RJ Barrett had a reason to hold his head high after the New York Knicks suffered a crushing 144-122 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday, as his 18-point performance moved him to No. 27 on their all-time scoring list ahead of Jamal Crawford.
New York Basketball shared the news via Twitter earlier today:
Knicks’ Barrett Advancing Career Point Totals in a Short Amount of Time
Barrett got his 18 points on 7-15 shooting from the field in yet another efficient outing for the Knicks. His scoring achievement was a silver lining on the night as he reached 5,281 career points.
Impressively, Barrett has amassed such a high-point total in only 291 games with the Knicks. It took Crawford 299 games to get to 5,268 points while NBA great Bernard King, who is next in line for Barrett to try and usurp at No. 26 overall, reached 5,458 points in only 206 games before injuries took their toll.
- Knicks have answer to defensive woes already on the roster
- Knicks have pressing need for reinforcements prior to deadline
- Knicks’ first-round pick making rapid strides in development
Barrett Can Reach as High as No. 21 in Knicks All-Time Scoring List Before the Season Ends
Barrett currently averages 19.1 points per game on the 2023-24 campaign, putting him within 177 points of passing King, which he’s on pace to accomplish in nine games. As he’s averaged around 70 games played per season, Barrett has the chance to rise to as high as No. 21 overall should he play in 44 more games.
The Knicks will need more strong offensive outings from the Duke University product if they want to make a strong playoff push this Spring. The Knicks are 14-11 on the year and are in need of a hot stretch to help them rise higher than the No. 6 seed out East and contend for home-court advantage in the first round of the postseason, which they’ll likely only achieve with Barrett at full capacity.
