Aron Baynes become first center in NBA history to make nine 3-pointers in a game

In the 127-117 win by the Phoenix Suns against the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night, Suns Center Aron Baynes scored 37 points including nine three-pointers, setting an NBA record of most made threes by a center.

Centers are traditionally the tallest players on the floor and are responsible for controlling the paint with their physical size. It's rare for a center to attempt three-pointers, as it leaves the team at a rebounding disadvantage having their big man out beyond the arc. Baynes is changing the rules about the center position by shooting nine three-pointers in a game and scoring a career-high 37 points.

According to the NBA stats twitter page, the Suns' center didn't leave his rebounding responsibilities to other teammates, grabbing 16 rebounds in the same game. He joins James Harden as one of the only two players in NBA history to make 9-threes and grab 16 rebounds in one game. Harden plays the guard position, which is traditionally the smallest players in the team. Baynes only averages 5.4 rebounds a game this season.

Portland player Damian Lillard is back after an injury sidelined him for six games. He struggled most of the night, but still finished with 24 points. They are currently in 9th place in the Western Conference, and playing against the 13th placed Suns should have resulted in a win. But Baynes and the Suns played such a dominant game that the Trail Blazers couldn't keep up. They are now four games behind the 8th placed Memphis Grizzlies. At this point in the regular season, all remaining games are a must-win for Portland if they want a chance of getting into the postseason.

Two other Suns players, Dario Šarić, and Devin Booker had a great night on the floor, scoring 24 and 23 points, respectively. Portland center Hassan Whiteside grabbed 20 rebounds negating Baynes' contribution on the boards. Portland's veteran superstar Carmelo Anthony played a full 34 minutes but scored only seven points. He is the only starting player on both teams not to score double digits in the entire game. The next low scoring player is Phoenix guard Ricky Rubio, who scored 13 points, but dished out 10 assists.