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Since its inception, the NBA has produced some remarkable scorers like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Wilt Chamberlain and Shaquille O’Neal.
A player has scored 60 points or more 82 times in the past 77 NBA seasons. 34 players have scored more than 60 points, while only 8 players have scored more than 70 points. Only six players were able to repeat their performance and scored more than 60 points on more than one occasion.
Below is the list of players who have scored the most points in a single match:
Single-game NBA scoring leaders
| Field Goals | |||||||
| Rank | Points | Player | Team | Opponent | Minute Played | Made | Attempted |
| 1 | 100 | Wilt Chamberlain | Philadelphia Warriors | New York Knicks | 48 | 36 | 63 |
| 2 | 81 | Kobe Bryant | Los Angeles Lakers | Toronto Raptors | 42 | 28 | 46 |
| 3 | 78 | Wilt Chamberlain | Philadelphia Warriors | Los Angeles Lakers | 63 | 31 | 62 |
| 4 | 73 | Wilt Chamberlain | Philadelphia Warriors | Chicago Packers | 48 | 29 | 48 |
| Wilt Chamberlain | San Francisco Warriors | New York Knicks | 48 | 29 | 43 | ||
| David Thompson | Denver Nuggets | Detroit Pistons | 43 | 28 | 38 | ||
| 7 | 72 | Wilt Chamberlain | San Francisco Warriors | Los Angeles Lakers | — | 29 | 48 |
| 8 | 71 | Elgin Baylor | Los Angeles Lakers | New York Knicks | 45 | 28 | 48 |
| David Robinson | San Antonio Spurs | Los Angeles Clippers | 44 | 26 | 41 | ||
| Donovan Mitchell | Cleveland Cavaliers | Chicago Bulls | 50 | 22 | 34 | ||
| Damian Lillard | Portland Trail Blazers | Houston Rockets | 39 | 22 | 38 | ||
| 12 | 70 | Wilt Chamberlain | San Francisco Warriors | Syracuse Nationals | 48 | 27 | 38 |
| Devin Booker | Phoenix Suns | Boston Celtics | 45 | 21 | 40 | ||
| 14 | 69 | Michael Jordan | Chicago Bulls | Cleveland Cavaliers | 50 | 23 | 37 |
| 15 | 68 | Wilt Chamberlain | Philadelphia 76ers | Chicago Bulls | — | 30 | 40 |
| Pete Maravich | New Orleans Jazz | New York Knicks | 43 | 26 | 43 | ||
| 17 | 67 | Wilt Chamberlain | Philadelphia Warriors | New York Knicks | — | 27 | 37 |
| Wilt Chamberlain | Philadelphia Warriors | St. Louis Hawks | 48 | 26 | 44 | ||
| Wilt Chamberlain | Philadelphia Warriors | New York Knicks | 48 | 25 | 38 | ||
| Wilt Chamberlain | San Francisco Warriors | Los Angeles Lakers | — | 28 | 47 | ||
| 21 | 66 | Wilt Chamberlain | Los Angeles Lakers | Phoenix Suns | 48 | 29 | 35 |
| 22 | 65 | Wilt Chamberlain | Philadelphia Warriors | Cincinnati Royals | 48 | 24 | 40 |
| Wilt Chamberlain | Philadelphia Warriors | St. Louis Hawks | 48 | 25 | 43 | ||
| Wilt Chamberlain | Philadelphia 76ers | Los Angeles Lakers | — | 28 | 43 | ||
| Kobe Bryant | Los Angeles Lakers | Portland Trail Blazers | 50 | 23 | 39 | ||
| 26 | 64 | Elgin Baylor | Minneapolis Lakers | Boston Celtics | — | 25 | 47 |
| Rick Barry | Golden State Warriors | Portland Trail Blazers | 43 | 30 | 45 | ||
| Michael Jordan | Chicago Bulls | Orlando Magic | 47 | 27 | 49 | ||
| 29 | 63 | Joe Fulks | Philadelphia Warriors | Indianapolis Jets | — | 27 | 56 |
| Elgin Baylor | Los Angeles Lakers | Philadelphia Warriors | — | 23 | 55 | ||
| Jerry West | Los Angeles Lakers | New York Knicks | 39 | 22 | 36 | ||
| Wilt Chamberlain | San Francisco Warriors | Los Angeles Lakers | — | 24 | 41 | ||
| Wilt Chamberlain | San Francisco Warriors | Philadelphia 76ers | — | 27 | 58 | ||
| George Gervin | San Antonio Spurs | New Orleans Jazz | 33 | 23 | 49 | ||
| 35 | 62 | Wilt Chamberlain | Philadelphia Warriors | Boston Celtics | 48 | 27 | 45 |
| Wilt Chamberlain | Philadelphia Warriors | St. Louis Hawks | 53 | 24 | 48 | ||
| Wilt Chamberlain | Philadelphia Warriors | Syracuse Nationals | 53 | 25 | 42 | ||
| Wilt Chamberlain | San Francisco Warriors | New York Knicks | — | 27 | 44 | ||
| Wilt Chamberlain | San Francisco Warriors | Cincinnati Royals | — | 26 | 44 | ||
