Aron Baynes scored a career-high 37 points on a career-high nine three-pointers as the Phoenix Suns beat the Portland Trail Blazers 127-117 on Friday night to snap a four-game losing streak.
His effort came at the ideal time for the Arizona club, who had just nine healthy players.
Starting center Deandre Ayton missed the game after spraining his ankle at the end of Tuesday's loss to Toronto. Cameron Johnson (illness), Kelly Oubre Jr. (right knee injury) and Frank Kaminsky III (right patella stress fracture) were also out.
The huge night came one game after the big Australian did not even play against the Toronto Raptors because coach Monty Williams did not like the matchup.
"It can be funny in the NBA like that," Baynes said. "Night to night it can be completely different. One thing we've done well as a team is a next-man-up mentality. If you go out there and play within Monty's system, he usually puts you in places to succeed"
Baynes was 9 of 14 from long distance and 12 of 23 overall. He also had 16 rebounds. His 37-point mark is also a new record scoring effort for an Australian in the NBA.
"All I was trying to do is play within the system," Baynes said. "Big credit to the guys with the ball in their hand a lot. They were getting blitzed, [Devin Booker] was making great decisions - Ricky (Rubio) continuing to do the same.
"When those guys facilitate, it leaves a lot of guys wide open and you just have to step in and try to knock down those shots."
Phoenix never trailed and hit 19 shots from deep. It was a much-needed win for the Suns after they had lost four straight home games to hurt their already fading playoff hopes.
The 6-foot-10 Baynes is an eight-year NBA veteran but almost never shot three-pointers until last season. He made it a big part of his game when he joined the Suns this season and was hitting them at a 33 per cent rate coming into Friday.
He came out firing against the Blazers, hitting five from beyond the arc in the first quarter, which already beat his career high of four, He was especially good from his favourite spot at the top of the key and his nine three-pointers tied a single-game franchise record.
By the end of the night, the crowd was screaming for him to shoot every time he touched the ball beyond the arc.
"Exactly how I drew it up this morning," Williams said laughing. "Aron, go for 37. Nine threes. He got the guys going when he started dropping a few of them. Then we started running a few plays for him."
Williams said the initial plan was that Baynes was not going to get normal starter minutes. but in the end he led all players in minutes played on the night with 36.
"If a guy makes that many threes, he can stay on the floor as long as he wants," the coach said wryly.
Opposing center Hassan Whiteside admitted the Blazers simply didn't have an answer for Baynes.
"He had a career night, bro. It happens," Whiteside said. "He took 23 shots. He got hot. Once he hit a step back over [Lillard], I knew he was feeling good."
Blazers coach Terry Stotts added: "You expect him to make some threes but you don't expect him to make that many."
The Suns led 56-33 midway through the second quarter but Portland responded with a big run to close the gap to 67-58 by halftime. Baynes had 22 points by the break, making six three-pointers. McCollum had 16 points for the Blazers.