Fred VanVleet said it was "only a matter of time" before he broke the Toronto Raptors' record for most points in a game as he made history on Tuesday. (More Sports News)
VanVleet went 17-of-23 from the field and 11-of-14 from three-point range to post 54 points in the Raptors' 123-108 victory over the Orlando Magic.
The guard's performance broke the Raptors record previous held by DeMar DeRozan (52).
"It was only a matter of time," a smiling VanVleet told Sportsnet after his performance.
"Every time I get a 30 or a 34 I usually get a text from DeMar telling me that I'm weak for not passing his record so I definitely had him in mind as I got close down the stretch."
VanVleet became the first player in NBA history to have 50-plus points, 10-plus three-pointers made, three-plus blocks and three-plus steals in a game, as per Stats Perform.
He is also the first guard to have 50-plus points, three-plus blocks and three-plus steals in a game since Michael Jordan in April 1987.
"It's just time. It was time. I've been missing a lot of open ones this season, more than I usually do," VanVleet said.
"But it was time and sometimes you hit that groove and you just find that zone and tonight I was able to do that.
"My team-mates did an unbelievable job of finding me and screening for me and getting me the ball in my spots. A lot of them were just catch and shoots."
The Raptors improved to 9-12 with their win.
