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“Kyrie Irving and Karl-Anthony Towns have equaled Wilt Chamberlain”: How the ‘Jersey boys’ record setting 60 point nights haven’t been replicated in 60 years

Samir Mehdi
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“Kyrie Irving and Karl-Anthony Towns have equaled Wilt Chamberlain”: How the ‘Jersey boys’ record setting 60 point nights haven’t been replicated in 60 years

Kyrie Irving and Karl-Anthony Towns became the first set of players to have 60 point games on consecutive nights since Wilt Chamberlain. 

Kyrie Irving has become the go-to player in the league when it comes to putting up efficient, yet high-scoring games, all while putting on an absolute display of offensive mastery. His 50-point game against the Charlotte Hornets saw him decimate their below average defense on an incredible 15-19 shooting clip. 

Last night was an even more beautiful display of offensive skill from Kyrie Irving as he had a career-high 60 points against the best defense in the league since the All-Star break. He shot well over 50% from the field, knocking down 20-31 shots from the field.

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The night prior to Irving’s 60-piece however, saw Karl-Anthony Towns drop 60 points of his own as well in what was one of the most performances in NBA history. No big man has ever come close to scoring that many points while taking the outside shots KAT took two nights ago. 

Towns shot 19-31 from the field but what was more impressive was the fact that he drained 7 shots from beyond the arc on merely 11 attempts. The way in which he used his threat to drive in or step-back for a 3 was beyond masterful. 

Kyrie Irving and Karl-Anthony Towns equal a Wilt Chamberlain record. 

Doing something that Wilt Chamberlain did during his 1962 campaign means you’re doing something right. During that ‘62 season, two 60-point nights happening back-to-back took place three times. Funnily enough, this only happened during the 1962 season and then never again. Well, until last night.

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What is remarkably absurd is that Wilt Chamberlain kept dropping 60+ points on back-to-back nights during this season. This record essentially exists because Wilt Chamberlain existed. 

Among these scoring nights from ‘The Big Dipper’ was a 73 point night, a 78 point night, and several 60s, as expected. 

About the author

Samir Mehdi

Samir Mehdi

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Samir Mehdi is a senior strategist for the NBA division at The Sportsrush. Ever since he was 13 years old, he’s been obsessed with the game of basketball. From watching Kobe Bryant’s highlights on YouTube to now, analyzing and breaking down every single game on League Pass, Samir’s passion for the game is unwavering. He's a complete basketball junkie who not only breaks down current games but also keenly watches ones from the 60s’ and 70s’ while also reading comprehensive books on the history of the league. Samir’s life revolves around basketball and he hopes that shows in his work. Aside from work, he loves to spend time in the gym and with his friends at social gatherings.

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