Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet had a career performance against the undermanned Utah Jazz on Friday, riding a near-historic third-quarter deluge to his first-career triple-double in a comeback 122-108 win.
Due to local health measures in Toronto, no fans could witness one of the more sensational individual performances in Raptors history. VanVleet recorded 37 points on 12-of-22 shooting, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, two steals, and a block in 36 minutes.
"I'm gonna be honest: I always think I'm the best player in the gym," the 27-year-old said postgame, according to The Athletic's Eric Koreen. "Sometimes I'm right. Sometimes I'm wrong."
After a quiet first half, VanVleet was overwhelmingly right on his way to obliterating the Raptors' 13-point halftime deficit.
The All-Star hopeful did most of his damage in the third frame, where he recorded 24 points, including 20 in the final 4:22 of the quarter.
At one point, VanVleet tallied 17 straight points, tied for the second-longest consecutive scoring streak in team history, according to the Raptors.
VanVleet's performance now stands as the highest-scoring triple-double in franchise history. Vince Carter previously held the distinction with a 31-point triple-double in 2000, according to Stathead.
The outing caught the attention of another Raptors franchise great - VanVleet's former backcourt partner Kyle Lowry:
Included in Lowry's tweet was support for VanVleet's All-Star candidacy. Though VanVleet ranked 10th in the latest fan vote returns, he stands a realistic chance of being named an All-Star reserve by the league's head coaches.
If VanVleet's name is announced Feb. 3, the undrafted Wichita State product would become the eighth Raptor selected to participate in the star-studded spectacle. He'd join current and former teammates Pascal Siakam, Lowry, Kawhi Leonard, and DeMar DeRozan, as well as franchise standouts Carter, Chris Bosh, and Antonio Davis.