DETROIT -- Blake Griffin has heard the criticism about him the past few years. He understands it, even. But on Tuesday night against the Philadelphia 76ers, the Detroit Pistons forward might have shown everyone that he isn't "bad" anymore.
Griffin had a career-high 50 points in a 133-132 overtime win over Philadelphia. He reached the milestone on a driving layup and-1 that doubled as the tying basket and winning free throw for the team he was traded to last winter.
"You know, the past two, three years, all I hear about is how bad I am, and I've been hurt, I've had bad games," Griffin said. "But we talked about it. This summer, being able to work out for the first time in three summers is huge, you know. The last three summers I was fighting and working as hard as I could to get healthy to be able to play.
"And this summer, I was able to really put time in and work on my game, work on my body, and I've always been a big believer in hard work pays off."
That has shown in the first three games of Detroit's season, but especially so against Philadelphia. Griffin's career-high 50 points were the most by a Pistons player since Rip Hamilton had 51 points on Dec. 27, 2006, against the New York Knicks. According to ESPN Stats & Information, it was the first 40-point, 10-rebound game by a Pistons player since Isiah Thomas on Feb. 8, 1983, when Thomas had 46 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists.
Griffin tied a career high with five 3-pointers and set a career mark with 20 field goals. His 50 points are the seventh most in Pistons history.
"He's playing at a high level right now," Pistons coach Dwane Casey said. "Offensively and defensively, he's out there talking and making decisions, communicating. He's playing great. Of all the great players I've worked with, Dirk [Nowitzki], Kyle Lowry, Kevin Garnett, Shawn Kemp, all those guys, he's playing at that high level right now.
"And he's just one of those guys that is taking it to another level, leading his team, putting them on his back, being a leader in the timeout. But again, that's what we expect from Blake because he is that good of a player."
Fellow 50-point scorer Hamilton took to Twitter to congratulate Griffin.
Congrats @blakegriffin32 on scoring 50 tonight. Welcome to the 50 club brother ! Detroit Basketball (Mason Voice ) #holdat https://t.co/wPDKpWZQ71
— Rip Hamilton (@ripcityhamilton) October 24, 2018
It started early for Griffin. His 28 points in the first half tied the second-highest first-half point total in Pistons history, and he accentuated that with a stretch in which he hit a 3-pointer and followed on the next possession with a transition dunk on which he faked passing the ball to Andre Drummond and then dunked over two Sixers.
It wasn't necessarily the moment when the Pistons knew Griffin was on, but there were times when they couldn't help but be awed by his performance -- one that could have been even better had he not missed his first six free throws.
"So what happens is, you don't want to be a spectator because you want to keep playing the game, and you got to be ready because when they start doubling, you got to be ready to start shooting the basketball," point guard Ish Smith said. "You become a fan -- like, no lie.
"I think last game, the Chicago game, and tonight, you just kind of become a fan and start watching. I started talking trash out there because big bro got it, so what's going to happen. Nah, he was special tonight, and so you just become a fan. And that was fun to watch."
Griffin was dominant throughout Tuesday, a large part of why the Pistons hung with Philadelphia -- just like he has been a big reason Detroit is 3-0 to start the season. The fans noticed, too, showering Griffin with "M-V-P" chants with 3:09 left in regulation, when he tied the score at 110 and then again moments later when he gave the Pistons a 111-110 lead.
He put together an MVP-like performance from beginning to end. On the winning play, he had the ball around the 3-point line, gave a ball-fake and then drove the right side of the lane to make the layup and get fouled with 1.8 seconds left, giving him 50 points and the eventual win.
There wasn't a point, though, when he thought he might be on his way to a big night, he said. According to Griffin, he didn't feel like he could hit his career high until the free throw went in to give Detroit the lead.
"You know, I just never, I've had games where I came out and hit my first five shots and finished with 12 and had games where I missed my first two and finished with 40," Griffin said. "At this point in my career, it's not like a thing where I, throughout the course of the game, I'm thinking, 'Oh, let me get this, or let me get that,' you know.
"You just take what comes, and you use it."