Pistons’ Malachi Flynn Makes NBA History vs. Hawks

When nearing the end of the NBA regular season, there are always some eye-catching performances by players you haven’t heard much of throughout the last few months. With several teams already eliminated from the postseason and turning their attention to the offseason, some players are given an opportunity to play when they normally wouldn’t be.

One of those players is point guard Malachi Flynn. Flynn, who started the season with the Toronto Raptors, had a pit stop with the New York Knicks before being traded to the Detroit Pistons ahead of the NBA Trade Deadline.

Flynn has been a small part of the Pistons rotation since the deal, struggling to crack the rotation when the team has been healthy. But, with several regulars sitting out games recently, it has given Flynn a chance to play and he has taken full advantage.

On Wednesday night, he played a season-high 34 minutes and had the best scoring night of his NBA career. He poured in 50 points off the bench, shooting 18-of-25 from the field while going 5-of-9 on 3-pointers and 9-of-12 on free throw attempts.

It was a record-setting performance by Flynn, who has etched his name in NBA history. As shared by Tim MacMahon of ESPN, no player has ever averaged fewer points per game than Flynn heading into their 50-point performance.

Going into Wednesday night, the No. 29 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft averaged only 5.2 points per game in his career. That bested the previous record held by Terrence Ross, who averaged 7.4 points per game at the time of his 50-point outburst.