Offensive players today are required to do a ton on the basketball court, regardless of position. But point guards or shooting guards hold most of the responsibility when it comes to making shots or creating for other players, and their efforts are looked at closely whenever the stats do not reflect the game’s outcome. Throughout the history of the NBA, some elite guards have managed to put up almost impossible-looking numbers on the offensive end. When it comes to the offensive end, guards’ statistics are often focused on points and assists. After all, these are the two most important offensive numbers.
- Oscar Robertson – 42 Points, 20 Assists (February 19, 1961)
- Oscar Robertson – 44 Points, 22 Assists (March 5, 1966)
- Nate Archibald – 41 Points, 21 Assists (December 15, 1972)
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But somehow, there have only been three performances in NBA history where at least 40 points and at least 20 assists appeared on a stat sheet for an individual player. This is dating back to the initial start of the NBA and until the latest 2021-22 season. It is incredible how there have only been three performances of this caliber, and in fact, it is even more impressive that each of them came before 1975. That’s right, even in the era of analytical-driven basketball and spread offenses, no player managed to record numbers of that caliber.
Here are the three performances in NBA history where at least 40 points and 20 assists were registered for their individual games. Importantly, only two players have ever managed to achieve this feat, and their names are Oscar Robertson and Nate “Tiny” Archibald.
Oscar Robertson – 42 Points, 20 Assists (February 19, 1961)
Oscar Robertson was the greatest stat-sheet stuffer at the point guard position ever. Oscar Robertson was the first player to ever average a triple-double in a single season, and he was also one of the greatest ever talents to pick up a basketball. To many who watched Oscar Robertson, he is easily a top-10 player of all-time. Oscar won a whopping 6 assist titles in his NBA career, but he became the first player to ever lead the league in assists and scoring by the 1968 season.
Robertson also posted the first-ever 40-point and 20-assist game, doing it in a game against the Los Angeles Lakers. The incredibly talented point guard also chipped in 9 rebounds and shot 86.7% from the free-throw line. Of course, Robertson’s side, the Cincinnati Royals, defeated the Lakers in a game that ended 112-106. Roberton was already a one-of-a-kind athlete, but this performance took him over the top with the fact that he almost had a triple-double.
Oscar Robertson – 44 Points, 22 Assists (March 5, 1966)
As expected, Oscar Robertson managed to put up another 40 and 20 game as a member of the Cincinnati Royals. Robertson dropped 44 points and 22 assists in a matchup against the New York Knicks. Once again, Robertson led his side to a victory in a 149-145 game that went to overtime. The point guard was sensational on offense, shooting an incredible 16-22, which constituted 72.7% shooting from the field. Oscar also shot 100% from the stripe, going 12-12.
Amazingly, it took a 53-minute performance from Oscar to manage these numbers and also manage the victory against the Knicks, who also had fantastic performances from their star players. Dave Stallworth posted 34 points and 13 rebounds, while superstar Walt Bellamy had 25 points and 19 rebounds in the loss. It was clear Robertson was going to lead the charge in this matchup, and he ultimately decided the outcome. It took 5 years before Oscar was able to put forth another 40 and 20 statline, and it would take another 6 years before it would be done again. Next time, however, a different player would manage this stat line to join Oscar Robertson as one of only two.
Nate Archibald – 41 Points, 21 Assists (December 15, 1972)
Nate “Tiny” Archibald is a Hall of Famer who had a great career which also included a season where he averaged 26.5 PPG and 6.8 APG in 1975, but his 1973 season was his best one yet and also one of the best seasons ever by a player. The point guard did the unthinkable in 1973 by leading the league in both assists and scoring. In only his 3rd NBA season, a 24-year-old Archibald played 46.0 MPG en route to averaging 34.0 PPG and 11.4 APG for the Kansas City-Omaha Kings. Archibald was only a 6’1” point guard but had an abundance of skills and athleticism in his small frame.
Not to mention, Tiny was one of the only two players in NBA history to post at least 40 points and 20 assists in a single game. The point guard also shot 55.6% from the field and 91.7% from the free-throw line in the same game, basically confirming that he was on another level in a game against the Detroit Pistons. It has been 50 years, and we have not seen another player post 40 and 20, and it might take a while before we do actually see it happen. Luckily, we have elite talent in the league today who are all capable of posting sublime scoring and assist numbers.
