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The 2019-20 NBA season has definitely been one to remember on many different levels. Tremendous regular-season play, coupled with intense NBA Bubble action in Orlando, has kept fans on the edge of their seats.
Seeing LeBron James and Anthony Davis battle Jimmy Butler's historic individual performances in the 2020 NBA Finals has been stunning. In this article, we will take a look at the top ten individual performances from the 2019-20 NBA regular season.
Top 10 individual performances from the 2019-20 NBA regular season
Before the suspension of the regular season on 11 March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the NBA campaign had given us unique emotions during the 60-plus games played by each team. Some individual performances during the regular-season play were stunning, and in this list, we are about to rank ten of those and determine which one was the best.
The order will be determined by the Game Score achieved by each player in a determined game. Game Score is a formula created by John Hollinger to give a grade to an NBA player's performance based on a group of stats on a given game.
All stats according to Basketball-Reference.
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#10 Kyrie Irving vs Chicago Bulls - 31 January 2020 - Game Score: 45.90
Kyrie Irving's first year with the Brooklyn Nets was not what the franchise and the player expected. Injuries played a huge part in Irving not being able to show his true potential in Brooklyn, but on 31 January 2020, he gave the Chicago Bulls a glimpse of his talent and skills.
In the 20 games he played for the Nets, this one was the best by far. Irving torched the Bulls with 19 of 23 shooting from the field and seven 3s in nine attempts as his 54 points were key in his team's 15-point win over the Bulls. Irving shot 82% from the field, 77% from three and 90% from the free-throw line in a tremendous performance.
Irving was emotional after the game as one of his mentors, Kobe Bryant, had tragically lost his life five days before this performance. Unfortunately for Irving, he injured his right shoulder in the next game and missed the entire NBA season.
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#9 James Harden vs Orlando Magic - 13 December 2019 - Game Score: 46.20
As we go down this list, you will notice a name that finds a mention on multiple occasions. The stats-machine that James Harden is was in full display on 13 December 2019 when the Houston Rockets met the Orlando Magic in the Amway Center.
It was a typical Harden game, at least the regular-season Harden. He dominated from the field, three and free-throw lines and also created many chances for his teammates to score while also playing good defense.
His 19 shots made on 31 attempts were impressive, but 10 out of 15 from the three-point line were extraordinary. Harden's stat line for the night was 54 points, seven assists, five rebounds and three blocks. Two days before the 23-point win over Orlando, Harden had a 55-point game in a six-point triumph at Cleveland that featured 10 three-point field goals too.
#8 James Harden vs Washington Wizards - 30 October 2019 - Game Score: 46.80
After having poor shooting nights in the first three games of the NBA season (28% from the field and 15% from three), Harden exploded on 30 October with a 59-point effort against the Washington Wizards.
Harden shot 18 of 32 from the field and made six of his 14 tries from three. His clutch 17-point fourth quarter was key for the Rockets earning a 1-point win over Washington. The Beard also had nine assists and the game-winning free-throw with two seconds on the clock.
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#7 Damian Lillard vs Brooklyn Nets - 8 November 2019 - Game Score: 46.80
The 2019-20 NBA season was tremendous for Damian Lillard, and he needed every ounce of effort to will his team into the NBA Playoffs.
One of Lillard's biggest NBA nights came on 8 November 2019 against the Brooklyn Nets.
Lillard had not had a 40-point game in the first eight games of the NBA season, but scoring 60 against the Nets was an impressive feat. He made 19 field goals, seven threes and went perfect from the FT line in 15 attempts. However, he could not get the win for his team as the Blazers fell to the Nets by four points.
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#6 Damian Lillard vs Golden State Warriors - 20 January 2020 - Game Score: 48.40 (Top 50 GmSc in the NBA since 1983)
Lillard's second 60-point game of the NBA season happened on 20 January 2020 against the Golden State Warriors.
Though he shot 45% from the field, he made 11 of his 20 3s and his 16 free throws were impressive as well. Ten rebounds for a Point Guard and seven assists helped him receive a 48.40 Game Score. His 61 points and just two turnovers in 45 minutes were huge for Portland in their five-point win.
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#5 Anthony Davis vs Minnesota Timberwolves - 8 December 2019 - Game Score: 48.50 (Top 40 GmSc in the NBA since 1983)
Anthony Davis has played a leading role for the LA Lakers and in their current NBA Playoffs run. He and LeBron James have been a terrific duo for the LA team.
After playing great through his first 22 games for the Lakers (26.6 points and nine rebounds per game), Davis had a scoring outburst against the Minnesota Timberwolves on 8 December 2019.
Scoring 50 points on 20 field goals (NBA season-high) made for a huge and efficient night for Davis who also grabbed seven rebounds, six assists and four steals in a 17-point victory. His Game Score of 48.50 is the 40th highest score since the 1983-84 NBA season.
#4 Damian Lillard vs Indiana Pacers - 26 January 2020 - Game Score: 49.60 (Top 30 GmSc in the NBA since 1983)
On a tragic day for the NBA family after Kobe Bryant's death, Lillard had a memorable night against the Indiana Pacers as he recorded his third-straight game with at least 47 points. He starred with a 50-point performance and a 13-assist masterclass.
In addition to these impressive numbers, Lillard only played 38 minutes, and even with the load he had to carry, he turned the ball over just once on a historic NBA night for him.
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#3 James Harden vs Dallas Mavericks - 31 July 2020 - Game Score: 49.80 (Top 25 GmSc in the NBA since 1983)
Though he had a difficult night from three in the first night of NBA Bubble action, Harden made 14 of his 20 field goals to score 49 points in an OT win over the Dallas Mavericks and Luka Doncic.
The Beard also had nine rebounds, eight assists, three steals, three blocks and one turnover, and he made 18 of his 21 free throws. His Game Score of 49.80 is the 25th-highest since the 1983-84 NBA season and the third-highest of the 2019-20 NBA season.
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#2 Damian Lillard vs Dallas Mavericks - 11 August 2020 - Game Score: 50.50 (Top 20 GmSc in the NBA since 1983)
One of the big stories of the NBA Bubble was Damian Lillard's play.
Lillard led the Trail Blazers to a 6-2 record in the NBA Bubble as the team earned the chance to play in a matchup with the Memphies Grizzlies which they won to advance to the NBA Playoffs.
Against Dallas on 11 August 2020, Lillard went on a 61-point rampage (NBA season-high) in what was his third 60-point performance of the NBA regular season. Lillard made all of his 18 free throws and nine 3s, and he also assisted his teammates eight times in 41 minutes.
Lillard's 22-point fourth quarter on 3/5 from three and 11/11 from the FT line was huge for Portland. His Game Score of 50.50 ranks 19th in the NBA since 1983.
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#1 James Harden vs Atlanta Hawks - 30 November 2019 - Game Score: 52.40 (Top 10 GmSc in the NBA since 1983)
With the 10th-highest Game Score in the NBA since 1983, Harden tops this list with his 60-point performance against the Atlanta Hawks on 30 November 2019.
The Beard scored 60 points in less than 31 minutes on 24 shots, which was amazing. Making eight out of 14 3s and 20 of 23 free throws were too much for the Hawks who could not stop Harden and the Rockets from taking a 47-point win.
Harden had a +50 plus/minus for the game, his highest of the year by far.
In the process, The Beard also became the player with less shots attempted to reach 60 points in NBA history and the first to do it in just three quarters since Klay Thompson in 2016.
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Also read: NBA News Update: LA Lakers' Anthony Davis could face retrospective punishment for a foul on Jae Crowder that went unnoticed in Game 5.
Guess the Lakers players!
