Kemba Walker Scored 60 Points In A Heartbreaking Overtime Loss To The Sixers

Journalists are told that they’re supposed to be neutral. As such, please know that when I say “Kemba Walker is absolutely fantastic,” it is being stated as a fact and not as an opinion. For proof of this, let us go to Charlotte on Saturday night, where Walker put forth perhaps the best individual effort of the season.

Walker and the Hornets played hosts to the Philadelphia 76ers, giving us a back-and-forth game that required overtime. Charlotte ended up losing a heartbreaker, falling 122-119, but it certainly wasn’t the fault of Walker. The All-Star guard scored more than half of the Hornets’ points on the night, setting a franchise record with 60 points.

It became obvious something really special was happening in the third quarter, when Walker scored 16 points in the frame. He did it in that delightfully Kemba Walker way where he was lightning quick in every single thing he did, whether it was pulling up for a jumper or putting the ball on the deck and getting to the rim.

When the Hornets needed a big shot down the stretch in regulation, you bet Walker took it, and with how good he was all night, he probably called bank, too.

After hitting this triple, he paid tribute to the dude who owns the Hornets and hit everyone with a shrug.

Through regulation, Walker had 58 points on 20-for-29 shooting, giving him a career-high, the highest scoring output in a game this year for any NBA player, and the Hornets franchise record for points in a game. He added two more in overtime to get to 60, to go along with seven rebounds, four assists, and four steals. However, it wasn’t enough, as Jimmy Butler made a stellar defensive play to block him on one possession before hitting a game-winning three on the other end of the floor.

There are questions about what’s next for Walker, as he’s an unrestricted free agent after this year and deserves a gargantuan payday. He has been adamant that he wants to stay in Charlotte, although anything can happen once teams get the chance to pitch a player on joining their franchise.

But as this game showed, looking towards what the future holds for Walker is a bad idea. Because while questions exist about his future, what he’s doing in the present every ounce of our attention.