Playoff scoring volume is built in a different environment. Defenses load up for a full series, rotations shrink, weak matchups get attacked every possession, and primary scorers have to keep producing through traps, switches, help at the nail, and late-clock possessions.
Over the last 15 years, only a few players have pushed that workload to an historic level. This list is not just about points per game. It is about total scoring burden across a full postseason run, where durability, usage, efficiency, and series length all decide who separates from the rest.
10. Kevin Durant – 608 Points, 2018 Playoffs
Kevin Durant scored 608 points in the 2018 playoffs and finished 10th on this list. He played 21 games, averaged 29.0 points, 7.8 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.2 blocks, and shot 48.7% from the field, 34.1% from three, and 90.1% from the line. He also averaged 38.4 minutes and took 20.7 field-goal attempts per game, giving the Warriors a high-volume scorer who still kept elite efficiency through four rounds.
The Warriors went 16-5 and won their second straight championship. Durant was not carrying a weak roster, but that is not the point of this run. His value came from how easy he made playoff offense look against set defenses. When teams switched, he shot over smaller defenders. When teams played him straight up, he got to his midrange spots. When the Warriors needed a half-court basket late in the clock, Durant was the cleanest option.
His most important stretch came in the Western Conference Finals against the Rockets. The Warriors fell behind 3-2 in the series and had to win Game 6 and Game 7. Durant scored 34 points in Game 7, helping the Warriors survive their hardest series of the postseason. That matchup pushed the Warriors away from their normal motion offense at times, and Durant’s isolation scoring became a major part of the answer.
He was even better in the Finals. Durant averaged 28.8 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 7.5 assists against the Cavaliers and won Finals MVP. His Game 3 was the signature performance of the run: 43 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists, 15-of-23 from the field, and 6-of-9 from three in a 110-102 win. Curry shot 3-of-16 that night, but Durant gave the Warriors enough scoring to take a 3-0 series lead.
Durant’s 2018 postseason was not a one-man carry job. It was a superstar scorer giving a championship team an automatic playoff mismatch.
9. Jayson Tatum – 615 Points, 2022 Playoffs
Jayson Tatum scored 615 points in the 2022 playoffs, the highest total of that postseason. He played 24 games, averaged 25.6 points, 6.7 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.9 blocks, and shot 42.6% from the field, 39.3% from three, and 80.0% from the line. He averaged 41.0 minutes per game and took 19.7 shots per night, including 8.2 threes.
The Celtics reached the Finals after one of the hardest paths of the last decade. They swept the Nets in the first round, beat the Bucks in seven games, beat the Heat in seven games, and lost to the Warriors in six games. Tatum had to be the Celtics’ top scorer and main half-court creator through all of it. He was not just getting shots off spot-ups or transition. He was running pick-and-roll, attacking switches, creating late in the clock, and drawing the top wing defender almost every night.
His best game came in Game 6 against the Bucks. With the Celtics facing elimination, Tatum scored 46 points, added nine rebounds and four assists, and shot 17-of-32 from the field and 7-of-15 from three. It was the biggest performance of his run because the Celtics needed every part of it. Giannis Antetokounmpo had 44 points and 20 rebounds in the same game, but Tatum answered with shot-making from all three levels and forced Game 7.
The Finals showed the weakness in the run. Tatum still averaged 21.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 7.0 assists against the Warriors, but he shot only 36.7% from the field and struggled finishing inside the arc. He finished the full postseason with 148 assists, but also 100 turnovers.
Still, 615 points at age 24 in a Finals run is a serious scoring workload. Tatum was not a finished championship first option yet, but he had already proved he could lead a team through four rounds as the primary scorer.
8. Stephen Curry – 620 Points, 2019 Playoffs
By 2019, the Warriors were no longer getting the same clean path through the West. The roster was chasing a third straight title, Kevin Durant missed time with a calf injury, Klay Thompson dealt with injuries in the Finals, and Stephen Curry had to carry a heavier scoring load than he had in the previous two championship runs.
