Suns' Crawford becomes oldest player to score 50-plus points

On the same court where Dirk Nowitzki was competing in his final home game for the Dallas Mavericks, Phoenix Suns veteran Jamal Crawford made a splash of his own.

Crawford finished with 51 points on 18-of-30 shooting in 38 minutes of action during a 120-109 loss to the Mavericks at American Airlines Center on Tuesday night. At 39 years and 20 days old, he became the oldest player in NBA history to score 50-plus points in a game.

Michael Jordan set the previous record (38 years, 315 days) when he dropped 51 points for the Washington Wizards against the Charlotte Hornets on Dec. 29, 2001.

Crawford's 51 points are also the highest-ever total from a reserve. Former Orlando Magic sharpshooter Nick Anderson is the only other bench player to reach the 50-point mark.

Jamal Crawford shot chart

Tuesday marked the fourth time in Crawford's 19-year career that he's scored 50-plus points in a game, with each performance coming as a member of a different team.

(courtesy: Basketball-Reference.com)