Cameron Payne's minutes can be rare. Some here and some there.
Given Jalen Brunson's presence, the Knicks' backup point guard role doesn't exactly translate to frequent shots or captivating moments on the court.
But in Sunday's 140-106 win over the Knicks and Bucks, Payne scored 18 points on 6-of-10 shooting (including 4-of-7 from beyond the arc) in just 14 minutes. , one point shy of his season high. He provided what Josh Hart described as a “huge boost” and helped the Knicks snap a four-game losing streak in five games.
“He's a player who is very capable of scoring the ball at a high level,” Hart said. “Obviously, playing behind JB, sometimes he doesn't get those opportunities. But we know what he's capable of and that's what gives him confidence and our It will give me even more confidence in him.”
Payne, a 30-year-old former first-round pick who signed a one-year deal, logged at least 20 minutes five times in the Knicks' first 16 games, but only once since Jan. 1. . Brunson (calf) and Miles McBride (hamstring) were out with injuries.
Otherwise, Payne's contributions increased down the stretch.
He scored 11 points during Friday's loss to the Thunder, eclipsing double figures for the first time since Dec. 23, and carried over five of those 11 points into Sunday.
Thirteen of his points came in the second quarter, six of which came on back-to-back 3-pointers.
He found space behind the arc around the Bucks' defense.
He released the attempt without hesitation. And by the end of the frame, Payne and Karl-Anthony Towns accounted for 26 of the Knicks' 39 points in the quarter.
And against a Knicks team that has lingering depth issues, with starters continuing to log long minutes and manager Tom Thibodeau starting to face renewed criticism for the workload he's giving his starters. , Payne offered a glimpse of a possible internal solution to the problem. There is less than a month left until the trade deadline.
“Especially how it unfolded,” Thibodeau said.
