Any longtime NBA fan will tell you that the recent surge in scoring in the league is getting outrageous. Whether you think this is the case because rules have been changed to benefit offenses or simply, the players are more advanced in this day and age is irrelevant. The point is the increase in individual scoring is happening as we have seen with four 70-point games in the last year including two in the last 10 days from Luka Doncic and Joel Embiid.
To show just how drastically scoring has improved over the years, we would like to go back decade-by-decade in NBA history and relive some of the best scoring performances in each one. With this, you will see a drastic increase in scoring up to and including the four and half seasons we have played so far into the 2020s.
1950s NBA Decade
50-Point Games: 11 (Bob Pettit 3x, George Yardley 2x, George Mikan 2x, Jack Twyman 1x, Elgin Baylor 1x, Dolph Schayes 1x, Neil Johnston 1x)
60-Point Games: 1 (George Mikan 1x – 61 Points)
70-Point Games: None
Total: 12
As you can see, the 1950s were limited compared to today in terms of individuals who could light up the scoreboard every single night. In total, there were only 12 games of 50, 60, or 70 points from 1950-1959 with one player dominating the league above the rest.
Bob Pettit of the St. Louis Hawks, a two-time MVP during the 1950s, led the decade with three 50-point games. Pettit recorded his first 50-point game in 1957 when he dropped 51 points on 18-27 shooting against the Syracuse Nationals in a 146-136 win. He would also record two more 50-point games in wins over Boston and Detroit within nine days of each other on January 11 and again on January 20.
George Mikan was the only player during the 1950s to score at least 60 points in a game. The feat, which was the first 60-point game in NBA history, came on January 20, 1952, when Mikan’s Lakers took on the Rochester Royals. Mikan finished the game with 61 points and 36 rebounds while shooting 22-45 from the floor and 17-21 from the foul line.
1960s NBA Decade
50-Point Games: 162 (Wilt Chamberlain 118x, Elgin Baylor 16x, Rick Barry 7x, Jerry West 5x, Bob Pettit 3x, Richie Guerin 3x, Oscar Robertson 2x, Elvin Hayes 1x, Earl Monroe 1x, Willis Reed 1x, Sam Jones 1x, Hal Greer 1x, Rudy LaRusso 1x, Cliff Hagan 1x, Jack Twyman 1x)
60-Point Games: 36 (Wilt Chamberlain 32x, Elgin Baylor 3x, Jerry West 1x)
70-Point Games: 7 (Wilt Chamberlain 6x, Elgin Baylor 1x)
Total: 205 Games
The record books particularly when it came to scoring would be rewritten in the 1960s with the arrival of such players as Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, and Rick Barry. During the 1960s, the NBA went from just 11 total 50-point games to 162 in just 10 years. This was largely thanks to Wilt Chamberlain who recorded an astounding 118 50-point games during the decade with Elgin Baylor of the Lakers coming in a distant second with 16 such games. The only other players to record multiple 50-point games between 1960-1969 are Rick Barry, Jerry West, Bob Pettit, Richie Guerin, and Oscar Robertson. Fadeaway World’s Nick Mac and Ryan Verneuille of What’s Goin On/Fox Sports Rochester broke down Chamberlain’s Dominance during the decade below:
The amount of 60-point games recorded would also be drastically higher thanks to Chamberlain. He recorded 32 games with 60 points or more during the 1960s with Elgin Baylor’s three 60-point games being the second-most of the 1960s as well. Jerry West also added a 63-point performance on January 17, 1962, in a 129-121 win over the Lakers.
With no surprise at all, Wilt also dominated the decade with six 70-point games as well, including his infamous 100-point game that still stands as the NBA single-game record today. The only player not named Wilt Chamberlain to record a 70-point game in the 1960s was Elgin Baylor. He accomplished this feat on November 15, 1960, on 28-48 shooting overall and 15-19 from the foul line in a win over the Knicks.
