Last night, Luka Doncic etched his name into the history books with one of the greatest regular season performances in the history of the NBA. Doncic scored an incredible 60 points to go along with 21 rebounds and 10 assists to create a new statistical benchmark in the NBA that no player before him had reached, even Wilt Chamberlain.
The only man to have a 60-point and 20-rebound triple-double is now in rare company as among the five greatest individual game scores ever tallied up by a player in an NBA game. This list doesn’t have icons like Shaquille O’Neal, LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and many others, but it does include Doncic and 4 other legends.
Game score is calculated through this formula.
Game Score = Points Scored + (0.4 x Field Goals) – (0.7 x Field Goal Attempts) – (0.4 x (Free Throw Attempts – Free Throws)) + (0.7 x Offensive Rebounds) + (0.3 x Defensive Rebounds) + Steals + (0.7 x Assists) + (0.7 x Blocks) – (0.4 x Personal Fouls) – Turnovers
Players like Wilt Chamberlain played in an era prior to the official recording of blocks and steals, so we aren’t exactly sure of what his game score from iconic performances would have been.
5. Luka Doncic
Stats: 60 Points, 21 Rebounds, 10 Assists, 2 Steals, 21-31 FG (68%), 2-6 3PT (33%), 16-22 FT (73%)
Luka Doncic ended the game against the New York Knicks with a win and a final game score of 56.3, which is good for the 5th highest in NBA history. His performance was almost flawless, as Doncic dominated every aspect of the game.
The reason he isn’t a little higher on this list has to be his inconsistency from the free-throw line during the contest. While he missed at least one to give the Mavs an extra possession via rebound, the others just reflect Luka’s iffy FT game. Despite that, he led the Mavs to a shocking win and is now sitting on this list as the person with the 5th greatest individual game in NBA history.
4. James Harden
Stats: 60 Points, 10 Rebounds, 11 Assists, 4 Steals, 19-30 FG (63%), 5-14 3PT (36%), 17-18 FT (94%)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4Nns5OLOuM
James Harden is a player that Doncic often gets compared to. Well, Luka’s insane game was the second 60-point triple-double in NBA history, as Harden is in possession of the first. His performance against the Orlando Magic in January 2018 led to him getting a 56.6 game score, pipping Luka by just .3.
Harden took one shot less than Luka but also made 2 fewer shots overall due to his less-than-impressive 3-point shooting in this game. However, he was lights out from the free throw line and hustled defensively to keep the playoff-contending Magic at bay. This performance was crucial in solidifying Harden’s only MVP-winning campaign of his career in 2018.
3. Karl Malone
Stats: 61 Points, 18 Rebounds, 2 Assists, 3 Steals, 21-26 FG (81%), 0-0 3PT, 19-23 FT (83%)
The story behind Karl Malone‘s incredibly petty January 1990 performance against the Milwaukee Bucks is quite funny. Malone’s extremely efficient 61-point night against the Bucks led Karl to a game score of 60.2, comfortably ahead of both Luka and Harden but also comfortably behind the two players ahead of him.
Malone had been snubbed from the 1990 All-Star starters list for the Western Conference for Lakers forward pair James Worthy and A.C. Green. Malone was outperforming both men that season but lost out because of 1,000 votes. This was his statement game after those results came out, with Malone being named a reserve for the contest. Sadly, he was unable to play due to an injury but got to dominate the Bucks in this clash.
2. Kobe Bryant
Stats: 81 Points, 6 Rebounds, 2 Assists, 3 Steals, 28-46 FG (63%), 7-13 3PT (53%), 19-23 FT (83%)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9NILK4OXpo
Even if you are under the age of 16, you have probably seen highlights of one of the most electrifying individual performances in NBA history. Kobe Bryant scored 81 points against the Toronto Raptors in a history-making moment, as Kobe’s 81 became the second-highest individual single-game record behind Wilt’s 100-point game. Bryant generated a game score of 63.5 with this performance.
Bryant put on one of the most masterful scoring displays in NBA history while trying to beat an NBA team single-handedly. The Lakers in the post-Shaq era before Pau Gasol got to the team were in rough shape, and Kobe Bryant decided to show that to the world by putting on this herculean individual performance to send a message to his doubters and win the game comfortably.
1. Michael Jordan
Stats: 69 Points, 18 Rebounds, 6 Assists, 4 Steals, 23-37 FG (62%), 2-6 3PT (33%), 21-23 FT (91%)
Who else? It should be no surprise that the single-greatest game, according to the advanced analytics of game score, is Michael Jordan. Jordan did this against the Cleveland Cavaliers by scoring 69 points and grabbing 18 rebounds, generating a game score of 64.4. This was a year prior to MJ’s first championship win, so the load to carry the Bulls was still heavy on MJ’s shoulders in March 1990.
The Bulls and Cavs had a rivalry, so the stakes of this game were even higher. Chicago needed every last point and rebound that MJ scored as they won the game in overtime by just 4 points.
This game is the measuring stick of individual performances in the NBA. It hasn’t been topped in 32 years, but Luka is proving that there are players in the modern era that are going to come close to surpassing it. Until then, MJ holds the crown.
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