25 most memorable moments from Tim Duncan’s career
By Brad Rowland
Scores Career-high 53 points – December 26, 2001
Tim Duncan is, obviously, known for his fundamentally sound game, and at this point, many new-age NBA fans likely forget about how dominant he was during his prime. This is an example of his vast “ceiling”, even as a player that some have termed as unappealing or even boring.
Duncan scored a career-high 53 points in a regular season game against the Dallas Mavericks, and during that performance, he played every second of an overtime loss. Yes, the Spurs lost on the night when Duncan posted his career high in scoring.
On this night, he converted 19 of 28 field goal attempts to go along with a perfect 15 for 15 from the free throw line, and for good measure, Duncan added 11 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocks. The Mavericks were led by a young (and spry) Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash, but Duncan was the story, even in defeat.
Youngsters won’t rebound this version of Tim Duncan, but it was a sight to behold when he had the full arsenal working with the perpetually underrated athleticism he displayed at this point in his career.
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