Who Has The Most Points In A NBA Playoff Game?
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It’s a question that has been asked for years, and there’s still no clear answer. Who has the most points in a NBA playoff game?
Some say it’s LeBron James, who famously scored 41 points in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals. Others argue it’s Michael Jordan, who holds the record for the most points in a playoff game with 63.
The truth is, there’s no definitive answer. It depends on a number of factors, including the era
Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan is the NBA player with the most points in a playoff game. He scored 63 points in a game against the Celtics in 1986. This record is unlikely to be broken anytime soon.
63 points in 1986
In 1986, Michael Jordan scored 63 points against the Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs. This is still the record for most points scored in a playoff game.
61 points in 1989
In 1989, during his second season in the league, Jordan set the NBA playoff record for most points in a game when he scored 61 against the Pistons in a first-round matchup. He would go on to break his own record two years later when he scored 63 points against the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals.
59 points in 1992
On May 7, 1992, in Game 2 of the second round of the playoffs, Michael Jordan set the Chicago Bulls’ franchise scoring record by tallying 59 points against the New York Knicks. The game was played at Madison Square Garden, and the Bulls went on to win, 113-111 in overtime.
It was a virtuoso performance by Jordan, who shot 21-for-37 from the field and 17-for-18 from the foul line. He also had six rebounds, four steals and three assists. The 59 points were the most ever scored by a player in a playoff game at Madison Square Garden.
Jerry West
In 1970, Jerry West set the NBA playoff scoring record by racking up 46 points against the Lakers’ rival, the Baltimore Bullets. West’s record stood for almost three decades before Michael Jordan finally surpassed it in a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1998. Jerry West’s playoff scoring record is one of the most impressive in NBA history.
53 points in 1969
In 1969, playing against the Baltimore Bullets in the Eastern Division Finals, Jerry West set the record for most points in an NBA Playoff game with 53. The Lakers went on to win the game 115-104, but ultimately lost the series to the eventual NBA Champion Bullets.
52 points in 1970
On April 11, 1970, during Game 3 of the Western Conference Semifinals against the Atlanta Hawks, West set an NBA playoff record by scoring 52 points. The previous record was held by Elgin Baylor, who scored 49 points in a game in 1962. West’s 52-point performance is also the Lakers’ franchise record for most points in a playoff game.
Elgin Baylor
Elgin Baylor has the most points in a NBA playoff game. He scored 61 points against the Celtics in the 1962 NBA Finals.
51 points in 1962
Elgin Baylor played in a total of eight NBA Finals series during his fourteen seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, and he holds numerous records for points scored and field goals made in the playoffs.
In 1962, Baylor set the record for points scored in a playoff game when he tallied 51 points against the Detroit Pistons. This record stood for nearly 20 years before it was finally broken by Tracy McGrady in 2003.
Baylor’s other notable playoff records include: most points in a half (32), most field goals made in a half (16), most consecutive games with 30 or more points (5), and most career points (2,083).
50 points in 1963
In 1963, Baylor set the record for most points in an NBA playoff game with 61 against the Detroit Pistons. The following year, he helped lead the Lakers to their first NBA Finals appearance, where they lost to the Boston Celtics in seven games.
LeBron James
LeBron James has the most points in a NBA playoff game. He scored 44 points against the Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals on May 31, 2007.
49 points in 2018
LeBron James is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is widely considered to be one of the greatest basketball players of all time. James has won four NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) Awards, four NBA Finals MVP Awards, and two Olympic gold medals. He has also been selected to 15 NBA All-Star teams, 17 All-NBA teams, and six All-Defensive teams, and is the Cavaliers’ all-time leading scorer. James played high school basketball at St. Vincent–St. Mary High School in his hometown of Akron, Ohio, where he was highly promoted in the national media as a future NBA superstar. A prep-to-pro, he joined the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003 as the first overall draft pick.
48 points in 2015
On May 2, 2015, James set the Cavaliers’ franchise record for points in a playoff game with 48 against the Atlanta Hawks in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. He also became the first player in NBA history to score 30 points and shoot 60 percent from the field in consecutive playoff games. James finished the game with 48 points on 19-of-28 shooting, eight assists, six rebounds and two steals in 42 minutes.