Curry finished the 2019 playoffs with 620 points in 22 games. He averaged 28.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 1.1 steals in 38.4 minutes per game. He shot 44.1% from the field, 37.7% from three, and 94.3% from the line, with a 62.0 true shooting percentage. He also made 4.2 threes per game on 11.1 attempts, which kept the Warriors’ spacing alive even when the offense became less balanced.
The run changed after Durant went down in Game 5 against the Rockets. Curry then closed the series in Game 6 with 33 points, all in the second half, as the Warriors beat the Rockets 118-113 and advanced to the Western Conference Finals. He shot 9-of-20 from the field, 4-of-11 from three, and 11-of-11 from the line in that game.
Curry followed that by sweeping the Trail Blazers in the Western Conference Finals. He averaged 36.5 points in that series and punished every coverage the Trail Blazers used against him. By the Finals, the Warriors were too injured to survive against the Raptors, but Curry still gave them a chance. He scored 47 points in Game 3, his highest-scoring Finals game, with Durant out and Thompson unavailable.
This was not Curry’s most efficient title-level run because the Warriors did not win. It was still one of his most complete playoff scoring stretches. The Warriors needed primary creation, off-ball gravity, pull-up shooting, and late-clock offense. Curry gave them all of it.
7. Giannis Antetokounmpo – 634 Points, 2021 Playoffs
The Bucks’ 2021 title run was built around Giannis Antetokounmpo’s interior dominance. He scored 634 points in 21 games, averaging 30.2 points, 12.8 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1.0 steals, and 1.2 blocks. He shot 56.9% from the field and posted a 59.9 true shooting percentage, despite shooting only 18.6% from three and 58.7% from the line. The scoring came from rim pressure, transition, offensive rebounds, duck-ins, seals, and face-up drives.
The Bucks needed all of it. They swept the Heat in the first round, beat the Nets in seven games, beat the Hawks in six, and then beat the Suns in six to win their first championship since 1971. Antetokounmpo missed Games 5 and 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals after hyperextending his left knee in Game 4, but he returned for the Finals and produced one of the best championship-series performances ever.
His Finals line was the center of the run. Antetokounmpo averaged 35.2 points, 13.2 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.8 blocks against the Suns. He shot 61.8% from the field and controlled the series through paint touches, defensive recovery, and second-chance pressure. The Suns had no consistent answer once he got downhill.
Game 6 was the defining performance. Antetokounmpo had 50 points, 14 rebounds, and five blocks in a 105-98 win to close the series. He became the second player in NBA history to score 50 points in a Finals clincher, joining Bob Pettit in 1958.
This was Antetokounmpo at his physical peak. The jump shot never mattered. The free throws were uneven until the closeout game. The Bucks won because he owned the paint for two months and finished the run with a title, Finals MVP, and one of the best Game 6 performances in NBA history.
6. Luka Doncic – 635 Points, 2024 Playoffs
Luka Doncic’s 2024 playoff run was a physical grind from the first round to the Finals. He played through a right knee sprain and later a thoracic contusion, but still finished with 635 points in 22 games. Doncic averaged 28.9 points, 9.5 rebounds, 8.1 assists, and 1.9 steals while shooting 44.6% from the field, 32.2% from three, and 76.5% from the line. He led the 2024 playoffs in total points and total rebounds, a rare combination for a guard.
The Mavericks’ run started with a six-game win over the Clippers, continued with a six-game series against the Thunder, and peaked with a five-game win over the Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals. Doncic was not at his sharpest physically, but the workload stayed heavy. He had to run the offense, create late-clock shots, hunt switches, rebound, and handle the top defensive coverage every night.
His best series came against the Timberwolves. Doncic averaged 32.4 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 8.2 assists in five games and won Western Conference Finals MVP. Game 2 was the most memorable moment: 32 points, 10 rebounds, 13 assists, and the game-winning three over Rudy Gobert. In Game 5, he ended the series with 36 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists as the Mavericks won 124-103.
