Prior to Friday night, Corey Brewer had never scored more than 29 points in an NBA game. During his three-year tenure at Florida under Billy Donovan, Brewer topped out at 26 points.
So when the Minnesota Timberwolves forward exploded for 51 points in a 112-110 victory over the Houston Rockets on Friday, he even managed to surprise himself.
”I’m not even going to lie,” Brewer said, according to the Associated Press. “‘Fifty?!?’ … You know how many guys scored 50 in the NBA? That’s what makes it such a special night because I never in my career expected to score 50.
“There’s a lot of good company up there.”
Brewer’s 51-point breakout performance tied teammate Kevin Love for a franchise record, which was set in a 149-140 overtime loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on March 23, 2012.
Not only did the 6-foot-9 forward lead his team to victory Friday, but Brewer also showed off his defensive skills by tying a season-high six steals.
Since steals became an official statistic in 1973-74, only Michael Jordan, Allen Iverson, Rick Barry and Brewer have recorded at least 50 points and six steals in a single game. But no 50-point performance was more unexpected than Brewer’s on Friday night.
“I thought I was in high school again,” Brewer said in the Timberwolves’ locker room following the game. “Everything was going in, but I was just playing. I wasn’t thinking about it until someone was like, ‘You got 44, you can get 50 tonight.’ I was like, ‘Oh, yeah OK, whatever.’ Then I actually got 50.”
On the Rockets’ side of the game, Chandler Parsons, who came to Florida when Brewer left for the NBA in 2007, finished the contest with 27 points on 11-of-19 shooting.
Beal leading Wizards down home stretch: On April 2 against the Boston Celtics, Bradley Beal missed just one shot and scored 19 to help the Washington Wizards clinch their first playoff berth since 2008.
In other words, the last time the Wizards were in the postseason, Beal was just 14 years old and still three years away from stepping foot on Florida’s campus. But now as the NBA season comes to a close, Washington is in position to potentially lock up a No. 6 seed behind Beal’s play on the court.
During the Wizards’ three-game win streak, the former one-and-done Gators guard has averaged 17 points and 3.7 assists per contest. With just one game remaining on the regular-season schedule, Beal can help lock up his team’s playoff position when Washington faces Boston tonight at 8.
In the most recent game for Beal and the Wizards, the 6-foot-5 guard scored 15 points and recorded five assists in a 114-93 win Monday over the Miami Heat, which rested LeBron James and Chris Bosh.
The victory not only ensured Washington would have a one-game lead over the Charlotte Bobcats heading into the regular-season finale, but it also knocked Miami out of the race for the No. 1 seed.
The highlight of the game came when Wizards guard Andre Miller grabbed a rebound off a Heat missed field goal and chucked it the full length of the court to find an open Beal, who finished the play with a layup despite being fouled.
“It was a post route,” Beal said. “The safety bit on a ball fake, so I was able to beat the corner and I got free for a touchdown. Hopefully, the Redskins will pick me up.”
Follow Jonathan Czupryn on Twitter @jczupryn
Wizards guard Bradley Beal (3) shoots during Washington’s 104-91 win against the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday.
