SALT LAKE CITY – On this present day 23 years in the past, Karl Malone set a playoff document when he scored 50 factors towards the Seattle SuperSonics within the first spherical of the 2000 NBA Playoffs.
Malone turned the oldest participant in NBA historical past to attain 50+ factors in a playoff recreation (36 years, 273 days). He completed with 50 factors, 12 rebounds, and three steals on 18/32 taking pictures.
On this present day 20 years in the past, Karl Malone turned the oldest participant (36 years, 273 days) to attain 50+ factors in an #NBA playoff recreation. He scored 50 towards the SuperSonics in Sport 1 of their 2000 NBA Playoffs sequence. #KSLSportsArchive #takenote pic.twitter.com/Nqv1BHyo3L
— Jeremiah Jensen (@JJSportsBeat) April 22, 2020
Malone’s document was beforehand held by Michael Jordan who scored 55 towards the Washington Bullets at 34 years outdated in 1997.
There are simply 5 gamers in NBA historical past who’ve scored 50+ factors in a playoff recreation at age 33 or older.
Malone Wills Jazz To First-Spherical Win
It was clearly Malone’s evening from the primary quarter. He scored 12 of Utah’s first 14 factors on 5/7 taking pictures.
Regardless of Malone’s heroics, the Jazz trailed for a lot of the primary two quarters.
The 50-point mark was in sight for Malone on the half. He went into the break with 24 factors. Utah led by three at dwelling, 52-49.
On This Day in 2000: Karl Malone drops 50 factors in a win over the Seattle SuperSonics within the First Spherical.
Malone, who was 36 years outdated on the time of the sport, remains to be the oldest participant in NBA historical past to attain 50 factors in a playoff recreation. pic.twitter.com/wsF9O9uPU5
— ESPN Stats & Information (@ESPNStatsInfo) April 22, 2022
Seattle had no reply for the Mailman. Whether or not it was mid-range jumpshots, post-ups, or fastbreak factors, Malone’s pictures stored discovering the underside of the online.
He even made a three-pointer regardless of solely having 2 makes from behind the arc in his 82 video games performed within the common season.
Malone completed the third quarter with 35 factors because the Jazz jumped out to a commanding double-digit lead.
April twenty second, 2000: 36-year-old Karl Malone scores 50 factors and 12 rebounds in a 104-93 win over the Seattle SuperSonics.
He’s the oldest participant to attain 50 factors in a playoff recreation (36-273).#Jazz | #NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/TxmTbF9RoH
— Basketball Reference (@bball_ref) April 22, 2022
Malone didn’t rating for the primary 4 minutes of the ultimate quarter.
After hitting his one three with 8 minutes left, Malone went on to attain 13 straight factors for Utah.
With lower than a minute left within the recreation, Malone acquired the ball within the submit and hit a mid-range jumpshot to achieve 50 factors and cap off a historic evening.
The 1999-2000 Utah Jazz
The Jazz had a powerful season in 1999-2000 however in the end fell brief within the playoffs.
Utah completed with a 55-27 document which was good for the second seed within the Western Convention.
After beating the SuperSonics within the first spherical, the Jazz went on to lose to the Portland Trailblazers within the convention semifinals. Scottie Pippen hit a three-point shot to down the Jazz within the fifth and remaining recreation of the sequence.
SCOTTIE! pic.twitter.com/QJPNCIx9Ib
— Portland Path Blazers (@trailblazers) March 26, 2020
Portland misplaced to Los Angeles within the following spherical, who went on to win the championship.
Within the 1999-2000 common season, Karl Malone handed the 30,000 profession factors mark. John Stockton set a document of his personal as he turned the longest-tenured participant with one franchise in NBA historical past.
On this present day in 2000, John Stockton appeared in his 1,271st NBA recreation with the @utahjazz, breaking John Havlicek’s (BOS) document for many profession video games performed for one franchise. #NBAVault pic.twitter.com/dfEfHbNYTQ
— NBA Historical past (@NBAHistory) November 26, 2020
The 2000 NBA All-Star Sport in Golden State was the final the place each Karl Malone and John Stockton performed.
The place Is Malone At present?
After retiring from the NBA in 2005, Malone went on to develop into the director of basketball promotion and assistant power and conditioning coach at Louisiana Tech College, his alma mater. He held that place from 2007 to 2011.
Malone has lived in Northern Louisiana since leaving Salt Lake Metropolis. Malone spends his free-time searching and figuring out. He owns a number of companies in Louisiana and Utah, together with a cigar store, a restaurant, a clothes retailer, and an residence advanced.
Chandler Holt is a Digital Sports activities Producer for KSLSports.com, specializing in all issues basketball and soccer. Observe Chandler on Twitter at @ChandlerHoltKSL.
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