Pistons' Malachi Flynn: Erupts for career-high 50 points

Flynn totaled 50 points (18-25 FG, 5-9 3Pt, 9-12 FT), six rebounds, five assists and three steals across 34 minutes off the bench in Wednesday's 121-113 loss to the Hawks.

For the first month after he was acquired Feb. 8 in a trade with the Knicks, Flynn was an inconsistent member of the Pistons' rotation, but his role has been trending upward of late while Detroit has held out several key players with injuries. Cade Cunningham (knee) was a late scratch Wednesday and joined six other Pistons in street clothes, and while Flynn didn't replace him in the starting five, Cunningham's absence paved the way for the San Diego State product to turn in what was far and away a career-best performance. Flynn nearly doubled up his previous career-best total of 27 points and became just the third reserve player in NBA history to reach the 50-point mark in a game, joining Jamal Crawford (51 for the Suns in 2019) and Nick Anderson (50 for the Magic in 1993). In addition to the big scoring night on efficient shooting, Flynn also set or matched his season highs in rebounds and steals. Flynn will be in store for a role reduction if Cunningham is back for the Pistons' next game Friday in Memphis, but the huge performance certainly puts Flynn on the radar as a streaming option if Cunningham misses any contests over the final week and a half of the season.