Kevin Porter Jr. breaks LeBron James' record with 50-point, 11-assist night

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Kevin Porter Jr. (#3) controls the ball.

Kevin Porter Jr. has accomplished something that LeBron James had done before, but the Houston Rockets guard has done it as a younger player than James was at the time.

On Thursday, the 20-year-old Porter exploded for 50 points and 11 assists to become the youngest player in NBA history to record a 50-point, 10-assist performance.

James was nearly three years older when he became the then youngest player to achieve the feat 11 years ago.

Kevin Porter Jr. (50 PTS, 11 AST) is the youngest player in NBA history (20 years, 360 days) with 50+ points and 10+ assists in a game.

LeBron James (50 PTS, 10 AST on March 5, 2008) was the youngest previously, at 23 years, 66 days. pic.twitter.com/HT3lWmxA6r

— NBA History (@NBAHistory) April 30, 2021

The record-breaking night from Porter came with a bonus, as he led his Houston Rockets team to a 143-136 win over the title-contending Milwaukee Bucks. With a 16-47 record on the season, the Houston Rocks own the league’s worst mark this campaign, while the Bucks are third in the East with a 38-24 season record.

Thanks to Kevin Porter Jr., the Rockets defied the odds and won against one of the top teams in the league this season. They entered the game with a five-game losing streak and had only won once in 11 games.

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Kevin Porter Jr.’s career night for the Houston Rockets

Stephen Curry (#30) controls the ball against Kevin Porter Jr. (#3).

The history-making performance by Kevin Porter Jr. is even more remarkable when one looks at his entire stat line. Aside from the 50 points and 11 assists, the second-year guard out of USC also added five rebounds and a block.

Moreover, he shot a red-hot 16 of 26 from the field, including nine of 15 from the 3-point territory and nine of 11 from the line.

In comparison, when LeBron James recorded 50 points and ten assists in a game, he also had eight rebounds and four steals while going 16 of 30 from the field, seven of 13 from the three and 11 of 16 from the free-throw line.

James did that against the New York Knicks in a 119-105 win for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The NBA has fined Houston’s Kevin Porter Jr. $50,000 since he was out with Sterling Brown when Brown was recently assaulted at a Miami club. League rules prohibit attending “indoor social gatherings of 15 or more people or entering bars, lounges, clubs or similar establishments.” pic.twitter.com/FLyesMqDpL

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) April 28, 2021

Interestingly, Kevin Porter Jr. recorded his 50-point performance just a day after he was fined $50,000 by the NBA. That was because Porter Jr. joined teammate Sterling Brown to visit a strip club in Miami earlier this month, which violated the league’s ruling against specific indoor gatherings.

Perhaps angered by the huge pay cut he received, Kevin Porter Jr. proceeded to take out his frustration on the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday. The Houston Rockets are no doubt thankful that Porter Jr. responded positively with a career-defining game.

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