51-point explosion upstaged by star’s ‘video game numbers’ in 59-point all-time first: NBA Wrap

Darius Garland wowed in a 51-point eruption …

Then Joel Embiid topped him in a later sport with an absurd 59-point efficiency in one of many greatest stat traces you’ll ever see.

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GARLAND DROPS RECORD 51 POINTS

Darius Garland exploded for a career-best 51 factors, however the Cleveland Cavaliers’ fierce rally towards the Minnesota Timberwolves simply got here up quick 129-124.

Garland’s epic line included capturing 16-of-31 from the sector with 10 triples, six assists and two steals.

It marked the best particular person scoring efficiency within the NBA this season and the primary participant to drop 50 factors, whereas the 22-year outdated turned the youngest participant in league historical past with 50 factors and 10 threes.

Playing with out Donovan Mitchell and Jarrett Allen, the Cavaliers went down massive early and confronted an enormous deficit all sport together with trailing by as a lot as 22 factors with 10 minutes left within the fourth.

Just like all sport, it was all set to be a giant blowout … enter Garland.

Cleveland charged dwelling with a rush behind dominant play from Garland, who poured in a whopping 27 factors within the remaining 9 minutes of the sport alone to chop the Timberwolves’ result in 126-124 with eight seconds left.

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D’Angelo Russell then went to the road and missed one free throw to present Cleveland an opportunity tie up the scores with a three-pointer, however Rudy Gobert made a well timed steal and Taurean Prince made two free throws to seal the win for Minnesota.

Russell led the Timberwolves with 30 factors and 12 assists and Karl-Anthony Towns had 29 factors and 13 rebounds.

It snapped a three-game dropping streak Minnesota (6-8), whereas the Cavaliers (8-5) dropped their fourth in a row.

… BUT EMBIID GOES ONE BETTER IN 55-POINT ERRUPTION

On the identical dayDarius Garland dropped probably the most factors in a sport this season, Joel Embiid went one higher in a monster 59-point outing — additionally a profession excessive.

Leading the Philadelphia 76ers to a slim 103-98 win over the Utah Jazz, Embiid added 11 rebounds, eight assists and 7 blocks and went 20-of-24 from the free throw line in a dominant masterclass.

It’s truthful to say fantasy house owners would’ve loved this one, like a line straight out of a NBA2K online game.

It got here in a tricky and arduous fought battle that went all the way down to the wire because the Sixers and Jazz, who have been each coming off back-to-backs, traded leads all sport.

Then when Embiid got here again into the sport with 5 minutes left, he wasn’t going to let the Sixers lose.

The star centre was unstoppable down the stretch, scoring 13 factors within the remaining 5 minutes (together with 26 of Philly’s 27 fourth quarter factors) to carrry his group dwelling.

Embiid even tried an audacious fadeaway three with two defenders on him that would’ve taken him to 60 factors.

It got here a day after his 42-point domination towards Atlanta — scoring an unthinkable 101 factors in 27 hours.

Perhaps most remarkably, it got here regardless of the large man going into the sport underneath some uncertainty with an ankle situation — a difficulty that clearly didn’t hassle him.

It marked the Sixers’ third win from their final 4 to enhance to 7-7, whereas Utah dropped its second straight to fall to 10-5.

SGA TORCHES KNICKS

The Knicks have appeared like a league-average group this season, every trace of momentum adopted by a slam of the brakes.

So it tracked that a day that started with a literal excessive level ended with one other low.

The Knicks set a franchise document for factors in 1 / 4 within the first, but proceeded to give up their most factors in a sport in two-plus seasons underneath Tom Thibodeau. An electrical begin gave approach to a defensive collapse in a 145-135 loss to the Thunder in entrance of 19,812 at a sold-out Garden on Monday.

The Knicks (6-7) slipped again underneath .500 with one other loss that got here on the heels of a victory. They have alternated wins and losses for seven straight video games, usually beating groups they’re alleged to beat and dropping to groups they’re alleged to lose to.

The Thunder (6-7) are in neither class, however they characteristic an rising star the Knicks lack.

