday to find his place in Detroit's starting five with the Hawks. But he was able to benefit from increased playing time, of which he used every minute.
Perfectly launched with 17 points in just over 13 minutes in the first period to allow the Michigan franchise to stay in touch, he no longer cooled down. “ He made contested shots and he made free throws, that put him in the rhythm »Hawks coach Quin Snyder could only observe. “ We tried to be more aggressive and affect his game, but he continued to produce big plays. He was great. »
While the Pistons could have been heading for another lackluster setback, Malachi Flynn tried everything to keep his team afloat. Long shots, penetrations while touching, the 25-year-old displayed his beautiful range of scorer. His 50 points mark a record for a replacement in the history of the Pistons, and even the second highest total coming off the bench since Jamal Crawford's 51 points in 2019, Only Jamal Crawford and Nick Anderson, author of 50 points with the Magic against the Nets in 1993, had already reached this mark of 50 units by having started a meeting on the bench.
The Hawks often take boxes…
In an end-of-season context sometimes conducive to surprise performances in low-stakes matches, Malachi Flynn scored his 50 points against the Hawks who had to win to secure a place in the play-in on Wednesday. Atlanta's defense is not exempt from all criticism, having already conceded the season record and 73 points from Luka Doncic, or Stephen Curry's 60 points at the start of February. But above all she fell on a Flynn on a mission, at 18/25 shooting, and who added 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 interceptions to try to snatch the victory, in vain.
“ Right now it's hard because in the end what you want is to win » admitted the (slightly) unhappy hero of the evening. “ But it feels good to seize this moment. I'm sure in a few days it will be nice. »
The revenge of a fierce
For Malachi Flynn, this XXL match feels like a breath of fresh air. Initially appreciated, but ultimately given little responsibility to the Raptors, who drafted him as the 29th choice in 2020, the playmaker is in his third franchise this season after Toronto and an express visit to New York before serving a second time as a bargaining chip towards Detroit. With the Pistons, he was able to seize the opportunity of a decimated squad lacking talent to spend time on the floor, with the last seven games already interesting (9.7 points).
“ He simply gives his all to his game. He’s in the gym every morning, often an hour before training, sometimes more.” We hear that every night in the NBA, and it's Monty Williams who says it in turn. “You saw what happened tonight. All the shots he put are ones I see him working on every day. And he didn't just do that. He made some precise passes which say a lot about the player he is. » A hard-working, confident player who scores points, a few weeks before his contract ends.