1970s NBA Decade
50-Point Games: 51 (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 10x, Rick Barry 7x, Pete Maravich 6x, Bob McAdoo 4x, Nate Archibald 4x, George Gervin 2x, Phil Smith 2x, Geoff Petrie 2x, John Drew 1x, Truck Robinson 1x, David Thompson 1x, John Williamson 1x, Calvin Murphy 1x, Gail Goodrich 1x, Fred Brown 1x, Spencer Haywood 1x, Phil Chenier 1x, Chet Walker 1x, Dave Bing 1x, Walt Wesley 1x, Elvin Hayes 1x, Lou Hudson 1x)
60-Point Games: 4 (David Thompson 1x – 73 Points, Pete Maravich 1x – 68 Points, Rick Barry 1x – 64 Points, George Gervin 1x – 63 Point)
70-Point Games: 1x (David Thompson 1x – 73 Points)
Total: 56 Games
The 1970s was a weird time during the NBA with the arrival of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and the departure of NBA legends such as Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell. The league had so much parity that only the Knicks and Celtics won multiple championships during the decade with eight other teams capturing one.
The scoring was no different. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar led the NBA during the 1970s with the Bucks and Lakers with 10 50-point games to his name. Only Rick Barry and Pete Maravich recorded more than five such games from 1970-1979 and 19 other players recorded at least one 50-point game. It was the first time that we saw this many stars able to record 50 points in a game in NBA history.
No one player would record more than one 60-point game during the 1970s. Pete Maravich and Rick Barry each recorded big-time performances with 64 and 68 points respectively. This brings us to the great scoring title race of 1978. On the final day of the regular season, both David Thompson and George Gervin were battling for the scoring title. Thompson would hit the court first, recording a 73-point performance that would be the only 70-point game of the decade. Later that evening, Gervin would take the court and score 63 points to secure the scoring title in a 153-132 loss to the Jazz.
1980s NBA Decade
50-Point Games: 60 (Michael Jordan 17x, Dominique Wilkins 6x, Bernard King 6x, Adrian Dantley 6x, Moses Malone 4x, Larry Bird 3x, George Gervin 3x, Alex English 2x, Purvis Short 2x, Kiki VanDeWeghe 2x, Clyde Drexler 1x, Kevin McHale 1x, Joe Barry Carroll 1x, Kelly Tripucka 1x, Ray Williams 1x, Billy Knight 1x, Larry Kenon 1x, Freeman Williams 1x, Mike Newlin 1x)
60-Point Games: 4 (Michael Jordan 2x, Larry Bird 1x, Bernard King 1x)
70-Point Games: None
Total: 64 Games
During the 1980s, individual scoring went back on a slight incline from 56 different 50, 60, and 70-point games in the previous decade of play to 64 such games between 1980 and 1989. A major reason for this was the arrival of Michael Jordan with the Chicago Bulls in 1984-85. Jordan would lead the decade in 50-point games with 17. Adrian Dantley, Bernard King, and Dominique Wilkins would all record six 50-point games as the only other players to reach the milestone at least five times in the decade.
Michael Jordan would also be the only player to record multiple 60-point games during the 1980s. Jordan would record both of his 61-point games of the 1980s during the 1986-87 season. He would have his first against the Pistons on March 4, 1987, where he went for 61 points on 22-39 shooting in a win. On April 16, he did it again with 61 points on 22-38 shooting in a three-point loss to the Atlanta Hawks. Jordan’s two 61-point games were the highest-scoring games of the 1980s by a player with Larry Bird’s and Bernard King’s 60-point performances coming in right behind him.
1990s NBA Decade
50-Point Games: 49 (Michael Jordan 13x, Karl Malone 4x, David Robinson 3x, Shaquille O’Neal 2x, Bernard King 2x, Hakeem Olajuwon 2x, Patrick Ewing 2x, Tom Chambers 2x, Tracy Murray 1x, Allen Iverson 1x, Alonzo Mourning 1x, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf 1x, Glen Rice 1x, Dana Barros 1x, Cedric Ceballos 1x, Willie Burton 1x, Jim Jackson 1x, Nick Anderson 1x, Reggie Miller 1x, Dominique Wilkins 1x, Michael Adams 1x, Charles Smith 1x, Terry Cummings 1x, Vernon Maxwell 1x, Dale Ellis 1x, Larry Bird 1x, Jamal Mashburn 1x
60-Point Games: 5 (Michael Jordan 2x, Karl Malone 1x, Tom Chambers 1x, David Robinson 1x)
70-Point Games: 1 (David Robinson 1x – 71 Points)
Total: 55 Games
The league would take another slight decline during the 1990s with just 55 total 50, 60, and 70-point games. Leading the way with the most 50-point games was Michael Jordan with 13. Jordan was the only player during the decade to record more than five 50-point games and more than tripled the amount of Karl Malone who was in second place for the decade with four 50-point games. David Robinson, Shaquille O’Neal, Bernard King, Hakeem Olajuwon, Patrick Ewing, and Tom Chambers are the only other players to record multiple 50-point games in the 1990s.