The Finals were different. The Celtics loaded up on Doncic, attacked him defensively, and exposed the Mavericks’ spacing and secondary creation. Doncic still averaged 29.2 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 5.6 assists in the series, but the Mavericks lost in five games.
This was not Doncic’s cleanest scoring run. The three-point shooting was uneven, the injuries were visible, and the Finals showed the roster’s limits. But 635 points through four rounds is still elite playoff volume. Doncic carried the Mavericks as their scorer, passer, rebounder, and matchup controller for two straight months.
5. Kobe Bryant – 671 Points, 2010 Playoffs
Kobe Bryant’s 2010 postseason belongs this high because it combined volume, shot difficulty, and a championship finish. He scored 671 points in 23 games, the highest total of the 2010 playoffs. Bryant averaged 29.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.3 steals while shooting 45.8% from the field, 37.4% from three, and 84.2% from the line. He played 40.1 minutes per game and took 22.2 field-goal attempts per night.
The Lakers went through the Thunder, Jazz, Suns, and Celtics to win the title. Bryant was dealing with knee and finger issues, but his shot-making held through the full run. He had the usual diet of post-ups, pull-ups, fadeaways, late-clock isolations, and contested midrange looks. The efficiency was not modern analytics perfection, but the degree of difficulty was high almost every night.
His best offensive series came in the Western Conference Finals against the Suns. Bryant averaged 33.7 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 8.3 assists in six games. He opened the series with 40 points in Game 1, scored 36 in Game 3, and closed the series with 37 points in Game 6. The closeout in Game 6 was classic Bryant: 12-of-25 from the field, 3-of-8 from three, and 10-of-11 from the line as the Lakers won 111-103.
The Finals were more physical and less efficient. Bryant averaged 28.6 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 3.9 assists against the Celtics and won Finals MVP. Game 7 was ugly offensively, as he shot 6-of-24, but he still had 23 points and 15 rebounds in an 83-79 win.
Bryant’s 2010 run was not only about scoring totals. It was the last championship run of his career, the second straight title for the Lakers, and one of the final great high-volume midrange playoff runs before the league fully shifted toward spacing and three-point math.
4. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – 688 Points, 2025 Playoffs
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander turned the 2025 playoffs into the finishing point of an MVP season. He scored 688 points in 23 games, leading the postseason in total points as the Thunder won the championship. He averaged 29.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 1.7 steals, and 0.9 blocks in 37.0 minutes per game. He shot 46.2% from the field, 28.3% from three, and 87.6% from the line. The three-point number was low, but his scoring stayed steady because he lived in the paint, got to the free-throw line, and kept his midrange game under control.
The Thunder went through the Grizzlies, Nuggets, Timberwolves, and Pacers to win the title. Gilgeous-Alexander was the lead scorer, lead creator, and late-clock option through all four rounds. The volume came on 21.9 shots and 9.4 free-throw attempts per game, which shows how much of the offense ran through him. He was not just finishing plays. He was creating the advantage, forcing help, and making the next read.
His Finals run completed the season. Gilgeous-Alexander won Finals MVP after the Thunder beat the Pacers in seven games, and added that to his regular-season MVP and scoring title. His Finals averages were 30.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 5.6 assists.
The 688-point total puts him ahead of several championship runs from the last 15 years. It also separates his 2025 postseason from standard high-scoring runs because it came with the full result: MVP, scoring title, Finals MVP, and a championship. That is a rare scoring season carried all the way through June.
3. LeBron James – 697 Points, 2012 Playoffs
The 2012 playoffs were the championship revenge from LeBron James after the Heat’s 2011 Finals loss. He scored 697 points in 23 games, the highest total of that postseason, and also led the entire playoffs in rebounds with 224. He averaged 30.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.9 steals, and 0.7 blocks while playing 42.7 minutes per game. He shot 50.0% from the field, 25.9% from three, and 73.9% from the line.
