Keeping It Heel
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Cam Johnson’s near-perfect night helps Suns win league-best 26th game

By Blake Cockrum

PHOENIX, ARIZONA - DECEMBER 23: Cameron Johnson #23 of the Phoenix Suns attempts a three-point shot over Luguentz Dort #5 of the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half of the NBA game at Footprint Center on December 23, 2021 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns defeated the Thunder 113-101. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
PHOENIX, ARIZONA - DECEMBER 23: Cameron Johnson #23 of the Phoenix Suns attempts a three-point shot over Luguentz Dort #5 of the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half of the NBA game at Footprint Center on December 23, 2021 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns defeated the Thunder 113-101. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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Cam Johnson had a near-perfect game off the Phoenix Suns bench on Thursday night, propelling his team to their league-leading 26th victory of the season.

In the midst of his best month as a professional basketball player, Phoenix Suns reserve wing Cam Johnson put on a performance on Thursday night that tops them all.

The third-year player out of North Carolina came off the bench in a home game against the Oklahoma City Thunder and did exactly what the Suns drafted him to do: get buckets.

Johnson scored 21 points in just 24 minutes on the court, and he did it on a perfect 7-for-7 shooting performance that included a sensational 5-for-5 mark from beyond the arc. He added a season-high nine rebounds, three assists, and two steals, and didn’t turn the ball over a single time. The only blemish on Johnson’s account against the Thunder? He missed one of his three free throws.

"“It definitely felt big,” Johnson said of his career game. “Got put in some good positions. A couple went down early and just felt good. But there were other aspects of the game that I was really trying to impact like the boards, defensively. So, I was trying to play an all-around basketball game and not just being out there chucking threes.”"

Johnson became just the third Phoenix player in history to score 20 or more points while converting 100 percent of their shot attempts, joining NBA legend Steve Nash and T.J. Warren. His five made three-pointers tied a career-best and give him 295 in total, which moves him into an 18th-place tie with former All-Star Clifford Robinson on the Suns’ all-time three-pointers list.

Johnson is currently shooting 43.1 percent from long-range, good for 11th-best in the NBA. Notable players that he’s ahead of on that list include his teammate, Devin Booker, both Curry brothers, former Duke star Grayson Allen, and Miami sharpshooter Tyler Herro.

Johnson has quickly become one of the league’s best three-point shooters and reserves, and has put to rest any questions surrounding the No. 11 pick that the Suns spent on him in the 2019 NBA Draft.

Next. Cole Anthony's big return to the Orlando lineup. dark

Johnson and the Suns will be back out on the court on Saturday evening for a battle of the league’s best when the Golden State Warriors come to town.

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