Michael Jordan would also be the only player during the 1990s to record multiple 60-point games. Jordan recorded his first 6-point game in 1990 against the Cavaliers and it was his career-high 69-point game in which he shot 62.2% from the floor. He would have another 64-point game against the Magic in 1993, going 27-49 from the field in a loss. Tom Chambers, David Robinson, and Karl Malone would be the only other three players to record a 60-point game in the 90s.
David Robinson’s performance in particular was special. On the final day of the 1994 regular season against the Clippers, Robinson would go for 71 points on 63.4% shooting and 18-25 from the foul line. It would be the decade’s only 70-point game.
2000s NBA Decade
50- Point Games: 85 (Kobe Bryant 24x, Allen Iverson 10x, LeBron James 8x, Tracy McGrady 4x, Dwyane Wade 3x Gilbert Arenas 3x, Jamal Crawford 3x, Michael Redd 2x, Dirk Nowitzki 2x, Allan Houston 2x, Antawn Jamison 2x, Vince Carter 2x, Kevin Martin 1x, Brandon Roy 1x, Tony Parker 1x, Ray Allen 1x, Richard Hamilton 1x, Paul Pierce 1x, Damon Stoudamire 1x, Jermaine O’Neal 1x, Amar’e Stoudemire 1x, Rashard Lewis 1x, Jamal Mashburn 1x, Michael Jordan 1x, Tim Duncan 1x, Shareef Abdur-Rahim 1x, Jerry Stackhouse 1x, Stephon Marbury 1x, Chris Webber 1x, Tony Delk 1x, Shaquille O’Neal 1x, Clifford Robinson 1x)
60-Point Games: 9 (Kobe Bryant 5x, Gilbert Arenas 1x, Allen Iverson 1x, Tracy McGrady 1x, Shaquille O’Neal 1x)
70-Point Games: 1 (Kobe Bryant 1x – 81 Points)
Total: 95
The 2000s brought about a new era of offensive play with the arrival of such dominant scorers as Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Allen Iverson, and Tracy McGrady. This led to a huge jump in 50, 60, and 70-point games from 55 in the 1990s to 95 such games in the 2000s. Leading the way with 24 50-point games in the decade was Kobe Bryant. His 24 50-point games more than doubles Allen Iverson’s 10 during the decade while LeBron James is the only other player with at least five 50-point games.
Bryant would become a five-time NBA champion during the 2000s while being the most lethal scorer in the NBA. Bryant’s five 60-point games rank first by a long way as Gilbert Arenas, Allen Iverson, Tracy McGrady, and Shaquille O’Neal had one such game. Of course, who could forget Kobe’s epic 81-point night at home against the Toronto Raptors?
On January 22, 2006, Bryant would have the second-highest-scoring game by a player in NBA history when he went for 81 points on 28-46 shooting overall, 7-13 from three, and 18-20 from the foul line. Bryant’s big night happened in front of his home crowd at the Staples Center in Los Angeles in a 122-104 win.
