![Joel Embiid 70 points 76ers NBA](https://sports.inquirer.net/files/2024/01/063_1953813986-620x413.jpg)
Joel Embiid #21 of the Philadelphia 76ers is doused with water after defeating the San Antonio Spurs at Wells Fargo Center on January 22, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Embiid scored 70 points in this game, a franchise record. Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images/AFP
Joel Embiid scored 70 points for Philadelphia. Minnesota's Karl-Anthony Towns had 62. Elite big men paired up to do something the NBA hasn't seen on the same day in more than 45 years.
January 22, 2024 was a day unlike almost any other in NBA history.
To commemorate the 18th anniversary of Kobe Bryant's 81-point game with the Los Angeles Lakers (the second-highest scoring game in NBA history), Embiid and town He put on a unique and historic scoring show with two career-high and franchise-record efforts.
„Kobe has been my buddy since I started playing,“ Embiid said. „He's the reason I started playing basketball. It's funny because that same night he scored 81 points and was my favorite player.“
Embiid's 70 points set a 76ers record. Philadelphia wins 133-123 Over San Antonio.Towns scored 62 points, two more than his previous career best and Wolves record, but it wasn't enough in the game. Minnesota State lost 128-125. To Charlotte.
Joel Embiid’s historic 70-point night 👏
✅ 76ers franchise record
✅ 9th player in NBA history to score over 70 points
✅ New career high70 PTS, 18 REB, 24/41 FGM, 21/23 FTM pic.twitter.com/gDKY2E9bVA
— NBA (@NBA) January 23, 2024
Add it all up and Monday marked the fourth day in NBA history that two players scored at least 60 points. The others were April 9, 1978 (Denver's David Thompson with 73 points and San Antonio's George Garvin with 63 points, competing for the top scorer on the final day of the season) and January 17, 1962 (Jerry West). scored 63 points). Lakers, Wilt Chamberlain scores 62 points against the Philadelphia Warriors) and December 8, 1961 (in a triple overtime matchup, Chamberlain scores 78 points for the Warriors and Elgin Baylor scores 63 points for the Lakers).
„These guys are crazy tonight!!“ NBA career scoring leader LeBron James posted on Platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
Added Phoenix star Kevin Durant. Suns won 115-113. Monday against Chicago: „I mean, the skill level in this league is insane, and really the offensive coaching and schemes are insane as well. So many different sets run for the bigs to get 3s. Coaches are getting more creative in putting their best players in great positions to hit these numbers.“
Victor Wembaneyama, the Spurs' 7-foot-3 rookie, scored 33 points in San Antonio, but even he was no match for Philadelphia's big man, the reigning NBA MVP and two-time defending scoring champion. There wasn't. Embiid had 34 points at halftime, and when he scored five points early in the third quarter, 76ers coach Nick Nurse started taking notice.
![Karl Anthony Towns 62 points Timberwolves NBA](https://sports.inquirer.net/files/2024/01/AP24023137098386-620x413.jpg)
![Karl Anthony Towns 62 points Timberwolves NBA](https://sports.inquirer.net/files/2024/01/AP24023137098386-620x413.jpg)
Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) reacts after missing a shot during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Charlotte Hornets on Monday, Jan. 22, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abby Parr)
„I thought, 'Well, I've got half of it left and this is tough.' … It's probably going to be a big number tonight,“ the nurse said.
It's a really, really, really big number. Embiid's 70-point night tied him for the 12th-most points in NBA history and broke Chamberlain's 76ers team record of 68 points.
„It's great to have the same conversations,“ Embiid said.
Chamberlain was playing for the Philadelphia Warriors when he set the NBA record for 100 points.
„He's a great player,“ Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said of Embiid. „Obviously, he's an MVP candidate, that's for sure. But everyone already knew that.“
Embiid became the ninth player with a 70-point game. Chamberlain has done it six times, and so have other players on the list (Baylor, Thompson, David Robinson, Bryant, Devin Booker, Donovan Mitchell, Damian Lillard, and now Embiid). are doing. one time.
Embiid got the win and was able to enjoy his big night. Towns, who had 44 points at halftime, didn't have that luxury as the Wolves were eliminated.
KAT left it all on the floor, scoring 44 first half points and knocking down 10 triples en route to a career-high 62.
Towns became the first player in NBA history to have 10+ 3PMs, 10+ 2PMs, and 10+ FTMs in a game. pic.twitter.com/o6EoQtnpSg
— NBA (@NBA) January 23, 2024
„We've got to find a way to win,“ Towns said, adding that even after scoring 62 points, he didn't see any silver linings. He said, „The important thing is to win the game.''
It was the second time since 1993 that a player scored at least 62 points in a loss. Booker hit 70 in Boston in a loss to Phoenix in 2017. Still, Towns played a game unlike any other in NBA history. In other words, he became the first player in history to make 10 2-point shots, 10 3-point shots, and 10 free throws in a single game.
„What, there's 15 guys in here?“ Wolves guard Anthony Edwards admitted after the game that he stopped going for shots in hopes of Towns scoring more. „His 14 of us wanted to see him get his 80. … An unparalleled performance, Big KAT. Congratulations to him.“
Lillard had at least nine baskets of each type three times. James Harden hit nine 1s, 2s, and 3s in the second inning. Towns was the first player to record a basketball-type triple-double. He made 11 of 20 on 2-point shots, 10 of 15 on 3-point shots and 10 of 14 on free throws.
Embiid made just 1-of-2 3-pointers on Monday.
„I'm actually surprised he didn't beat me,“ Embiid said of Towns. “I heard he had like 45 points at halftime. … He obviously did it in a different way. I had 10 of them. That's amazing.“
Durant, at 6-foot-10, isn't a true „big“ who plays down low like Embiid and Towns often do, but he just raved about what he saw.
„In my opinion, this is the pinnacle of basketball,“ Durant said. „There are big guys in the league who are scoring 70, 60 points, making nine or 10 threes, making pull-up jump shots. What we're doing is insane.“