Jamal Crawford reminisces about his electrifying farewell game, in which he scored 51 points

While many NBA players dream of riding off into the sunset with their guns blazing, the reality of professional basketball is that most careers end with a slow decline or an abrupt exit. Outside of Kobe Bryant’s unforgettable 60-point explosion in his last NBA game, no other player has been able to go out on top in such a dramatic fashion. However, former Los Angeles Clippers ace Jamal Crawford sure came close in his explosive performance against the Dallas Mavericks on April 9, 2019.

51 points off the bench

Crawford, a two-time Sixth Man of the Year winner with the Clippers, was already in the twilight of his career when he signed to play for the Phoenix Suns during the 2018-2019 season. He averaged 7.9 points in 64 games for the Suns that season. However, the team struggled to get wins and finished last in the Western Conference with a 19-63 mark.

As the regular season wound down, Crawford got more playing time as the Suns’ coaching staff benched their budding star, Devin Booker. In Phoenix’s final game against the Mavs at the latter’s home arena, “J-Crossover” put on a memorable scoring display, putting up 51 points on an efficient 18-of-30 shooting from the field. The feat was more impressive because the former Michigan Wolverine scored that many while coming off the bench.

Crawford finished that season on a heater, averaging 35.3 points in his last three outings.

“It was crazy because my highest-scoring month in my career—Clipper days, Bulls days, Knicks days—was that month that I averaged 31 points and six assists. That month, it was a short month, and we won half the games. I was 39, yeah,” Jamal said .

What a way to go out

While that wasn’t Crawford’s last official game—he played one game for the Brooklyn Nets the following season— it was his last real showing in the NBA.

“It was crazy because, honestly, looking back and being reflective, I honestly feel like God was like, ‘You know what, you were so good to the game. You never cheated the game. This is going to be your outro. This is going to be your exit. This is going to be the best way I can send you out,’” Jamal said of his stellar offensive outburst.

Crawford ended up playing 20 seasons, averaging 14.6 points, 3.4 assists and 2.2 rebounds per game.

Related: Former LA Clippers guard Dahntay Jones explains why the “Lob City” Clippers could not fully realize their potential.