NBA Records for Most Points in a Game
The 60-point mark is often seen as the holy grail for what an NBA player can score in a single game. Yes,
watching an NBA star score 30 points is eye-opening, but a player that can drop 60 or more during a
game is truly breathtaking. There are only 27 players in the NBA’s history to drop 60 or more points in a
single game and even rarer is the six different players to score 70 or more. Remarkably, none of those
players were Michael Jordan. So, which players hold the record for the most points per game in a single
NBA game?
NBA Records for Most Points in a Game
5. Elgin Baylor – 71 points; Los Angeles Lakers
During the 1960-61 season, Los Angeles Lakers star Elgin Baylor dropped 71 points on the New York
Knicks in a 123-108 win. Baylor was in just his second season with the Lakers when he took the Knicks to town. It is easy to forget that the NBA didn’t add the three-point line until the 1979 seasons. Had it been instituted; the forward may have had more points.
4. David Robinson – 71 points; San Antonio Spurs
The 1993-94 NBA season saw San Antonio Spurs center David Robinson take the LA Clippers to task in a 112-97 win. Robinson’s 71-point performance allowed him to overtake Shaquille O’Neal for the NBA scoring title thanks to a 29.8 points per game average.
3. David Thompson – 73 points; Denver Nuggets
David Thompson’s name on this list may look like an anomaly to some basketball fans, The No. 1 draft pick in 1975, Thompson experienced drug addiction problems that curtailed his career and plagued it from the start. Thompson could have been one of the All-Time greats, but played just nine seasons. His final season with the Seattle Supersonics saw him play a mere 19 games. While playing for the Denver Nuggets in 1977-78, Thompson dropped 73 points on the Detroit Pistons in a 139-137 loss.
2. Kobe Bryant – 81 points; Los Angeles Lakers
Was it the greatest night of Kobe Bryant’s illustrious career? Maybe not, but it was the best in terms of scoring points as the Black Mamba dropped 81 on the Toronto Raptors in a 122-104 win. Bryant erupted for 81 in January 2006. According to
1. Wilt Chamberlain – 100 points; Philadelphia Warriors
The thing to note about NBA scoring great Wilt Chamberlain was he had several 70-plus point games along with his March 1962 100-point game versus the New York Knicks. In fact, Chamberlain had six
70-point games in total. His 100-point night came while playing with the Philadelphia Warriors in a game played in Hersey, Pennsylvania. The big man scored 28 field goals on 63 attempts. He added 25 rebounds for a double-double. The 100-point game came just under a month before the Warriors met the Boston
Celtics in the NBA Eastern Conference Finals where they lost in seven games.
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