Jamal Crawford on Isiah Thomas benching him early in 52-point game at MSG: "I would have got 65, easy"
Jamal Crawford had 52 points against the Miami Heat in 2007, including a stretch of 16 straight made shots. Yet with nearly seven minutes still on the clock, New York Knicks head coach Isiah Thomas pulled him out for good.
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Why did Thomas cut his career night short? According to Crawford, he had a noble reason for doing so.
"Well, I know why he took me out," Crawford told KnicksFanTV. "He took me out because, I think, when you go back, the brawl happened with Denver earlier that season. Isiah just had a respect for the game that when they took out their best player, we're taking out you."
"So, I came out when (Dwyane) Wade came out. When they took Wade out, it's time for you to come out. He's always big on respecting the game and not getting to the personal part of it," he added.
Crawford couldn't get any hotter
Jason Kapono replaced Dwyane Wade at the 7:08 mark of the final quarter. Seconds later, Thomas sent Mardy Collins to check in for Crawford, who scored his last basket to put the Knicks up 110-85.
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The Denver-New York brawl did happen earlier that season, a month before Crawford's 52-point explosion. The fight reportedly happened because the Nuggets' coach, George Karl, left J.R. Smith and his starters on the floor when the game had already been decided. Perhaps, Thomas didn't want to make the same mistake.
Still, one can't help but wonder what could've been if he had left Crawford on the floor longer. The retired guard, though, knows he would've made that night even more historic.
"I do personally remember that was the hottest night of my life. CP, I'm gonna be honest with you, because I came out with seven minutes left. If I stayed in that game and I played the whole time, I think I would have got 65, easy. Easy and not even forcing that," Crawford said with a straight face.
The Knicks guard hit 20 out of his 30 shots and drilled eight 3-pointers on 10 attempts. It's also safe to assume his teammates would've fed him the ball had he stayed on the court. That makes the 65-point mark seem very reachable.
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Related: CJ McCollum explains the difference between a good and a great NBA player: "I've seen LeBron ice in the club"
10 points shy of the MSG record
If Crawford's hunch were correct — that he had 65 in him that night — he would've walked away with the most points ever scored at Madison Square Garden. That honor belongs to Carmelo Anthony, who lit up the Charlotte Bobcats for 62 points in January 2014.
Before that, Kobe Bryant held the record, thanks to his 61-point performance in February 2009. LeBron James also had quite a night at the Big Apple on February 4, 2009, finishing with 52 points, nine rebounds and 11 assists.
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The list of all-time Garden scorers includes Bernard King, who poured in 60 on Christmas Day in 1984, Michael Jordan's 55-point masterpiece in 1995 and Patrick Ewing's career-high 50 in 1990. King's record stood for 25 years in the history books before Bryant rewrote it.
With nearly seven minutes left, Crawford had a lot of time to ensure he sat at the top of the list. If Thomas had let him finish the job, history might have read differently.
Related: Grant Hill puts Jamal Crawford in a special category: "He's your favorite player's favorite player"
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 13, 2025, where it first appeared.
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