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The 2021 NBA Finals have seen multiple players score 40-point games so far. The likes of Giannis Antetkounmpo and Devin Booker have gone on to record consecutive games with 40+ points, which has helped them reach several landmarks.
Booker ended up achieving an unwanted record as well, though, becoming the only player in NBA Finals history to score back-to-back 40-point games for a losing cause.
Nonetheless, among the positive records that he achieved through his performance, Booker he became the third-youngest player in NBA Finals history to record multiple 40-point outings.
On that note, we list the five youngest players, including Devin Booker, to achieve this feat in the NBA Finals.
#5 Kyrie Irving (25 years and 78 days, 2017 NBA Finals)
Kyrie Irving reached the NBA Finals for three consecutive years with the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2015 to 2017. Alongside LeBron James, he was one of their key stars and was a scoring machine during his stint with the side. Irving had multiple 40-point games in the NBA Finals.
The first one came during the 2016 NBA Finals. Irving recorded 41 points on 17-of-24 shooting as he put on a shooting masterclass. Five of his made shots came from beyond the arc, while he also managed six assists and two steals. It helped the Cavs win the first of three consecutive games that helped them complete their first-ever 3-1 comeback in an NBA Finals series.
The next time Kyrie Irving went on to score 40 points in an NBA Finals game was when he turned 25 years and 78 days old. He achieved the feat as the fourth-youngest player to have multiple 40-point games in NBA Finals history in 2017, also against the Golden State Warriors.
The Cavs beat the Warriors 137-116 but eventually lost the series 4-1. Irving had 40 points in that game, shooting 55% from the floor on 27 attempts. His outing included a record-tying seven 3s as well, the third-most by a player in an NBA Finals game.
#4 Jerry West (24 years and 324 days, 1963 NBA Finals)
Next on the list is LA Lakers legend Jerry West. He had 10 40-point games in the NBA Finals in his career. Interestingly, all of these outings were against the Lakers' arch-rivals from the Eastern Conference, the Boston Celtics.
West's first-ever 40-point game in the NBA Finals was during 1962. At 23-years-old, he was the youngest to score 40 points in an NBA Finals Game at the time.
West recorded his second 40-point outing next season during the 1963 NBA Finals. The LA Lakers were down 0-2 and desperately needed a win to stay afloat in the series against the Boston Celtics. West's 42-point game ensured the Lakers were able to cut the Celtics' series lead to one game.
#3 Devin Booker (24 years and 260 days, 2021 NBA Finals)
Devin Booker has been on a roll in his debut postseason campaign. He has been fighting tooth and nail in the ongoing 2021 NBA Finals to ensure the Phoenix Suns win their first-ever NBA Championship. In the last two games, Booker has churned out a whopping 82 points for his team.
His efforts have gone in vain, though, as the Suns lost both those games and are now just one game away from seeing their 2020-21 NBA season come to an end. As mentioned earlier, Booker became the first player to score back-to-back 40-point games in the NBA Finals and still end up on the losing side on both occasions.
#2 Dwyane Wade (24 years and 152 days, 2006 NBA Finals)
3-time NBA champion Dwyane Wade was one of the best young players in the NBA when he rose to the ranks playing for the Miami Heat. In his first NBA Finals appearance in 2006, Wade and the Heat were down 0-2 in the series and needed a special performance from him.
Wade stepped up as expected and scored multiple 40-point games in the next few games. In Game 3, he tallied 42 points to lead Miami to a 98-96 win. It proved to be a crucial win for the team, and Wade's performance uplifted the team's spirits as they went on to win the next three games of the series and the title as well.
His second 40-point game came in Game 5 when he tallied 43 points to lead the Heat to a 101-100 victory.
#1 Rick Barry (23 years and 27 days, 1967 NBA Finals)
San Fransico Warriors legend Rick Barry tops the list as the youngest player ever to record multiple 40-point games in the NBA Finals. Barry achieved the feat in the same Finals series during the 1967 NBA Finals against the Philadelphia 76ers. He had three games in which he scored 40+ points but ended up on the losing side on two occasions.
The first 40+ points game was a 50-point piece for Barry. He tallied 55 points in Game 3 of the 1967 NBA Finals series, making 22 field goals for his side on 48 attempts. The Warriors went on to win that tie 130-124. The other two times he scored 40+ points was in Game 4 and Game 6.
The Warriors, unfortunately, couldn't capitalize on Barry's scintillating performances as they lost the NBA Finals series 4-2.
