Pete Maravich owned the New York Knicks in the 1976-77 NBA season.
In the New Orleans Jazz's three matchups against the Knicks leading up to their final bout on Feb. 25 at the Louisiana Superdome, Maravich dropped 39, 38 and 28 points. However, it was that final game where "Pistol" was crowned as the King of New York.
Pete Maravich's 68 Points vs. the Knicks: His Best NBA Scoring Performance
RELATED: Pete Maravich's 69-Point Outing vs. Alabama Rewrote the NCAA Record Book
New York couldn't stop Maravich no matter what they threw at him. He cut to the rim for easy layups. He held on to the ball then rose up for a jumper when he found an inch of space. He used his ball-handling wizardry to get to the middle of the lane, where he worked his magic most, and converted mid-range jumpers like they were cake.
And this Knicks team wasn't full of slouches. Walt Frazier, Earl Monroe, Bill Bradley, Bob McAdoo — all Hall of Famers — were on the roster. Plus, there was Phil Jackson, the greatest coach in NBA history. None of them or the other 10 guys in blue and orange had an answer for "Pistol."
In this particular game, though, the Knicks looked off. Maravich was playing at a different speed with unmatched finesse. He glided while other players seemed like they had lead in their shoes. And of course, it wouldn't be a "Pistol" game without dropping some absolute dimes.
Overall, Maravich went 26 for 43 from the field and 16 for 19 from the free-throw line, finishing with a career-high 68 points. The outstanding performance ranks 13th all-time in NBA history for the most points scored in a single game.
There must be something about the "Pistol" catching fire in the state of Louisiana because this outing was reminiscent of his LSU days. A ridiculous amount of shots, a ridiculous amount of points and playing with opponents before he roasts them. Most importantly, the Jazz dominated throughout the contest and won 124-107.
Pete Maravich was one of those guys who embodies an all-time favorite sports saying of "You can't stop him, you can only hope to contain him." Well, on that February night in 1977, the Knicks contained him for 68 points. Lol.
