NBA News: Kyrie Irving, Karl-Anthony Towns Achieve Feat That Has Not Been Seen Since 1962

Just a day after Karl-Anthony Towns dropped 60 points on the San Antonio Spurs, the Brooklyn Nets’ Kyrie Irving brought out his bag of tricks to join him for a historical achievement that has not been seen since 1962.

ESPN noted that Towns and Irving’s twin 60-point outbursts were the first of its kind since NBA Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain did it himself in December 1962 against the Syracuse Nationals (61) and Los Angeles Lakers (63).

Irving was money from the start of the game, knocking down four shots from beyond the arc for a cool 12 points to torch the Orlando Magic to the tune of 41 points by halftime.

From taking his usual midrange jumpers to taking it to the hoop with ease and even making off-balanced three-pointers, Irving was certainly feeling himself in this game.

When the smoke cleared, Irving had 60 points on 20-of-31 field goal shooting, 12 of them from the free throw line, six rebounds, four assists and steals plus a block with only one turnover in just 35 minutes of action.

This performance also saw the maligned guard break two records: the Nets’ franchise scoring record of 57 that was previously held by three-time All-Star Deron Williams and his own personal best of 57.

Exactly a week since he dropped 50 points on the unsuspecting Charlotte Hornets, Irving’s 60 points make it the sixth game in the past two weeks where a player dropped at least 50 points.

LeBron James (50 against the Washington Wizards, 56 against the Golden State Warriors), Jayson Tatum (54 versus the Nets) and Kevin Durant (53 versus the New York Knicks) were the other occurrences.

Similar to Irving, Towns’ franchise record-breaking performance was also a career-high as he achieved the feat while shooting 19-of-31 from the floor, 15 made free throws, seven three-pointers, 17 rebounds, three assists, and a steal in 36 minutes.

The fact that a big man and a guard set the highest points total in the league this season is amazing enough, but the implications for both men go beyond these games.

Irving is on a mission to prove to the Nets and Durant that he can help carry the load when he is not sitting on the bench due to New York City’s vaccine mandate.

Meanwhile, Towns sets the standard on what it means to be a franchise cornerstone.

Despite both the Nets and Timberwolves being a few games away from a sure playoff spot, it is starting to look like that the play-in tournament is going to be the likely scenario for them.

However, there is still a chance to secure the sixth seed for both squads as the Nets are 3.5 games away, while the Timberwolves are just a game behind the Denver Nuggets.

Irving and Towns’ value to their teams is unquestionable at this point, and while the former still has a ways to go before he can take the court in Brooklyn, the latter has an opportunity to bring the Timberwolves back to prominence.