Former New York Knicks point guard Cameron Payne just exploded for a career-high 32 points in the Philadelphia 76ers’ 139-129 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night. It was a masterful performance for Payne, who has been a role player for most of his career. But on Tuesday, he was certainly the superstar.
Payne was on the Knicks last season, appearing in 72 games for the club. It was his lone season in New York, and he wasn’t even on an NBA roster to begin the 2025-26 campaign. The Sixers picked him up after the trade deadline had come and gone, inking him to a deal on February 18.
Now, in a single showing, it looks like that decision is already working out for the 76ers.
Cameron Payne dominated on Tuesday night in Philadelphia
Philadelphia has been struggling with injuries lately. Joel Embiid has missed significant time, as per usual, and now, Tyrese Maxey is going to miss some games as well.
Neither Embiid nor Maxey was available for the 76ers on Tuesday night against the Grizzlies. Nick Nurse rolled out a starting lineup of VJ Edgecombe, Quentin Grimes, Kelly Oubre Jr., Dominick Barlow, and Adem Bona.
Oubre had 30 points, Grimes had 23, and Edgecombe had 21, but none of them managed to match the spark that Payne brought to the floor off the bench.
Payne played 30:14 off the bench, which marks his season-high in minutes (even though he’s only appeared in 11 games for the Sixers so far this year).
He finished the night with 32 points, but that wasn’t all he contributed to the stat sheet. Payne also had three rebounds, 10 assists, three steals, and two blocks.
But perhaps what was most impressive about Payne’s night was his efficiency. He shot 9-of-10 from the floor, 8-of-8 from beyond the three-point arc, and 6-of-6 from the free-throw line. He only missed one shot all night long.
Obviously, there shouldn’t be much regret coursing through the Knicks’ veins right now. Would it have been cool for Payne to be doing this in a Knicks uniform? Yes. But this hasn’t been a regular occurrence.
This is nothing more than a wild, fun game from a guy who used to suit up in orange and blue. And those adjectives may not even be doing the performance justice.
It’s always fun to see a role player step up and play like a superstar, and that’s exactly what Payne did on Tuesday night in Philadelphia.