Landry Shamet told him to stay aggressive, and Mo Diawara took that personally. During the Knicks’ 114–89 win over the Spurs at Madison Square Garden, the rookie forward launched 13 three-pointers in just 15 minutes of action. He finished with 14 points and four rebounds, shooting 4-of-13 from beyond the arc. Of his 14 total shot attempts, 13 came from deep.
The volume was not just bold. It was historic.
No rookie in NBA history has attempted 13 threes in under 15 minutes. In fact, no rookie has attempted that many threes in under 20 minutes. The only other rookie to attempt as many threes in under 25 minutes was Landry Shamet himself, who took 14 three-point attempts in 2019.
The irony was not lost on anyone, especially Shamet:
“Every time the ball touches his hands, I’m yelling at him to shoot it. I want that kid to stay aggressive.”
The outburst came at an important moment for the 20-year-old. After the Knicks added Jeremy Sochan around the All-Star break, head coach Mike Brown acknowledged that Diawara’s minutes might shrink as the team evaluated new rotation combinations. For a few games, that proved true. Sochan absorbed minutes while Diawara watched.
But the rookie never wavered. That confidence showed in his shot selection. The Spurs consistently played off him, daring him to fire, and Diawara did exactly that. Even after early misses, the form stayed clean, the release stayed quick, and the willingness never changed. The 13 attempts were the most he has taken in a game this season. His 14 points tied his second-highest output of the year. More importantly, he reclaimed his place in the Knicks’ pecking order. Sochan did not see meaningful minutes until garbage time.
His readiness showed even before the Spurs game. Two nights earlier against the Bucks, Diawara delivered 10 points, three rebounds, and two assists in 23 minutes during a comfortable win. That outing helped reestablish trust in the coaching staff. Sunday reinforced it.
The Knicks’ veterans have clearly embraced the rookie’s development. Shamet, in particular, understands the power of green light confidence. As a rookie in 2019, he put up 14 three-point attempts in limited minutes, trusting volume as part of growth. Now he is passing that same mentality forward.
The performance marked another step forward in what has quietly been a steady developmental season. In 50 games for the Knicks, Diawara is averaging 3.1 points and 1.2 rebounds in just 7.5 minutes per game. He is shooting 44.2% from the field and an impressive 39.8% from three-point range.
The Knicks’ offense benefits from that fearlessness. In today’s NBA, spacing is survival. Diawara’s willingness to take 13 threes in 15 minutes stretches a defense, whether he makes four or eight. For a rookie fighting for consistent rotation minutes, hesitation can be fatal. Diawara showed none. And in doing so, he joined a statistical category occupied by no other rookie in league history.