| Wilt Chamberlain | Philadelphia 76ers | San Francisco Warriors | — | 26 | 39 | ||
| Tracy McGrady | Orlando Magic | Washington Wizards | 46 | 20 | 37 | ||
| Kobe Bryant | Los Angeles Lakers | Dallas Mavericks | 33 | 18 | 31 | ||
| Carmelo Anthony | New York Knicks | Charlotte Bobcats | 39 | 23 | 35 | ||
| Stephen Curry | Golden State Warriors | Portland Trail Blazers | 36 | 18 | 31 | ||
| 45 | 61 | George Mikan | Minneapolis Lakers | Rochester Royals | — | 22 | 45 |
| Wilt Chamberlain | Philadelphia Warriors | Chicago Packers | 48 | 28 | 48 | ||
| Wilt Chamberlain | Philadelphia Warriors | St. Louis Hawks | 48 | 21 | 36 | ||
| Wilt Chamberlain | Philadelphia Warriors | Chicago Packers | 48 | 24 | 46 | ||
| Wilt Chamberlain | San Francisco Warriors | Cincinnati Royals | — | 27 | 52 | ||
| Wilt Chamberlain | San Francisco Warriors | Syracuse Nationals | — | 27 | 57 | ||
| Wilt Chamberlain | San Francisco Warriors | St. Louis Hawks | — | 26 | 53 | ||
| Michael Jordan | Chicago Bulls | Detroit Pistons | 43 | 22 | 39 | ||
| Michael Jordan | Chicago Bulls | Atlanta Hawks | 41 | 22 | 38 | ||
| Karl Malone | Utah Jazz | Milwaukee Bucks | 33 | 21 | 26 | ||
| Shaquille O'Neal | Los Angeles Lakers | Los Angeles Clippers | 45 | 24 | 35 | ||
| Kobe Bryant | Los Angeles Lakers | New York Knicks | 37 | 19 | 31 | ||
| LeBron James | Miami Heat | Charlotte Bobcats | 41 | 22 | 33 | ||
| James Harden | Houston Rockets | New York Knicks | 40 | 17 | 38 | ||
| James Harden | Houston Rockets | San Antonio Spurs | 37 | 19 | 34 | ||
| Damian Lillard | Portland Trail Blazers | Golden State Warriors | 45 | 17 | 37 | ||
| Damian Lillard | Portland Trail Blazers | Dallas Mavericks | 41 | 17 | 32 | ||
| 62 | 60 | Wilt Chamberlain | Philadelphia Warriors | Los Angeles Lakers | 48 | 22 | 47 |
| Wilt Chamberlain | Philadelphia Warriors | Los Angeles Lakers | 48 | 24 | 43 | ||
| Wilt Chamberlain | Los Angeles Lakers | Cincinnati Royals | — | 22 | 36 | ||
| Bernard King | New York Knicks | New Jersey Nets | 41 | 19 | 30 | ||
| Larry Bird | Boston Celtics | Atlanta Hawks | 43 | 22 | 36 | ||
| Tom Chambers | Phoenix Suns | Seattle SuperSonics | 42 | 22 | 32 | ||
| Allen Iverson | Philadelphia 76ers | Orlando Magic | 42 | 17 | 36 | ||
| Gilbert Arenas | Washington Wizards | Los Angeles Lakers | 49 | 17 | 32 | ||
| Kobe Bryant | Los Angeles Lakers | Memphis Grizzlies | 45 | 20 | 37 | ||
| Kobe Bryant | Los Angeles Lakers | Utah Jazz | 42 | 22 | 50 | ||
| Klay Thompson | Golden State Warriors | Indiana Pacers | 29 | 21 | 33 | ||
| James Harden | Houston Rockets | Orlando Magic | 46 | 19 | 30 | ||
| Kemba Walker | Charlotte Hornets | Philadelphia 76ers | 45 | 21 | 34 | ||
| Damian Lillard | Portland Trail Blazers | Brooklyn Nets | 40 | 19 | 33 | ||
| James Harden | Houston Rockets | Atlanta Hawks | 31 | 16 | 24 | ||
| Bradley Beal | Washington Wizards | Philadelphia 76ers | 38 | 20 | 35 | ||
| Jayson Tatum | Boston Celtics | San Antonio Spurs | 45 | 20 | 37 | ||
| Karl-Anthony Towns | Minnesota Timberwolves | San Antonio Spurs | 36 | 19 | 31 | ||
| Kyrie Irving | Brooklyn Nets | Orlando Magic | 35 | 20 | 31 | ||
| Luka Dončić | Dallas Mavericks | New York Knicks | 47 | 21 | 31 | ||
| Damian Lillard | Portland Trail Blazers | Utah Jazz | 40 | 21 | 29 | ||
FAQs
A. Wilt Chamberlain has scored 100 points and holds the record for most points in an NBA game.
A. Michael Jordan scored 63 points against the Boston Celtics, which is the most in a playoff game.
A. No team has ever scored 200 points. The maximum score in an NBA game is 186 points by the Detroit Pistons, against the Denver Nuggets, who scored 184 points in the same match.
A. A 32-year-old unbroken record of 107 points by the Phoenix Suns at half time is the highest-scoring half. They scored 173 points in the game.
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