January 24 ------ Reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid and All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns erupt for career-high numbers, albeit with contrasting results, 18 years after late legend Kobe Bryant tallied his all-time best game. Joel Embiid scored a career-high and franchise-record 70 points to go along with 18 rebounds as the host Philadelphia 76ers defeated the San Antonio Spurs, 133-123. Meanwhile, the Charlotte Hornets overcame a record-setting performance by Karl-Anthony Towns to rally for a 128-125 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Minneapolis. Towns scored 62 points to break his own franchise record for the Timberwolves. But he missed his final 3-point attempt in the final second of regulation, failing to force overtime.
Both these career-high scoring eruptions aptly came on the 18th anniversary of the late, great Kobe Bryant’s 81-point game, where he towed the Los Angeles Lakers past the Toronto Raptors. Embiid, the reigning Most Valuable Player, became the third player in Philadelphia franchise history to produce at least 60 points in a game, joining Wilt Chamberlain (three occasions) and Allen Iverson. Embiid surpassed Chamberlain’s previous franchise mark of 68 points set on December 16, 1967, against the Chicago Bulls. He shot 24-of-41 from the field, 1-of-2 from 3-point range and 21-of-23 from the free-throw line.
On the other hand, Towns had 44 points in the first half, which also was a franchise record, and 18 points in the second half. He shot 21-for-35 from the field, 10-for-15 from 3-point range and 10-for-14 from the free-throw line. Timberwolves players fed pass after pass to Towns as it became apparent that he was headed toward a history-making night. Minnesota’s top scorer on the season, Anthony Edwards, scored nine points and racked up 11 assists, and Kyle Anderson notched eight assists off the bench. Towns set the franchise record on a driving layup with 5:37 to go. The basket gave him 62 points as he eclipsed his previous team record of 60 points against the San Antonio Spurs on March 14, 2022.
Source: rappler.com
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