Well, it just wouldn't be a game against Memphis if there wasn't a Wizard going off for a career-high. Last year, John Wall went off for a career high 47 points against Memphis, this year, it was Beal's turn as he dropped 37 in the loss.
Wall had the benefit of playing Memphis without Marc Gasol, which allowed him much easier access to the rim on the way to his career night. Likewise, Beal was able to take advantage of injuries to Mike Conley and Tony Allen on the way to his best performance of his young career. Still, that shouldn't take away from an impressive showing by Beal, who still had to make some tough shots on the way to his big night.
More importantly, Beal's performance put him in some elite company. Here's the list of every NBA player that's scored 37 or more points in a game before the age of 21:
- Shareef Abdur-Rahim
- Carmelo Anthony
- Elton Brand
- Kobe Bryant
- Adrian Dantley
- John Drew
- Kevin Durant
- Eric Gordon
- Kyrie Irving
- LeBron James
- Brandon Jennings
- Bernard King
- Stephon Marbury
- Shaquille O'Neal
- Cliff Robinson (the one that briefly played for the Bullets, not the one on Survivor)
- Amar'e Stoudemire
- Antoine Walker
That's a pretty solid crew to ride with.