The big man has become somewhat of an anomaly in the NBA. In this small-ball era of basketball, teams either boast a traditional back-to-the-basket big, an athletic rim protector or a facilitator who can do a bit of both.
But for the T’Wolves and Knicks, their respective big men are far from traditional. Karl-Anthony Towns and Kristaps Porzingis, who finished first and second in last season’s Rookie of the Year award voting, put their unique talents on full display as New York survived a late Minnesota comeback attempt, 106-104, on Wednesday night.
With a dazzling array of inside-outside tools, Towns punished the Knicks for a career-high 47 points, 20 in the first quarter, on a ridiculously efficient 15-for-22 shooting. He grabbed 18 boards and rejected three shots, including this futile Derrick Rose lay-up.
Towns couldn’t nail a triple — he shot 0-for-3 from downtown — but drained 17 of his 20 free throw attempts. Porzingis, on the other hand, drilled three of his seven three-point attempts as part of his 29 points on the night. Even better, he had two amazing blocks to help keep the momentum swinging New York’s way.
One from the weak side on Shabazz Muhammad:
And one on Towns, who was hunting for a poster:
Porzingis and Towns are good friends, and in their second year in the NBA, they’re doing things no human beings their size should be doing. It will be incredible to watch them continue to develop.
Here are some other highlights around the NBA if you missed last night’s basketball festivities:
Dwight Howard failed miserably at being point guard
Dwight Howard, Point God https://t.co/HMsXOgNuKN
— Rob Perez (@World_Wide_Wob) December 1, 2016
In certain circumstances, big men bring the ball up. That big man, clearly, should never be Dwight Howard.
Howard sent the rock careening off the backboard after a left-handed lead pass to Mike Muscala went awry. He should leave the point guard duties to Dennis Schröder.
Sixers-Kings game postponed due to wet floor
Watch this video to see how wet the floor gets. #Sixers #SacramentoKings pic.twitter.com/96qHdS8z8h
— Keith Pompey (@PompeyOnSixers) December 1, 2016
Some awesome investigative work here by The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Keith Pompey revealed the Wells Fargo Center’s floors were entirely too wet for basketball activity. The NBA ended up postponing the game to a later date. But not before Boogie Cousins had a bit of fun at the arena’s expense.
Boogie is now mopping the floor and taking tips from Vlade pic.twitter.com/004NfhzIJC
— Tony Xypteras (@TonyXypteras) December 1, 2016
Russell Westbrook recorded his ninth triple-double
Russell Westbrook with the clutch 3-pointer to send the game to OT!
— NBA SKITS (@NBA_Skits) December 1, 2016
pic.twitter.com/N6pUDVGy7b
It’s almost becoming a daily occurrence. Russell Westbrook is going to get his as the Thunder continue their quest for a playoff appearance. He even knocked down the clutch three to send the game into overtime.
He’s staring down Oscar Robertson and there’s nothing anyone can do to stop him.
Wednesday’s top five performances
Karl-Anthony Towns: 47 points, 15-for-22 shooting, 18 rebounds
Karl-Anthony Towns is unreal pic.twitter.com/3ETIzMXVqd
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) December 1, 2016
Towns did some amazing things against the Knicks, including a sweet post move on Kristaps Porzingis. He became the youngest player in Minnesota Timberwolves history to score 40 points and the ninth player in the past 30 years to put up 47 points and 18 rebounds.
Russell Westbrook: 35 points, 12-for-35 shooting, 14 rebounds, 11 assists
Westbrook’s triple-double against the Wizards was his fourth in as many games. You can question the efficiency, but you can’t question his heart.
Julius Randle: 13 points, 4-for-13 shooting, 20 rebounds
Randle was one of many bright spots on a Lakers team that had five players in double-digits in a win over the Bulls. Los Angeles is now 10-10 and looking to sneak into the Western Conference playoffs.
Hassan Whiteside: 25 points, 11-for-17 shooting, 16 rebounds, 4 blocks
A look back at an impressive 'double-double' 1st half for @YoungWhiteside! pic.twitter.com/HwJ7hLxk34
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) December 1, 2016
Whiteside is dominating the floor on both ends. He had a double-double in the first half. Miami just needs to get him some help.
Damian Lillard: 28 points, 11-for-18 shooting, 10 assists, 4 steals
Lillard was in full control on Wednesday, leading his Blazers to a much-needed win over a Paul George-less Pacers team.
Final scores
Knicks 106, T’Wolves 104 [Posting and Toasting recap | Canis Hoopus recap]
Pistons 121, Celtics 114 [Detroit Bad Boys recap | Celtics Blog recap]
Kings vs. Celtics: Postponed due to wet court
Raptors 120, Grizzlies 105 [Raptors HQ recap | Grizzly Bear Blues recap]
Lakers 96, Bulls 90 [Silver Screen and Roll recap | Blog a Bull recap]
Thunder 126, Wizards 115 [Welcome to Loud City recap | Bullets Forever recap]
Spurs 94, Mavericks 87 [Pounding the Rock recap | Mavs Moneyball recap]
Heat 106, Nuggets 98 [Hot Hot Hoops recap | Denver Stiffs recap]
Suns 109, Hawks 107 [Bright Side of the Sun recap | Peachtree Hoops recap]
Blazers 131, Pacers 109 [Blazer’s Edge recap | Indy Cornrows recap]