Reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid went off for a franchise-record 70 points Monday night, becoming the ninth player in league history to reach that total — and doing so on the 17th anniversary of Kobe Bryant’s 81-point performance. And for a good, long moment, it looked quite likely that another big man would join Embiid in eclipsing that rare threshold the same evening.
Karl-Anthony Towns netted a Minnesota Timberwolves team-record 44 points in the first half before slowing down after halftime, winding up with a career-high 62 points.
Instead of becoming the first time we’ve seen twin 70-pointers on the same day, it instead was the first time since April 9, 1978, that two NBA players surpassed 60 points in games in tandem.
Here’s what the NBA world was saying about the unbelievable accomplishments.
Embiid got his laurels after he also became the first player in NBA history to have 70 points, 15 rebounds and five assists in a game, as the Sixers beat the San Antonio Spurs, 133-123.
There was still plenty of love for KAT, even though the Wolves ended up losing to the Charlotte Hornets, 128-125. Like Embiid, he also received a shoutout from LeBron James.
Joel Embiid
Karl-Anthony Towns
National Basketball Association
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