The NBA is one of the most legendary sports organizations in the world. But in the NBA it’s not only about athleticism. It’s also a cultural phenomenon that has been responsible for influencing fashion, language, and other social customs. It wasn’t always like that, but thanks to the spectacular game performances, it became one of the most-watched sports in the United States. One of the most exciting things to watch is when one NBA player excels above the others and gives a show of his lifetime.
Most Points in a Single NBA Game
The NBA has created some of the most amazing records that have ever been recorded. One such record is for most points scored in a single match. The games with such scores are very rare and provide entertainment for players, who are often unaware that they are part of such a historic event.
Wilt Chamberlain: 100 points in a game
The NBA record is held to this day by Wilt Chamberlain. He played professionally during the 50s, 60s, and 70s and has the highest number of 60+ points in single-game performances.
The Game
The 100 point game took place on March the 2nd 1962. The Philadelphia Warriors were playing against the New York Knicks. The first quarter of the game started at the usual pace, Wilt Chamberlain dominated right away and made his first shot.. He consequently knocked down shot after shot, and when the game clock started to show the final moments of the third quarter, Chamberlain already had 60 for the game. His previous record was 73, so it gave him the motivation to break it.
The last moments of the game were very heated. The New York Knicks started to foul every Warrior except Chamberlain to prevent him from getting the ball and not giving him any possibility to shoot from the free-throw line. Philadelphia Warriors charged back and both team’s first squad members ended up on the benches.
Warriors’ strategy was far more beneficial and as a result, Wilt Chamberlain was on his 99th point. He tried to make the 100th point but missed. His team successfully rebounded the ball and he tried once again, with another miss.
With one minute of the game left, Wilt Chamberlain was surrounded by the Knicks. Remarkably, he somehow got free and made his final attempt. And then, with 46 seconds of the game left, the final two points were made. The total of 100 points, with 36 field goals and 28 free throws made, set the single-game scoring record as well as the most free throws made and the most combined points in the game with 316.
The game was broadcast only by radio and became almost a basketball myth. No one could ever dream of watching such a performance again.
Other Achievements
It’s important to remember that the rules of the game were much different back then, hence the outrageous numbers. And Wilt Chamberlain delivered big scores on more than one occasion. He still occupies scoring boards as an undefeated champion.
On December 8th, 1961, Wilt Chamberlain scored 78 points for the Philadelphia Warriors in a game against the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers won this game.
On January 13th, 1962, Wilt Chamberlain scored 73 points for the Philadelphia Warriors in a game against the Chicago Packers.
On November 3rd, 1962, Wilt Chamberlain scored 72 points for the now San Francisco Warriors in a game against Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers won this game.
On November 16th, 1962, Wilt Chamberlain scored 73 points for the San Francisco Warriors in a game against the New York Knicks.
On March 10th, 1963, Wilt Chamberlain scored 70 points for the San Francisco Warriors in a game against the Syracuse Nationals. Wilt was so dominant that the league had to change some rules. They widened the lane, implemented offensive goaltending, and made changes to the rules concerning free throws and inbounding the ball.
Kobe Bryant: 81 points in a game
Kobe Bryant is one of the greatest players of our time. In 2006, there were far more regulations in place and there were fewer possibilities for players to achieve such big numbers as Wilt Chamberlain.
The Game
After being suspended for two games for elbowing Mike Miller, Kobe Bryant came into the game motivated and ready to play. It was a January 22th 2006, match between Los Angeles Lakers and Toronto Raptors.
In the first quarter, Kobe Bryant scored 12 points, which wasn’t anything special for him. The Toronto Raptors took the lead in overall scoring, which was very worrying for the Lakers and didn’t point out at all what was about to happen.
The second quarter also wasn’t looking so good. The Lakers were losing but Kobe was already dominating with 26 points. But in the third quarter, everything changed. Kobe added 27 points to his full scoring number and the Lakers were coming back on the top.
In the fourth quarter, Kobe Bryant scored 28 points, giving one of the most outstanding individuals scoring performances. Bryant’s final stat line was 81 and it was one of the best plays in league history. Notably, it happened in the only time his grandma ever watched him play in the NBA. Even at the brink of his career, in the final game, he managed to score 60 points, which is a testament to his legendary status.
David Thompson: 73 points
David Thompson’s history is riddled with tragedy and battling demons. Despite the sad end to his career, he used to be a great player and an excellent shooter. Unfortunately, he took up a drug habit, which has ruined his life.
On April 9th, 1978, in a regular-season finale, David Thompson scored 73 points, for the Denver Nuggets to ultimately lose to the Detroit Pistons.
Elgin Baylor: 71 points
Elgin Baylor, who sadly passed away in March 2021, was the first to score over 70 points. He surpassed Wilt Chamberlain, who at that time was at 58 points per game. Baylor reminisced about this game, saying that after 59 he stopped counting. It was overall very strong performance and the Los Angeles Lakers star crushed the New York Knicks.
David Robinson: 71 points
There is no doubt that David Robinson’s 71 points were teamwork of the San Antonio Spurs. He even said it himself, thanking his team for the support in a game of April 24th, 1994, between the Spurs and the Los Angeles Clippers.
But there is a debate, which team contributed to Robinson’s career night the most. Some of the basketball experts say that the Clippers coach made a bad decision, instructing his team to foul the Spurs which may lead to a lot of scoring opportunities for David Robinson.
Devin Booker: 70 points
On March 24th, 2018, at the age of 21, Devin Booker became the sixth member of the legends club by scoring 70 points! He was only the youngest player to do so, but also the youngest to score over 60. The Phoenix Suns lost this game to the Boston Celtics, but it was definitely a great performance by Booker and his whole team.
Michael Jordan: 69 points
We can’t forget about Chicago Bulls superstar, Michael Jordan, who scored 69 points in a game between the Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers. In the first quarter, he scored 16 points, 15 in the second, 20 in the third, 10 in the fourth, and eight more in overtime.
All of the performances of Michael Jordan are admirable, but this one is special. After all of these years, Michael still recalls how the Cavaliers fans cheered when he was fouled. At that time he was already an established player and recognized as a threat, so to get to that score was very impressive.
NBA History
These players made remarkable individual scoring performances and went down in NBA history. We can only envy people who were witnesses of this greatness. Despite the change of the rules, NBA players still deliver amazing shows and we watch the games with anticipation of a new Wilt Chamberlain on the rise.
