Reminiscent of his Ann Arbour and backyard shooting days, Canadian sharpshooter Nik Stauskas was making it rain inside DeltaPlex Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Stauskas exploded for a career-high, a franchise record and the most points by a Canadian in the G League in a historic 57 points night to lead the Grand Rapids Gold 131-127 past the Wisconsin Herd.
The six-foot-six guard was unconscious, scoring 24 points in the first-quarter without missing a single shot, knocking down 9-of-9 field-goals, including 6-of-6 from three-pointers.
The Canadian tailed another 14 points in the second-quarter to set a G-league record for most points in a half with 38 on 14-of-18 shooting, 7-of-9-triples.
Feeling right at home in the state of Michigan, the 2014 Big Ten player of the year continued the onslaught in the second-half, finishing the game 20-of-29 (69%) from the field and 11-of-15 (73%) from beyond the arc to tie the sixth-highest scoring game in G League history.
Brady Heslip (Burlington, Ontario) a former NCAA three-point champion with the Baylor Bears previously held the record for most points scored by a Canadian in a G-league game with 45 points on November 2014 for the Reno Bighorns.
Heslip buried a G-League best 13 three-pointers, a feat that still stands to this day.
Stauskas, a former number eight, lottery pick of the Sacramento Kings in 2014 is looking to find his way back into the NBA after a short stint overseas in 2019.
Since returning to North America, he has worked hard to expand his game and prove that he is worthy of a full-time roster spot. The Miami Heat signed Stauskas to a 10-day contract on Dec 31, 2021.
The 28-year-old has solid NBA experience, playing a total of a total of 337 career games for six teams. Stauskas is one of 18 Canadian basketball players currently playing the in the G League.
Through 16 G League games, Stauskas is averaging 23.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.8 assists per game on eye-popping shooting splits of 48.3% and 43.0% percent from the floor and three-pointers.
