On April 11, 2014, Corey Brewer erupted for a career-best 51 points as the Minnesota Timberwolves eked out a 112-110 win over the Houston Rockets, who were led by 33 points from three-time scoring champion James Harden.
Brewer, a career 8.7 point per game scorer, was an extremely unlikely candidate to eclipse the 50-point mark as that game also signified the only time in his 13-year career that he scored over 30 points.
On the seven-year anniversary of Brewer's career night, we look back at five of the more unlikely 50-point performances since the turn of the century in chronological order.
Tony Delk
Jan. 2, 2001
Stat line: 53 PTS (20-27 FG, 13-15 FT), 6 REB
Delk, who entered the night with a career of 27 points, brought in the year 2001 in style.
In an overtime loss to the Sacramento Kings, Delk erupted for 53 points while shooting 74.1 percent from the field but failed to make one 3-point field goal. For his career, Delk averaged 9.1 points per game and his 53-point performance marks the lone time in his career that he eclipsed even the 30-point mark.
Andre Miller
Jan. 30, 2010
Stat line: 52 PTS (22-31 FG, 7-8 FT), 5 REB, 2 AST
A one-time assist champ, Miller is known for his playmaking abilities more than anything else.
On a night in Dallas, he put the scoring hat on in a major way.
Miller shot 71.0 percent from the field in the game, knocking down his lone 3-point attempt as he saw 42 minutes of action. Reputation as a passer aside, let it be known that Miller could fill it up in the early parts of his career, as he averaged 14.4 points per game of his first 12 seasons. Still, the 52-point game might come as a bit of a shock.
Terrence Ross
Jan. 25, 2014
Stat line: 51 PTS (16-29 FG, 10-17 3FG, 9-10 FT), 9 REB
We now know Ross can fill it up but at the time, he was a second-year player that was still figuring things out.
At 22, Ross set what stood as the franchise's single-game scoring record for seven years, knocking down 10 triples to score 51 points in a loss to the LA Clippers. Prior to that game, Ross' career high was 26 points and he finished the 2013-14 season averaging 10.9 points per game.
Not quite the typical credentials of a 50-point scorer.
Corey Brewer
April 11, 2014
Stat line: 51 PTS (19-30 FG, 11-15 FT), 6 STL
A career 8.7 points per game scorer, Brewer entered the game averaging 11.7 points per game before going off for 51 points in a two-point win over the Rockets. How'd he do it? Quite frankly, a lot of layups.
It was the only time in Brewer's career that he scored over 30 points but it's a game that will live forever as one of the more unlikely 50-point games in recent years.
Mo Williams
Jan. 13, 2015
Stat line: 52 PTS (19-33 FG, 6-11 3FG, 8-9 FT), 7 AST, 4 REB
It might not be as unlikely in the sense that Williams is a former All-Star but his 50-point game coming six years after his All-Star appearance adds to the surprise factor.
At 32, Williams knocked down six triples and shot 57.6 percent from the field, also finding a way to dish out seven assists and pull down four boards in a Wolves' win. It stood as the highest-scoring game from a Minnesota player until Karl-Anthony Towns eclipsed his mark with a 56-point performance in March 2018.
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