Karl-Anthony Towns Drops NBA Season-High 60 Points as Minnesota Timberwolves Beat San Antonio Spurs

During the Minnesota Timberwolves game against the San Antonio Spurs Monday night, Karl-Anthony Towns has delivered one of the most prolific performances by a center in the NBA in more than two decades.

The Minnesota Timberwolves outlasted the San Antonio Spurs in a 149-139 win on Monday night, with Towns finishing a team-high 60 points, the most scored in the NBA this season.

Towns shot 19-for-31 overall, grabbed 17 rebounds, and went 7-for-11 on 3s, breaking his previous career-high of 56 points against the Atlanta Hawks in March 2018.

Lakers star LeBron James and Hawks guard Trae Young previously shared 56 points, the league-high honors this season.

Before the game, Towns told coach Chris Finch that they needed to win, and he would do whatever it takes, ESPN reported.

"I had to dominate. I had to be my best," the three-time All-Star said.

Minnesota Timberwolves' Karl-Anthony Towns Becomes NBA's 5th Center With 60-Point Game

With 1:39 remaining, Minnesota Timberwolves' 7-foot All-Star concluded his dazzling outburst by draining a 3-pointer shortly after making one of two free throws to reach 57 points.

According to ABC News, Karl-Anthony Towns was the first player in NBA history to score 60 points, 15 rebounds, and shoot 60 percent from 3-point range in the same game.

He became the first NBA center with a 60-point game since Shaquille O'Neal had 61 for the Lakers in 2000. Towns became the fifth center to score 60 in a game, joining O'Neal, David Robinson, Wilt Chamberlain, and George Mikan.

The Timberwolves center also became the first No. 1 overall pick to score 60 since LeBron James' only career 60-point performance in 2014.

D'Angelo Russell, Timberwolves point guard who had 19 points, said the entire team was happy and that everyone was being selfless.

Minnesota is one and a half games behind the Denver Nuggets for the sixth spot in the Western Conference playoff chase.

San Antonio Spurs Lost 7 of 9 Overall Games

San Antonio Spurs has dropped two straight games since Gregg Popovich became the NBA's all-time winningest coach with 1,336 career victories.

The Spurs lost seven of nine and are 2-3 during a seven-game homestand, their longest of the season. Spurs forward Keldon Johnson contributed 34 points, Dejounte Murray added 30 points and 12 assists, and Lonnie Walker IV had 22.

The teams combined for 148 points in the first half, shooting 58-of-100 while playing at a frenzied tempo. During the opening seven minutes, San Antonio went 4-for-5 on 3-pointers, while Minnesota shot 75 percent from the field.

While playing the entire first quarter against Jakob Poeltl and Zach Collins, Karl-Anthony Towns scored 14 points and five rebounds. In the third quarter, he scored 32 points, the fourth-most in a single quarter over the past 25 seasons.

Town's performance was not was a surprise, but tonight "he was special," said Popovich.

The game got chippy in the third, as Minnesota guard Patrick Beverley got tangled up with Collins and Murray on separate possessions. The skirmishes fueled a 16-7 run for the Wolves, giving them a 112-99 lead with 2:30 left in the quarter.

Through the first three periods, Towns had 56 points. He sat down with 6:34 left in the game after picking up his fourth and fifth fouls in 45 seconds but returned with three minutes remaining to set a new career-high.

Karl-Anthony Towns said he asked Finch what he wanted to do, and he was told to "go get 60." Towns continued, "So I just went out there, tried to be really aggressive."

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Written by: Jess Smith

WATCH: Karl-Anthony Towns INSANE 60 PTS Full Highlights vs. Spurs - From House of Highlights