In a night dominated by extraordinary performances from NBA big men, Joel Embiid showcased his prowess by setting a career-high with 70 points in the Philadelphia 76ers’ victory against the San Antonio Spurs. Simultaneously, Karl-Anthony Towns achieved a personal milestone, scoring 62 points for the Minnesota Timberwolves in a surprising loss to the Charlotte Hornets.
Even amid his own standout game, where Kevin Durant dropped 43 points for the Phoenix Suns in a narrow victory over the Chicago Bulls, Durant was informed about Embiid’s incredible feat during the postgame press conference.
Reacting to Embiid’s 70-point performance, Durant expressed amazement, saying, “70? He had 70? I think KAT had 40 at the half.”
Durant went on to praise the skill level in the league, emphasizing the creativity in coaching schemes. He acknowledged the evolving landscape where big men are utilized in diverse offensive sets, showcasing their ability to score from beyond the arc and make significant contributions.
“The skill level in this league is insane and actually the coaching schemes on offense are insane,” the two-time NBA champion said. “You’re seeing so many different sets being run for bigs to get threes. I mean coaches are being way more creative to put their best players in great positions to get those numbers.”
Durant elaborated on the current peak of basketball, highlighting the variety of offensive strategies, including big men scoring 70 and 60 points, making 10 three-pointers, and executing pull-up jump shots. He marveled at the insane talent in the league and the creativity coaches employ to maximize their players’ potential.
“You got shooters all around the floor, you got penetrators. This is a peak of basketball in my opinion. You’re seeing it with guys doing… you got bigs in the league getting 70 and 60 [points], making 10 threes, shooting pull up jumpshot. It’s insane what we got going,” Durant concluded.
