10 Highest-Scoring Individual Games In NBA history

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Many scorers have come and gone in the NBA, but some have etched their names in the history books as one of the greatest at getting the ball through a basket. These individuals separated themselves from other great scorers by delivering performances that will be remembered by generations.

Here is a look at the 10 highest-scoring individual games in NBA history.

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#10. Damian Lillard, 71 points

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Damian Lillard was in the best groove of his career in the Portland Trail Blazers’ 131-114 win over the Houston Rockets on Feb. 26, 2023. He scored 16 in the first quarter and 25 in the second, with 41 by halftime. He finished 22 of 38 from the field, 13 of 22 from 3-point range and a perfect 14 of 14 from the free-throw line. Afterward, the league randomly drug-tested him.

Lillard is tied at the 10th spot with Elgin Baylor, David Robinson and Donovan Mitchell, who have all scored 71 points in a single game.

#9. Wilt Chamberlain, 72 points

Wilt Chamberlain made the All-NBA first team seven times. - Source: Imagn — Wilt Chamberlain made the All-NBA first team seven times. – Source: Imagn

Wilt Chamberlain is one of the greatest scorers in history and has set multiple records for most points in a single game. Chamberlain scored 72 points for the San Francisco Warriors in a 127-115 loss to the Lakers on Nov. 3, 1962.

He shot 29 of 48 from the field and 14 of 18 at the line, but it was not enough as the Lakers’ Jerry West answered with 49 points on 21-of-35 shooting, and Elgin Baylor added 30 points and 18 rebounds to seal the win for the Purple and Gold.

Six years later, he’d join those same Lakers and play alongside West and Baylor.

#8. Luka Doncic, 73 points

Luka Doncic broke Dirk Nowitzki’s Mavericks record for most points in a half with 41 points. - Source: Imagn — Luka Doncic broke Dirk Nowitzki’s Mavericks record for most points in a half with 41 points. – Source: Imagn

Doncic dropped 73 points in the Dallas Mavericks’ 148-143 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Jan. 26, 2024. He scored 18 in the first quarter and 23 in the second, entering halftime with 41 points. He had 57 through three quarters and opened the fourth with eight straight points, reaching 70 on a 3-point play with 2:58 left.

He shot 25 of 33 from the field, 8 of 13 from 3-point range and 15 of 16 at the free-throw line and added 10 rebounds and seven assists to complete his dominant showing.

#7. David Thompson, 73 points

David Thompson lost the league's scoring title to George Gervin after scoring 73 points. -Source: Imagn — David Thompson lost the league’s scoring title to George Gervin after scoring 73 points. -Source: Imagn

In an afternoon game at Detroit’s Cobo Arena on April 9, 1978, David Thompson made 20 of his first 21 shots, scored an NBA-record 32 points in the first quarter and had 53 by halftime.

He finished 28 of 38 from the field and 17 of 20 at the line with 73 points, but Denver lost 139-137 to the Pistons.

#6. Wilt Chamberlain, 73 points

Chamberlain was a seven-time NBA scoring champion. - Source: Imagn — Chamberlain was a seven-time NBA scoring champion. – Source: Imagn

Less than two weeks after scoring 72 against the Lakers, Wilt Chamberlain went to New York and dropped 73 on the Knicks in a 127-111 win on Nov. 16, 1962. He shot 29 of 43 from the field and 15 of 19 at the free-throw line, plus 14 rebounds.

It was the second-lowest of five historic scoring outings Chamberlain put up in less than a year.

#5. Wilt Chamberlain- 73 points

Chamberlain was named an All-Star 13 times. - Source: Imagn — Chamberlain was named an All-Star 13 times. – Source: Imagn

On Jan. 13, 1962, Wilt Chamberlain did it again in a 135-117 Warriors win over the Chicago Packers, a first-year expansion team that would eventually become the Washington Wizards.

He dropped 73 points, while shooting 29 of 48 from the field and 15 of 25 from the free-throw line. He grabbed 36 rebounds and scored 23 of his points in the fourth quarter.

#4. Wilt Chamberlain, 78 points

Chamberlain won the NBA championship two times. - Source: Imagn — Chamberlain won the NBA championship two times. – Source: Imagn

Chamberlain played three overtime periods, a total of 63 minutes, in a 151-147 loss to the Lakers on Dec. 8, 1961. He scored 78 points on 31-of-62 shooting from the field and 16-of-31 from the free-throw line. He grabbed 43 rebounds to complete a dominant two-way performance.

However, Elgin Baylor scored 63 points and grabbed 31 rebounds, and Jerry West scored 32 to seal the win for the Lakers.

#3. Kobe Bryant, 81 points

Kobe Bryant was ranked second for most points scored in a single game for two decades. - Source: Imagn — Kobe Bryant was ranked second for most points scored in a single game for two decades. – Source: Imagn

For almost 44 years, this was the closest anyone had come to Wilt Chamberlain. At halftime, Bryant had 26 points, with Toronto up 63-49, then the second half began. He scored 27 in the third quarter and 28 in the fourth, for 55 after the break; only Chamberlain’s 59 in a half is higher.

He shot 28 of 46 from the field, 7 of 13 from 3-point range and 18 of 20 at the free-throw line in 42 minutes. He had only two assists as the Lakers secured a 122-104 win over the Raptors on Jan. 22, 2006.

#2. Bam Adebayo, 83 points

Bam Adebayo set a franchise record for most points in a single game, surpassing LeBron James' Heat record of 61 points. - Source: Imagn — Bam Adebayo set a franchise record for most points in a single game, surpassing LeBron James’ Heat record of 61 points. – Source: Imagn

Bam Adebayo entered the game against the Washington Wizards on March 10, 2026, having previously set a career-high of 41 points. He scored 31 in the first quarter, 43 by halftime and 62 through three quarters and finished with 83 in a 150-129 win. He shot just 20 of 43 from the field and 7 of 22 from 3-point range.

The key damage came at the free-throw line, where he made 36 of 43 free throws. Both marks are NBA single-game records, beating the 28 made by Wilt Chamberlain and Adrian Dantley and the 39 attempts by Dwight Howard.

#1. Wilt Chamberlain- 100 points

Chamberlain won the MVP award four times. - Source: Imagn — Chamberlain won the MVP award four times. – Source: Imagn

Wilt Chamberlain is the only player to score 100 points in a single game. The NBA legend achieved the feat in the Warriors’ 169-147 win over the Knicks on March 2, 1962. The historic game was played in Hershey, Pennsylvania, before a crowd of 4,124, and it wasn’t televised. No footage exists.

What survives is the box score and the famous photo of Chamberlain holding a scrap of paper with “100” scrawled on it by Warriors publicist Harvey Pollack. He scored 23 in the first quarter, had 41 by halftime, then added 28 in the third and 31 in the fourth. He shot 36 of 63 from the field and 28 of 32 at the free-throw line and also grabbed 25 rebounds.

Edited by Joseph Schiefelbein

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