RJ Barrett exploded for a career-high 46 points at Madison Square Garden on Friday night, but it wasn't enough to help the Knicks get the win against the Miami Heat, losing 115-100.
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In his return after missing four games with a sprained left ankle, Barrett shot 13-of-22 from the field, including 6-of-11 from long-range, and also added nine rebounds and two assists to his stat line.
He might have reached the 50-point mark if he had made a few more of his free throws – he finished just 14-of-22 from the charity stripe.
Even though he didn't get to 50, his 46 points were the fourth-most in NBA history by a Canadian. Denver's Jamal Murray has three of the top five totals, and the other name on the list is Andrew Wiggins.
RJ Barrett goes for 46 in the Garden tonight, tied for 4th most by a Canadian in a regular season game
— Brian Swane (@BrianSwane) February 26, 2022
50 – Murray, 2/19/21, DEN v CLE
48 – Murray, 11/5/18, DEN v BOS
47 – Wiggins, 11/13/16, MIN v LAL
46 – Murray, 12/29/18, DEN v PHX
46 – Barrett, 2/25/22, NYK v MIA#NBA75 🇨🇦
In the process, the Canadian made Knicks' franchise history, becoming just the second player ever to score 40-plus points at the age of 21 or younger. For reference, Carl Braun was the only other player to do so, and he last played for the Knicks in 1961.
RJ Barrett.
— KNICKS ON MSG (@KnicksMSGN) February 26, 2022
46 Points. pic.twitter.com/qRF6en96f5
Barrett started the first half on fire, as he had 30 of his 46 points by the halftime break. Even Heat center Bam Adebayo noticed something different in Barrett's game.
"You could see it in the body language, you could see it in his face," he said. "He wants to be that guy. You could see he wants to take his team to another level. He’s playing free."
Barrett's 46 points were the most by a Knicks player since Carmelo Anthony had 46 back in 2014.
The Knicks dropped their fourth straight and fell to 25-35 on the season.
