Jamal Crawford on torching Dwyane Wade and the Heat for a career-high 52 points: "If this was a close game, this would have been 65"

Jamal Crawford on torching Dwyane Wade and the Heat for a career-high 52 points: “If this was a close game, this would have been 65” originally appeared on Basketball Network.

Make no mistake about it — Jamal Crawford was one of the most talented scorers of his era. Despite starting in only a third of the 1,327 games he played in the NBA, he still established a reputation as a premier bucket-getter.

However, there are just special nights when the basket looks as wide as the ocean. For Jamal, that night happened on January 26, 2007, when the New York Knicks hosted the then-champion Miami Heat, which was led by the 2006 NBA Finals MVP, Dwyane Wade, and his behemoth of a big man, Shaquille O’Neal.

It was on that night when he established his career-high scoring mark of 52 points. It was such a scintillating game for the prolific guard from Seattle, Washington, that at one point, he made 16 field goals in a row. In an interview with former NBA guard Austin Rivers on the “Eye for the Game” podcast, Crawford remarked that he could have scored so much more had the game not been a blowout by the fourth quarter.

Fueled by D-Wade’s presence

The greats always find a way to rise to the moment. On this particular night, with the defending NBA champions in town and poised to challenge the Knicks on their home turf, Crawford summoned his inner Jordan. He delivered a breathtaking scoring display that left the crowd electrified and Wade struggling to keep up, stumbling as he tried to match the three-time 6MOY step for step.

Jamal said the presence of Wade at Madison Square Garden was more than enough reason for him to bring his A-game.

“It happened because of D-Wade, to be honest with you,” he stated. “Because I was so nervous and he’s such a great player. I knew he was coming to put on a show. They had just won the championship.”

At that point, Jamal was playing in his seventh season and was finding his footing in the league. He had shown flashes of brilliance, but this particular night was a turning point for him, especially when it came against Wade, who, at that point, was arguably one of the top shooting guards in the NBA.

A slow start

For those who didn’t catch this game when it happened nearly two decades ago, Crawford didn’t make his first shot until late in the first quarter, finishing that stretch with only three points, as the Heat took control and held a 33-27 lead.

The second was when he really began cooking, scoring 20 points on 7-for-7 shooting, highlighted by four triples that helped the Knicks take a 65-49 lead. His final three-pointer of the first half was nothing short of spectacular. Curling off a screen, he absorbed contact from Wade yet still managed to sink a high-arcing shot.

“This is one of those days that you’re in your workout and you can’t miss and you made 20 shots in a row,” Jamal recalled.

Crawford surmised that he could have scored much more than 52 if the game had been close. When the Heat waved the white flag and took Wade out with a little over seven minutes to go, the Knicks followed suit and subbed Jamal out shortly after.

“This was the hottest night I’ve ever had in life. So if this was a close game, this would have been 65,” Crawford stressed. “You just get lost, bro. Like every time, you just feel like you can’t miss.”

He finished that game shooting 20-for-30 from the field, for a blistering 66 percent. Crawford also hit eight triples and went perfect from the free-throw line with four attempts, a night to remember in the Meka for the crowd and him.

This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 15, 2025, where it first appeared.

Jamal Crawford on torching Dwyane Wade and the Heat for a career-high 52 points: “If this was a close game, this would have been 65”

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