Twenty-one years after the Kobe Bryant 81-point explosion against the Toronto Raptors, two of the NBA's brightest stars went off for big-time scoring performances.
Sixers' big man Joel Embiid had a career-high 70 points, and on the same night Timberwolves' big man Karl Anthony Towns dropped 62 points, becoming the first two players to score 60 plus points on the same day since 1978.
Karl-Anthony Towns Vs. Charlotte Hornets
Karl-Anthony Towns hit the center of the target scoring a career-high 62 points in a close 128-125 loss last night against the Charlotte Hornets.
Despite coming in with a losing effort, Towns was able to dominate the game, catching fire in the first half, dropping 44 of his 62 points.
Towns knocked down eight straight shots to start the night, one of which came from the Timberwolves logo, and missed only three shots total in the first half.
His hot hand continued well into the third quarter, pouring on more points, eventually surpassing the 50-point mark in the third quarter with a dunk from the baseline, helping the Wolves close out the third quarter on a 14-5 run, which gave them a 15-point lead.
Towns would match his career high in the fourth quarter on a hook shot and would eventually break it after catching a pass at the top of the key, driving past a Hornets defender for a contested layup.
Towns finished the night scoring 62 points, going 21 of 35 from the field. KAT also shot 10 of 15 from three while grabbing eight rebounds as well.
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Minnesota Timberwolves This Season
The Minnesota Timberwolves are 30-13 on the season and are the first seed in the Western Conference.
Shooting guard Anthony Edwards' emergence as a star has been one of the season's highlights for Wolves fans while Rudy Gobert has been the team's anchor, turning them into an elite defense along with Towns continuing to be a rock for this team.
It's still being determined if they can make a run at a championship, but they definitely have the talent to do so.
Joel Embiid Vs. Victor Wembanyama
All eyes were on Embiid and Wembanya in their first clash between two of the NBA's most talented giants.
Although Wembanyama was able to hold his own, scoring 33 points in the contest, the Process got the better of the spectacular rookie in their first matchup; as Embiid scored a career-high 70 points and picked up a 133-123 win against the San Antonio Spurs Monday night.
The six-time all-star and current MVP looked dominant last night, scoring 34 points in the first half.
He continued to dominate, scoring eight points in the third quarter and eventually matching his career-high 59 points.
In the fourth quarter, Embiid would continue to attack, tying Wilt Chamberlain's 76ers career-high 68 points on a free throw with 1.41 remaining and then breaking the record with a coast-to-coast layup for his 70th point with 1:17 remaining.
He then received a standing ovation from the Sixers fans in attendance.
Embiid finished the game by going 24 out of 41 from the field and knocking down 21 out of 23 free throws.
In the process, he broke Wilt Chamberlain 76ers record of 68 points set on December 16, 1976, and became the ninth player in the history of the NBA to score 70 points or more.
The Sixers have been spectacular this season, with Embiid's 70-point game serving as another example of how potent they can be.
Much has been said about whether Joel Embiid can win back-to-back MVPs, a 70-point performance definitely helps his case for this year's potential league MVP.
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