The list of NBA players who have scored 50 points (or more) in single game reads like a who’s who of all-timers, many of which have done it multiple times: Jordan (31), Kobe (24), Baylor (14), Kareem (11), and Wilt (ummm…118 times). In fact, outside of a handful of great point guards — Magic, Stockton, Kidd, Payton — pretty much anyone you’d consider to be a shoo-in Hall of Famer has done it.
Then, there are the, uh, others. Guys who make you stop and say “that guy scored 50 points??? In an actual NBA game???” NBA history is littered with guys who aren’t exactly known on a single-name basis: Lewis (Rashard), Miller (Andre), Murray (Tracy), Jackson (Jim), Smith (Charles), and, of course, the immortal Tony Delk. Last year, Corey Brewer added his name to the list of also-rans, notching 51 points on a bad Minnesota Timberwolves team. Brewer matched Kevin Love for the franchise’s single game scoring record (Kevin Garnett has never done it, either). Brewer is now a solid bench contributor for the Houston Rockets, and the Timberwolves are even worse than last season.
Heading into Tuesday night’s game against the Indiana Pacers, the T-Wolves only had five wins on the season and were mired in a 15-game losing streak. In fact, just about the only thing going well these days is Andrew Wiggins, who, including Tuesday night’s game, is averaging 21 points per game on 49.4% shooting from the field over his last ten. Other than that, it’s been a very forgettable season in the Twin Cities. That is, until Mo Williams had the game of his life in Indianapolis.
Mo Williams…*ahem*All-Star Mo Williams…is a journeyman perhaps best-known for being the second banana to LeBron James during the last two seasons of LeBron’s first stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Thanks to playing alongside James — and a few timely injuries — Williams snagged his lone All-Star appearance in the 2008-09 season. After LeBron left for Miami, Williams didn’t last long, and was shipped off to the Clippers. Since then, he’s played for the Jazz, Blazers and, now, T-Wolves. So, yeah, Mo falls closer to the Tony Delk end of the 50-point spectrum.
That being said, regardless of who it is gunning for a 50-burger, it’s always fun to watch. And Mo certainly put on a show. He also had some help getting there as the game was close, which led to a couple extra possessions that wouldn’t have happened had it been a blowout. After hitting a fade-away three to reach 48 points, the Pacers fouled him after a made shot and he went to the line for his moment of glory. The first free throw bounced around before falling in, followed by a perfect swish for an even fifty. After setting the record, Mo capped it off a perfect Mo shot: an air ball three.
But who cares? He got his 52 and now has sole possession of a franchise record — something should cherish while it lasts, because something tells us this Wiggins kid may be the one who breaks that.
[YouTube, photo: Ron Hoskins/Getty Images]
