Carter Puts On Show With 51 Points

He flies through the air. He jams after a between-the-legs move. He rings up points as if he were playing pinball.

In the NBA’s post-Michael era, there is no successor to Jordan. Vince Carter, however, could be the next best thing.

On Sunday, his sky-walking antics on full display, Carter scored 51 points in leading the Toronto Raptors to a 103-102 victory over the Phoenix Suns.

It was the high game in the NBA this season and the most Carter has scored in his career.

“The young legend grows,” Raptor Coach Butch Carter said. “No one’s more surprised today than me.”

Last week, NBC changed its schedule so it could show one of the league’s most electrifying players for the first time in the regular season.

“It feels good to get 51, but it hasn’t sunk in yet,” said Carter, last season’s rookie of the year. “Inside I was really excited [about being on NBC].”

The 6-foot-7 swingman made 17 of 32 shots and was 13 for 13 from the foul line. He made four three-point shots, and had nine rebounds and three steals.

“It was a good coming out party for Vince on NBC,” said Sun guard Jason Kidd, who had only nine points and four assists.

Carter’s previous high game was 47 points against Milwaukee on Jan. 14 after learning he was left off the U.S. Olympic team.

“I wanted the ball in my hands where I could make a decision,” Carter said. “I was hitting shots, but if I wasn’t I wanted to get the double team and find the open man.”

The highest point total in the NBA this season had been 50 by the Suns’ Cliff Robinson and the Philadelphia 76ers’ Allen Iverson.

Carter scored his final points with a drive through a double team with 47.5 seconds left, bringing the sellout crowd to its feet and giving the Raptors a 103-99 lead.

“I didn’t want to show it, but inside I was like a little kid,” Carter said. “I looked over at my mom and thought she was going to flip out of her seat.”

Phoenix, however, still had a chance to win it, but Rodney Rogers lost control on a final drive in heavy traffic and time ran out.

Rogers and Penny Hardaway had 28 points apiece for Phoenix, which had beaten Toronto three consecutive times and won eight of their nine previous meetings.