2010s NBA Decade
50-Point Games: 85 (James Harden 18x, Stephen Curry 6x, Kevin Durant 6x, Damian Lillard 5x, Russell Westbrook 5x, LeBron James 4x, Carmelo Anthony 4x, Devin Booker 3x, Anthony Davis 3x, Klay Thompson 3x, DeMarcus Cousins 2x, Kemba Walker 2x, Jimmy Butler 2x, Kyrie Irving 2x, Jamal Crawford 1x, Giannis Antetokounmpo 1x, LaMarcus Aldridge 1x, Derrick Rose 1x, Blake Griffin 1x, Karl-Anthony Towns 1x, CJ McCollum 1x, Lou Williams 1x, DeMar DeRozan 1x, Bradley Beal 1x, Isaiah Thomas 1x, John Wall 1x, Kobe Bryant, 1x, Mo Williams 1x, Corey Brewer 1x, Terrence Ross 1x, Kevin Love 1x, Deron Williams 1x, Andre Miller 1x, Brandon Jennings 1x)
60-Point Games: 9 (James Harden 3x, Kemba Walker 1x, Devin Booker 1x, Klay Thompson 1x, Kobe Bryant 1x, LeBron James 1x, Carmelo Anthony 1x)
70-Point Games: 1 (Devin Booker 1x – 70 Points)
Total: 95 Games
With the way the game evolved during the 2010s compared to the 2000s and high-scoring games appearing to occur more frequently, the amount of 50, 60, and 70-point games put forth by players remained the same with 95 such games. During his torrid run at the end of the decade with the Rockets, James Harden recorded the most 50-point games during the 2010s with 13. He would go on to win an MVP award in 2018 as well as three straight scoring titles. Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Damian Lillard, and Russell Westbrook all recorded five or more 50-point games during the 2010s as well and all but Lillard won MVP awards.
James Harden would also be the only player from 2010 through 2019 to record more than one 60-point games. Harden would have himself three different 60-point games all of which came in the 2018 and 2019 seasons. It would be the first time in NBA history that six different players recorded at least one 60-point game in a single decade.
The highest-scoring game of the 2010s belongs to Devin Booker with his 70-point outburst in a 2017 loss to the Boston Celtics. In the game, Booker went 21-40 shooting overall including 4-11 from three as well as 24-26 from the free throw line. It was the NBA’s first 70-point game since Kobe Bryant’s 81 in 2006.
2020s NBA Decade
50-Point Games: 94 (Damian Lillard 10x, Joel Embiid 8x, Luka Doncic 7x, Giannis Antetokounmpo 7x, Stephen Curry 6x, Jayson Tatum 5x, James Harden 5x, Devin Booker 4x, Bradley Beal 4x, Kyrie Irving 4x, Kevin Durant 3x, Karl-Anthony Towns 2x, LeBron James 2x, Zach LaVine 2x, Trae Young 2x, Anthony Davis 2x, Tyrese Maxey 2x, Jalen Brunson 1x, Jrue Holiday 1x, Julius Randle 1x, Klay Thompson 1x, Donovan Mitchell 1x, Pascal Siakam 1x, Darius Garland 1x, DeMar DeRozan 1x, Saddiq Bey 1x, Ja Morant 1x, Jaylen Brown 1x, Kevin Porter Jr 1x, Jamal Murray 1x, Nikola Jokic 1x, Fred VanVleet1x, T.J. Warren 1x, Caris LeVert 1x, Khris Middleton 1x, Eric Gordon 1x, D’Angelo Russell 1x)
60-Point Games: 18 (Damian Lillard 5x, Luka Doncic 2x, Karl-Anthony Towns 2x, Devin Booker 1x, Joel Embiid 1x, Giannis Antetokounmpo 1x, Donovan Mitchell 1x, Kyrie Irving 1x, Jayson Tatum 1x, Bradley Beal 1x, Stephen Curry 1x, James Harden 1x)
70-Point Games: 4 (Luka Doncic 1x – 73 Points, Damian Lillard 1x – 71 Points, Donovan Mitchell 1x – 71 Points, Joel Embiid 1x – 70 Points)
Total: 117 Games
As you can see the recent and more blatant individual scoring explosion is massive. Right now, the NBA has already surpassed the most 50, 60, and 70-point games put forth in any of the previous five decades except the 1960s which had an unbelievable 205 such games. Need I remind you that we are only just halfway through the 2023-24 season?
Already in the 2020s, we have seven different players with at least five 50-point games on their resumes including Damian Lillard as the leader with 10 and Joel Embiid right behind him with eight. There have also already been 18 60-point games in the 2020s which is just as much as the previous two decades combined.
That brings us to the even more baffling stat of four different 70-point games in the last year of action in the NBA. Recently, Luka Doncic and Joel Embiid had 70-point games in the same week adding to the two 71-point games we saw from Donovan Mitchell and Damian Lillard in 2022-23. It is the first time in NBA history that more than one player recorded a 70-point game in a single decade. Something tells me that the 2020s are getting ready to blow the 205 50, 60, and 70-point game record out of the water, held by the players of the 1960s.