After a gradual begin, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — a possible commerce goal, ought to the middling Thunder resolve to tank for a lottery choose — sliced via the Knicks’ defence at will for 37 factors on 13-of-22 capturing with eight assists, three steals and two blocks.

SGA far outdueled RJ Barrett, wanting just like the extra promising two-way wing whereas producing no matter shot he needed — usually towards Barrett, who was a nonfactor and benched after choosing up his fourth foul early within the third quarter.

“There was no resistance,” Thibodeau stated after the Knicks surrendered their most factors since Dec. 27, 2006 — when an Isiah Thomas-coached group additionally allowed 145 in a triple-overtime win over the Pistons.

They had not allowed as many as 145 in regulation since a 145-129 loss to the Kansas City Kings on Dec. 8, 1979. The Knicks haven’t given up extra factors in a sport since March 24, 1979, once they misplaced 148-143 to the Bulls in double-overtime.

Even amid OKC’s offensive deluge, a powerful offensive begin — together with a franchise-best 48 factors within the first quarter — had the Knicks inside 96-93 at 6:08 of the third quarter earlier than a backbreaking Oklahoma City run put the sport on ice.

The Thunder poured in 26 factors within the remaining six minutes of the quarter, working their offence via Gilgeous-Alexander. In the third quarter alone, Gilgeous-Alexander went 7-for-10 with only one try (a graceful) from past the arc. Whomever the Knicks threw on the 24-year-old with Barrett on the bench, from Cam Reddish to Derrick Rose, the lengthy, lightning-quick Gilgeous-Alexander placed on his hip.

“They were ready to play,” stated Jalen Brunson, who together with Barrett was benched late within the sport. “Made a couple more plays than us, and we should be walking out of here with a win, scoring that many points.

“Just defensively, we were just — myself included — we just weren’t right and unacceptable.”

The Knicks, who led by 13 within the first quarter, nonetheless managed to listen to boos two durations later. They trailed by as many as 19 within the fourth, through which a powerful bench effort — together with 24 factors from Immanuel Quickley — helped them claw again, however they solely acquired as shut as 9 factors.

Gilgeous-Alexander was so sturdy he overshadowed his personal teammate’s triple-double, as Josh Giddey completed with 24 factors, 12 assists and 10 rebounds, whereas Lu Dort added 24 factors. The Knicks allowed the Thunder to shoot 17-of-31 from past the arc.

“Can’t just let people get what they want,” stated Barrett, who went 2-of-10 for 4 factors. “Can’t let one guy have 30-something, another guy have 20-something, another guy gets a triple-double.

“We can’t allow stuff like that. It was too easy for them.”

It was too straightforward for the Knicks within the first quarter, using a balanced assault — 9 totally different Knicks scored within the interval, and Jericho Sims and Obi Toppin gave the impression to be alternating possessions of ending alley-oops — whereas they shot 64.5 per cent and turned the ball over as soon as.

But as has been the story of the season, the great emotions went bitter shortly. The Thunder mixed for 86 factors within the following two quarters.

“We have to take a hard look at (the defence) and then evaluate everything,” Thibodeau stated. “And what’s the best way for us to have a chance to be successful.”

It will solely get more durable for the Knicks, who embark on a five-games-in-seven-days journey that begins Wednesday in Utah and swings Thursday to Denver for a back-to-back that Evan Fournier known as “probably the toughest in the league” due to the altitude and circumstances in travelling.

“When you go west, it’s always a tough time, regardless of your dynamic,” stated Fournier, who went 0-for-5 and was held scoreless. “It’s about how you respond.”

This season, the Knicks haven’t.

-Originally printed by Mark W. Sanchez in The New York Post

ALL RESULTS

THUNDER 145 KNICKS 135

TIMBERWOLVES 129 CAVALIERS 124

GRIZZLIES 92 WIZARDS 102

JAZZ 98 76ERS 105

NUGGETS 126 BULLS 103

WARRIORS 115 KINGS 122

NETS 103 LAKERS 116