Who Shot The Most Points in a NBA Game?

On March 2, 1962, Wilt Chamberlain set the record for the most points scored in an NBA game.

Wilt Chamberlain

Wilt Chamberlain, who was nicknamed “Wilt the Stilt” and “The Big Dipper”, was a professional basketball player who played for the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors, the Philadelphia 76ers, and the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is widely considered one of the greatest and most dominant players in NBA history. He holds numerous NBA records, including the single-game scoring record with 100 points in a game.

100 point game

On March 2, 1962, Chamberlain set the NBA single-game scoring record by scoring 100 points for the Philadelphia Warriors in a 169–147 win over the New York Knicks at Hershey Sports Arena in Hershey, Pennsylvania. It is widely considered one of the greatest individual single-game performances in basketball history. Chamberlain made 36 of 63 field goal attempts and 28 of 32 free throws.

78 point game

On January 16, 1962, Chamberlain scored 78 points against the Los Angeles Lakers, which at the time was the second most points scored in an NBA game ( trailing only Elgin Baylor’s 71-point effort in 1960) and still is the fifth most by any player in a single game.
This total included 33 points in the fourth quarter, which remains an NBA record for most points scored in a quarter by one player.

Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bean Bryant is an American former professional basketball player. He played his entire 20-year career with 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. Bryant is the first player in NBA history to play at least 20 seasons with one franchise for his entire career.

81 point game

On January 22, 2006, Kobe Bryant scored 81 points against the Toronto Raptors, the second-most points scored in an NBA game, trailing only Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game in 1962. It was the most points scored in a game since David Thompson’s 73-point game in 1978. Kobe’s 81-points is also the most any player has scored against the Raptors in franchise history.

61 point game

On January 22, 2006, Kobe Bryant scored 81 points against the Toronto Raptors, the second-most points scored in an NBA game, behind Wilt Chamberlain’s legendary 100-point game. The 81-point game occurred during the 2005–06 NBA season and was Bryant’s fifth career 50-point game. It was the second time he scored at least 80 points in a single NBA game. He finished the game with 28 field goals and 53 points, both of which were career-highs at the time.

Michael Jordan

Michael Jeffrey Jordan is an American former professional basketball player who is the principal owner and chairman of the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played 15 seasons in the NBA, winning six championships with the Chicago Bulls. His biography on the official NBA website states: “By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time.” Jordan was one of the most effectively marketed athletes of his generation and was considered instrumental in popularizing the NBA around the world in the 1980s and 1990s.

69 point game

In 1985, en route to his first NBA championship, Jordan put up an incredible 69 points against the eventual Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics. The game was played on April 20, and was a miraculous showcase of offensive prowess by Jordan, who would go on to win MVP honors that season. The 69-point game is still the fifth-highest scoring total in NBA history.

63 point game

Michael Jordan’s 63-point game was a regular season NBA game played on April 16, 1986, between the Chicago Bulls and the Boston Celtics. It was the final game of the 1985–86 NBA regular season for both teams, and was played at Boston Garden. The Celtics were the defending NBA champions, and had clinched the Eastern Conference title earlier in the week. The Bulls were playoff regulars, but had not advanced past the first round since 1981.

With both teams having clinched their respective conference titles, neither team was playing for anything more than seeding in the upcoming 1986 NBA Playoffs. The Celtics were seeded first in the East, with home court advantage throughout the playoffs. The Bulls were seeded fifth in the East.

The game was not televised nationally, but was shown live in Boston on local television station WBZ-TV (channel 4). It was broadcast on tape delay later that evening in Chicago on WGN-TV (channel 9).