Towns erupts for career-high 60 points vs. Spurs

Karl-Anthony Towns could not be contained Monday night.

The Minnesota Timberwolves big man established a new career high and franchise record with 60 points in a 149-139 win over the San Antonio Spurs.

Towns scored 32 points in the third quarter alone to match his previous career high, and franchise high, of 56 with a full quarter left to play. He'd add another four points in the fourth to cap his sensational performance.

"I had 32 in the third? Damn!" a surprised Towns told NBA TV postgame.

There have now been six 50-point games around the NBA in the last 10 days, including two from LeBron James. Towns' 60-point outing is the highest-scoring game in the NBA this season, surpassing James' and Trae Young's 56-point efforts.

Towns rounded out his line with 17 rebounds, three assists, and one steal. The Kentucky product shot 19-of-31 from the field, including a 7-of-11 mark on 3-pointers, and converted 15 of his 16 free-throw attempts. He joins Michael Jordan, Karl Malone, and Shaquille O'Neal as the only players in the 3-point era (1979-80) to record at least 60 points and 17 rebounds in a game, according to The Washington Post's Ben Golliver.

"I knew Naz (Reid) was out, I understood how the game was gonna go," Towns added. "You know, it's crazy, I didn't even feel my best today. I thought that it was going to be a rough day for me."

Minnesota's 149 points mark a new franchise high for a single contest. The 288 total points scored between the Timberwolves and Spurs are also the most combined in a game this season.