The Heat beat the Knicks in five games, the Pacers in six, the Celtics in seven, and the Thunder in five to win the title. James had to carry a heavier load after Chris Bosh suffered an injury in the second round and missed several games. That stretch changed the run. James had to score more in the frontcourt, defend bigger matchups, rebound at a high level, and keep the Heat organized with Dwyane Wade fighting through uneven stretches.
The defining game came in the Eastern Conference Finals. With the Heat down 3-2 against the Celtics, James scored 45 points with 15 rebounds and five assists in Game 6. He shot 19-of-26 from the field and played 45 minutes in a 98-79 win. It remains one of the most important elimination-game performances of his career.
James finished the run by beating the Thunder in the Finals and winning Finals MVP. His Finals averages were 28.6 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 7.4 assists. That postseason was not only his first title run. It was the moment his playoff scoring, physicality, defense, and control finally produced the championship result that had followed him since 2010.
2. Kawhi Leonard – 732 Points, 2019 Playoffs
Kawhi Leonard’s 2019 postseason is one of the best two-way title runs of the modern era. He scored 732 points in 24 games, averaging 30.5 points, 9.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.7 steals, and 0.7 blocks in 39.1 minutes per game. He shot 49.0% from the field, 37.9% from three, and 88.4% from the line, with a 61.9 true shooting percentage. That combination of volume, efficiency, and defensive workload is why this run still holds up.
The Raptors needed Leonard’s scoring immediately. They beat the Magic in five games, then faced the 76ers in one of the most physical second-round series of the last decade. Leonard averaged 34.7 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 4.0 assists in that series while shooting 53.0% from the field. He carried the Raptors’ half-court offense when possessions became slow, crowded, and matchup-based.
Game 7 against the 76ers became the signature moment of the run. Leonard finished with 41 points, eight rebounds, and three assists, then hit the series-winning corner jumper at the buzzer. It was the first Game 7 buzzer-beater in NBA playoff history. The shot became the image of the Raptors’ title run, but the full series was the real proof of his level.
Leonard then averaged 29.8 points against the Bucks in the Eastern Conference Finals as the Raptors came back from a 2-0 deficit to win the series in six games. In the Finals, he averaged 28.5 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 4.2 assists as the Raptors beat the Warriors in six games and won their first championship.
This was not just a scoring run. Leonard defended elite wings, carried late-clock offense, controlled the midrange, got to the line, and gave the Raptors the best player in every series. His 732 points remain the second-highest total of the last 15 years.
1. LeBron James – 748 Points, 2018 Playoffs
No player in this window carried a larger scoring burden than LeBron James in 2018. He scored 748 points in 22 games, averaging 34.0 points, 9.1 rebounds, 9.0 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.0 blocks in 41.9 minutes per game. He shot 53.9% from the field, 34.2% from three, and 74.6% from the line. He also took 23.2 shots and 9.7 free throws per game. That was superstar volume with elite efficiency and almost no room for a bad night.
The Cavaliers’ path was unstable from the first round. They beat the Pacers in seven games, swept the Raptors, beat the Celtics in seven, and were swept by the Warriors in the Finals. James had to be the Cavaliers’ top scorer, top passer, transition engine, late-clock creator, and defensive organizer. He led the entire 2018 playoffs in total points, assists, field goals, free throws, minutes, and triple-doubles.
The Pacers series set the tone. James averaged 34.4 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 7.7 assists, then closed Game 7 with 45 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists. Against the Raptors, he averaged 34.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 11.3 assists and hit another game-winner in Game 3. Against the Celtics, he played all 48 minutes in Game 7 and finished with 35 points, 15 rebounds, and nine assists to send the Cavaliers back to the Finals.
Game 1 of the Finals was his best performance and the brutal ending point of the run. James had 51 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists against the Warriors, but the Cavaliers lost in overtime after the late-game mistake by J.R. Smith. The Warriors swept the series, but that did not lower the level of James’ postseason.
His 748 points remain the highest single-playoff total of the last 15 years. It was one of the greatest carry jobs in NBA history.
