Giannis, Wembanyama and Towns deliver historic scoring night in NBA
There was no shortage of high-scoring affairs in the NBA on Wednesday.
Three players scored at least 45 points — Victor Wembanyama, Karl-Anthony Towns and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Two of those stars (Wembanyama and Antetokounmpo) had 50 points, including a career-high from the San Antonio Spurs center.
The three 45-point games is tied for the most in a single day in NBA history and it marks just the seventh day with as many. March 14, 2022 is the last time it happened when Towns (60), Trae Young (46) and Stephen Curry (47) each dropped 45 points.
Wembanyama led the Spurs to 139-130 victory over the Washington Wizards. Antetokounmpo put the Milwaukee Bucks over the top 127-120 in overtime against the Detroit Pistons. Towns’ big game wasn’t enough as the New York Knicks fell to the Chicago Bulls 124-123.
Here are the key numbers from a memorable night in the association.
59: The Milwaukee Bucks needed every bit of Antetokounmpo’s 59 points against the Detroit Pistons. That point total is the second-most of his career (64) and most by any player in a game this season.
Antetokounmpo — who outscored the Pistons by himself in overtime — now has three career 55-point games in the regular season. All other players in Bucks history have combined for three.
It was also the two-time MVPs ninth career 50-point, 10-rebound game, the third most in NBA history, trailing Wilt Chamberlain (118) and Elgin Baylor (16).
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Five: Wembanyama’s scoring outburst puts him in rare company. He’s the fifth player aged 20 or younger to score 50 points in a game, joining LeBron James (twice), Brandon Jennings, Kevin Porter Jr. and Devin Booker.
At 20 years and 314 days, the San Antonio center is the fourth-youngest player to drop 50, behind Booker, James and Jennings.
He’s also the second player in Spurs franchise history to score 50 within his first two seasons — George Gervin is the other, though this is only in reference to the Ice Man’s NBA career.
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Four: Towns’ high-scoring game included all kinds of history.
For one, it marked his fourth career game with 40 points, 10 rebounds and five 3-pointers. That breaks a tie with DeMarcus Cousins for the most by a center in NBA history.
Towns is the first Knicks player with 45 points and 10 rebounds since Carmelo Anthony in 2014 — that performance took place one month after Anthony had a career-high 62 points.
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Three: Prior to Wednesday, there had been only three 45-point games this season: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (45), Paolo Banchero (50) and Tyrese Maxey (45).
Wembanyama and Banchero — who turned 22 on Tuesday — are linked in league history.
This is the first season that a pair of players age 21 or younger scored 50 points in a game in NBA history. The only other season this occurred was in 2005-06 and James accounted for both.
6-foot-11: Wednesday marked the first day in league history that three players 6-foot-11 or taller scored 45 points each.
Listed at 7-foot-4, Wembanyama is the tallest player in NBA history with a 50-point outing.
ESPN Research contributed to this story.
Source: espn.com