The sound heard was Karl-Anthony Towns telling us that he’ll remain in the shadows of his peers. On Monday night in Philadelphia, Joel Embiid displayed 70-point, 18-rebound scoring prowess.

Per minute, Embiid is a historic scorer, averaging more than 50 points per 48 minutes. His game is not aesthetically pleasing but he is a dominant force in the paint and from beyond the arc.

Embiid has been criticized for drawing free throws and knocking them down. He made 23 free throws of 24 attempts in addition to 47 points as we call it. Wembanyama said, “It’s a big man’s game.”

Nikola Jokic is currently the NBA’s best player. However, Embiid is a worthy contender at the moment. We are seeing a generational season from Embiid, which adds pressure to Daryl Morey to make a trade to maintain his success.

Simultaneously, Towns registered a career-high 62 points, but Minnesota lost the game. His focus on scoring prevented them from securing a win, causing criticism from his coach.

Towns might not be the elite big in an era where the style and officiating are tilted in his favor, leading to humbling career highs.